S.O.S. (Stories of Service) - Ordinary people who do extraordinary work Theresa Carpenter

Sometimes, you need somebody to tell you the unvarnished truth, share their story filter-free, and provide insights you never considered. 

Tab does just that. Her authentic, vulnerable, and raw personal storytelling style put you in the room with her like a trusty confidant. 

Join us on this episode as we discuss her plight to restore her mental health and what she feels veterans need. I always know that when I explore Tab’s content, I get to know her better and learn something new. 

Tabitha Bartley served eight years as a public affairs specialist in the Marine Corps. While in the Marine Corps she served as a Press Marine for the Quantico Sentry, the assistant director for the Base Community Relations Program at MCB Quantico, the Marketing and Public Affairs Director for Recruiting Station Columbia, S.C. and as Uniformed Sexual assault victim advocate.

Tabitha was the first pregnant woman to run for Indiana State Senate and first mentally and physically disabled Marine Corps female veteran to run for Indiana State Senate.

She was a project manager for unit campaigns at the Purdue for Life Foundation before returning to the National Capital Region. She is a public affairs specialist for USDA Agricultural Marketing Services.

Tabitha serves as the President for the Dept. of Agriculture’s Veteran Employee Organization (first female president), on the Board of Directors for Minority Veterans of America, as the Marking and Public Affairs Officer for the Jack Maas Marine Corps League Detachment. She also hosts the Oath We Took Podcast.

Find Tab - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabbartley?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Oath We Took Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3ndHktxRzUuFoj4FkNWZC8?si=c3vcY_DCSoO8OHfOj1VMQA
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

If you want to know how to build a digital brand, there’s nobody better to ask than my friend Rich. He’s been an invaluable help as I navigated the podcasting world these last few years.

His work combines authenticity, craftsmanship, accountability, and a love of storytelling, which make him stand out as a sought-after thought leader.

Join us as we discuss how he transitioned so radically from his military life as a helicopter pilot to building a company in the digital space. We’ll also cover how you can build your own brand in the digital landscape.

Rich Cardona, a first-generation American and retired Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot, found his passion for media after transitioning from the military and earning his MBA.

After working in a leadership role at Amazon and consulting with Claude Silver from VaynerMedia, Rich launched his own company, Rich Cardona Media (RCM), focusing on helping executives become more visible.

Rich garnered a lot of attention through “The Leadership Locker” a Top 50 ranked podcast, in which influencers and industry leaders shared their insights, particularly aimed at helping transitioning service members and veteran entrepreneurs.

He also achieved recognition for his subsequent show "NFTs for Newbies" which gained 1 Million downloads in less than 8 months.

Rich creates long-term content strategies for high profile content creating CEOs to advance their brand and business visibility. Among many brand services, RCM offers video podcasting, video production, and content repurposing.

The company’s approach to business and content creation is influenced by Rich's military background, with an emphasis on simplicity, urgency,and rigor—and serve leading with their core values;  the “ABCs” -  Accountability, Be Better and Clarity in Communication.

Through an unwavering dedication to content creation and scaling, RCM has produced dramatic results for clients.

Find Rich - https://www.richcardonamedia.com/
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

My next guest has endured sexual assault, bullying, and retaliation in and out of the military.  She now shares her story to help others heal and make systemic change. 

I often observe people who have endured incredible hardships and become beacons of change. They seem gifted with a superpower to go against the tide, shining light in the darkest parts of society, places most prefer to stay hidden. 

Her story is one of many overarching themes—how powerful people silence others, how she fights against the system for what she believes is just, and how she sets an example for others and her children. 

Master Sergeant Crystal C. Romero retired after serving 16 1⁄2 years in the US Army National Guard, serving full-time Active-Duty Operational Support primarily in her home state of New Mexico. 

Today, she is an activist for veterans’ causes and has had a significant role in passing legislation related to military sexual assault and veterans’ mental health. 
 
Crystal obtained four Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), held various positions, and successfully ran many programs, such as the DoD Innovative Readiness Training Program, throughout her military career, beginning in logistics and later transferring to a Public Affairs Detachment. 

She then transitioned to the 64th Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Specialist. 

There, she helped run operations and was activated for the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery efforts in 2003 and Hurricane Katrina, Rita, and Ike. Concurrently, she served with the New Mexico Counter Narcotics Task Force, serving as the Finance and Executive Assistant to the commander. 

In her final years in the military, she was a Senior Human Resources Specialist, Platoon Sergeant, Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, member of the Safety Council, National Guard Bureau Counterdrug Program Evaluation team member, and the Joint Substance Abuse Program Coordinator for the State of New Mexico where she ran the drug testing program for all National Guard service members. 
 
After her honorable discharge in 2014, Crystal struggled to adjust to civilian life and found herself battling depression and PTSD. That struggle prompted her to volunteer to help other veterans, presumably worse off than her. 

This was her path to redemption and how she plans to make her mark in the veteran community through advocacy. 

She
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

My next guest has been on a mission to bridge the gap between generations who serve the Armed Forces.

Through her painstakingly detailed analysis, she has uncovered findings that contextualize the problems service members face in so many arenas.

Join us as we unpack some of the larger cultural forces impacting our troops and ways we can better understand one another.

Corie Weathers, licensed professional counselor (LPC), is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and award-winning author of Military Culture Shift: The Impact of War, Money & Generational Perspective on Morale, Retention & Leadership and Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage.

Corie has focused her career for the last 20 years as a clinician specializing in marriage, the military culture, special forces, and leadership development. She has traveled internationally to visit troops and report on deployment conditions and has taught service families across the globe.

In addition to providing subject matter expertise on military culture, Corie consults organizations and institutions on building trust, creating impactful programming, and working within a multi-generational team.

Her advocacy has included being a part of Second Lady Karen Pence’s Military Spouse’s
Employment Working Group and contributing to passing a Congressional Bill for licensure portability.

Find Corie - https://www.corieweathers.com/
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

I believe the biggest fight comes from wrestling with the demons inside us - those past unhealed traumas. 

My next guest is a former shipmate I served with during a very stressful carrier tour, which has now transformed his life. He has created a holistic environment around him based on the hard work we must all do when we suffer. 

Dave Snell is a retired Navy Cryptologist who spent the majority of his career focused on the Pacific theater but enjoyed deployments to the European theater and multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Philippines.
 
Relatively early in his career, Dave began dealing with depression and anxiety.  It got so bad that he saw suicide as the only option. He did not talk about the subject with many of his peers because of fear of stigma and the lack of opportunities presented to him in his career.  

He was able to continue his career with a second tour at the National Security Agency, followed by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Special Operations Command, Pacific where he could again deploy to the Afghanistan theater after a deployment to the Philippines.
 
After his naval career, Dave went into industry conducting risk management assessments of Fortune 500 company cybersecurity programs to ensure they met different regulatory requirements.  And yet, he could not shake the traumas.  

The traumas began adding up and he eventually found himself in therapy again, and again, and again.  Finally, the pandemic offered an extreme period of self-reflection for Dave and he found a means of getting beyond his traumas and associated depression and anxiety.  

Dave found that Movement, Mind, Meditation, and Meaning were four areas he was able to integrate to ensure that he kept the depression and anxiety at bay.
 
Having lost a lot of weight during the pandemic, Dave focused on a near 30-year goal of running the Marine Corps Marathon and eventually did in 2022 and again in 2023.  These marathons culminated in working through the 4Ms and putting them into action when things during the races didn’t go as planned.  And yet, he was able to make it through both and looks forward to doing more in the coming years.
 
Today, Dave is a security consultant, combining his experiences in cybersecurity, intelligence, and private investigations to help companies protect their critical information and infrastructure from internal and external threats.  

Simultaneously, Dave has continued his service, sha
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

I always love learning from people who do hard things. They show us how to overcome life’s setbacks. 

As a fighter pilot, carrier commanding officer, and Strike Group commander, he worked in the world’s highest-stress jobs.  

Find out how he stayed calm under immense pressure to inspire many people in this show. We’ll also discuss how you can get momentum to achieve your goal. 

Retired Rear Admiral Mike Manazir served in the United States Navy for thirty-six years, retiring in July 2017, joining The Boeing Company in September 2017. 

Mike is a Vice President with Boeing, headquartered in Washington, DC.

In the US Navy, Mike was trained as a naval aviator and ship captain, flying 3,750 fighter hours in the F-14 Tomcat and F-18 Super Hornet. 

Mike has 1,240 arrested landings on different aircraft carriers with fifteen overseas deployments. Mike is a graduate of TOP GUN.

During ever-increasing leadership responsibilities, leading 350 people to more than ten thousand, Mike commanded a Navy fighter squadron, a supply ship, the aircraft carrier, USS NIMITZ, and Carrier Strike Group EIGHT, embarked in USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.

Mike is the best-selling author of Learn How To Lead To Win, thirty-three powerful stories of leadership and learning; Mike’s Maxims, a companion to the Lead To Win book, and two short e-books about fate and trust. 

All can be found on Amazon and other retail outlets. Mike also authors a weekly newsletter on discrete leadership topics. 

Visit Mike at www.mikemanazir.com
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76