Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. After nearly 30 years of service, how do you walk away from the only professional life you've ever known? For COL Mike Kloepper and COL Matt Leclair, this isn't a hypothetical question. Both are preparing to retire from the U.S. Army on February 28, 2027, after nearly three decades of service each. And while they've spent their careers leading Soldiers, developing teams, and preparing others for what comes next, they're now navigating one of the most personal transitions of their own lives. Leaving the Army can feel a little like a breakup. You love the people, the mission, the relationships, and the life you've built. You know it's time for something different, but that doesn't make leaving any easier. In this episode of Teach Me to Fish, Mike and Matt have an open conversation about what's on their minds as they navigate the middle ground between the lives they've known and the futures they're still discovering. They explore the emotional side of retirement: identity, belonging, family, uncertainty, gratitude, and the challenge of letting go. They also discuss the importance of leaving well, sharing lessons before they disappear, and finding new ways to contribute without trying to recreate the past. This isn't a conversation from two people who have retirement figured out. It's a conversation between two leaders living it in real time, sharing what they're learning along the way. Key Takeaways 1. This Is All I've Ever Known — Who Am I Without the Army? For nearly 30 years, the Army has provided a mission, an identity, a team, and a sense of belonging. What happens when the uniform comes off, the title goes away, and the formation moves on without you? Leaving well begins with understanding that who you are is bigger than what you've done. 2. Leaving Well Doesn't Mean Leaving Is Easy Retirement can feel like a breakup with something you still love. You can be grateful for the journey, proud of what you've accomplished, excited about the future, and sad about leaving—all at the same time. Those feelings aren't mutually exclusive. 3. The Middle Ground — Between What Was and What's Next There's a period when you're no longer fully invested in the life you're leaving, but you haven't yet built the life you're moving toward. It's uncomfortable, uncertain, and full of questions. But it's also an opportunity to slow down, reflect, explore, and discover what matters most. 4. Empty the Rucksack — Don't Let the Lessons Disappear After decades of leadership, there's an obligation to share what we've learned. The successes, failures, relationships, mistakes, and hard-earned lessons are worth passing on. Leaving well means making the people who follow us better because we were here. 5. Family First — They've Been on This Journey Too Retirement isn't just an individual transition. Our families have lived the deployments, moves, sacrifices, long hours, and uncertainty alongside us. The next chapter is an opportunity to be more intentional about the people and relationships that matter most. 6. Paying It Forward — Service Doesn't End When the Uniform Comes Off The Army may no longer be our profession, but helping people can remain our purpose. Whether through coaching, mentoring, writing, relationships, or simply showing up for someone else, there are countless ways to continue making a difference. 7. Finding Purpose in What's Next — It's Okay Not to Know Yet After spending so much of our lives knowing the mission, the organization, and our responsibilities, uncertainty can be unsettling. But we don't have to have everything figured out today. We can take small steps, have meaningful conversations, explore opportunities, and allow the next chapter to reveal itself. The Bigger Message Retirement isn't the end of service. It's a change of formation. The goal isn't simply to leave the Army. It's to leave well—with gratitude for what was, intentionality about what matters, and optimism for what's next. We're still figuring it out. And maybe that's the most important part of the conversation. Better Leaders. Brighter Future. NoDaysOff! Why Teach Me to Fish? Catch someone a fish, feed them for a day. Teach them to fish, feed their family for life. Our purpose is to help Leaders better understand what drives People to serve. In any organization, the core of recruiting and retaining talent revolves around leadership. And not just average leadership, but motivated, values-based, inspirational leadership. Our Pursuit here is to get a little bit better every day. Progress = Small Victories and stacking habits. Habits like Getting up early, working your butt off, learning something new, Being positive and Surrounding yourself with phenomenal People. Thanks for investing some time for yourself and thinking about the kind of People and experiences in your life that inspire you to be the best version of yourself. I hope these conversations spark some ideas on what you can do to inspire People too. Instagram Link - https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ALde1yH5v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Facebook Link - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553842772462
