Veteran Voices

Respect for other people should exist and be earned on an individual level, but that doesn’t mean differences of opinion and perspective based on things like appearance and gender don’t continue to present challenges. In this Veteran Voices cross-over episode, we introduce you to the new Veteran Voices host Mary Kate Soliva as she welcomes Mary Bell, the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for Team Themis and a Veteran of the United States Navy who joined at age 17. She spent her years in the Navy as a linguist, serving most of her time in Iraq but also being stationed in Africa and Afghanistan In this episode the two “MKs” talk about Mary Bell’s 10 years of active duty and 13 years in the reserves: Which mentors and officers made the greatest impression on her and how those impressions became the source of lasting change The importance of following and maintaining the chain of command no matter what happens, personally or professionally Why you can’t take transition advice from someone who hasn’t transitioned from active duty to the reserves or from service to civilian life

Respect for other people should exist and be earned on an individual level, but that doesn’t mean differences of opinion and perspective based on things like appearance and gender don’t continue to present challenges. In this interview, new Veteran Voices host Mary Kate Soliva welcomes Mary Bell, the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for Team Themis and a Veteran of the United States Navy who joined at age 17. She spent her years in the Navy as a linguist, serving most of her time in Iraq but also being stationed in Africa and Afghanistan In this episode the two “MKs” talk about Mary Bell’s 10 years of active duty and 13 years in the reserves: Which mentors and officers made the greatest impression on her and how those impressions became the source of lasting change The importance of following and maintaining the chain of command no matter what happens, personally or professionally Why you can’t take transition advice from someone who hasn’t transitioned from active duty to the reserves or from service to civilian life

The experience each person has in the military varies by branch, unit, and whether they served in wartime or peacetime. But there are also differences between fully enlisting and serving in the National Guard, or – as the British Army calls it – the Territorial Army. In this interview, host Scott Luton speaks with two Royal Engineer veterans from the British Territorial Army: Dan Reeve (who regular Supply Chain Now listeners will know from Esker) and Rob Chell. They served together in the same troop, and although they didn’t initially get along, they found a way to “figure it out” in the end and became good friends. Dan and Rob joined Scott to share their stories and thoughts about: Why serving in peacetime can be more dangerous than serving in wartime The importance of decompression – and the process associated with settling down from a high state of alertness Why even journeys taken side by side can be very different from the perspective of each traveler

When President George Bush went on TV to announce the beginning of the Gulf War, Rob Tiffany was working his way through college and he immediately felt called to go. He wanted to fly the latest planes with stealth technology. There was a waiting list to enter the Air Force, so he enlisted in the Navy. After all, it worked for Tom Cruise… Today, Rob Tiffany is the Executive Director at the Moab Foundation, focused on the use of connected intelligence to achieve global sustainability. Prior to that, he was the Vice President and Head of IoT Strategy at Ericsson. He has received a number of awards and recognitions and is routinely ranked as one of the top IoT experts and influencers in the world by Inc Magazine, Onalytica, and others. Rob joined Veteran Voices host Scott Luton to share the honest truth about his journey into, through, and out of the Navy: What it was like serving aboard a submarine – and the preparations and screening he had to go through in advance How being in the military transformed him as a person Why he decided to write a children’s book – Submarine Warriors: The Enemy Beneath

Some barriers are harder to break than others – at least until the right person comes along. Vernice “Flygirl” had to fight to get into the Marine Corps, but once she got in, she was determined to rise to the top and seize every opportunity. Vernice is a retired United States Marine Corps Officer and holds the distinction of being the first black female combat pilot in the U.S. military. She is also a bestselling author, an in-demand keynote speaker, a successful coach and entrepreneur, and served two tours of duty in Iraq. Veteran Voices co-hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson, host of Digital Transformers, were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Vernice about: Overcoming the fear of following your passion through conventional thinking and artificial barriers Why providing people with access to information and exposure to ideas can be a solution and a “gutsy move” Her key for successful networking – which involved asking people how she could be of service instead of asking what they did for a living

Many people join the military to have life experiences that wouldn’t be possible anywhere else – some of those experiences are formative and other ones just leave veterans grateful that what could have happened didn’t. Kevin Potts is a Software Product and Marketing Executive, but his buttoned-up professionalism and polished LinkedIn persona are laid on top of seven years’ experience as an Infantry Officer in the US Marine Corps. Although he was given opportunities to develop endurance and leadership skills, his favorite stories are “How I Almost Set Southern California on Fire” and “The Joke Is on You Baby O.” Kevin recently joined Veteran Voices co-hosts Scott Luton and Kelly Barner, host of Dial P for Procurement, to share honest, unvarnished stories about his time in the US Marine Corps and how it prepared him for his corporate career: What it was like touring East Berlin in full military uniform before the end of the Cold War How much borrowed time two cases of beer will buy you on a training range at Camp Pendleton The difference it can make on anyone’s journey if they have leaders and mentors who believe and invest in them

Most people spent a certain amount of time during the height of the pandemic locked down, just trying to get by under extraordinary circumstances. JB Jaso found himself near Fort Bragg in North Carolina, having time to take care of himself for the first time in nearly 20 years. That’s when he knew it was time to retire from the military and move on with his life. And yet, no sooner had he made that decision that he learned what ‘real’ isolation was like, with no mission, no unit, and no one to establish his values for him. Today, JB Jaso is the Assistant Manager for Security with the Los Angeles angels, a Veteran and retiree of the United States Army, and a volunteer leader with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. He recently joined Veteran Voices co-hosts Scott Luton and Mary Kate Soliva from Vets2Industry to speak about: His active search for a post-military purpose, and how he finally discovered a unique ‘why’ that would allow him to follow his passion for sports Why it is so important for every Veteran to own his or her own transition from the military into civilian life The health condition that unexpectedly touched…

Kristina Rodriguez is the Regional Operations Manager for The Brokerage for Virginia and North Carolina, and the co-manager of the employee resource group for Colliers North American diversity equity and inclusion program. She comes from a big military family, with her older brother (Marines), uncle (Vietnam war), and great aunt (Army) all entering the service. Since she wasn’t able to serve on the front lines, she became a Military Police officer in the U.S. Army for three years. After leaving the Army, she ended up in a role as a part time leasing agent for multifamily and real estate. In this conversation, Kristina shares her story with host Scott Luton: Why she thinks it was right to remove the service restrictions on women able to meet the front-line standards for their branch of the military Her three pieces of advice for anyone transitioning out of the military into a civilian professional role The communications differences between the military and civilian careers that Veterans need to be aware of

Today Veterans represent just 1% of the population of the United States, and yet they have an outsized impact on society as a whole as well as the private industry roles they go on to. And so what better topic to discuss on Veterans’ Day 2021, than leadership. In this special Veteran’s Day livestream, produced in partnership with Vets2Industry, Host Scott Luton was joined by three amazing leaders from the Veteran community. Marina Rabinek is a 24-year veteran of the Navy and Founder of the Military Women’s Collective (MWC). Rod Lee put in 23 years of active duty in the Air Force, and Jermaine Cohen served 4 years in the Army, which included a tour in Iraq. Today, Rod and Jermaine both work with PRJKT (Project) Vet, a Disabled Veteran, Black-owned product marketing and consulting company. In this conversation, Marina, Rod, and Jermaine share their unique perspectives on: The top Veteran-related topic that they each believe is worthy of more attention and discussion than it currently receives Why it is important for specific groups of Veterans, like women or minorities, to connect inside of the larger Veteran community The rich array of resources available to Veterans, whether they need casual…