#YearOfTheVet

Robert Graves

#YearOfTheVet is a veteran podcast dedicated to bring on vets from different backgrounds who've already gone through the ups-and-downs of the transition process, and share their lessons learned on the journey so the veterans that follow in their footsteps don't have to make their own mistakes in order to successfully transition into their new lives. You are a Hero. Live Like One!

  1. Ozzy Ramirez - Founder & CEO of Detonate Productions |  Actor | Writer | Producer

    07/05/2020

    Ozzy Ramirez - Founder & CEO of Detonate Productions | Actor | Writer | Producer

    From a 19D Calvary Scout Recon in the Army, to pursuing his dream in the City of Angeles, Ozzy Ramirez joins the #YearOfTheVet family to deeply share his experiences leading into the man he’s become today. Life has always been a journey for Oz, literally, as Ozzy recounts hiding in a truck driven by hired smugglers, across the border into a life away from corrupted government and the cartel. Moving all across California in his youth, Oz found himself finally settling down in Riverside in the 6th grade, only to find himself becoming the man of the house and the mentor to 3 young men at the age of 16—when his father walked away from his family. The Guadalajaran—and self-proclaimed nerd, found himself teaching himself Jujitsu via VHS (remember those), and from those moments, he learned what it meant to be confident. That confidence carried over into the Army, where he held his own in hand-to-hand combat, as well as behind the rifle—and then into casting calls and in the spotlight in theatrical shows like “Basketball Diaries.” Ozzy shares his passions and his goals with me in this conversation, and has a call for action for those looking to get out the military soon: Prepare if you can, Start a business if you can, and Separate yourself from the pack, by starting fresh in a new place… if you can. -------------------- Show Notes --------------------  Pre-Army Oz (7:15)  Working on “The American Accent” (9:06)  The Dojo of Riverside (9:58)  Immigrating to America (17:33)  Having to become the Man of the House (21:03)  All roads lead to the Army (23:33)  Oz apologizes to his mother (26:14)  Role-modeling to 3 younger brothers (27:47)  Life in Green (29:41)  Oz confirms that the DMZ is one of the craziest f*****g places, EVER! (30:33)  The Transition: All roads leave to… Barstow??? (32:51)  Battling the Bottle (41:48)  How Life stopped Death (45:44)  Opening Pandora’s Box (48:05)  Sticking with vulnerability (50:09)  All-in (52:35)  I could be the serial… rapist (54:53)  My personal stint in “THE INDUSTRY” (56:27)  The difference(s) between theatre and film (58:57)  Hollywood is embracing the veteran community right now… but you’re not entitled to success (1:01:03)  Becoming an overnight success (1:00:00)  An actor’s struggle with “no” (1:05:03)  Taking the suit off and being in your own skin (1:09:18)  They’re just human beings who have a job (1:15:23)  Ozzy Ramirez: Making Nerds Sexy… (1:15:49)  We got to Mars… (1:19:08)  For those getting out… (1:22:14) -------------------- Shout Outs: -------------------- Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans Rommel Dunbar Suzanne Kent Anthony Montez Hector American Legion Post 43

    1h 32m
  2. Joe Sapien - Veteran Service Officer Living Legend |  DAV Chapter Commander

    07/05/2020

    Joe Sapien - Veteran Service Officer Living Legend | DAV Chapter Commander

    Joe Sapien joins the #YearOfTheVet family to seemingly just have a good time on the mic! I brought Joe in to talk purely about veteran benefits and to break some myths, but before record was even pressed, Joe and I had already had about 20-30 minutes of quality off-air time that felt like two friends meeting up after a long weekend to fill each other in; and I feel that as you listen, you’ll begin to feel the same way. Joe is a Veteran Service Officer with California Vet (that’s a VSO for CALVet if you’re hip with the lingo), and he has made a name for himself as one of the go-to guys in the system, that will be upfront with you, work hard for you… but most importantly—really give a shit about whether or not you leave his office satisfied (or at least with the next step to satisfaction). Outside of the show notes below, there isn’t much more to pre-load you with—but I do want to let you know… TAKE HIM UP with reaching out to him to have your questions answered about anything veteran benefits. BUT ALL I ASK OF YOU if you do take him up on the offer of reaching out to him… Please please please send an email with as much information as you can provide… as much and as honest information as you can, because the easier you make it for him to help you, I promise the process will go easier than if you don’t. Here’s the show notes of our conversation and his contact info hidden in there somewhere so that you have to read it all! AND...I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Show Notes Costa is THE DUDE… I’m just the “co-host.” (5:25) The ripples involved with getting people their claims no matter the era of vet, or backstory of the past. (6:05) “We’re talk suck it up deal with it, I believe 80% of the stuff hasn’t been reported” Tying the dots of a undocumented past. (6:35) Signed up with the Army on April’s Day 2001. “Where are all these drunk pilots coming from?” (8:15) Joe’s thoughts on Operation Iraqi Freedom. (11:55) Joe’s outlook on people. (14:05) The wild wild of transition. (15:56) How I got my birthday shoes…(19:45) Joe’s gripe with suits. (21:09) (1:56:06) Judging a book by its cover. (22:02) Conversations I’m bringing back from the California DAV conference. (25:00) Vets taking care of vets, “the only way we can keep the VA on a straight line, is if we keep ourselves in a straight line. (26:45) The VA Benefit talk starts… listen to this if you’re not receiving VA benefits. (27:24) Why it’s important to go get seen for certain issues like sleep apnea, and now in the news… Anthrax. (29:28) Joe’s good and all… but he has some flaws too. (32:30) “I’m Good to Go…” (36:07) Joe’s case load, and success rate… (37:45) Joe talks about pushing through and filing your claims, getting out of the mindset of “give it to somebody that deserves it.” (40:20) Joe’s call to action: Let’s link up as veterans and be as big as the NRA, where we will stand up as one veteran in times where vets need support. (43:12) I’m really just “Joe.” Joe starts to talk about how he became the guy, who like Madonna, people know solely by first name basis. (46:11) The one grudge that Joe holds dear to his heart… (49:17) “Why not? Let them say no.” Joe talks about applying to jobs he wasn’t qualified for… ultimately landing his county job (50:52) **Always do the right thing, because you never know who know’s who… it’s a small world… the same thing happened to me with Mark Manculich…” The time when Joe was the Veteran of the Game at Dodger stadium (56:45) Humble beginnings living in Modesto, California (1:00:39) Finding gratitude in the shittiest moments in your life (1:02:04) “If I tell you, come back tomorrow… I’m afraid you won’t come back for 6 years…" (1:04:45) How to help homeless vets: (1:05:00) - Volunteers of America - https://www.voa.org/veterans - P.A.T.H (People Assisting the Homeless) - www.epath.org/site/PATHServices/VeteranConnections/home.html - US Vets - https://www.usvetsinc.org/programs-services/ - New Directions - https://www.ndvets.org Branching out for growth. (1:10:15) ******PART TWO******* “I have a giant head…” (2:30) Benefits you never hear about. (4:45) Benefit: Myth Breaking (11:10) Conspiracy…? (22:15) Lessons learned from misreading situations when it comes to vets (24:43) Always pay attention to changes in politics, and explore some of the rumors to see if there’s truth behind them. (28:10) VocRehab (31:25) Joe’s approach on how we should live a day-to-day life. (40:43) I ask Joe about his favorite or best success story as a VSO. (50:25) What would you tell vet’s who are struggling today? What’s your best advice for those transitioning? (55:55) Joe’s Podcast: VET2VET (Veto if you’re looking for it on youtube) (1:00:06)

    2h 21m
  3. Jimmy Guevara - USC Master of Social Work | UCLA Family Readiness and Resilience Counselor

    07/04/2020

    Jimmy Guevara - USC Master of Social Work | UCLA Family Readiness and Resilience Counselor

    Episode #20 features Marine Corps veteran Jimmy Guevara; but what it REALLY features is a mirror for a lot of the vets I’ve met. A mirror that shows the struggle of trying to fit in to a world—whether it’d be a professional, educational, social, or any other society that you try to slip in to without understanding that you are not the same type of person that you once were. Jimmy shares his story (that turns into a two-part episode) about his journey into and through the Marine Corps. He shares very personal moments that, if you knew Jimmy… these moments he shares… really had to be pulled out over a period of time after having established a trust with him. But why I think they are important and urged him to share—is because I have a very similar story, and if I have that story… many other people do too! Stories like losing his grandfather who was murdered over political views, being in an abusive home, having alcoholic role models, joining ROTC because he had a feeling that he needed a stable structure. Stories like leaving the Marine Corps he loved so much, to take care of external obligations… for him, his mom. Stories that he has about himself from being a college dropout and what seemed to employers as “stubborn” and “insubordinate,” into an extremely relevant and trustworthy key player in the advocacy movement for the student veteran at two (going on three) colleges! But it’s not that he was stubborn or defiant, he is a Marine; A Marine that tried to assert a higher level of standard—one of quality vs. quantity—in the places he sought employment, which sometimes (as most of us have experienced) doesn’t fit well in a place that isn’t looking to let go of some of the qualities keeping them from being exceptional. Yes I’m biased. Jimmy is a storyteller, so my intention was to give Jimmy the platform, and let him go! Jimmy throughout this conversation talks about his troubled high school career that was primarily a gap filler of time that was a hurdle between he and the Corps; he talks about his deployments and almost being a casualty to “friendly-fire,” and his short-yet-much-needed career in the Corps. We talk about legacy, and what it takes to rebuild oneself from the moments that seemed like failure. As a student veteran, Jimmy found himself creating a college that he wished he had the first time around. Not knowing anything about the red tape of most programs, or even programs in general, Jimmy found himself becoming knowledgeable on all the benefits available for the veterans in college and created a team to take care of all the veterans looking for financial aid, a place to stay, study help, VA benefit enrollment, and even found himself advocating for vets to have a safe haven where vets can come and be around people who wouldn’t judge us for our personalities that don’t quite fit in other groups around campus. Jimmy gives a theory about why vets don’t do well in school, and mentions that “there is actual power in being a student instead of sitting in the background.” I love this conversation because Jimmy is the epitome of “if there’s a will there’s a way…” From forging signatures to change his education programs in order to be able to go into the Marine Corps, dropping 75 lbs to become a Marine, and then realizing that just because you’ve failed once at something does not mean you’re a failure… only that the way you tried it before, wasn’t the way that works to see success! “I worked too hard to quit!” Jimmy’s last note… “The More Veteran’s we help, the more support we’re gonna get! ---------------------- Show Notes ---------------------- Some other key points to the conversation were: •Networking •How we should get out of the mindset of “transitioning…” and change the mindset to “acclimatizing” or “adapting,” (which is actually an interesting thought) •Feeling stuck •Finding your identity •What it’s like being an only child in a service that becomes family •How leadership comes from watching leadership be leaders •Learning from your teaching mistakes to become a better instructor •Putting on a Mask to fit in with the Marines who couldn’t wait to get out •Taking “One Class at a Time!” •How to advocate for veterans… “Bring what you know!” Most importantly we talk about Jimmy’s Call to Action! Give Back! Stand up for your vets! Shout outs to Boogie (Alfred Wilson) and Carter

    2h 41m
  4. Shannon Corbeil - We Are The Mighty | Actress | Producer | Writer | Performer | (fill in the blanks)

    06/01/2020

    Shannon Corbeil - We Are The Mighty | Actress | Producer | Writer | Performer | (fill in the blanks)

    The #YearOfTheVet family welcome Shannon Corbeil… that’s Corbeil like Sorbet. An Air Force veteran who answered the call to service after 9/11, Shannon joins us to talk about her road to the silver screen. Right off the bat, you notice that Shannon’s ability to create a calm, fun, and enjoyable environment breaks through, and that same energy is held throughout our conversation. In her past life, she served as an Intelligence Officer… but luckily for her, while stationed in Maryland she rekindled with her passion and fell into her future—one she had memories of starting as early as 8 years old. A LOT is talked about, and sometimes we go on tangents… well… sometimes, I go on tangents, but one thing’s for sure—Shannon is the real deal. She gives guidance to aspiring artist, she shares stories of advice that was given to her—in order for her to be able to make film her career. She shares a little about the not-so-glorifying aspect of fighting to get noticed, yet still in all that—we tell each other jokes. Like… actual jokes. Shannon makes time to give back to our community, and not just by being a guest on the show… but by involving herself in the world that was created to give back to the veterans. She shares about her involvement with the phenomenal Architecture in Motion group, Diavolo… and also her connection with Pin-Ups For Vets—a non-profit that uses the money it raises to provide the VA and other facilities aiding veterans, with new, updated, or missing medical equipment that would help provide better care for our brothers- and sisters-in-arms. In fact, if you would like to pre-order your copy of the newest Calendar to be released next year, please visit www.PinUpsForVets.com, and reserve your copy today! Shannon can be found in November—so after listening to today’s conversation, you can tell people, “I know her… kinda…” I highly encourage you to reach out to Shannon, regarding any questions covering breaking into show business, classes to start out with, We Are The Mighty, Diavolo, Pinups For Vets… or anything we’ve covered in the show. I had a blast with the soon to be household name, and I hope you do too! ---------- Show Notes  Corbeil like Sorbet (04:22)  Pre-Air Force Shannon (08:14)  Shannon’s pivoting point into patriotism (10:57)  Slightly off-topic conversation about Moorpark, Ca. (12:15)  She REALLY hates frozen things… like really hates them (13:43)  The time my best friend wanted me to punch him in the face (14:57)  We Are the Mighty (16:23)  Back to business… more ROTC talk (17:43)  Why Shannon said enough to the service (20:11)  Going for it! (22:00)  Why not military contractor? (23:50)  Has Hollywood paid off? (26:36)  Gratitude & Gratefulness (29:03)  How the military helped prep for the life of an artist? (32:45)  Shannon’s extensive theatrical training (35:53)  ATTENTION GAME OF THRONES & STAR WARS!!!! Need look no further for your next superstar to kill off at some point down the line right when you just start to enjoy their character… (38:29)  Shannon’s advice for seeking out quality training in a flooded industry (41:30)  Diavolo: Architecture in Motion (43:24)  Miss November, or one of… (47:08)  Branding yourself as an actor (51:08)  I made a s****y reference to Jurassic World that I’m sure nobody listening got… so here’s a Tumblr link to redeem myself https://www.tumblr.com/search/jurassic%20world%20heels (55:05)  If you don’t have the job, create it (55:15)  #YearOfTheVet turns Comedy Hour with Heroes (59:31)  HOLLYWOOD… City of Angels, or Broken Dreams? (1:08:57)  Shannon’s advice to vets who are struggling (1:10:32)  Is acting for you? (1:11:50)  Advice for her younger self… TRUST. (1:19:32)  Wrapping up with Cosmic Pole Dancing and Fire Eating (1:26:08) *Put in your dues… the best thing is to learn both sides of the camera* ---------- Shout Outs: The Actors Center in Maryland Gina Elise Self-Management for Actors (book) Diavolo Pin-Ups For Vets Dennis Baker SAG AFTRA Matt Pearce Hi Mom, Hi Dad! (1:22:50) Monica Kay & Amy King Fire Groove Entertainment

    1h 29m
4.9
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

#YearOfTheVet is a veteran podcast dedicated to bring on vets from different backgrounds who've already gone through the ups-and-downs of the transition process, and share their lessons learned on the journey so the veterans that follow in their footsteps don't have to make their own mistakes in order to successfully transition into their new lives. You are a Hero. Live Like One!