Life After the Uniform Erin Silver

In today's episode, Erin talks with Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC), Mark Jorges. Mark came on to speak on issues he has seen in service-members who transition and the mental health challenges they face related to adjustment, navigating the VA process, and civilian life. 

Mark is a U.S. Army veteran  and saw all of these issues during multiple iterations of military service.  He served in the AD Army, Reserves, and National Guard  and understands the obstacles service members face trying to navigate mental health resources after the military.

Mental Health Resources and Links:
Mental Health/Vocational Rehab:  www.va.gov   
Mental Health/Peer Support/Exercise & Wellness: www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Mental Health: www.heroicheartsfund.org
Physical Wellness/Peer Support:  www.catchaliftfund.org
Hosting AD military and veterans for holiday meals: www.rememberourmilitary.org
Disabled Veterans Advocacy/Support Services: www.dav.org

To connect with Erin:
Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/ 

In this episode,  Erin talks with US Army Master Sergeant (Retired), Darrell Williams. I could list Darrell's complete bio and CV, and I'm sure you would be impressed (I will provide a few key highlights below), but what is truly special about Darrell is that he is so much more than his professional accomplishments. He is a mentor in every sense of the word, he is passionate about helping others, and he is a natural leader with integrity who inspires others to do their best. 
Darrell and I talked about a topic that both of us are passionate about - the military transition process. Darrell gave actionable, real world advice on helping service members leave the military and enter the civilian world. If you are getting ready to retire or separate, this is an episode you won't want to miss!
Darrell is the Chief, Military Human Resources for Operations at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). He serves as the human resources senior advisor on all military matters. Previously, Darrell, He was also assigned to the White House Communications Agency (WHCA), where he served as a Human Resources Manager, Operations Lead, and Vice Presidential Communications Officer for over 500 Presidential and Vice Presidential missions. a Master Certified Life Coach and Inspirational Speaker, started Alliance Seminars Coaching as a veteran-owned, faith-based organization that provides keynote speaking, certified workshops, and life coaching services to clients. Darrell provides excellent advice and mentoring for veterans seeking to work with the government and how to find and pursue your purpose.
Career highlights include leading several short notice Presidential missions that included examining the effects of Hurricane Andrew in Florida and Tornado Damage in Arkansas; selection as the Staff Support Unit Manager of the Year; selection as a WHCA All-Star; as well as the White House Communications Agency Senior Manager of the Year. Additionally, he was selected as a DISA Outstanding Mentor and Mission Support Services Team Lead of the Year.
 
 He received numerous professional awards to include the Presidential Service Badge. He is also a recipient of the Lacey B. Ivory Service Award; Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award; the National Louis University Reach Award; and the Strayer University Outstanding Alumni Award for his dedicated leadership in the DoD and community.
 
 He was also inducted into the White House Communications Agency Hall of Fame.
To connect with Darrell:
https://speakerhub.com/speaker/darrell-williams
https://www.allianceseminars.org
https://www.facebook.com/allianceseminars
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellwilliams
To connect with Erin:
 Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/ 

In today’s episode, Erin talks with Mike Demo. Mike is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran turned CEO. Mike and I got to sit down and just talk about what life was like in the Marines in the early 2000s and how a mental illness misdiagnosis derailed his career. This episode is all about how Mike’s experience impacted his life after separating from the Marine Corps. As many of us know, it’s not an easy or linear path. There are ups and downs, good days and bad, and a misdiagnosis only adds to the stress and confusion of an already difficult situation.
But Mike’s story doesn’t end there. A little over 20 years after enlisting in the Marine Corps, Mike is the host of the Intentional Disruption podcast, a married father of two, and CEO of the Delta Enhancement Group. He is actively looking to help 10 veterans buy into their first business this year and currently has 8 slots remaining.


To connect with Mike:
Website: https://michaeldemo.com/
Intentional Disruption Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/47FU04K0vswiC13kzz9ujg?si=CzUmcaMDR32xuUEg-3dHXg&nd=1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-demo/ 
To connect with Erin:
 Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/ 

Today’s episode is for military members still serving, veterans, and military spouses. Do you or your spouse have a mentor?  Someone you can talk to, ask questions, and bounce ideas off of? Someone who understands your situation and can guide you to your next goal? What if I told you that my guest today is part of network that provides this type of support? And what if I told you, it was free?
My guest today is Julianne Maioriello. Julianne is not only a Military and Veteran University Development Counselor with Grand Canyon Univeristy, she is also a mentor for America’s Mentoring Network for the Military – Veterati. Veterati provides free 1-hr mentorship phone calls for Service Members, Veterans, and Military Spouses with successful professionals. They are the only Veteran Mentorship Platform that lets you choose your own mentors and as many as you would like!

To connect with Julianne:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianne-maioriello-a2ab81167/


To connect with Erin:
 Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/

In today’s episode, Erin talks with Bill Kieffer. Bill is a U.S. Army veteran turned career transition coach. His advisory firm focuses on military career transitions, executive coaching, and strategic talent management. Bill is also a coach for the Honor Foundation which is a unique transition institute created exclusively for the U.S. Special Operations community. The Honor foundation works to ensure that every step is dedicated to preparing men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career. In addition to all of this, Bill is also the author of the book, Military Career Transition: Insights from the Employer Side of the Desk, which we got to explore during our conversation.
If you’re looking for tangible, actionable steps to help you with your military transition, then stay tuned! 

Bill Kieffer is President & Chief Advisor of Kieffer & Associates Limited, an advisory firm specializing in Military Veteran Career Transition, Leadership Coaching, Strategic Talent Management, and Professional Speaking and Facilitation services.  
Bill has coached, advised, mentored and worked with hundreds of service members, veterans and others around the globe regarding career transition, leadership development and performance improvement throughout his career. 
He also:
·         Serves as a coach and coach advisory board member for “The Honor Foundation”, a non-profit group providing career transition services to the special operations community.
·         Is a master trainer for Ranger for Life’s “A More Elite Transition”, serving the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment
·         Serves as a member the Board of Advisors for “Law Enforcement Connect”, which provides career transition services to members of the law enforcement community 
Bill is a senior human resources executive with over 23 years professional experience in multiple large, complex, global companies. His broad-ranging work includes full spectrum HR and talent management, and coaching/advising individual leaders and teams from the c-suite to the shop floor.  
Prior to these experiences, Bill served nearly 12 years active duty as a U.S Army Officer in a variety of command and staff positions.   
Bill is active in his community being twice appointed and three times elected to public office, and serving with a number of veteran-related organizations.  
Bill was honored to present “Investing in the Middle” at TEDx Toledo in 2017, and to guest on over 20 podcasts discussing a broad range of topics.  
He has worked in / travelled to 32 countries and has set foot on every continent except Antarctica.
He is married with five grown kids and in his free time loves riding his Harley. 
To connect with Bill:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamkieffer/
Website: https://www.kieffer-associates.com/
Book - Military Career Transition: Insights from the Employer Side of the Desk:
https://www.amazon.com/Military-Career-Transition-Insights-Employer/dp/1737371405
To connect with Erin:
 Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/
 

In today’s episode, Erin talks with Sophia Spadacino. Sophia served 9 years Active Duty in the U.S. Air Force before transitioning into the Reserves where she currently serves as a First Sergeant. Sophia earned her graduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from UMD and worked for 4 years at the VA as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (Voc Rehab). After the VA, Sophia went to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a Reasonable Accommodations Case Manager and currently works at Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a RA Case Manager. 
Sophia joined Erin to talk about Ch. 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Benefits. If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, Veteran Readiness and Employment (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) can help. This program, also known as Chapter 31 or VR&E, helps you explore employment options and address education or training needs. In some cases, your family members may also qualify for certain benefits.
You will learn about VR&E tracks for service members and veterans, eligibility, and how to apply.
To learn more about Ch. 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Benefits:
  https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/
To connect with Erin:
 Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/