Harnessing Leadership Skills: Michael Pope's Veteran Success Strategies

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to your Thoughts, your Reality with Michael Cole, the podcast that shines a compassionate light on the journey of veterans battling through life's challenges.

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<v Speaker 1>Michael is a dual elite certified neuro encoding specialist in coaching and keynote training presentations dedicated to guiding military veterans as they navigate the intricate pathways of post-deployment life.

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<v Speaker 1>Join him as we delve into the profound realm of neuroencoding science, empowering these brave individuals to conquer universal battles procrastination, self-doubt, fear and more.

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<v Speaker 1>Together, let's uncover the strength within you to re-engage with families and society, forging a new path forward.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello, hello, hello, everybody Forging a new path forward.

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<v Speaker 2>Return guest.

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<v Speaker 2>So Michael has over 20 years experience in the IT profession.

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<v Speaker 2>He's transitioned from software development to people development, which we're going to talk about today as well, driven by desire for deeper meaning.

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<v Speaker 2>Michael's trained under renowned experts like John C Maxwell, joseph McLennan III and, of course, he's the CEO of Michael Pope Training LLC.

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<v Speaker 2>He's also a trainer Dude, your list is like huge Neuron Coding Institute trainer, which is, of course, where I met him, and he's also a certified neuron coding specialist.

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<v Speaker 2>So if I miss anything, michael Pope, why don't you go in and tell us a little bit more about yourself?

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<v Speaker 3>Let's see.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm also a husband of 27 years, father of three amazing sons William, charles and Matthew.

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<v Speaker 3>All right, so you're doing all the things.

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<v Speaker 3>It's great to be back on your show Excellent.

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<v Speaker 2>You know it's been too long, man.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, happy to have you back on so really quick.

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<v Speaker 2>I just want to remind everybody.

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<v Speaker 2>On the top right corner there is a blue QR code that goes to lots of resources and things for veterans, Some books I've written.

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<v Speaker 2>It's at empowerperformancestrategiescom.

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<v Speaker 2>Again, empowerperformancestrategiescom, if you are listening on the podcast forums later.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, so, michael, I know we're going to dive into three tips at the end, so make sure everybody stays tuned and you ready to dive in.

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<v Speaker 3>I am ready.

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<v Speaker 3>So I got to warn you right.

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<v Speaker 3>So obviously this is my lunch hour.

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<v Speaker 3>My landscapers decided to show up at the same time, so they're outside cutting grass right now, so hopefully, no one doesn't come through, I can't hear a thing.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, good Technology is working there you go this is organic, this is not taped, this is not edited, as you can tell.

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<v Speaker 2>So why don't you talk just a little bit?

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<v Speaker 2>The people don't know about you a lot, about your transition from a successful IT career to become a people developer, just the pivotal moment kind of what drew you into this industry as well.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, so for me, growing up as and I think I mentioned this before growing up as a natural introvert and an IT professional, like I love technology.

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<v Speaker 3>However, for years, michael, I wouldn't speak up and I wouldn't really't really share my thoughts.

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<v Speaker 3>Like I'm very creative, I always had great ideas but I would keep them back to myself because I dealt with imposter syndrome and that low self-image.

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<v Speaker 3>And so for me the transition happened when I started personally growing myself.

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<v Speaker 3>I was introduced to personal development back in 1997 through a mentor and that got me involved with it, of seeing how it changed me personally and once it changed me I wanted to help others as well.

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<v Speaker 3>So that was kind of that transition and I can share that story of how I was introduced to personal development, if you like.

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<v Speaker 3>But that was kind of my transitional moment, starting really in 1997.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I would like to hear more, just because I want the audience to hear more about you.

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<v Speaker 2>Know what made you say this isn't enough, I'm not being fulfilled.

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<v Speaker 2>I want more of a purpose.

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<v Speaker 3>What brought you to that I'd love to hear that, yeah, so my professional career started in 1997, I would love to hear that.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, so my professional career started in 1997.

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<v Speaker 3>And I remember sitting in those meetings and that's when the imposter syndrome really hit in and me feeling like man, am I, am I good enough, can I succeed here?

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<v Speaker 3>And Michael, I remember running into a mentor and this gentleman, his name was Percy, very confident, he carried himself really well, he people followed him and respected him.

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<v Speaker 3>And I remember asking him hey, percy, what's your secret?

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<v Speaker 3>How are you able to be so confident, have so much charisma with dealing with people?

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<v Speaker 3>And he said, michael, if I loan you a book, will you read it?

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<v Speaker 3>Now, to be honest with you, michael, I wasn't a reader.

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<v Speaker 3>I just graduated from college and I skimmed my way through college.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, I read technical material, but as far as personal development and stuff, I was like I wasn't a reader at all.

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<v Speaker 2>Right.

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<v Speaker 3>And he gave me the book and I looked at it and I just put it on my shelf Like it was going in a pile with the other Sunday books that we all have.

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<v Speaker 3>But Percy did something that I truly appreciate.

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<v Speaker 3>He called me up a couple of weeks later and he said hey, michael, how's that book going?

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<v Speaker 3>And I was like oh, percy, I haven't gotten to it.

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<v Speaker 3>I've been busy with work, blah, blah, blah, excuse, excuse, excuse.

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<v Speaker 3>And he said, michael, let me ask you, you think maybe you can handle one chapter?

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<v Speaker 3>I said, sure.

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<v Speaker 3>He said, well, go grab the book.

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<v Speaker 3>And so I went and grabbed a book.

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<v Speaker 3>It was this book here Always keep it close to me, the Magic of Thinking Big.

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<v Speaker 3>He said go grab the book.

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<v Speaker 3>And he said turn to chapter two and read the title of chapter two.

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<v Speaker 3>And I would like to read that chapter over the next week.

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<v Speaker 3>So open up the book.

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<v Speaker 3>And it was my first time opening up the book.

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<v Speaker 3>I might have glanced at it when he first handed it to me, but I hadn't looked into it.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, I put up chapter two.

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<v Speaker 3>It says cure yourself of excuseitis, the failure disease.

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<v Speaker 3>Michael, that was like a touching the gut right there just reading that title and so I went on to read that chapter, then later, of course, the entire book and I read it multiple times.

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<v Speaker 3>Later, of course, the entire book, and I read it multiple times.

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<v Speaker 3>And going through that chapter about excuse-itis, I realized that every failure in my life, every disappointment, really was a result of the excuses I've been making.

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<v Speaker 3>And I vowed to stop making those excuses and really start being more opportunity-focused versus excuse-focused and that transition really helped.

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<v Speaker 3>It got me to dive into personal development and I started devouring books and really that's how I first learned about who Joseph was, because I picked up when I was following Tony Robbins and I picked up Joseph's book Unlimited Power of Black Choice and other books like that.

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<v Speaker 3>But it all started with this first book here.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>So what would you ever go back and go?

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<v Speaker 2>What would my life be if Percy didn't talk to me, If I didn't ask Percy that question?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's scary to think where I would be, but I know that my values would be different Because if I look back at people that I graduated college with and school with, you know I graduated with some great people.

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<v Speaker 3>However, I still have some people that I know that we're the same age and I can kind of see the direction that their lives went into and I would probably go in a similar boat, Right, I mean, it's like you know, person's influence helped me stop drinking.

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<v Speaker 3>It helped me really dial into my my, my Christian beliefs and values, personal development.

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<v Speaker 3>You know he, he gave me resources to help me know how to be a husband.

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<v Speaker 3>And so I know, without that mentorship early on, I'm scared to think of where I would have been.

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<v Speaker 3>Because John Maxwell says it best.

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<v Speaker 3>He says leadership has influenced, nothing more, nothing less, and someone is always influencing us.

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<v Speaker 3>If I hadn't had that mentorship with him and followed through with it, someone would have been influencing me, whether it would have been television, whether it would have been some famous person on TV or athlete or something, but somebody is going to.

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody's been influenced by somebody.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and I just got chills.

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<v Speaker 2>I love what happened and thank God it was that man.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you know.

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<v Speaker 2>Something said hey, ask this man because it changed everything.

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<v Speaker 2>Man, I'm super just.

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<v Speaker 2>I average every day the love that you give people, the words that you say to them, and Lieutenant retired Lieutenant Colonel Tina Parker is going to be on talking about words, you know, in a little bit.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's really amazing just how that impact has, and I know that's not what we got on here to talk about you know, you know how the show goes.

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<v Speaker 3>Wherever we go, we go, Any conversations right goes.

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<v Speaker 3>Wherever we go, we go, we have organic conversations right, yes, wherever we go, we go.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know I talked about John C Maxwell.

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<v Speaker 2>So how did the training under John C Maxwell and Joseph McLennan III with the Neuron Coding Institute obviously influence your approach to personal development and, even more importantly, leadership?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it helps.

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<v Speaker 3>I'll start with John Maxwell.

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<v Speaker 3>So I joined the John Maxwell team in 2019.

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<v Speaker 3>But prior to joining his team, john was influencing me.

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<v Speaker 3>So the first book I read of John Maxwell's was Developing the Leader Within you 1.0, because he now has a 2.0 version of that book.

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<v Speaker 3>But that first book, michael prior to that book, I never saw myself as a leader.

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<v Speaker 3>Book Michael prior to that book, I never saw myself as a leader.

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<v Speaker 3>I remember even being at work with one of my former managers and him asking me.

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<v Speaker 3>He said Michael, here we have two paths.

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<v Speaker 3>We have a developer path and we have a leadership path.

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<v Speaker 3>Which one do you see yourself being on?

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<v Speaker 3>Because he was like, I see leadership potential in you, but where do you want us to help you go?

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<v Speaker 3>And I was like, oh, I don't want to do anything with leadership, just put me on the developer path and I'll just stick there doing writing code and all that.

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<v Speaker 2>Can I ask you, was that your old story kind of creeping in about not wanting?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, okay.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, absolutely Right, it was just my comfort zone and just growing up I, because I didn't have a.

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<v Speaker 3>I didn't have a true understanding of what leadership was.

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<v Speaker 3>So I didn't think that I grew up around leaders, because I grew up around hardworking people with great values and honest people, but they were just, you know more blue collar workers, you know like.

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<v Speaker 3>You know you got the landscaper over here, you got, you know my great grandfather.

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<v Speaker 3>We clean office buildings.

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<v Speaker 3>You know we're handyman, you know whatever needed to be done.

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<v Speaker 3>So hardworking, honest people, but I just never saw them as leaders.

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<v Speaker 3>But when I read John's book about developing leader within you, I mean he said that leadership is influencing, right where you are.

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<v Speaker 3>You don't need to have a title.

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<v Speaker 3>If you're influencing people, you are a leader.

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<v Speaker 3>That changed my perspective, where I can now see myself as a leader, and I was also able to look back at the people who had been influencing me my whole life, the values and the things, the work ethic that I gained from family members, and I'm like, oh, that is part of leadership, that example they were setting.

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<v Speaker 3>That really changed my perspective on what it means to lead people.

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<v Speaker 3>That helped me out in my corporate career, my business and everywhere.

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<v Speaker 3>It's just realizing that I can lead the people around me.

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<v Speaker 3>That I can lead the people around me you know, whether it's my manager, whether it's, you know, team members, whatever just through my positive influence and example, and so that changed everything for me there.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and it's really when you started talking about that, it really kind of took me back.

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<v Speaker 2>When you know, and it's not, it's not a gloating thing, it's when you just don't really realize who you were then or now.

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<v Speaker 2>And then you have that aha moment of, yeah, you know what, that hard work, that dedication, that getting up when you didn't want to get up and still go to work, support your kids and show them you know how to be a parent, a man, a mom, whatever the case may be, they're all leaders, you know, and it's a fantastic point you really bring up there.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know, that was fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>So what are some common challenges that you see that veterans face when transitioning to civilian life and, more importantly, how?

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<v Speaker 3>can principles of self-leadership help them navigate these challenges?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, so one big one that I've seen, just from my experience of dealing with people personally who I know who've served in the military, or through my partnership with American corporate partners, that was helping veterans transition into that corporate America, if you will.

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<v Speaker 3>One of the things I've seen is more of the identity shift.

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<v Speaker 3>So a lot of people they're used to their certain titles so they're like hey, you know, in the military, you know we had this label of you know I'm this title, I'm that title, and then you transition out of that, even though you still have that title in your head.

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<v Speaker 3>No one is calling you that, right, you show up at the office.

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<v Speaker 3>They're not saying you know, they're not saluting you and they're not equating you with that level of your service, even though I'm truly thankful for the service that they give.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, but I think it has to come down to your understanding that identity shift and no longer making your identity tied to a certain title, but more keeping that identity tied to the values and the things you stand for, regardless of what your uniform looks like, whether it's a suit or whether it's a military uniform, right, that shouldn't be your identity.

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<v Speaker 3>Your identity should be your values and the things you stand for.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, amen.

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<v Speaker 2>So, with that said, when people are trying to figure out their identity, I see the pattern over and over again.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, working with military and some first responders they are just doing a job, right, they're just they're doing a job.

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<v Speaker 2>They don't realize the skill sets.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not saying everybody, so please understand this is not a blanket statement, but I see the pattern more often than not.

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<v Speaker 2>So they don't see themselves as necessarily leaders.

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<v Speaker 2>They don't see themselves with all of the skill sets that employers, starting your own business family just the kid down the street that needs a role model.

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<v Speaker 2>They don't see themselves as that necessarily on the street.

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<v Speaker 2>That needs a role model.

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<v Speaker 2>They don't see themselves as that necessarily.

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<v Speaker 2>And they're still trying to figure out, especially during the transition period, who they want to be when they grow up.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's just call it that and some people never figure that out civilian or military.

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<v Speaker 2>So what are some thoughts on how to figure out the leader you want to be, or just realizing you have these skill sets and where to spread that information and love?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I think it's important to slow down and really just to truly evaluate the skills that we all have.

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<v Speaker 3>Like, I do that with my kids on a regular basis and I I try to point out the skills that like, especially the leadership type skills that they already have, because you have kids who they're maybe they're natural servers and they're constantly helping people and all that, or they're taking initiative, pointing those things out.

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<v Speaker 3>So, for anyone who's transitioning and who needs help trying to figure out what your identity is, look at those things that you do really well, the things that people are constantly complimenting or thanking you for.

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<v Speaker 3>Look at those, because there's probably transferable skills that could serve in any organization that people need.

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<v Speaker 3>But you have to recognize, oh, yeah, I do do that, or you know I am very creative, or, yeah, I am innovative, or I do take, take charge right away, or I'm willing to fail.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, take those risks.

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<v Speaker 3>So there's some people there naturally like that.

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<v Speaker 3>They're like, yeah, I'll take the risk, you know I'll go, I'll volunteer first, and those are, like I said, those are transferable skills that you have.

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<v Speaker 3>That kind of make up your identity of what you're known for that can benefit you in any arena.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>That's fantastic, Just the idea that it's always there in any arena.

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<v Speaker 2>If you slow down, maybe be a little more present with yourself and be more curious than critical, some of those things will come out, which I think is fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>Can you describe empathy and leadership?

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<v Speaker 2>Because, especially coming out of the military, there's not a lot of empathy?

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<v Speaker 2>If you will, it's figure it out, get it done.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, don't ask for help, you know you're conditioned that way, right?

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<v Speaker 2>So coming out of the military and going into the real workforce, or again owning your own company, whatever the case may be, with leadership, with empathy, can you talk about that a little bit?

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<v Speaker 3>on your thoughts.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think it.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean I think it involves understanding their, their, their unique experiences, without any type of judgment in place, right and and and really valuing what they've done, regardless of whether they were deployed or not.

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<v Speaker 3>Right?

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<v Speaker 3>Some people, like I've met some people who said, oh you know, I was in the military but I didn't get deployed.

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<v Speaker 3>Like they take it as a, I'm not, I wasn't truly in the military and things like that, and it has nothing to do with it.

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<v Speaker 3>It was still their willingness to serve and the skills that they gained while they were in there, the discipline that they showed while they were in there.

00:18:10.692 --> 00:18:31.474
<v Speaker 3>I think that's important and I think if you have that empathy in there, I mean it helps to build the trust and really it can help if they put themselves in a supportive environment around other people who understand what they're going through and can help them go further faster.

00:18:32.019 --> 00:18:34.689
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and I think also love what you said.

00:18:34.689 --> 00:18:39.585
<v Speaker 2>And I just want to add to that, I guess, is you know people actually respect empathy.

00:18:39.585 --> 00:18:52.553
<v Speaker 2>The stigma is is is changing and when people know that, hey, you know you, you're vulnerable to point and you can, can, you can hear that and respect it.

00:18:52.553 --> 00:18:55.288
<v Speaker 2>It changes the culture in business and so on.

00:18:55.288 --> 00:18:57.788
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think super important as well.

00:18:57.788 --> 00:19:07.954
<v Speaker 2>So what practical steps can veterans and their families take to cultivate some self-leadership and personal growth during that transition?

00:19:07.974 --> 00:19:08.234
<v Speaker 3>period.

00:19:08.234 --> 00:19:13.010
<v Speaker 3>Yes, I'll say first, probably set clear and attainable goals.

00:19:13.010 --> 00:19:32.484
<v Speaker 3>It's important to have a clear understanding of what you're trying to get to, whether it is a they're trying to, they're transitioning to like just corporate career life, right, no, ok, what do I want-to-day work like to look like, you know, in the next three to five years?

00:19:32.484 --> 00:19:35.701
<v Speaker 3>And having some type of roadmap in place where you can get there.

00:19:35.701 --> 00:19:41.051
<v Speaker 3>I think it's also putting yourself in that mindset of continuous learning.

00:19:41.953 --> 00:19:47.805
<v Speaker 3>In the military, right, they're constantly learning and doing things over and over, right, on a repetitive basis.

00:19:47.805 --> 00:19:59.009
<v Speaker 3>Well, when you're out or you're transitioning out, it's up to you, really, regardless of your career path, right, it's up to all of us to have that continuous learning.

00:19:59.009 --> 00:20:01.194
<v Speaker 3>And that's where that dissonance comes into place.

00:20:01.194 --> 00:20:11.925
<v Speaker 3>Right, I'm going to read this, listen to this, attend workshops, right, constantly studying, but then also taking time to self-reflect, to evaluate what you're learning.

00:20:11.925 --> 00:20:26.866
<v Speaker 3>And I think a lot of people I see don't do that self-reflection part, which is very important, and they may be taking classes or reading, but they're not realizing the growth that they're going through.

00:20:26.866 --> 00:20:35.171
<v Speaker 3>And self-reflection helps you understand that, because you can look back and say, oh, wow, I did used to be terrified of public speaking and now I'm confident.

00:20:35.171 --> 00:20:38.691
<v Speaker 3>Or I used to not speak up in meetings but now I speak up.

00:20:38.691 --> 00:20:39.961
<v Speaker 3>But that's part of that growth.

00:20:39.961 --> 00:20:43.589
<v Speaker 3>Transition and self-reflection can help with that.

00:20:43.971 --> 00:20:45.413
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, thank you.

00:20:45.413 --> 00:20:47.848
<v Speaker 2>So I'd like to just throw in there.

00:20:47.848 --> 00:20:51.122
<v Speaker 2>So when you do those things, celebrate them.

00:20:51.122 --> 00:21:07.448
<v Speaker 2>Yes, when you do speak up, I mean pat yourself on the back, smile releases all these great chemicals in your brain, the feel good chemicals that makes you look for more so fantastic tips, and celebrate it.

00:21:07.448 --> 00:21:13.310
<v Speaker 2>Every time you catch yourself doing it, in fact, every time you think about doing it, celebrate it.

00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:19.473
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'll tell you so this past Sunday.

00:21:19.473 --> 00:21:24.750
<v Speaker 3>So I told you before we got on camera that my family and I were at youth camp this last week.

00:21:24.750 --> 00:21:41.009
<v Speaker 3>Well, on Sunday in our evening service at church the youth pastor brought up several of the kids and had them speak and we got a fairly large church, a couple thousand people, easily to speak and to share their experience.

00:21:41.009 --> 00:21:50.242
<v Speaker 3>And I was so proud that my oldest son, william, he, went up there and he confidently spoke and kind of shared a little bit about his experience.

00:21:50.242 --> 00:22:02.242
<v Speaker 3>And it was so funny because when he got home I showed him the video clip and you know we kind of watched it together and he was like, first he was, he was shocked by his voice.

00:22:02.723 --> 00:22:08.163
<v Speaker 3>He was like that's my voice, Everybody does that right, but he was talking about how he was.

00:22:08.163 --> 00:22:10.011
<v Speaker 3>He was like, oh man, I was like I don't know those type of things, everybody does that right.

00:22:10.011 --> 00:22:13.906
<v Speaker 3>But he was talking about how he was like, oh man, I was like I was so nervous and I was like, well, we couldn't see it.

00:22:13.906 --> 00:22:16.969
<v Speaker 3>And you know, we kind of talked through that a little bit.

00:22:16.969 --> 00:22:25.442
<v Speaker 3>I was like, yeah, maybe you were a little nervous on the inside, but you still spoke confidently, with clear thoughts, and so people couldn't necessarily see that.

00:22:25.442 --> 00:22:35.075
<v Speaker 3>And you know, we celebrated what he had done, you know, and I commended him on, hey, being willing to go up there and do it anyway and do it afraid and all that stuff, whatever.

00:22:35.075 --> 00:22:46.998
<v Speaker 3>And I think it's important that we, as soon as possible, even if it's not right after the fact, sometime that day, we've got to do that celebration that you talked about.

00:22:46.998 --> 00:22:51.699
<v Speaker 3>It just adds to our layer of that, that confidence layer we're building.

00:22:52.378 --> 00:22:52.979
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely it's.

00:22:52.979 --> 00:22:54.078
<v Speaker 2>It's stacking the good stuff.

00:22:55.782 --> 00:22:56.584
<v Speaker 3>Absolutely yes, yes.

00:22:56.624 --> 00:22:57.726
<v Speaker 2>All right, I love it.

00:22:57.726 --> 00:23:01.192
<v Speaker 2>So, so what was your son called?

00:23:01.192 --> 00:23:06.520
<v Speaker 2>And I saw, I saw the post and I think it's fantastic and a couple thousand people and your son, what?

00:23:06.520 --> 00:23:06.741
<v Speaker 2>What?

00:23:06.741 --> 00:23:07.726
<v Speaker 2>Age 17.

00:23:13.460 --> 00:23:15.402
<v Speaker 3>Okay, I was thinking 16, but 17.

00:23:15.402 --> 00:23:16.603
<v Speaker 3>To have the confidence, was he?

00:23:16.623 --> 00:23:17.223
<v Speaker 2>called up or did he volunteer?

00:23:17.243 --> 00:23:24.430
<v Speaker 3>He volunteered, so that's even crazier, yeah, so the youth pastor asked a few people who wanted to do it and he volunteered to go up and do it.

00:23:24.430 --> 00:23:29.295
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and I've been really proud about him, the way he's serving Even right now.

00:23:29.295 --> 00:23:45.547
<v Speaker 3>He's probably on the way home now, but he was serving at the karate camp at his martial arts dojo, helping the kids out who are participating in the camp, which his younger brother is participating in the camp, but he's actually helping serve as one of the instructors, volunteering.

00:23:45.547 --> 00:23:47.030
<v Speaker 3>He's not getting paid yet Yet.

00:23:49.922 --> 00:23:50.625
<v Speaker 2>Always leave it with.

00:23:50.625 --> 00:23:50.926
<v Speaker 2>Yet.

00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:52.566
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, exactly right.

00:23:56.142 --> 00:23:57.527
<v Speaker 2>Don't have a million downloads yet.

00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:59.445
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, exactly right.

00:23:59.619 --> 00:24:00.986
<v Speaker 2>No, that's fantastic man.

00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:03.567
<v Speaker 3>But he loves serving, so that's good.

00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:07.568
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and I mean the fulfilling life he's going to have.

00:24:07.568 --> 00:24:13.972
<v Speaker 2>Because of that, I mean I'm excited for him, you know, and I can't even imagine how proud you are.

00:24:13.972 --> 00:24:16.747
<v Speaker 2>So congratulations, thank you, thank you.

00:24:16.747 --> 00:24:18.531
<v Speaker 2>And why does he do this?

00:24:18.531 --> 00:24:20.162
<v Speaker 2>There's a leader.

00:24:20.162 --> 00:24:22.387
<v Speaker 2>It's awesome.

00:24:24.680 --> 00:24:37.028
<v Speaker 3>So it goes to show, like the leadership, that what John says about leadership is influence, because he's been influenced by the way I serve and the way his mom serves and the thing is the example that we set in place.

00:24:37.028 --> 00:24:40.846
<v Speaker 3>So it's like it's natural for them to be like oh OK, maybe this is what I should be doing.

00:24:41.627 --> 00:24:43.250
<v Speaker 2>Oh, absolutely, it's the norm.

00:24:43.250 --> 00:24:47.147
<v Speaker 2>It's uncomfortable, of course, it still becomes comfortable, that's how you grow in life.

00:24:47.147 --> 00:24:50.507
<v Speaker 2>But it's uncomfortable, of course, till it becomes comfortable.

00:24:50.507 --> 00:24:51.128
<v Speaker 2>That's how you grow in life.

00:24:51.128 --> 00:24:52.211
<v Speaker 2>But it's it's just he, that's the norm for him.

00:24:52.211 --> 00:24:59.051
<v Speaker 2>He sees that as oh, this is what we do yeah, exactly right so congratulations for setting that precedence, you and your wife, of course.

00:25:00.403 --> 00:25:01.526
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's fantastic.

00:25:01.526 --> 00:25:10.143
<v Speaker 2>When I saw that, I was like I wonder how many people are there, and to hear it's that many, I mean that's that's courageous and that that is a future well, a leader now.

00:25:10.143 --> 00:25:12.307
<v Speaker 2>But even I'm excited to see what he does.

00:25:12.307 --> 00:25:13.811
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, me too.

00:25:13.811 --> 00:25:27.292
<v Speaker 2>So, um, can you share a success story besides your son with, uh, how your leadership or coaching, mentorship, mentorship, trainings, because you do all of this?

00:25:27.292 --> 00:25:33.852
<v Speaker 2>Again, I could go down the list how you've seen a veteran or a civilian?

00:25:33.852 --> 00:25:41.813
<v Speaker 2>But if you have a veteran specifically, or a first responder, how you've seen your leadership impact them to grow?

00:25:43.642 --> 00:25:53.310
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, so I'm trying to think I've had an opportunity to work with ACP for the last few years and so I've had a A couple of people.

00:25:53.310 --> 00:26:32.530
<v Speaker 3>Unfortunately the name doesn't pop in right now, but I remember working with one young man he was in the military, I think, for either nine or 10 years, transitioning out to an IT job, help him prepare, like for his interviews and all that, but also getting him on that personal growth track, like introducing him to some things to really to help out, because he was concerned about like communicate, like his communication skills, and he didn't want he doesn't, he didn't want necessarily be a public speaker or anything like that, but he still wanted to be able to effectively communicate.

00:26:32.530 --> 00:27:09.580
<v Speaker 3>And so just working with him and introducing him to something like the LinkedIn learning courses to help with that, and it was very rewarding to watch him go through that process of him getting more confident and applying for the jobs and, of course, landing the job and all that type stuff, and so it was just great going through that process with them and him being appreciative of it, which is one of the things I love best about coaching someone is watching their success and being able to really celebrate their success, with them, I get more excited about seeing other people succeed than my own success.

00:27:09.580 --> 00:27:12.538
<v Speaker 3>It's just so cool.

00:27:12.538 --> 00:27:16.998
<v Speaker 3>So that's kind of one example, but then I'll tell you about a civilian example.

00:27:18.030 --> 00:27:44.817
<v Speaker 3>So so, michael, my, my oldest coaching client is I think she's either 79 or 80 and work with her and she's someone who's I mean, she's not looking to necessarily build a huge business, but she, she knows she has value to give, and so one of the things she wanted to do Joyce, she wanted to host a webinar, and so I helped her set up her first webinar, and now she's done her second.

00:27:44.817 --> 00:28:05.300
<v Speaker 3>But I still remember her coming back after her first one and just talking about how exciting it felt to do it and the responses that people gave her, and it's just like the joy on her face as a young 79-year-old or whatever, but still full of passion, of knowing that she can still help people.

00:28:05.300 --> 00:28:08.394
<v Speaker 3>That made me feel really good.

00:28:08.977 --> 00:28:10.644
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I literally got chills man.

00:28:10.644 --> 00:28:11.868
<v Speaker 2>I love the good stuff.

00:28:11.868 --> 00:28:13.471
<v Speaker 2>I love the good stuff.

00:28:13.471 --> 00:28:23.726
<v Speaker 2>It's funny I'm sitting here thinking about ask Michael Pope about you know a success story where his leadership and his mentorship, you know, made a difference in someone's life.

00:28:23.726 --> 00:28:29.275
<v Speaker 2>We're here because of you, my friend, your thoughts, your reality podcast.

00:28:29.275 --> 00:28:31.601
<v Speaker 2>Michael Pope helped me set all of this up.

00:28:31.601 --> 00:28:36.039
<v Speaker 2>So I mean, walk me through all the IT, the tech stuff.

00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:36.442
<v Speaker 2>I mean.

00:28:36.670 --> 00:28:38.076
<v Speaker 3>You only had one or two questions, you know.

00:28:40.974 --> 00:28:43.519
<v Speaker 2>So how many times did I go where's that at?

00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:50.816
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, oh, you're awesome, my friend, you really are.

00:28:51.898 --> 00:28:52.560
<v Speaker 3>Thank you, teresa.

00:28:52.560 --> 00:28:54.611
<v Speaker 3>That's the Teresa that Michael has a heart for seniors.

00:28:54.611 --> 00:28:55.971
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, that is for sure.

00:28:56.011 --> 00:28:57.053
<v Speaker 2>Where is that?

00:28:57.053 --> 00:28:58.493
<v Speaker 2>Michael has a heart for seniors?

00:28:58.493 --> 00:28:59.575
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, that that is for sure.

00:28:59.575 --> 00:29:00.756
<v Speaker 2>Where is that at?

00:29:00.756 --> 00:29:01.476
<v Speaker 2>Oh, there it goes.

00:29:01.476 --> 00:29:09.061
<v Speaker 2>No, you know what you do and your patience level and we wouldn't be here without you.

00:29:09.061 --> 00:29:10.383
<v Speaker 2>I truly mean that, my friend.

00:29:10.383 --> 00:29:12.584
<v Speaker 2>So we're at the end of the show.

00:29:12.584 --> 00:29:16.826
<v Speaker 2>Anything else you want to share on finding your purpose?

00:29:16.826 --> 00:29:20.236
<v Speaker 2>Because we can go over, we own the place.

00:29:20.236 --> 00:29:27.633
<v Speaker 2>Anything else on purpose, finding your purpose, fulfillment with leadership, that maybe you want to share?

00:29:27.633 --> 00:29:30.141
<v Speaker 2>And I'm still going to ask for your three tips.

00:29:33.015 --> 00:29:34.357
<v Speaker 3>Oh yeah.

00:29:34.357 --> 00:30:01.442
<v Speaker 3>So in terms of the finding the purpose that's so important, like once you know, once you know why you're here and and and it you find, you find something that really brings joy to your heart and just encourage you to go go after it, because this is so rewarding to do the things that you know you're called for.

00:30:01.442 --> 00:30:14.882
<v Speaker 3>Like there's some of us who, there's some people who are still strapped with fear and so they won't take action and I wonder, like, do you, is that really something you're supposed to be doing?

00:30:14.882 --> 00:30:18.762
<v Speaker 3>Because if you, if you know you're supposed to be doing that, I think it'll.

00:30:18.762 --> 00:30:21.310
<v Speaker 3>That passion will help you overcome the fear.

00:30:21.310 --> 00:30:37.280
<v Speaker 3>I mean you may still have a little hesitation and fear that shows up, but if you truly know your purpose, what you're called for, I mean you'll push through it because it's going to feel so good as you're pushing through it, you'll know you're doing the right thing it, you'll know you're doing the right thing.

00:30:37.300 --> 00:30:38.663
<v Speaker 2>That's fantastic.

00:30:38.663 --> 00:30:45.809
<v Speaker 2>I know Eric's down like thank you.

00:30:45.809 --> 00:30:47.271
<v Speaker 2>My friend Michael is a Jedi leadership master.

00:30:47.271 --> 00:30:47.791
<v Speaker 2>Michael Pope truly is.

00:30:47.791 --> 00:30:49.512
<v Speaker 2>That's awesome, thank you, eric.

00:30:49.512 --> 00:31:02.983
<v Speaker 2>So you know, just take the one action If you think you're called to something, experiment until you find what it is that just drives you to stay up late and get up early.

00:31:02.983 --> 00:31:18.410
<v Speaker 2>Just take one step, one step, one action, and it's amazing how reaching out to that one person asking a question leads to another action and another action and before you know it I don't know you're doing a podcast.

00:31:23.794 --> 00:31:24.919
<v Speaker 3>So thank you so much.

00:31:24.919 --> 00:31:30.871
<v Speaker 3>If I can get the three tips to get veterans and their families further faster, All right.

00:31:30.871 --> 00:31:31.771
<v Speaker 3>So three tips See, I forgot about this.

00:31:31.771 --> 00:31:47.336
<v Speaker 3>So one I would say embrace continuous learning, right, Never stop learning and growing, and it can either be through books, audios now YouTube courses, mentorship, coaching, it doesn't matter what it is, and I use all of those that I just mentioned.

00:31:47.336 --> 00:31:56.784
<v Speaker 3>But always be continuously learning, and I invest a lot in my personal growth because I know it's so important.

00:31:56.784 --> 00:31:59.878
<v Speaker 3>So that would be number one embracing continuous learning.

00:31:59.878 --> 00:32:03.140
<v Speaker 3>Number two is to build strong relationships.

00:32:04.090 --> 00:32:12.559
<v Speaker 3>I like to tell people you know, build relationships inside your current business environment, whether it's corporate, whether it's military or whatever.

00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:15.440
<v Speaker 3>Build relationships there, but also build relationships outside of it.

00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:17.253
<v Speaker 3>So you want to build strong relationships.

00:32:17.253 --> 00:32:20.741
<v Speaker 3>Surround yourself with people who are inspiring to you.

00:32:20.741 --> 00:32:28.237
<v Speaker 3>I tell you I love you, know I get a text message or a phone call and it's someone who encourages and inspires me.

00:32:28.237 --> 00:32:29.835
<v Speaker 3>I'm more likely to pick it up.

00:32:29.835 --> 00:32:34.557
<v Speaker 3>I mean, there are some people who may call or text and you look at it and you're like, okay, I'm not answering that, Right, Are?

00:32:34.576 --> 00:32:35.659
<v Speaker 2>you talking about me again.

00:32:36.078 --> 00:32:38.643
<v Speaker 3>Hey, I always respond to yours more.

00:32:38.683 --> 00:32:39.324
<v Speaker 2>You always do.

00:32:43.910 --> 00:32:45.336
<v Speaker 3>I'm messing with you, but I know it's going to be good stuff, right?

00:32:45.336 --> 00:32:47.607
<v Speaker 3>So you want to surround yourself with those people who are supportive and inspiring.

00:32:47.607 --> 00:32:51.421
<v Speaker 3>And then the third tip that I will leave you with is to practice self-leadership.

00:32:51.421 --> 00:33:01.877
<v Speaker 3>You have to take charge of your own growth and development, and you do that by setting clear goals, stay disciplined and regularly reflect on your progress.

00:33:01.877 --> 00:33:05.259
<v Speaker 3>That's all a part of that self-awareness process.

00:33:05.259 --> 00:33:15.480
<v Speaker 3>But I think if you do those three things so embrace continuous learning, build strong relationships and practice self-leadership I think you'll go further faster.

00:33:16.269 --> 00:33:16.692
<v Speaker 2>Fantastic.

00:33:16.692 --> 00:33:17.454
<v Speaker 2>Thank you, michael.

00:33:17.454 --> 00:33:23.435
<v Speaker 2>As always, you're always such a pleasure to just talk to, but of course, having the podcast is even better.

00:33:23.435 --> 00:33:25.300
<v Speaker 2>They're both pretty cool.

00:33:25.300 --> 00:33:28.498
<v Speaker 2>So I just want to thank you.

00:33:28.498 --> 00:33:31.529
<v Speaker 2>You know time most precious resource we have as human beings.

00:33:31.529 --> 00:33:34.159
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for spending this time with us.

00:33:34.159 --> 00:33:36.211
<v Speaker 2>I'm honored you're.

00:33:36.211 --> 00:33:37.315
<v Speaker 2>You're here again.

00:33:38.017 --> 00:33:45.381
<v Speaker 3>Absolutely On that note we're out of here, All right, have a great day everybody.

00:33:45.381 --> 00:33:46.021
<v Speaker 3>Thanks for watching.

00:33:48.611 --> 00:33:54.990
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for joining us on another insightful journey of your Thoughts your Reality podcast with your host, michael Cole.

00:33:54.990 --> 00:33:58.753
<v Speaker 1>We hope the conversation sparked some thoughts that resonate with you.

00:33:58.753 --> 00:34:05.717
<v Speaker 1>To dive deeper into empowering your thoughts and enhancing your reality, visit empowerperformancestrategiescom.

00:34:05.717 --> 00:34:10.313
<v Speaker 1>Remember your thoughts shape your reality, so make them count.

00:34:10.313 --> 00:34:15.344
<v Speaker 1>Until next time, stay inspired and keep creating the reality you desire.

00:34:15.344 --> 00:34:17.097
<v Speaker 1>Catch you on the next episode.