Tag Archives: transitioning military

THF Partners with Big Sky Bravery

February 18, 2021

The Honor Foundation (THF) is excited to partner with Big Sky Bravery (BSB) — a civilian-based organization dedicated to providing members of the Special Operations Forces with post-deployment decompression programs in Montana’s restorative surroundings. Their programs are tailored to meet the unique needs of these elite military members by building trust, brotherhood, and friendships at this critical time in their lives as a means to improve their psychological and emotional well-being.

As both THF and BSB focus on The Special Operations Community, this partnership will highlight the strength of world-class nonprofits providing unique services throughout the Operators’ entire career.

Matt Stevens, THF CEO, on the partnership:

“We’re excited to work with Josh and the team at Big Sky Bravery to provide the SOF participants in their program with the transition assistance they need. We’ll be prepared to serve every single one of them when the time is right for them and set them up for success as they transition out of uniform and into their next great adventure in life.”

Big Sky Bravery was founded on the belief that a debt of gratitude is owed to the members of our military’s active duty Special Operations Forces. Josh McCain, Founder and President of the nonprofit, expressed his excitement for the collaboration between the organizations.

“We are thrilled to partner with and incorporate The Honor Foundation into our programs. We can always give more to the SOF community, and after being a witness over the past six years to the great struggles they face with transitioning, I have no doubt this partnership will move mountains for them.”

To learn more about Big Sky Bravery, please visit their website at bigskybravery.org.

THF + Q4 Raider Patch: “Transition: The Next Ridgeline”

January 27, 2021

The Honor Foundation is part of a quarterly series in the Raider Patch titled, Transition: The Next Ridgeline, sharing takeaways and advice from the THF Alumni in the Raider community.

Our second feature in the Q4 2020 issue focused on “The Networking Power of LinkedIn ” with John Logan. Flip to page 17 to read his full article.

Thank you to the Marine Raider Association, one of our valued Community Partners, for this great opportunity to contribute to your publication each quarter.

Harry J. Leonhardt, Esq. Elected Chairman of the Board of THF in 2021

January 19, 2021

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Kathy Leming
kathy@honor.org
661.755.6984

THE HONOR FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Harry J. Leonhardt, Esq. Elected Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Starting in 2021

January 21, 2021 – (San Diego, CA) The Honor Foundation [THF], a unique nonprofit transition institute created for transitioning members of the U.S. Special Operations Forces community has just announced that Harry Leonhardt will assume the role of the Chairman of THF’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. For the last six and a half years, THF has successfully developed and implemented a nationally recognized transition program for elite members of the Special Operations Forces [SOF] Enterprise, helping them to navigate the complicated career transformation from military to civilian life. It accomplishes this via an executive education-style curriculum that combines world class one-on-one executive coaching and industry mentoring, three months of intensive class instruction, and access to an elite nationwide professional network. Leonhardt, who has served as Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee of THF’s Board for the last two years, has been a long-time supporter of The Honor Foundation and other military causes.

Leonhardt brings an extensive legal and executive management background as well as a history of philanthropic contributions to his new role. He currently serves as Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Corporate Secretary at Poseida Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in the next wave of cellular and gene therapies, including CAR-T. He received his B. Sc. degree from The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and his Juris Doctorate from the USC School of Law.

Leonhardt is also a Patron and Sustaining Member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and is a member of the National Security Committee of that organization. He also serves as a member of the GTMO Task Force, whose mission is to monitor the GTMO proceedings to ensure compliance with the Military Commissions Act and to impact policy to assist in expediting and bringing greater visibility to the GTMO proceedings. He has served as a legal observer at Camp Justice in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba at the ongoing 9/11 terrorist trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and five other high-value 9/11 detainees.

Mr. Leonhardt has been an avid supporter of The Honor Foundation for several years serving as a THF Ambassador, in fundraising activities and as an industry mentor to numerous THF Fellows.

“As incoming Chairman, I’m privileged to work with my fellow board members, advisors and the dedicated THF Staff to build on the tangible success, and expand the reach, of this compelling organization. I would like to thank J. Scott Adams, our outgoing Chairman, for his outstanding contributions and commitment over the past two years. I will continue to rely on Scott as he will remain an active member on the THF Board moving forward.

The transformational THF transition program, which has already benefited 900+ Alumni, provides Special Operations personnel from four branches of the armed services (Navy SEALs, Army Rangers/Green Berets, Marine Raiders/MARSOC and Air Force SOF) with a comprehensive set of tools, backed by world class coaching and networking, to translate their considerable skills, talents and expertise into fulfilling and impactful leadership positions in the civilian workforce. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and support these American heroes who, along with their families, have sacrificed so much for our security and welfare. This is especially so during these unusually challenging times. We firmly believe that the very characteristics that distinguish them as elite members of the Special Operations Forces will serve to benefit our nation’s workforce immeasurably — from entry level to the board room — for generations to come.”

Leonhardt is assuming the role of Chairman of the Board at an exciting time for THF as the organization continues to steadily expand its scale and impact while maintaining a high-touch, high-value experience and curriculum. To date, over 1200 individuals and families have benefitted from THF, either through the full transition program or through specially tailored workshops, to assist those in the SOF community who are looking to jumpstart their own transition journey.

Matt Stevens, CEO of The Honor Foundation, who also serves on the THF Board of Directors prior to his current position, is excited to welcome Leonhardt as Chairman.

“Having worked with Harry over the past several years on the THF Board, I can think of no one better to lead the organization into the next phase of growth. He has a demonstrated history of passionate support for military and veterans causes and specifically for the Special Operations Community. He has been a complete professional in every regard, and persistent beyond measure to improve our position every single day. I am looking forward to working closely with him to positively impact the lives of even more service members throughout their transition.”

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About The Honor Foundation

The Honor Foundation (THF) is a career transition program for the U.S. Special Operations Forces community that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. It provides a clear process for professional development and a diverse ecosystem of world class support and technology, and a program built by the desire to serve others with honor for life so that their next mission is always clear and continues to impact the world. Every step is dedicated to preparing these outstanding men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career. The Honor Foundation has over 900 graduates to date and has three physical campuses in San Diego, CA, Virginia Beach, VA, Camp Lejeune, NC, and a virtual campus (THFv). The Navy SEAL Foundation is the Founding Partner of The Honor Foundation.

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THF Participates in Harvard Business School Case

January 5, 2021

This November, Harvard Business School published “The Honor Foundation: Accessing Special Operations Talent,” an extensive case study focusing on the THF organization and highlighting the unique skill sets of individuals from the Special Operations Forces community. Though not readily available to the public, it was reflective on the significance of integrating men and women from SOF into the workforce and the value they bring to the private sector, especially in times of crises.

“Amid a pandemic, executives are finally realizing the importance of bringing outsiders who are comfortable dealing with the unexpected onto their teams. As these crises wear on, the singular and eminently portable skills of our country’s highest-trained servicepeople are becoming more and more valuable…”

Read the summary article from Harvard Business Review, “Lessons on Leading Through Chaos from U.S. Special Operations,” for insights from several THF Alumni on how their knowledge gained from their SOF training and experiences greatly play a role in their career outside of the Teams.

The Honor Journal: Winter 2020

December 16, 2020

We’ve been busy these past few months! Read the December 2020 edition of The Honor Journal to see what we’ve been up to. From graduating the largest number of Fellows this year to our numerous Fall fundraisers to welcoming new THF Team members, this issue shares all the happenings from the last half of 2020.

Spotlight on Millennium Health

December 15, 2020

We’re excited to introduce another valued Employer Partner of The Honor Foundation.

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.

Read below to hear from Millennium Health CEO, Andrew Lukowiak, on career transition, company culture and more.

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

Without question, the military training received by Honor Foundation Fellows is an asset to any private company. Thriving in uncertain environments, dealing with ambiguity, placing “Team” ahead of “Self”, and understanding what it means to be mission oriented has already prepared each of you to be incredibly successful in the private sector. The best advice I can provide is that learning how to effectively communicate these accomplishments in ways that the private sector can understand and value is essential. Finding corporate sponsors, workshops, or other venues to help you translate your military capabilities into meaningful corporate vocabulary can be all the difference in landing that first job in the private sector.

Q2 What is your favorite interview question?

“Tell me about a time that you failed and what did you learn from it?” All too often hiring managers are focused on a candidate’s successes in an interview. How an individual responds to failure, to criticism, to feedback and uses these opportunities to improve themselves will tell you a lot about their ability to grow through adversity, a key factor to success in any corporate environment.

Q3 What makes the culture at your company special?

We operate on a principle of decentralized leadership, that is, we empower our team members from all levels within our organization to make change, initiate improvements and own our success. This environment of collaboration makes the entire company stronger and more effective.

Q4 What drives you every day?

Making a difference in the lives of our customers and their patients. Over the past two years, we have researched and developed trend reports utilizing real-time urine drug testing data to identify and alert clinicians about emerging developments in the drug use landscape, resulting in multiple, peer-reviewed, open-access publications and scientific reports. These publications have been widely accessed by the healthcare community and provide resources that professionals can use to help better identify and treat patients coping with the devastating disease of addiction. As a result of this work, in January of 2020, we announced that we had joined forces with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to donate this data to help combat our country’s ongoing drug overdose epidemic. Every day we get to come to work and ask “Ok, now what else can we do better to help save lives?”

Q5 What book do you find most valuable?

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Lief Babin describes how leadership―at every level―is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails. With topics including Decentralized Command, Cover and Move, and Leading Up the Chain, the former SEALs (and authors) use their experiences in Iraq as examples of how individuals can improve leadership in any environment. According to Babin, “There are no bad teams – only bad leaders.” There’s considerable truth to that statement.

Q6 What is a lesson you learned the hard way?

A lesson I learned the hard way is often quoted, “you deserve what you tolerate”. It is up to us as leaders to recognize when changes need to be made for the good of the organization, even when those decisions are difficult to make.

Q7 What defines a leader?

A leader is defined by their ability to create a vision for a given purpose and identify the individuals whose specialized talents, when aligned as a team, can successfully execute on the vision to achieve the desired outcome.

Q8 What is your favorite quote?

Hard to pick just one but the quote that I reflect on the most often is hanging in my office from the Theodore Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena; “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

THF Alumni Ted Handler Featured on SOFSpot Podcast

December 13, 2020

“The experiences that veterans bring to the table — I have yet to find a leadership challenge that I wasn’t able to draw a parallel to in the military. […] To the transitioning people out there, you will have the experiences to draw off of to make yourself successful.”

Tune in to Episode #49 “Comfortable in the Chaos” of SOFSpot, the podcast of the Global SOF Foundation and listen to the transition stories of THF Alumni Ted Handler along with Blake Moore and Dennis Moore.

Thank you to Chelsea Hamashin and Global SOF Foundation for the opportunity and to Ted for sharing your insight and experience.

Listen to the full episode HERE.

Wounded Warrior Project Partners with THF in 2021

December 8, 2020

Original post from WWP

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) expanded partnerships to include 12 new and existing veteran and military service organizations to help meet the needs of our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured veterans and their families. WWP provided the following mission delivery partners more than $2.3 million in grants to expand the impact of WWP’s existing efforts and to fill gaps in programs and services.

These grants will support a wide range of services for wounded, ill, and injured veterans and service members, including connecting veterans with volunteer opportunities in their communities, programs for military children, services for special operations forces, resources and funding to combat food insecurity and increase veteran farming opportunities, and much more.

The organizations include:

“The military and veteran community organizations that we work with help us fill critical gaps in care, ensuring that America’s injured veterans and their families have access to the resources they need to thrive,” said WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington. “We’re proud to support these amazing organizations and the diverse spectrum of services and programs they provide. Through these grants we are strengthening the communities where these warriors, and their families, work and live.”

Since 2012, WWP has granted more than $271 million to 192 veteran and military service organizations. Learn more about WWP’s community partnerships.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project

For further information: Mattison Brooks — Communications Specialist mbrooks@woundedwarriorproject.org, 202.969.1120

GovX Raises Over $6,400 for THF

GovX Community Raises Over $6,400 for THE HONOR FOUNDATION

The nonprofit is a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces

San Diego, CA – GovX, the online shopping site exclusively for current and former military and first responders, donated $6,424 to The Honor Foundation, the nonprofit dedicated to helping members of US Armed Forces special operations transition their talents and skills to the professional workforce after their military service commitments end.

Sales of the special forces-inspired “Ghost Ops” entry in GovX’s Patch of the Month series fueled the total donations.

The Honor Foundation (THF) is a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. The program provides a clear process for professional development and a diverse ecosystem of world class support and technology. Every step is dedicated to preparing outstanding men and women continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career.

“With their well-established brand and popularity amongst the military, law enforcement, first responder and civilian communities, it was a no-brainer for THF to partner with GovX for their “Patch of the Month” series,” said Matt Stevens, CEO of The Honor Foundation. “We are grateful for their efforts and contributions to our mission and are looking forward to working with their team again in the future.”

The Honor Foundation offers executive style education, professional development, and career coaching, all tuned to the same competitive, professional standard to which Special Forces operators hold themselves. To get accepted into the program, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the effort. Only those with strong backgrounds of professional achievement and personal accountability are accepted into the program.

“The Honor Foundation was built for the best of the best of our nation’s Armed Forces,” said Alan Cole, GovX CEO. “Making sure these elite operators get to continue to use their skills and talents in the American workplace is absolutely crucial, and we’re pleased to see the GovX community supporting this mission.”

Read their special feature on THF Alumni Kevin Seiff HERE.

RECAP: THF “A Toast to Veterans” Virtual Live Stream Event

November 12, 2020

PRESS RELEASE

12 November 2020

The Honor Foundation Gathered Senior Military Leaders, Medal of Honor Recipients, Simon Sinek, for Nationwide Tribute to Veterans

Wednesday, November 11, 2020 – The Honor Foundation (THF), a unique transition institute that serves the U.S. Special Operations community, hosted a nationwide live virtual event, A Toast to Veterans, with Presenting Sponsor Morgan Stanley, in celebration of all U.S. Veterans on Veterans Day. The event offered an opportunity for our country to unite in patriotism and in appreciation of the service of all Veterans.

The event kicked off with a special rendition of “Old Glory” by Evangelo Morris and featured a range of senior military officials, Medal of Honor recipients, a bestselling author, THF leadership and alumni to provide remarks to our nation’s veterans. Distinguished speakers included ADM William McRaven (USN, RET), LTG Mike Nagata (USA, RET), Lt Gen Tom Trask (USAF, RET), MajGen Frank Donovan (USMC), Simon Sinek, Optimist and bestselling author, Medal of Honor recipients Britt Slabinski and Florent Groberg, The Honor Foundation CEO, Matt Stevens, and Navy SEAL Foundation CEO, Robin King.

The virtual live stream celebrated the extraordinary men and women who have given and continue to give their lives in service of our country. It was an evening filled with patriotism, inspiration and heartfelt remarks. Speakers described a warrior’s path from joining the military, to active duty experiences, transitioning out of the military and the value of veterans to our country and society post-uniform. The program closed with notable groups such as the LAPD and Boston Bruins paying tribute to all veterans across the country.

Vince Lumia, Head of Field Management for Morgan Stanley, the Presenting Sponsor of the virtual event, shared his tribute during the program.

“We proudly recognize the service of our military veterans, reservists and those on active duty,” said Lumia. “It’s been a privilege to partner with The Honor Foundation which put together a phenomenal program featuring leaders from our military branches to discuss their careers, the lives of veterans, their importance to our society, and the challenges faced while transitioning to a civilian life and potential solutions.”

Matt Stevens, CEO of The Honor Foundation, added: “As a Veteran led organization and a Veteran myself, The Honor Foundation wanted to pay tribute to our nation’s service members with this unique virtual event featuring esteemed speakers, guests and our Alumni. With the support of our Presenting Sponsor, Morgan Stanley, all the supporting sponsors and everyone who had purchased tickets and donated, we are proud of its inaugural event and look forward to another one next year.

The mission of THF is to help transitioning members of the Special Operations Forces community prepare for their next career after service. We are grateful for the partnerships and continued support of the Navy SEAL foundation, our Founding Partner, PayPal, Wounded Warrior Project, Carrington Charitable Foundation, our donors and all THF Tribes who provide us the opportunity to continue impacting the lives of our nation’s veterans.”

Proceeds from the event benefitted The Honor Foundation’s program to help veterans transition out of uniform and apply their skills, work ethic and leadership to the private sector.

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For more information about this press release, please contact Kathy Leming at kathy@honor.org.

About The Honor Foundation

The Honor Foundation (THF) has developed a world-class transition institute for the U.S. Special Operations Forces community that, through a three-month program, provides tailored executive education, one-on-one coaching, and access to a nationwide professional network. This program was built by the desire to serve others with honor for life so that their next mission is always clear and continues to impact the world. We do this by providing the tools that maximize our fellows’ potential and prepares them to succeed on their own. The Honor Foundation has campuses in San Diego, CA, Virginia Beach, VA, Camp Lejeune, NC (serving the Marine Raider community), and a virtual campus. The Navy SEAL Foundation is a Founding Fartner of The Honor Foundation.

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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.

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!