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Janie Livesay Awarded Bronze Winner for 2020 Stevie Awards

October 13, 2020

Earlier this month, THF’s Director of Programs at our Virginia Beach campus, Janie Livesay, was named the winner of a BRONZE Stevie Award in the “Mentor or Coach of the Year — Government of Nonprofit” category in the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. 

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run – worldwide.  The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. More than 1,500 entries were submitted this year for consideration in more than 100 categories, with each Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winner determined by the average scores of more than 180 business professionals around the world, working on seven juries.  

THF Veteran’s Day Tribute Workout

October 7, 2020

Roughly 2,500 Special Operators transition out of service annually. Often underutilized in the private sector of business and entrepreneurship, our programs allow the industry to effectively recruit and deploy this talent pool. The Honor Foundation, a career transition institute for U.S. Special Operations Forces, exists to serve these men and women through their transition, and assist in finding a purpose-filled and mission-driven career post their unique military service.

Please join The Honor Foundation and Crossfit for a fun workout to pay tribute to all U.S. Veteran’s. This event can be done virtually or at your local Crossfit gym.

Workout details will be posted the day of the event.

Join the workout and support THF by visiting this link!

         

 

THF Featured in Ranch & Coast

September 30, 2020

The Honor Foundation was recently featured in the October 2020 issue of Ranch & Coast magazine in San Diego. The article includes THF Founder Joe Musselman, VP of Programs Joe Lara, VP of People Tori Campbell and THF Alumni John Goodson.

Read the full article and publication here.

 

THF Alumni Bob Newman Featured in The BLAST

September 28, 2020

“Throughout this process, walking through countless challenges, I felt re-invigorated with purpose. I was rediscovering myself, finding my post-retirement ‘new normal.’ I viewed the process as sharpening the sword.”

The Fall 2020 edition of The BLAST features the transition story of Bob Newman — former Navy SEAL, THF Alumni and current CEO of Victory Strategies. Flip to page 16 to read the full article.

Spotlight on Arclight

September 14, 2020

 

We’re excited to introduce another valued Employer Partner of The Honor Foundation and an Alumni who is now part of their family.

These are companies and organizations who have hired men and women from our program and/or who have generously given us their time, resources and connections in an effort to help build a stronger network for our Fellows after service — a community post community. 

Q1 What advice do you have for those who are experiencing transition?

James Green:  You must take advantage of every resource available to you and your family during this time in your life.  I encourage you all to make networking your new hobby and spend 99.9% of your time networking outside the military. 

Andrew Murphy:  If you don’t already have one, get a degree now!  Talk to as many people as possible from as many different industries as possible.  Decide what is important to you (location, role, industry, company, etc) and prioritize.  Deciding what you want to do can be more difficult than landing a job.  Utilize the resources available.  THF was the first and most impactful resource I took advantage of, but there are many more and you are only limited by the amount of time that you can devote to each.  Finally, I would say get ahead of it early.  Transition is not typically something that sneaks up on you.  Prioritize your transition during the last 6-12 months of service time and be aggressive about it.

Jeff Eaton, Arclight:  List out what you enjoy and what excites you.  Research types of companies, roles, industries that fit that.  If you can do what you love it is not work.

Q2 What experience shaped who you are?

JG:  The military and especially my time in special operations played a major part in shaping who I am today. Every leader I have had plays a part in who I am and who I will become. I strive to take a little from every leader I have served with and under. 

AM:  I don’t know if there was any one experience that shaped who I am.  The culmination of experiences shaped who I am.  Although becoming a Marine and a Raider had definite impacts, I would say my family and the ongoing experience of being a father to two boys drives many of my actions.

JE:  The last 25 years.  I learned the value of hard work starting in college with working to pay for it.  After college I started at the bottom and had to work hard to advance and took every opportunity given to me no matter how much work it was going to be.  I took risks with changing careers, joining a startup, and the biggest of all being leaving a stable job to start ArcLight.   Through all this hard work was and is the key. 

Q3 What is your favorite interview question?

JG: Tell me about yourself. I like to use this time to tell my story. It is such a broad question that everyone should capitalize on the opportunity to make a connection with your interviewer. 

AM: My favorite interview question is “do you have any questions for me?”  Only because this means the interviewer is finished asking me anything and I can relax a little and learn more about the role and company.

JE: I have 2 depending on the role I’m interviewing for.  I like to have someone pick something they are an inexpert in and tell me everything they know about it; I’m looking to see how they can explain it to me if I’m not an expert.  I also like to know the last new thing the person learned; I’m looking to see the desire to learn new things.

Q4 What similarities did you find between your role at Arclight and your previous experience in the SOF community?

JG:  As a Project Manager at ArcLight, you are constantly juggling multiple projects, clients, resources, and critical timelines. Just like in the SOF community, you need to be able to achieve the desired effects ranging from tactical to strategic. You are dealing with numerous complex issues daily that could have devastating effects internally and externally.  The leadership team is looking at you, the PM, to have the ability to understand the issue, decide, act on that decision, and ensure that a holistic approach was taken. You are the face of ArcLight to many of these big companies, just like when you are down range on a team. You have to get the job done while keeping the population happy, on the client side and internally, and continue to put food not only on your table but for everyone on the team. 

AM:  The role is completely different.  However, the teamwork that is embedded in the culture here at ArcLight is the first thing that comes to mind.  From my first day, I truly felt part of a team and consistently had people reaching out to offer any assistance I could use.

Q5 What makes the culture at your company special?

JG:  There are a couple of factors that make the culture at ArcLight special, one being the people. Everyone here has a passion and drive for their specific craft. Everyone continues to sharpen their skills and improve in areas they may have a deficit in. Second, is the support offered at every level within the company. Anyone and everyone is willing to support and help in every way, no matter what they might have going on in their personal lives. Having these key attributes within our company culture makes every day better no matter the situation around you. 

AM:  ArcLight’s culture is special because the company is full of high performing individuals that have perfected a way to work together remotely.  Everyone from a new hire to the partners is willing and able to go the extra mile to help each other out or accomplish a task.  

JE:  Collaboration.  Everyone is willing to help each other and put others first.

Q6 What question are you asked more than any other?

JG:  As a PM the one question that I get asked multiple times a week is “Am I sure this timeline is correct?”

JE:  What would you do?

Q7 What drives you every day?

JG:  The want to constantly improve myself and to give back to those around me. I strive to help someone daily through a hard time or a situation they may be stuck on or going through. Unless you live in a silo alone, the chances of you encountering someone in need of support or maybe just guidance is extremely high. Whether that is someone you have contact with daily or maybe someone you only interact with for a brief moment. I want to make that person’s day just a little easier and support them in any way I can. 

AM:  My family drives me every day.  Outside of the necessity to provide for them, my aim is to instill an attitude of always trying to achieve more and work harder.  I cannot do that by working 9-5 and then sitting on the couch for the rest of the day.

JE:  To deliver our best to our customers.

Q8 What book do you find most valuable?

JG:  Well, first, would be Start With Why by Simon Sinek. This book was introduced to me during my cohort at The Honor Foundation. The ability to understand the “why” first has changed the way I view almost everything I do now. The other two books that I find extremely valuable are Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin and Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. These are books for everyone, no matter where you are in life or your career. 

AM:  There are many books out there for determining a career path or industry, but once I had an idea of what I wanted to do, I found The 2-Hour Job Search by Steve Dalton to be extremely beneficial.  The book breaks down an extremely efficient method of tracking companies of interest, who and how to reach out to people, what to talk about, etc.  It is a very quick read and would be my recommendation for a book every transitioning service member should pick up.

JE:  Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.  In the early startup years of ArcLight I read this and was inspired that success does not happen overnight and it is a messy chaotic journey to embrace.

Q9 What is a lesson you learned the hard way?

JG:  That not all leaders are true leaders. I have seen a lot of “leaders” holding a title that put them into that position. This is especially true in the military where a rank is what makes you a leader in many ways. Trusting that those leaders have the team’s best interest in mind even when you watch them daily make decisions that only benefit that individual down the line and continues to segregate the team members. The lesson I learned is that a title, rank, birth, or anything such as that does not make you a leader. There are “leaders” out there who are only looking out for themselves and are only looking out for the team enough to get them to the next level. 

JE:  Success does not come easy or overnight.

Q10 What defines a leader?

JG:  A leader is someone who spends their day doing whatever is necessary to make the team successful. They spend the time understanding their team members so that they can always support them to the utmost. Leadership is not a 9 to 5 or a switch that gets turned on when you go to work. A true leader practices the art of leadership constantly with no breaks and continues to refine the craft. Leadership is not something that can be mastered. It is an ever-evolving art that changes from day to day, year to year, and person to person. No one approach to leadership will fit every whole. The way a person leads daily must also evolve with each meeting, encounter, and issue.  

AM:  A leader is willing to put everything on the line for their people.  They provide top cover while giving others the opportunity to strive.  They articulate a goal or vision and can motivate others toward that goal.  Finally, a leader holds others accountable while also showing empathy and looking at situations from a different angle.

JE:  A leader is someone that can inspire and provide guidance to those around them to meet business objectives.

Q11 What is your favorite quote?

JG:  “You can either experience the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is yours.” — Unknown 

JE:  “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” — Henry Ford

Q12 What unanticipated skills, talent, and/or competencies did you gain for employing Special Operators at your organization?

JE:  Learn the job quickly for the team’s and companies benefit, can be counted on in good and hard times to get the job done, and understands team above self. 

Julie Bowers, Arclight:  With having both James and Andrew on board now, I knew that I could expect teamwork from both of them.  I was not prepared for how quickly they adapted to the ArcLight way of going about things and understanding the product they are supporting.  They are quick to get up to speed, not afraid to ask for help or guidance, are always giving 100% and looking for ways to improve what they are doing.

Limited Edition THF Gear

September 1, 2020

For the month of September, THF will be selling LIMITED EDITION swag!

The TACTICAL edition includes a woodland camo shield while the PATRIOT edition features a red, white and blue gradient shield. Both designs on available on a unisex t-shirt and hat.

Get yours today and support transitioning U.S. Special Operators while kicking off the fall season in style!

 

THF Chosen as a 2020 “Making A Difference for San Diego” Grant Recipient from the Cushman Foundation

August 31, 2020

The Honor Foundation was chosen as one of eleven San Diego organizations to be the 2020 recipient of the “Making A Difference for San Diego” grant initiative from the Cushman Foundation.

Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune.

Victory Strategies | THF: MasterClass Series

August 27, 2020

Expand your leadership while investing in the future of transitioning U.S Special Operators!

The Honor Foundation has partnered with the Victory Strategies team for a monthly LIVE MasterClass delivered by former Fortune 500 Executives and former Military Special Operations.

100% charitable donation to THF! Sign up today to take part in a series that features 40 minutes of live wisdom followed by 20 minutes of real-time questions and responses.

Click the link below to reserve your seat now!

https://www.victory-strategies.com/store/masterclass-2020-series

THF on The Victory Podcast

July 9, 2020

Life. Leadership. Journey. Join Jacob Werksman, host of The Victory Podcast, for an hour of storytelling and reflection with THF CEO Matt Stevens. 

Listen to Matt’s interview (Episode 18) by visiting the link below!

https://www.victory-podcast.com/episodes

THF on High Performance Pathways Podcast

July 7, 2020

Listen to a podcast interview with Court Whitman, and his featured guest, THF CEO Matt Stevens. 

“High Performance Pathways is a purpose-built and specially selected collection of someone’s experience as they discuss how they understand, chase & discover high performance in their life. This content is collected during a One-on-One interview and then shared with you. Why? Because I believe everyone has a different pathway to high performance. And hearing about the paths that other professional’s have journeyed along is informative and inspiring.”

Visit the link to listen to the full interview and be sure to follow Court and the podcast for more insightful and inspirational stories.

The Honor Journal: Summer 2020

June 4, 2020

The June 2020 newsletter is here! Read to see what The Honor Foundation has been up to for the first half of the year — how THF pivoted to address COVID-19, the on-boarding of new team and board members, Spring graduations, new partnerships, fundraising campaigns, featured spotlights on Carrington Charitable Foundation and Alumni, and more!

PayPal CFO John Rainey Shares His Commencement Address with Graduating Fellows

May 20, 2020

THF had the honor of having PayPal CFO John Rainey as the commencement speaker for our Group 30 Graduation. His address was timeless, thoughtful and inspiring for not only members of the Special Operations community, but for all those who will be experiencing a new career transition. Read his full post below.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/john-rainey-pypl_classof2020-activity-6668904724516892672-zrhd

Spotlight on BD

March 12, 2020

We’re excited to introduce a new  feature to showcase our valued Employer Partners and the Alumni who are now part of their family.

These are companies and organizations who have hired men and women from our program and/or who have generously given us their time, resources and connections in an effort to help build a stronger network for our Fellows after service — a community post community. 

Q1 What advice do you have for those who are experiencing transition? 

RF:  The fear of the unknown was the hardest part of transition me. Once I mastered this fear and replaced it with excitement, I began to enjoy this time in my life. I began to look forward to what might be possible.

NB:  Start your transition at least 2 years from separating.  Utilize the DOD Skillbridge program to gain experience in whatever industry you are planning to work in.  That short stint of industry experience will make you a lot more competitive for Management level positions.  At the same time ensure you attend as many transitioning courses/programs (like THF) as possible. Start building your professional network early. Build relationships with professionals from every industry and every type of position you can think of, and always remember to be grateful and appreciative of everyone’s time and willingness to help you.  Meeting people is easy, but establishing and sustaining relationships is hard work.

Q2 What experience shaped who you are?

RF:  I spent 23 years of my life serving in the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community, US Navy SEAL Teams. I have had countless positive and negative experiences that have contributed to who I am today. The most influential experience by far is building lifelong friendships in a purpose driven community of likeminded warriors. My transition into corporate America has in large part been so successful because of my continued friendships and connections within the SOF community.  In turn have found myself looking for ways to help fellow veterans find similar success in their transitions.

NB:  My 20 years in the military, and more specifically my 16 years in Naval Special Warfare (NSW), where I deployed 7 times.  During that time I learned what adversity means, witnessed amazing (and not so amazing) leadership, and how critical effective communication is.

Q3 What is your favorite interview question?

RF:  How do you handle colleagues/teammates who are under performing or not meeting timelines? I reframe this question to ask, how can I lead my teammates in a way that brings out their best and helps them see the larger objective? I have found that most people are not under performing rather they are over tasked by multiple competing objectives. I work in a highly matrixed environment and I have found that my teammates are often balancing multiple competing demands for their time. It is my job to see the big picture and understand what is driving my teammate’s performance.  I then work to de-conflict competing objectives while doing my best to understand their functional, operational, and personal demands.

NB:  Tell me a time where you failed or did not deliver as expected?  I love this question because everyone has a ton of these experiences (although you never hear about them) which initially sounds bad because failing is never the plan.  But, lessons you learned from those failures are invaluable, how you handled the situation is critical, and how you recovered from the failure is very important. These questions showcase vulnerability, accountability, and persistence.

Q4 What are similarities did you find between your role at BD and your previous experience in the SOF community?

RF:  In my last SOF role I was the Current Operations Officer for all of the West Coast SEAL Teams. What we call operations in the SEAL Teams is similar to projects and programs at BD. In both roles I have been tasked with deploying mission-essential equipment and people to multiple global positions. In both roles I have spent weeks planning and preparing for projects that often face delays and unsurmountable obstacles but somehow still get accomplished.  In both roles I work in a highly matrixed environment. In both roles I am responsible for leading cross functional teams tasked to do more with less.

NB:  I found that communication, leadership, mentorship, people and time management are very similar.

  • Communication: In some aspects BD has better communication, and in others the military has better communication. Specifically, all the various electronic tools available at BD (Outlook, Skype messaging, Skype calls, internal social media, intranets, etc.) makes delivering information electronically easier.  The military is much better with face-to-face communication and messaging tasks, goals, and objectives in a more clear and direct way. Both face-to-face and electronic communication are important and I feel my communication abilities have increased because I now utilize both in my day to day work and communication with co-workers.
  • Leadership/ Mentorship: My co-workers at BD are very intelligent and motivated.  They are quick to identify improvement opportunities and create plans and processes to address those opportunities.  Where I feel improvements can be made, and what veterans can bring to the table is organizing available resources, clarifying objectives, prioritizing tasks, and finishing projects.  For the most part, we (veterans) are quick to step up and ensure everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.  I tribute these abilities to the leadership experience we gain through the military. BD and the military both have very similar career development tools, employee evaluations, and mentor type of programs. ·
  • Management: Managing people, time, and resources at BD is very similar as in the military.

Q5 What makes the culture at your company special? 

RF:  I have found that BD associates reflect the BD core values: we are humble, sincere, transparent, and explicit in our intentions. At the end of the day the work we do at BD is advancing the world of health. It is easy to remember that those patients are often beloved family members.

NB:  The part of BD’s culture that stands out most to me is the emphasis on the patient.  It is easy to get wrapped around productivity, cost savings, and revenue in a large company, but BD consistently reminds us that there is a patient at the end of every device we manufacture.  Our veterans program (VETS ARG), which has been re-launched within the last year has gained a lot of momentum and is really putting emphasis on giving back to our Veterans internally within our company, and externally within the community.

Q6 What question are you asked more than any other?

RF:  How do you lead people with more industry experience than you? My answer is always be humble, ask lots of questions and complement often.

NB:  Was the transition from the military to the corporate world hard? Specifically “how do you go from an operational SEAL to a corporate employee?” My response is “I purposely found a role in the Healthcare space because although I am not the one creating medical devices or in a lab developing cures for diseases, what I am doing is contributing to saving lives and helping people.” I also respond that “The leadership and communication experience we gained through the military can be applied anywhere, especially in corporate America.”

Q7 What drives you everyday? 

RF:  I am responsible for deploying cutting edge medication management solutions to over 100 global Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs). I am driven every day to provide the military exceptional management solutions that decrease pharmacy medication cost, decrease medication diversion, and greatly improve patient safety.  Ultimately, I am proud to be able to help positively impact the health care conditions of active duty and retired members of the military, along with their dependents.

NB:  Leading and helping teams that are making an impact, and empowering those teams with a clear path to crush their objectives.  I love communicating and removing roadblocks, and knowing the team trusts me to provide top cover for them.

Q8 What book do you find most valuable? 

NB:  I find myself reviewing the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) pretty often, on a personal level I like reviewing Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why.”  I love the concept of identifying your “Why” statement and having that guide your journey for meaningful employment. Thank you to The Honor Foundation for introducing me to this book and TED Talk.

Q9 What is a lesson you learned the hard way?

RF:  I regret not taking my health as seriously as I should have, during my transition to corporate America.  I took my health for granted by allowing work and family to take higher priority. About a year ago I hit a low point in my health that scared me into change. I have since made major improvement to my health by guarding my sleep, managing nutrition and exercising daily. This should go without saying but you have to make you a priority.

NB:  I’ve learned that over the last 18 months that Corporate America places a heavy emphasis on industry and technical experience, in some cases more so than leadership, management and communication experience.  Once someone has a “foot in the door” their leadership and communication experience can then quickly be used to identify them as a high potential, high performing associate, but even so, managers can still be hesitant to give veterans management opportunities without extensive functional experience performing the job duties of the role.

Q10 What defines a leader? 

RF:  A leader listens first, asks questions often and brings out the best in people. A leader’s optimism is contagious even in the worst situations.

NB:  A leader is someone who puts their people first.  They communicate expectations, goals, and objectives clearly.  They inspire people through accountability, empowerment, trust, and their own actions.

Q11 What is your favorite quote? 

RF:  “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” Vince Lombardi

NB:  Be a good dude (Nick Bellenbaum)

The Honor Journal: Winter 2019

December 18, 2019

We’re excited to publish our second issue of The Honor Journal! In this issue, learn about the THF online store; updates from our program and Fellows; recent Treks around the U.S.; new partnerships and team members; and special features from members of our Tribe.