Cameron-Brooks

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Cameron-Brooks Podcast

We are excited to launch the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. For almost 50 years, the Cameron-Brooks Team has partnered with high performing military officers assisting them with transitioning to a successful business career. We have a continuing relationship with a vast majority of our Alumni. Some of our successful Alumni include the CFO of Twitter, Chief Marketing Officer of Tyson Foods, COO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, COO of RJ Reynolds, VP of Supply Chain at a Fortune 500 Medical Device Company, Executive Vice President of Logistics for Walmart Stores, Inc. to name just a few. The purpose of the Cameron-Brooks podcast is to draw best practices, lessons learned and career advice from our Alumni and other business partners to assist others in reaching their potential and goals. This podcast will help anyone who has a desire to grow both personally and professionally. While the podcast will mostly be episodes of conversations with Cameron-Brooks Alumni, it will also include book reviews, career advice, interview tips and leadership lessons from Cameron-Brooks Team Members.

  1. 10 SEPT

    3 Ways to Accelerate Your Career in the First Year (Ep. 205)

    When Cameron-Brooks partners with a military officer, we really do view our relationship as a partner. I know when many officers find Cameron-Brooks, whether through an internet search, on social media or just through word of mouth, they often approach us with an immediate and short-term need. Namely, they are getting out of the military and want to find meaningful work that will allow them to use their leadership to make contributions to their new organization and will allow them to continue to grow and develop professionally. While certainly, that represents one of the ways we help military officers launch meaningful careers, that is not the only way we partner with military officers. Before they begin interviewing, we guide officers through a curriculum-based Development and Preparation Program (DPP)© Additionally, after an officer accepts a position and launches their career, we commit to walking alongside them throughout their career. In this episode, Cameron-Brooks Principal Lauren Kordzik shares some best practices regarding walking alongside officers as they launch their careers and how to accelerate your career in the first year You may remember Lauren from Episode 147. Lauren spends much of her time at Cameron-Brooks working with our client companies, so in that episode, she shared her experience with why companies hire military officers for high-potential leadership roles. Another important function that she does at Cameron-Brooks is she conducts "first-year check-ins" with officers who have launched their new business careers. In our conversation, Lauren explains the “upsides” and “watch-outs” of some of the most common themes that tend to surface during these conversations. The three themes we discuss that will help accelerate your career in the first year: Appreciate your ability to make a choice as to where you will work next and be mindful of the trade-offs with the choice. Be patient and be proactive. Know that you will likely encounter a learning curve, but also have the courage and conviction to make important decisions early and often. Expect uncertainly. When you make the move to your new role, there will be an excitement that is undeniably exhilarating. After the “newness” wears off, uncertainty and doubt tend to creep in. Many say just know and appreciating this will help get them through those initial times of uncertainty. In this episode, we also mention some great books that you will help explore some of the ideas discussed as you either continue to prepare to make the transition to the business world and as you already on your journey. The Dip by Seth Godin The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lincioni Of course, if you are interested to see if Cameron-Brooks can help you reach your personal and professional goals, give me a call or shoot me an email. I’m glad to set up a quick meeting to explore the possibility of partnering with and being a guide of you on your journey. You call also learn more about Cameron-Brooks on our website, YouTube channel and LinkedIn. Until next time, make it a great day! Pete Van Epps || pete@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519

  2. 27 AUG

    A Post-Military Career in Business Analysis. What is it like? (E204)

    When a military officer leaves the military in search of a high-potential leadership career in corporate America, there are many ways they can use their leadership experience to launch their business career. One area where officers have launched their careers and accelerated is in the career field of business analysis. This is the career field where you will provide program, process, or project leadership and support for either an internal or external customer. This type of work focuses on building and maintaining key relationships with customers by developing an in-depth knowledge of their business needs to improve or optimize results. This can be done in a wide array of functional areas and industries, such as finance, marketing, data analytics, program/project management, consulting, and many more. As a matter of fact, functionally speaking, business analysis is the broadest of the career fields we represent. Many different types of roles and functions fit into this bucket. Essentially, if the primary function of the role isn’t team leadership, engineering management, or professional sales, it will fall into the business analysis category. That is not to imply the category is a “catch all” – it is to say that a post-military career in business analysis is a broad field. A common misconception about business analysis is the opposite. Often, at first glance, people assume the career field is mostly sitting behind a desk and crunching numbers all day, never interacting with others or leading. On the contrary, a post-military career in business analysis consists of leading important projects, programs, and/or processes, both inside and outside of the organization, that help the business move forward. In this episode, Joel Junker interviews three Cameron-Brooks alumni from three different industries to hear more about their experience and careers within the business analysis career field. You will learn more about the common misconceptions associated with the career field, key attributes and interview connecting points, as well as what a day in the life may look like from each of our panelists’ perspective. This episode is the fourth installment in our career field series. You can learn more about engineering management, professional sales, and manufacturing by clicking the links. If you are new to Cameron-Brooks, you find more information about who we are, what we do, and how we can help on our website. You can also hear officer testimonials, interview tips, and other transition preparation guidance on our YouTube channel.

  3. 13 AUG

    Servant Leadership and the JMO (E203)

    When I interview junior military officers (JMOs) to determine their fit with the Cameron-Brooks program, I ask them to describe their leadership style. They often label their style as “I am a servant leader.” When I help the officers in our program prepare answers to the question, “What is your leadership style, or similarly, how do you build a team?” I hear much of the same, such as, “I use a servant leadership style approach.” When I hear JMOs describe what they mean, I wonder if they genuinely understand servant leadership. To help gain clarification, I interviewed Dr. Michael Carey, a professor at Gonzaga University School of Leadership Studies who was the first director of the Organizational Leadership program in 1987 to be a guest on the show. Dr. Carey is the coordinator for the Master in Servant Leadership program and teaches several classes. Gonzaga University is recognized as one of the leading institutions in Servant Leadership. I am currently a graduate student in the Gonzaga Master’s of Organizational Leadership and have taken two classes in the Servant Leadership concentration, one of them with Dr. Carey and another with Larry Spears, the founder of the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership and former longtime President and CEO (1990-2007) of The Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership. My conversation with Dr. Carey aims to easily define and explain Servant Leadership and how we can all be Servant Leaders at work, at home, and in other organizations. In addition to Servant Leadership, we also cover Transformational Leadership, which is related. The conversation is not academic at all and is highly applicable to military officers still serving, those preparing for the transition, and the Cameron-Brooks Alumni listeners as well. Listen and learn more about servant leadership and the JMO. To learn more about Servant Leadership, Dr. Carey recommended the topics listed below. Robert Greenleaf is considered the founder of the Servant Leadership concept. He wrote the essay “The Servant as Leader” in 1970. The institute he started on Servant Leadership is now based at Seton Hall University. You can find numerous resources and articles on Servant Leadership at the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership at https://www.greenleaf.org/. He also referenced the Spears Center for Servant-Leadership, which I had described previously. Both of these websites have blogs and book recommendations. Here is my favorite Robert Greenleaf quote that I try to follow each day, “The servant-leader is servant first, it begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first, as opposed to, wanting power, influence, fame, or wealth.” Thank you for listening to the Cameron-Brooks podcast! As you consider your potential transition from the military to the business world, if you'd like to discuss your marketability or how Cameron-Brooks can guide you to launch your career, please contact us directly. Schedule a call here.  Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.

  4. 1 AUG

    A Post-Military Career in Professional Sales—What is it like?(E202)

    Let's talk about a post-military career in professional sales. Business-to-business (B2B) sales is one of the most important functions in the business world. It is where a company that makes a product or service interfaces directly with a customer. As the name suggests, B2B sales is all about selling products and services to other businesses in order to help them meet their professional goals in the market. From a JMO perspective, Sales is also one of the most misunderstood career field categories. When I initially talk to military officers about Sales, I often hear objections such as they do not want to go into a role that is 100% commission, high pressure, and high travel. Additionally, they think sales is a zero-sum game where you have to "do" something to someone in order to win. Business-to-business sales are different. With B2B Sales, your objective is to create a trusting relationship with a customer, demonstrate your credibility in solving their problem or creating value, and deliver a product or solution that helps your customer be more effective in their marketplace. In this episode, you will hear three Cameron-Brooks alumni talk about their post-military career in Professional Sales, their experience as sales professionals, as well as dispel some common myths about the sales profession. You will meet: Bridget Walton, USMC Command and Control 1LT, launched her career at Motorola Solutions. Blake Boyd, Army Armor CPT, launched his career at Abbott. Billy Cattron, Army Infantry CPT, launched his career at Altec. Each of those former military officers attended the January 2019 Cameron-Brooks Career Conference. One of the most interesting aspects of the webcast is that although each of these officers started their career in a different industry, each shared similar experiences about understanding customer needs, creating solutions, and ultimately bringing value. At Cameron-Brooks, we have seen countless numbers of military officers launch their careers in B2B sales. If you want to hear more about a sales career, including career progression and growth, check out podcasts with Aaron Carter, Anthony Applegate, Jonathan Brewer and Connor Pratt! Of course, if you want to know more about how Cameron-Brooks can help you reach your personal and professional goals, you can learn more on our website, LinkedIn, and YouTube, or you can call or email me directly. Best of success, Pete Van Epps || pete@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519

  5. 17 JUL

    Maximize Interview Success: 3 Can’t-Miss Tips (E201)

    I think one of the hardest parts of the transition from the military is the unknowns and uncertainty about what is next. Not everyone experiences this uncertainty. Many JMOs who move from the military have their immediate future locked up, whether they choose to attend a full-time academic program such as an MBA or law school or if they work in a general schedule (GS) role for the government agency or department, those options are often secured many months for they separate from the military. Moving from the military to the business world is often very different. Corporate America hires for and fills open positions, whether recently vacated or new positions created because of the company's growth. At each and every Cameron-Brooks Career Conference, companies attend with an actual open position and, very often, multiple open positions. By that, I mean each role has a boss and a salary with a start date in a specific location, and these positions are important and valuable to the company. We continue to feature these Post-Conference Reviews because we want to provide a glimpse behind the curtain. We aim to help officers still serving on active duty hear and see future possibilities. One of the most valuable aspects of these Post Conference Review webcasts is the live Q&A where officers attending our next Career Conference have the opportunity to ask those who just finished their Conference. Here are the three key takeaways our alumni shared from their experiences, which shed more light on the process and how to maximize interview success. Start Early Each of our candidates came to the Career Conference ready to interview, and each said they wished they had started preparing for the transition earlier. Two alumni specifically mentioned wishing they had switched their mindset earlier in the process to apply what they were learning in their military roles. That would have enhanced their experience and helped them connect more effectively in interviews. Read (or Listen) The adage is familiar and true - leaders are readers! One of the biggest missteps officers make when preparing to transition is minimizing the importance of increasing their knowledge through reading and learning. Officers sometimes assume that their military experience is sufficient to describe their military experiences in a business interview effectively. Reading expands your knowledge, which, in turn, broadens your exposure. If you find that it takes too long to finish a book, try listening instead. Regardless, you will benefit and improve. Build Community Through the years, one of the most, if not the most, beneficial activities officers engage in is working with other officers to prepare for interviews. Whether it is strength in numbers, group accountability, or just making new friends and colleagues, participating in a study group will absolutely ramp up your preparation. Many of you who listen to this podcast are already participating in the Cameron-Brooks program. If you are not actively participating but want to learn more, please contact me directly. I am glad to talk through your options, help you set goals, walk through your marketability and guide you to launching a successful career in Corporate America. Want to maximize interview success? You can always learn more on our website and our YouTube channel. Best of Success! Pete Van Epps || (210) 874-1519 || pete@cameron-brooks.com Cameron-Brooks Website YouTube Channel LinkedIn

  6. 2 JUL

    Grateful to Serve – Independence Day 2024 (E200)

    We started this podcast 8 years ago on May 26, 2016 and as we've reached our 200th episode, we are extremely grateful for the officers with whom we get to work with on a daily basis.  We're grateful to serve JMOs! We started the podcast with the goal of providing another avenue for military officers to hear and learn more about making the move from the military to the business world. For our first 100 episodes, we mostly focused on interviewing our alumni. In doing so, we have built a base of knowledge that many officers have dipped into to gain insight and confidence as they prepare to transition. For our centennial episode, Joel interviewed our founders, Roger Cameron and Rene Brooks. From there, we have broadened the content. Of course, we still do regular interviews with our alumni, but we also bring other content to the platform, from author interviews to roundtable discussions on current topics to "minisodes" like this episode. In this episode, Joel, Brock, and I each express our gratitude for our service to this nation and tell our stories of how that service came to be. While we each have a very different story to tell about how we came to service, I think you will hear an override expression of just how grateful we are for what we have been given. On this Independence Day, we want to thank those who listen to this podcast. If you like what you hear, share it with a friend and give us a like. We will continue to push each other to create relevant, informative, and helpful content. Here's looking toward Episode 300 and beyond! Make it a great day, Pete Van Epps || (210) 974-1519 || pete@cameron-brooks.com If you want to learn more about Cameron-Brooks, you can find more information on your website and our YouTube Channel.

  7. 25 JUN

    3 Tips on Long-Term Career Thinking (E199)

    Welcome back! As Transition Coaches, a topic that we often help officers think through as they are making decisions about getting out of the military is short-term thinking versus long-term career thinking. It is completely natural for officers leaving the military to focus and think in the short term. They have a future date in which they are going to exit the military, usually with in the next 12 months or less, and they need a plan. Because of this, there are typically two main issues that tend to drive decision-making in the transition. First, officers now have full autonomy to make a decision about their future and second, officers, at least while in the military, have never had to fully manage their careers or have had full power to make important career decisions. In this episode, our three Transition Coaches, Joel Junker, Pete Van Epps and Brock Dudley meet to has a discussion about a topic that we discuss often with military officers - short vs. long-term career thinking and decision making.   In the first part of our discussion, Joel sets up the discussion by referencing The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge. In the book, there is an illustration where Senge describes a person envisioning their future self vs. their current reality. In the gap between where you are and your current reality, there is tension. Tension is good, but working through that tension also takes time, discipline, and resolve. Through the years, we've seen countless military officers take this approach to their transition. They take a realistic inventory of where they are today and where they want to be 5-10 years from the transition; then, they build a plan. That plan sets up the tension because it often means you will sacrifice some elements of short-term gain for ultimately achieving your professional goal and achieving your vision. In the discussion, we were each able to weigh in on critical components of long-term decision-making and created a short, actionable list for military officers who want to align their transition strategy with a focus on their future career vision. Set a vision for yourself. Look out to the next 5-10 years. Define where you want to take your career and start doing things today that will support that vision. Write your vision out. Get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper or somewhere you will see it regularly. It will keep you focused and motivated and help you to do the type of activities that support moving toward your vision. Tell somebody. Find people in your life who you trust and who speak the truth to you. There is great power in having accountability in your life to help you achieve your goals, challenge you to be the best version of yourself, and help you reach your goals. If this is something you are interested in exploring, give us a call. Our company is completely dedicated to helping military officers through a decision making process and career search strategy that is designed to you you reach your goals and dreams. Pete Van Epps || (210) 874-1519 || pete@cameron-brooks.com If you want to learn more about Cameron-Brooks, you can find more information on your website and our YouTube Channel.

  8. 11 JUN

    Post-military career in manufacturing: Find out what it’s like (E198)

    Welcome back! This is the second installment in our Career Field series podcasts. In our first episode (Episode 192), we featured three Cameron-Brooks alumni who explained their careers within the Engineering Management Career field. In this episode, we invited two of our alumni who launched their careers within Manufacturing. After listening to them, you'll have a better understanding where a post-military career in manufacturing can take your career. Michael Warwick is a former Army Infantry/AG officer. He attended the August 2017 Career Conference and started his career at Oldcastle Building Envelope, which creates glass products for commercial and residential buildings. He spent 5 years at that company, becoming the Plant Manager of his facility before being promoted to General Manager, covering Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. In that role, he managed all aspects of the business, from production to sales and business development functions. This allowed him to pull different levers to positively affect the profit and loss (P&L) of the overall business. In 2023, he moved to American Bath Group (ABG), a company that produces a myriad of different products that are installed in bathrooms. As a Division Manager, he manages and oversees two different companies within ABG, Swan and Florestone. In this role, he oversees both lines of business, from production, distribution, branding and marketing to new product development. Brandon Slocum is a former Army Armor officer. He attended the January 2018 Career Conference. He launched his career at Pactiv Evergreen. In the first few years of his career, he watched Pactiv move from a privately held to a publicly traded company. He started as an Operations Unit Manager, managing different teams and lines of product production. From there, he spent some time as an Operations Talent Manager on the Training and Development team, where he traveled to different Pactiv facilities throughout the country to standardize practices across the companies. For the last 4+ years, he's served as a Plant Manager in two different locations. He started as the Plant Manager in their Chicago facility, leading 275 team members in making packaging material for different high-volume restaurants. Currently, he is leading the Temple, TX facility, leading 550 team members, managing the entire South/Southwest of consumer products for Hefty and Reynolds, as well as products for Costco, Walmart, and Sam's Clubs. In this episode, Michael and Brandon answer three key questions: what exactly is manufacturing? What are the common misconceptions people have about starting a career in manufacturing? What are the key competencies that someone must possess to lead a successful post-military career in manufacturing? I think you'll find Michael and Brandon's experiences encouraging and exciting. The interesting thing is when both of these leaders attended the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference, they interviewed with around 10-12 different companies within different industries and across different career fields, including manufacturing. In doing so, they were able to assess different opportunities to find the best opportunity among many. When Michael chose Oldcastle and Brandon chose Pactiv, they made a decision that launched their career with the best fit, and they've never looked back. If you are interested in doing that type of career search, reach out to me directly. Best, Pete Van Epps || pvanepps@cameron-brooks.com || (210) 874-1519 Cameron-Brooks has a 50-year track record of guiding military officers to create a step-by-step plan to learn about their options, connect their military experiences directly to opportunities in corporate America, craft a resume that will stand out to hiring managers, and ultimately launch a successful business career.

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About

We are excited to launch the Cameron-Brooks Podcast. For almost 50 years, the Cameron-Brooks Team has partnered with high performing military officers assisting them with transitioning to a successful business career. We have a continuing relationship with a vast majority of our Alumni. Some of our successful Alumni include the CFO of Twitter, Chief Marketing Officer of Tyson Foods, COO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, COO of RJ Reynolds, VP of Supply Chain at a Fortune 500 Medical Device Company, Executive Vice President of Logistics for Walmart Stores, Inc. to name just a few. The purpose of the Cameron-Brooks podcast is to draw best practices, lessons learned and career advice from our Alumni and other business partners to assist others in reaching their potential and goals. This podcast will help anyone who has a desire to grow both personally and professionally. While the podcast will mostly be episodes of conversations with Cameron-Brooks Alumni, it will also include book reviews, career advice, interview tips and leadership lessons from Cameron-Brooks Team Members.

Information

  • Creator
    Cameron-Brooks
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2024
  • Episodes
    205
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Cameron-Brooks

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