Tragically, human trafficking and slavery aren’t relics of the past, nor are they confined beyond our borders. But luckily, outstanding individuals like our very own Veteran Voices host Mary Kate Soliva are taking action to eradicate these harmful practices around the world. In this episode, Scott chats with Mary about the Guam Human Rights Initiative, which she co-founded in January of this year to address human rights issues through scholarly research and by enabling locally-grown scholars. We’ll also dive into how Mary is supporting her fellow veterans as they prepare to transition into the civilian workforce and discuss how leaders can take action to make sure trafficking and slavery stay out of the global supply chain for good.

Intro/Outro (00:03):

Welcome to supply chain. Now the voice of global supply chain supply chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues. The challenges and opportunities stay tuned to hear from those making global business happen right here on supply chain now.

Scott Luton (00:32):

Hey, good morning, everybody. Scott Luton with you here on supply chain. Now welcome to today’s show. Hey, I’m really pleased to be interviewing a dear friend and colleague here today. A fellow veteran that continues to make the world a better place. We’re gonna be talking about action focused leadership. That’s tackling some of the greatest issues of our day in our time. Unfortunately, that’s human trafficking and modern slavery, uh, slavery, which unbelievably is on the rise here in 2022, but stay tuned for what promises to be an intriguing discussion. One that offers you different ways to take action, to get in the fight against, uh, trafficking and slavery. As we all know, global supply chains got, um, a lot of heavy lifting to do, and fortunately are taking action, uh, in that regard, but with no fur further ado, wanna welcome in my dear friend and guest here today, Mary Kate Sali, a host of our veteran voices series here at supply chain now. And trust me so, so much more Mary Kate, how you doing?

Mary Kate Soliva (01:34):

Hey Scott, thank you for having me. It’s great to be in the hot seat with you again.

Scott Luton (01:40):

I appreciate that. That’s come on. That seat is never hot. Uh, and you know, we’re big fans of all the work you do. Uh, there’s so much, uh, apart from, uh, what you do, uh, during your, what I’ll call day job, use that term loosely, all the servant leadership and the give forward and the do good stuff that you’re up to. So we’re big fans of the Atlanta, uh, Atlanta based, uh, Mary Kate saliva fan club. Um,

Mary Kate Soliva (02:05):

So I appreciate that.

Scott Luton (02:07):

<laugh> um, alright. So a lot of folks, uh, will be familiar about, um, you know, some of your interviews here and some of the interviewing you do here, of course, through veteran voices and some other ventures, but let’s refresh their memory a little bit. Tell us Mary Kate, where did you grow up? And I’m gonna ask you a, uh, a follow up question or two about your upbringing.

Mary Kate Soliva (02:29):

Oh yeah. See, now, now the role’s versed here. Right. But yeah. See, I, um, well actually I, I grew up, uh, as a Navy bra, so my dad was in the Navy, so we moved a little bit here and there. Uh, but surprisingly Maine, uh, so jokingly said a population five, you know, my family and the dog, but, uh, you know, Maine’s a very beautiful state and I was fortunate enough to spend most of my upbringing there. So, um, but you know, I do talk about Guam a whole lot, so definitely very much part of who I am as well as, as a Chamal woman. But, um, you know, I am also European descent, so I think that’s the beauty of it, right. Scott is just, we’re all melting pot of all here and there.

Scott Luton (03:14):

Absolutely. Uh, absolutely. And, you know, I forgot the main connection. I remember that coming out in our very first time, probably two years ago now that you and I sat down. Um, so I gotta ask you and, and it might be an obvious or a stupid question, but one of your favorite food dishes growing up in Maine.

Mary Kate Soliva (03:33):

Oh gosh, well, I absolutely love lobster and I can’t, you know, I can’t beat the prices. Yeah. Actually getting it like fresh off the docks from the lobstermen supporting local. That’s one thing I love about Maine too, is that they’re very much about supporting local and getting it from the farmers and blueberries, you know, another big thing. We had a big apple festival in our town growing up and I just, you know, I’m a big fan of apples and, uh, cooked in all different ways. <laugh>,

Scott Luton (04:03):

<laugh>

Mary Kate Soliva (04:04):

Bake in all different ways, all different things and just, um, yeah, just getting it, having food, bringing the community together was just amazing. There’s actually main, um, up in Northern main, they just had lobster festival okay. Up in, uh, in Katy national park, uh, up that area that way.

Scott Luton (04:20):

Well, you know,

Mary Kate Soliva (04:21):

So giant lobsters walking down the street, you know, <laugh>

Scott Luton (04:24):

Cheap, giant lobsters if I’m tracking with you. Um, so yeah, the lobster supply chain, uh, Maine plays a big role, the, the blueberry supply chain, as you mentioned, some folks may on those,

Mary Kate Soliva (04:36):

Oh, syrup, how could I forget the maple syrup? I mean, yeah. Marsh timeframe, the SAP houses getting fresh syrup up from the SAP house, putting it on a fresh bowl of ice cream.

Scott Luton (04:47):

Okay. I’ve never had maple circle ice cream, I guess that’s the thing. Huh?

Mary Kate Soliva (04:52):

That’s the thing. I think there’s a lot of things that Maine makes a thing, so yeah, we can do it. Right.

Scott Luton (04:58):

So one final question, and then we’re gonna move into some of the, uh, the good, great work you’re doing, uh, in Maine. What, what did y’all do, uh, you know, for recreation, you know, other than all the, the, the food, uh, delicious culinary, uh, ideas you just left with what what’d y’all do for fun? Where’d you go?

Mary Kate Soliva (05:18):

Actually, I loved, uh, we loved going down the river. Um, my family, we had a canoes and we’d go down the river and we go camping, bring a friend that can play guitar, bring a friend that can tell some stories. And it was just, you know, it was just some of the best, uh, childhood memories that I have is, is just literally being outside. And I have to tell you, Scott, I went for a walk yesterday with my dog and I, there weren’t, there wasn’t a person outside, like nobody not a single kid on the playground. The playground was empty. And I was just amazed cuz when I was a kid, I just, you know, gather all the like little Rascals from the neighborhood together and we would just go have a good time, go out to like the old abandoned buildings and yeah, just being on the river, um, being out with nature.

Scott Luton (06:06):

Yeah. He had a canoe man. I, I, I would be so jealous as a kid, uh, man to, you know, my dad had a, um, uh, a boat for fishing. Right. But of course I, I didn’t have access to that unless he was going, I could ride. And if I had a canoe to explore and kind of have my own vessel, man, my folks wouldn’t see me for days. So you paint a, a picture that, that definitely resonates with me. Um, yeah,

Mary Kate Soliva (06:30):

The old Pontiac my dad had, we used to go in the old, in the parades with his old Pontiac. So really? Yeah, just from the forties and wave our little American flag out the window. Um, you know, just, I think that’s why I really miss, I feel like parades are so condensed nowadays, but I remember them going on longer and just as a kid, it was just so fun and uh, antiquing, I’d say, I don’t know, different parts of the country, call it junking, thrifting and taking whatever they want to call it. Yard ceiling and uh, yeah, big pastime of, of my family’s skip.

Scott Luton (06:59):

Okay. So we’re gonna get your, your, uh, bargain picks on a future episode. We’ll have a antique in 1 0 1 with Mary Kate saliva. That’ll be fun. Um, well I appreciate you sharing, uh, and, and rekindling our, um, uh, refreshing our memory of, uh, your upbringing, uh, there in Maine. All sounds wonderful. Um, I wanna shift gears here. Uh, so as we talked about on the, the front end, you know, one of the biggest issues of our time right now, uh, is the travesty of human trafficking and modern slavery. Even for some, even if for some it’s kind of in their blind spot, right. Uh, we’ve had some big lessons learned over the last year or so, uh, partnering with a variety of groups to include hope for justice, a great nonprofit that I know you’re aware of that’s based, uh, in the UK, but doing great work, uh, globally. And you know, again also mentioned on the front end, according to various reports and data, both trafficking and slavery are on the rise that’s just is, is heartbreaking. So, uh, what I love, one of the many things that we love about, uh, uh, all of your passion and your work and, um, your leadership is, is you’re not reading these reports, you’re doing something about it, which I love. So why, why is this, why is doing something about trafficking and modern slavery? Why is this so important to you?

Mary Kate Soliva (08:21):

Um, yeah, it’s a great question, Scott. So one of the things for me is I, I don’t claim to, to be a subject matter expert, um, by any means, and there’s a lot of unspoken heroes out there doing a lot of great work, but how my personal story with it was actually about a, a decade ago, uh, when I was a, a graduate student in the university of Guam, there was the first known human trafficking case in Guam. And I say first known, uh, to emphasize that, you know, human traffickings existed beginning of time, but it’s one of those things where, because of the, there wasn’t a law in place, uh, at the, in Guam until 2009, a lot of the cases potentially tracking cases at the time weren’t recognized, um, you know, it couldn’t be prosecuted as such. And so there was a lot that I didn’t know at the time I didn’t human trafficking, wasn’t something I was taught in school about.

Mary Kate Soliva (09:11):

Um, and, and it wasn’t something that was a conversation, a point to worry about. I, you know, sexual assault, harassment, those were things that I remember even as a young teenage girl, you know, weren’t about like people that might abduct me, unsolved mysteries kind of thing, white van going around, snatch up kids, but that’s not the thing with modern day slavery or, you know, is what, you know, as human trafficking. And, um, I was really upset about how the myths surrounding human trafficking at the time. And even though I didn’t know a whole lot about it, I just heard a lot of, um, myths going around amongst people in, in the public about, oh, human, trafficking’s a problem. That’s just happening overseas. You know, it’s, these are all, you know, foreigners and, and that wasn’t the case. They right. Sometimes there’s a lot of, there are a lot of survivors, you know, here in the us too, that are Americans, they’re born and raised trafficked outta their own communities.

Mary Kate Soliva (10:04):

And that’s the thing with the word trafficking can be very misleading to think we’re going across borders. So I decided that I wanna do something and I rounded up about 40 university students at the university of Guam. And we stood at the intersection of the main, uh, road. That’s kinda interesting cause we don’ts Guam like Marine during rush hour. Um, we wanted to were holding up sign saying it’s happening. We wanted people to ask us well what’s happening. And to get that many student support, public support, we even had politicians come out and stand with us. We had some of the faculty come out and stand with us and it was just great for people to just start the conversation. You know, what is this about, you know, what what’s happening? And, uh, it’s not, you know, about fear mongering trying to get everybody scared, but it’s just to know that this is a serious issue. It, it threatens, uh, security and, you know, it’s it, there are people being enslaved and they come from all walks of life. Right. So,

Scott Luton (11:08):

Um, uh, and, and the awareness is critical, you know, uh, it’s, it is, it goes under, uh, the activity, the illegal activity, trafficking and slavery in many, in some cases takes place right up under our nose. You know, you mentioned in here in the states, I’ve, I’ve heard it, um, put that it’s $150 million industry here in the states, and that is, I hate to put it in those terms, but folks are profiting from BR you know, ruining and, and wrecking lives from the victims of trafficking and slavery. Uh, and that figure probably is conservative because so much of it takes place under the radar, right?

Mary Kate Soliva (11:49):

Absolutely. It’s, it’s very lucrative. And even the, the definition of human trafficking, you may see varied and, um, the public and even the media still gets, uh, smuggling mixed up with, uh, trafficking, you know, whether in prostitution and talking about enticement and pandering, and these are still of the words that they’re not necessarily talked about. They’re not, not necessarily common knowledge, but really encouraging folks to start that conversation, but you’re absolutely right. Goes underreported. There’s still a lack of laws across the board, even in the United States, uh, and resources available. Like we didn’t have the first, uh, male shelter, uh, shelter for male victims of trafficking until, and I believe it was last year. Yeah. Um, so it’s just a lot to be done. Um, I will add the, the point of, um, after I got into this advocacy work, Scott, as a volunteer, I learned, uh, from my family about my grandmother’s story, which I think I mentioned to you before about, um, she wasn’t taken in, uh, but at the time during world war II, uh, they were known as comfort women. And there were, um, five known comfort houses on Guam at the time. And, um, it was to appease the Japanese soldiers at the time who were occupied the island. So, uh, for the fact my great-grandmother hid my grandmother at the time. And to know, I, I did a deeper dive on comfort women and, and sexual slavery then, and it still exists. Now you hear it now as modern slavery, but it’s under different names.

Scott Luton (13:20):

Um, it’s just shocking. It really is. Uh, and, and your personal tie and your family’s personal tie in is just, um, it’s heartbreaking to, to, to piece together what folks I had to go through, or sadly here to here to this day are going through, um, right. I’m gonna come, I’m gonna circle back to, um, your time in the us army. I think you’re still in the garden reserves. I’m gonna circle back to that. Are, is it the guard or the reserves that you still serve in Mary Kate

Mary Kate Soliva (13:51):

In, in the army reserves?

Scott Luton (13:52):

Okay. Arm reserves. I’m gonna circle back to that because I think as we stick with this human trafficking, um, subject, you’ve got a big event that you’re participating in soon. Yes. Uh, you serve as a veteran fellow with the Hoover institution, which is, uh, I think hosted by Stanford university part of Stanford, university’s, uh, programming. Um, tell us about what this institution does and tell us about this upcoming event.

Mary Kate Soliva (14:19):

Yes, absolutely. And so the Hoover institution it’s located, um, as, as many would know it in, on the Stanford university campus, but Hoover institution is a, a think tank and it’s been around for a while. One of the things, uh, that hasn’t been around for a while is the veteran fellowship program. And that was actually <inaudible>. So, uh, Dr. Conno rice spearhead, the it’s spearheading the program and she’s, uh, head of the Hoover institution right now. And she wanted to pick, um, 10, 10 veterans post nine 11 veterans. So out of a pool of applicants nationwide, uh, somehow I’m sitting here before you saying I’m a veteran fellow. Wow. But I’m truly grateful of the opportunity. And it was something that when I, I saw the opportunity, uh, heard, heard about it through actually connection on, on LinkedIn, another veteran, and to hear about what they’re looking for.

Mary Kate Soliva (15:16):

Uh, she was looking for problems impacting like the American people. So it didn’t have to have a tie with the military. I have, I have peers of mine that are doing incredible. Uh, they have problem statements that are extremely relevant and they’re doing incredible work to tackle those problems. And, um, I just specifically decided that mine was going to tackle tie-in with the us military. Um, but I’m excited to say that on a September 1st I’m gonna be hosting as part of my capstone project for the fellowship hosting. Uh, the inaugural, uh, human rights conference was the emphasis human trafficking on Guam and in the Pacific. So this conference is part of, uh, in January earlier. So earlier this year in January, me and my best friend, Erica Anderson, we co-founded the Guam human rights initiative. And she actually was out there at that intersection. I mentioned earlier about a decade ago, holding up our signs as graduate students.

Mary Kate Soliva (16:15):

And, uh, now 10 years later, she’s about to finish a PhD program out in Glasgow, Scotland, and, and I’m in a doctoral program now. So using, utilizing the Hoover network, they’re incredible like prestigious fellows and, and amazing, intelligent people way smarter than me, Scott, uh, are able to help me brainstorm and think about ways that I could really impact the community. So one of the things that was really important to us for this conference is that it’s free. So we wanted to make it. So unless you want continuing education units, it’s just at a small fee, uh, $35. But other than that, it’s completely free. And we really want to start the conversation. It’s gonna be virtually broadcasted. We have the registration link available. And the day before on August 31st, we’re gonna have a webinar. So again, the webinar is gonna be talking about, uh, human trafficking from an a strategic standpoint. And, uh, on the September 1st 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM tomorrow standard time will be running four panels, but excited to say that the governor Guam will be in attendance as well as many other, uh, high name people in Ireland.

Scott Luton (17:22):

Wow. Making a, uh, quite a splash. Uh, and, and, and I think this is the first event, is this the first event, uh, of its kind in, in Guam really, I guess, related to the, the Hoover institution?

Mary Kate Soliva (17:37):

Yes. For related with the Hoover, with Hoover institution and partnership. That’s why it’s, I’m just so proud of, of what we’ve been able to achieve in just a matter of a few months. Scott, I tell you like, literally just a few months ago, Eric and I were just talking, you know, let let’s do this, let’s make this happen. And we definitely would not have been able to do it with, you know, without our sponsors, without the support. Um, even our, our rotary club came together. The other rotaries on island came together. Uh, the university of Guam, uh, you know, it was just really incredible. The victim advocacy groups, like Quan coalition and sexual assault, family violence. Um, and what’s so great is our keynote speaker, uh, attorney of, and former ag attorney general Alicia LICO is our keynote speaker. And she was our keynote speaker a decade ago when we held a forum on human trafficking, uh, again, as graduate students with our, our picket signs, um, we wanted to host a forum and she was our keynote. Then she has agreed to come back and it’s just great to see where we’re at now, really full circle.

Scott Luton (18:40):

That is awesome. Uh, look forward to getting lots of key takeaways and, uh, some of your experiences at this event. Um, so you mentioned the Guam human rights initiative, which is a, uh, nonprofit that you and Erica, I believe, uh, founded. Um, how can folks, you know, how can folks jump in and support and, and get involved or, or learn more information about that?

Mary Kate Soliva (19:05):

Yeah, so we actually have a, a website on Guam, hri.org. Um, we kindly, uh, shrunk that down human rights initiative down Tori, but, um, ironically we say our acronym, um, is GRE, but we’re, you know, adding team in there. So we can say we got grit, um, you know, follow stuff, Scott of cool SL slogans there, but, um, we have a LinkedIn as well that we really encourage folks to follow. So we’re gonna continue to update that and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that what really helped us off the ground really was our university of Guam. Um, and the university of Guam regional center for public policy, uh, R C P P. Um, they really helped us get off the ground by you won’t believe the Scott. I feel like no, where else, what other university would do this? But they let us have access to some of their graduate students. They asked for volunteers from the, the master of the public administration. Students said who would like to be in a cohort with Mary Kay and Erica as advisors and tackle, uh, human trafficking as the first, but, you know, first of many, hopefully many of human rights issues impacting Guam and Micronesia, uh, in the region. So they, we, uh, have four graduate level students that we got to run through a cohort and, um, finish out, uh, two white papers with them. So that was a incredible,

Scott Luton (20:29):

That is, that is awesome. Uh, and I can only imagine how that, uh, along other things added to the momentum you have as, uh, as, uh, what I’ll put as we’re a startup, right. A startup nonprofit that is going to do big things already is doing big things. So, uh, Guam, H R i.org, is that the website?

Mary Kate Soliva (20:51):

Yes. And okay. I will add that we are, um, we started Guam HRI, Guam human rights initiative because we identified with numerous stakeholders on island that there’s a significant lack in research and data on human trafficking and I’m, and still to this day, I’m very wary of the numbers. And I learn a significant amount of those who are on the ground, victim, AVO advocacy groups, uh, law enforcement, et cetera, who are dealing this fight in this fight every day. And just hearing, like you said earlier, got the numbers are so hard to come by. And there’s many reasons for that, but Eric and I are really hoping to raise awareness about these different human rights issues through our research and using the skills that we’re learning at the doctoral level to be able to do that.

Scott Luton (21:40):

Um, I don’t doubt it. You will, I’ve seen you in action. Uh, you, uh, you run through walls and you, more importantly, you have other folks ready to run through walls based on, on, on the work that you do. So, uh, thank you for sharing about Guam human rights initiative here. Um, and you know, speaking, you know, obviously, um, here at supply chain, now I’ll tell you, we are proud, very proud to have members of our family and are hosts that are making such a profound impact, uh, in global industry. So thank you on that behalf. And on that related note, um, you know, whether it’s the government, whether it is, uh, global supply chain, business leaders, global industry, you name it, we’re all trying in many ways to, you know, find the data to better quantify the problem. Of course, that’s what so many of us do in supply chain first, right?

Scott Luton (22:34):

Figure out what the problem is. Um, it was great to see the white house, um, uh, and, and Congress get together and pass the Uighur force, labor prevention act, get that in the law where, and we won’t do it full justice here, but in a nutshell, it forces supply chain leaders to prove that, uh, raw materials and supplies and components don’t come out of certain regions in China, where, um, according to the, um, various governmental agencies and other third parties, credible third parties, there’s a lot of forced labor slave labor going on. So, um, it’s good. And I think hopefully that will be, um, a step to be followed by many other steps, effective steps that will help us eliminate, um, trafficking, human slavery, forced labor, you name it, uh, around the world because the, an important note, I think, to make Mary Kay, something you mentioned earlier is not just in one location or region it’s, unfortunately it’s everywhere.

Scott Luton (23:36):

Um, absolutely. So, uh, also you’re tying this back to our global supply chain listenership here. Um, so you, uh, are part and work with, uh, a dynamic group called PMI pro the project management Institute. And, um, you know, there’s, if there’s been, uh, there’s been a whole slew, uh, of, of trends and dynamics and, uh, things that are impacting global supply chain, but on the positive side project management and the formal discipline, there has really been, um, uh, an area and a, um, uh, a tool that supply chain leaders lean on more and more in recent years. I mean, it’s been around for a long time, been made an impact for a long time, but it’s really, you know, as we’re trying to digest change doing that within a project management framework has been a big, big area of, uh, relief and, uh, um, and, and impact. So tell us about PMI. What, what is PMI?

Mary Kate Soliva (24:42):

Yes. And I’m, I’m glad you asked that, cuz I know, um, folks will see the letters PMP all over LinkedIn. Uh, they’re just as proud of PMP as they would, you know, it’s right where an MBA or PhD would be right in their headline, their title, uh, PMI, I least say we’re at like the mothership is what I call us, but, uh, the project management Institute been around since 1969. Uh, but one of the things that I really love about the project management Institute PMI is, um, that they align with the United nation sustainable development goals and a lot of the work, uh, we have what we call like PM impact, uh, where we have staff members that are logging their hours for impact and what they’re doing out in the community, out in the world, the global community. And I have colleagues that are from all different regions of the world. And so it’s really cool to sit on a call like we’re doing now Scott, and just be able to talk in the different accents, just on one call. And, uh,

Scott Luton (25:42):

Only imagine

Mary Kate Soliva (25:45):

I can only imagine, but being able to, and they’re just, they really are about change and making positive change, a positive impact in this world and to do that and being part of a, a team. Um, and we, within the company, we have smaller regional teams and it’s just really great to be able to work across the aisle and work with one another collaborate ideas. See if what’s going on in one place can work over here. And it’s just really amazing. Mm.

Scott Luton (26:15):

And, um, part of your role there is, uh, reaching out to, to members of our fellow veteran community and helping them find resources because, uh, all those certifications and the body of knowledge and, and knowing how to, um, you know, accumulate and demonstrate your project management skills, those are wonderful, um, ways to help get a good job and advance in that career. Right.

Mary Kate Soliva (26:41):

Absolutely. And we’re all about, um, and I would say that PMI is, is actually a non non-profit. So, uh, we are, um, pushing like upskilling, helping to support folks in their career journey. And that’s what I talk to people all the time from, with all different industries is that project management applies across the spectrum of so many different industries. And we are with you every step of the way we have resources available for all different types of learners. And in my role, since I, I am a veteran, I have a privilege of being able to work with the military veteran community, uh, by spearheading the military and veteran initiative for north America. So that includes the youth military, as well as the Canadian armed forces of our friends up to the north. And so being able to, to do that, hear their stories, hear where they’re at.

Mary Kate Soliva (27:28):

And I say, PMI being with PMI is being on a journey. You know, if you’re at the very early stages, you don’t know anything about project management. We have a course for you if you’re mid-level manager and you’re just trying to, you know, you wanna get that next step. We have a, a course for you. So, you know, we have instructor led training. We have self-paced courses, e-learnings so many different options available. And that is what I did not know when I was on active duty <laugh> I was like, where was PMI? But PMI has always been there. And, um, that’s where we’re at. We want to be able to engage. And for me specifically, um, talk to my brothers and sisters at arms that are still serving say, Hey, don’t wait till you’re in your transition window. Don’t wait till that last 12 months to start cramming in certifications, you know, start early, use these. Now you can benefit your it’ll benefit, your unit benefit the organization for you to start soon.

Scott Luton (28:23):

Uh, so well said, uh, and I was same way, you know, when I, when I transitioned in 2002, I had the, one of the largest blind spots known to, uh, modern history. I mean, there’s so much, I had no clue about, uh, including great resources like PMI, you know, like vets, two industry, which were all big fans of, um, so y’all check that out. Uh, what if you’re a veteran listening checkout, uh, great resource, great community to get involved in, uh, if you’re, uh, a supply chain practitioner, supply chain leader, looking to, to bring resources to your team, to help digest change and, and drive improvement and, and navigate the global global obstacle course, that is, uh, uh, supply chain these days. Hey, check out PMA.

Mary Kate Soliva (29:08):

You can start and get a 45 minute free course called kickoff that we have, it’s called kickoff. It’s free. And you get a cool digital badge that you can brag about on LinkedIn. Okay. You wanna post it on social media, but yeah, it’s only four, five minutes of your time. Some finished some smarter than me finished fresh, other than that, but you can, uh, it’s the intro and you can download different, uh, documents there, uh, re different tools for your toolkit and get an intro to project management.

Scott Luton (29:32):

Love it. Uh, love it. Um, I don’t know how you’re getting sleep at night. Okay. Cause you’ve got so much going on. You’re doing so much good stuff. So we’ve talked about, uh, the Hoover institution, um, affiliated with Stanford university, I guess it’s on campus there at Stanford. We’ve talked about, uh, the Guam human rights initiative. Uh, we’ve talked about PMI. Um, let’s talk about, uh, so you’re a us army veteran and now you’re serving in the reserves. Um, what has one, you know, if you think of one leadership lesson learned that your, your time and service and the uniform has taught you, what would that be?

Mary Kate Soliva (30:13):

Gosh, and, um, I think one thing that it it’s really has taught me is in leveraging the folks that I know I don’t wanna take the comradery for granted. And you could probably, you may about like the comradery being one of the top things that we miss, if not the top thing we miss about serving. And it’s one of those things where we meet from people from all walks of life and as a leader in the military, getting that opportunity to serve and, and lead and really bring people together, uh, as part of a team, when we have emissions going to all different parts of the world. I mean, it’s the folks here left here, right? Those who have your six. And I know I have a couch to BU on and probably every state in this country, cuz I can just call up one.

Mary Kate Soliva (31:00):

And the fact that we call each other brothers and sisters, you know, I think is, is really meaningful. And that that’s something that, um, I probably took for granted too often earlier on in my career. And I wish I had leveraged it more to be able to learn from their mistakes, uh, especially the veterans mm-hmm <affirmative> and to know that, to stop being afraid. I think I, I, I held myself back just from being scared about putting myself out there. It’s a great time to be able to put, to step up to the plate and, um, lead.

Scott Luton (31:32):

Yeah. Uh, yeah. And we need it. A global industry needs, it needs real action driven values, driven leadership, not, not to be dramatic, but uh, for more now than ever since I’ve been alive. Um, and I would just also add, I think what you shared there, I think that’s a great lesson for leaders in supply chain in the private sector, wherever they are. Right. How can you find ways, um, uh, to create that camaraderie, those, those meaningful relationships, you know, that sense of, um, you know, so work family, right. And yes, what else far beyond the, the function and, and uh, the job and the roles, you know, these are people and that there’s a lot more important going on, stuff going on in their lives. And, and as leaders we gotta, we gotta account for all of that, make sure they’re taken care of at, at home and at work in many ways. That was one of my lessons learned from, uh, being in the air force. You know, my managers, they, they cared about what I did from, you know, uh, at my duty station right. In our analysis shop, but they also wanted to know what was going on at home, in the dorm, uh, over the weekends and, you know, made sure I was, uh, taken care of and certainly absolutely would love to see more of that. Right.

Mary Kate Soliva (32:50):

Absolutely. And I think about even just when, probably different trainings, like even when you’re at basic training or your tech school and the first thing, when you meet somebody, you know, you might ask them, where’d you go to basic or where you from, but you, you get that breadth of experience and that different number of answers, but less. So I feel like on, on this side of the, the fence than, um, when I was on active duty or even now the reserves to be able to have that instant connection, like I think start like even our first conversation, you know, there’s like immediate things that we could connect and yeah, I’m not as much of a sports fanatic, uh, as you would by bobblehead. But, uh, I, but you know, we were able to connect, you know, just from that veteran sent our time and service. Absolutely. And so just, I think that’s a beautiful thing. Being able to connect with people on, on another level and to know that you went through the, what we call it, am I able to say the suck <laugh>

Scott Luton (33:45):

You embrace the suck,

Mary Kate Soliva (33:45):

Right? Nothing to bring people closer together than when you embrace the suck together. So, um, there’s a lot of truth to that. And, uh, I think there’s a lot of values that we can bring. Um, somebody brought up recently about the eating last, I, I heard from a civilian, um, who added it to their talk and presentation about how they didn’t know that that was a, a thing until they talked to a veteran. Um, and they asked about why this particular person, why they weren’t getting in line and they wanted to make sure that everybody else ate, got to eat and there was enough food for them. And, you know, to us, I don’t think we think as much of it, but for those leaders who do cut in front of the line, we know that we may not say anything, but we, we see that. And so, you know, that whole leading by example,

Scott Luton (34:30):

Uh, speaks, speaks volumes and impacts volumes. Uh, I’m glad you mentioned that, um, uh, you know, the, those folks that are willing, uh, to not, it’s not all about me, you know, it’s not all about me and what I get and when I get it, I mean, you know, it, it, it, it at leading by example and taking care of your team and making sure they’re take, you know, they’ve got what they need. Uh, it sounds simple probably to so many people, but man, to put it in action, um, just impacts others around you in ways you’ll probably never appreciate long until long, you know, long time after. Um, I want to, so, so Mary Kay, I wanna paint this picture here. As we start to kind of come down to home stretch with our, uh, our time with Mary Kay saliva, uh, who leads the veteran voices, uh, here at supply chain, amongst many other things as we’ve talked about. Uh, so let’s say you, you’re the keynote at this massive conference where all of the, uh, world’s biggest supply chain leaders, chief supply chain officers, CEOs, you name it are in a room and you’ve got their captive attention. What is one challenge that you would issue to them? Mary Kay.

Mary Kate Soliva (35:45):

I would challenge them to, you know, with, with human trafficking, as you mentioned earlier, Scott, the, the data, the lack of data, it’s so important for our supply chain leaders to incorporate those data collection, uh, systems, to be able to, to really take a closer look at that. Cuz when it comes to human trafficking, you’ll find numerous incredible organizations out there, here in the us, especially that are tracing the money they’re following the money and they’re, and without us taking a proactive stance against human trafficking, modern day slavery and taking a look at well, especially with supply chain, uh, we’re just letting, making it easier for the traffickers to stay in business, but we gotta stop it at the root and at the root we, we find the root through following the money. So I think especially for supply chain leaders, we saw how significant, how important supply chain was during the pandemic, uh, the global pandemic.

Mary Kate Soliva (36:43):

And this is a global problem. Human trafficking is a global issue and we need to step up to the plate. It’s gonna take an effort for all of us to not only, you don’t have to have a degree, be a subject matter expert. You don’t have to be a cop, a lawyer, social worker. You just need to have the interest, take the time to really do a deep dive in your current systems and your current data collection sources. What, what is the data telling you about who you’re buying from? And you should care about who your supplier supplier supplier is.

Scott Luton (37:15):

That’s right.

Mary Kate Soliva (37:16):

Cause you it’s, it’s detrimental, right? Scott, social media. So quick people have information at the tip of their fingers. Your brand could go down the gutter in, in moments if you know, would you should, instead of finding out later be proactive about it. So you’re not one of those companies that’s in the big headlines that the media’s spur around saying, you know, you’re supporting trafficking, right. And human trafficking, there’s different types, labor trafficking, sub trafficking, but especially for supply chain and taking a look at that, it’s gonna take a global effort to, to stop

Scott Luton (37:48):

It. That’s right. Uh, I’d say that’s quite a challenge. I appreciate you, uh, delivering that message. Uh, hopefully folks take heed. Um, you know, and as of, and I’m a butcher this year because it’s late in the day and my brain isn’t working as much as it does early in the day. Uh, but I’ve heard it heard our friend, Tim Nelson with hope for justice. Put it, um, yeah, focus more on, what are you gonna do when you find it in your organization or your supply chain or in your E whatever your ecosystem is, you know, it it’s it’s, um, you know, we don’t wanna, um, uh, villainize the folks that have no knowledge and then come across it, but right. That’s when it matters, right. That’s when it matters, what are good people, good leaders, uh, what are folks gonna do when they see that it is part of their ecosystem? So that’s the, um, that’s, that’s what makes it the big challenge of our time, cuz it takes to your point, takes people to take action to, I mean, um, let’s face it. I mean it’s, it’s all lives are at stake right lives. Yes. And forthcoming generations. So, um, it’s anyway, great. Appreciate your perspective there, Mary Kate, uh, one final. That’s a

Mary Kate Soliva (39:07):

Great perspective too. Um, I say like you could sell, you know, you sell a human over and over again, whereas a weapon or a drug you can sell once. Um, and you may hear that in other talks too, but there’s so much truth in that. And so it, um, you know, even for some of the messaging that we have, sometimes it, the victims themselves don’t realize that they’re a victim. It’s not something like I said, that we’re taught in school. So even though the signs all point to trafficking, so even, you know, across the board, we, instead of us waiting around for the other entities, uh, to do something, you know, we can be proactive, know what resources are available in your community to seek that help.

Scott Luton (39:45):

That’s right.

Mary Kate Soliva (39:46):

So hundred percent Scott. Thank you. Yeah,

Scott Luton (39:48):

You bet. Uh, I really appreciate your leadership on this area and, and, and many other places. Uh, alright. So we mentioned better voices here. Uh, we usually drop a new episode every Friday. Mary Kay’s been doing outstanding work, uh, as part of our, uh, do good gift forward back, um, uh, programming with our fellow veteran community, uplift their voice, amplify, their voices and their journeys. Love what you’ve been doing here. Uh, of course we gotta mission vets to industry, uh, powerful nonprofit, uh, clear inhouse and great information for veterans, for military families, transitioning members, you name it, uh, vets, the numeral two industry.org. Y’all check that out. Um, what is a, a key takeaway or two that you, you know, amongst your favorites from your conversations? Uh, you’ve been leading at veteran voices.

Mary Kate Soliva (40:43):

Oh gosh. <laugh> I th that’s a tough one. I know. And they’re probably all listening too <laugh> but <laugh>, I will say that one thing that collectively, I believe across the board has been cuz every single one of them is serving with a purpose and they are serving beyond the uniform. That is what I really, you know, STEMM in from the great work that you started with veteran voices, Scott about doing good and be the change that’s needed. I, I, across the board, they are all doing and you and believe how many veterans I’m coming across that when I ask them what volunteer work you’re doing, they’re like, well, I did something like a decade ago, you know, there’s so many that, that aren’t doing anything and they served <laugh>. And, but I hearing them during the episodes talk about how they were able to manage it, how the importance of serving beyond the uniform, I think is invaluable because it’s not only helping them grow their networks and do good, but also obtaining additional skills outside of what they have from their, their day to day job. So, um, serving with a purpose and, uh, knowing that they’re not alone and doing so if you don’t know where to start, you can reach out to any of them that I’ve interviewed on the episode. And I know that they would take the shirt off their back to help that person so

Scott Luton (42:06):

Completely agree. Uh, and I’ll again, appreciate what you’re doing there. Uh, we all think as a, um, you know, certainly speaking at this from a, um, you know, not a United States perspective, right. As both having served in the us arm forces, uh, you know, I think the veteran population makes up about 10% of the overall population. Um, and as with that, there’s so many, uh, Americans that didn’t serve that really there’s a, they have a big blind spot when it comes to the veteran experience and what’s involved there, right? And, and that’s where I really love, uh, the work you’re doing is, uh, that awareness piece that is so critical so that we can start to in a very meaningful way tackle and resolve, uh, and fix some of the issues facing, uh, our veterans and their families. So Mary, Kate, thank you so much. I appreciate what you’re doing. How can folks connect with the one only the one and only Mary Kate saliva

Mary Kate Soliva (43:05):

That takes a village sometimes Scott. Um, but I, uh, they can definitely reach out to me on LinkedIn. Um, there’s even a chat option, the GOME tribe.org that you can reach out. And one of us will answer, but if you wanna reach out to me directly, LinkedIn’s a great platform to do that. And I welcome if you have suggestions, if you know a veteran who’s serving beyond the uniform, please let me know. I would love to see, uh, if they’d be a great fit, if I’m a great fit and, and veteran voice is a great platform to amplify the efforts that they’re doing. Uh, so I really appreciate, and thank you all for, for tuning in and thank you so much, Scott, for having me today.

Scott Luton (43:43):

You bet. Uh, I’m I I’m tickled, uh, I love being able to catch up with you. Hey, you’re a real, um, modest individual. So I wanna put this out there, uh, for the Guam human rights initiative folks, if you’ve got some, uh, some charity dollars, uh, here as we kind of move towards, uh, uh, late, uh, the fourth quarter 2022, or if you wanna support organization, that’s really action based. That’s doing some of the things that Mary Kate, uh, have has mentioned here, Hey, look, ’em up. They could use your funding. Uh, you know, they’re doing great things and, and to do more great things, Hey, it takes resources, right? So check out Guam H i.org. And, um, and if you, if you have any problems come through us and we’ll make sure you get, uh, you’re able to connect with Mary Kate. So Mary Kate saliva, big, thanks for what you’re doing. Safe travels and your upcoming, uh, big conference. And we look forward to getting a full report. When you get back,

Mary Kate Soliva (44:40):

I really appreciate that Scott and, uh, wouldn be here as host without you. So, I mean, just huge shout out to supply chain now and what you all are doing. I mean, you, you branched out so many other hosts because of the, it all stem in great work and really bridging that gap and bringing a bunch of great people together. So really love what you’re doing. And, um, looking forward to connecting with other rock stars out there, helping the global community.

Scott Luton (45:06):

You said a high standard, um, about rockstar standard, but Hey, uh, thanks so much for Mary Kate, uh, to our listeners. Hey, thanks so much for, for joining us in this journey, right? Thanks for tuning in to veteran voices and, and all of our different shows. Uh, I’ll tell you, uh, Mary Kate saliva is an inspiration and, you know, hopefully, you know, it’s all about, deed’s not words and people like Mary Kate really, you know, we talked about being that role model, she’s doing it right? So with that said, I’m gonna, uh, finish our show. Like I always do challenging all of our listeners on bath of our team. Hey, to be like Mary, Kate, do good, give forward and be the change that’s needed, but take action. Deed’s not words. And with all that said, we see you next time, right back here on Sacha. Now, thanks

Intro/Outro (45:53):

For being a part of our supply chain. Now, community check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to supply chain. Now anywhere you listen to podcasts and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on supply chain. Now.