Episodes
Discover the transformative power of mentorship with insights from Dr. Deborah Heiser, founder and CEO of the Mentor Project. Join us as we uncover how mentorship can significantly enhance personal growth and happiness, especially during midlife, by addressing emotional development and civic engagement. Deborah, an applied developmental psychologist, sheds light on the barriers to embracing mentorship, such as imposter syndrome and societal pressures, while highlighting the profound impact me...
Published 11/21/24
What inspires someone to risk everything for a fellow human being? On this special Veterans Day episode, we honor Eugene A. Obregon, a remarkable young Marine from Los Angeles who faced this profound question and answered it with unparalleled valor. Listen to the incredible story of how Eugene, on a harrowing day in September 1950 during the Korean War, shielded a wounded comrade from enemy fire, sacrificing his own life. This act of heroism earned him the prestigious Medal of Honor and left ...
Published 11/11/24
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Ken Kunken, whose journey from overcoming a life-altering injury to thriving as a district attorney is nothing short of remarkable. At 20, Ken faced an immense challenge when he became a quadriplegic, yet he didn't let this deter him from pursuing his dreams. Through sheer resilience and a refusal to accept societal limitations, Ken returned to college in the 1970s, navigated an inaccessible campus, and eventually earned a law degree, proving skeptic...
Published 11/07/24
Unlock the secrets to a seamless military-to-civilian career transition with insights from KP, the dynamic host of the Morning Formation podcast. Learn about his compelling journey from military service to civilian employment and the hard lessons he learned about the importance of strategic career planning. KP shares the pitfalls of relying solely on military accolades and advanced degrees, emphasizing the need for humility, thorough preparation, and the ability to translate military experien...
Published 08/29/24
What happens when a dedicated Air Force member’s career is abruptly altered by an unexpected illness? Join us as we sit down with Autumn, a former RPA sensor operator, who bravely recounts her journey from enlisting straight out of high school to facing a medical retirement after contracting COVID-19. Autumn’s story is one of resilience as she navigates multiple asthma attacks, hospitalizations, and a divorce, all while transitioning back to civilian life. With unwavering support from her fam...
Published 08/28/24
Imagine the life of a former Army Black Hawk pilot who faced immense pressure and severe anxiety, leading to a life-altering panic attack. In this episode, we have the privilege of hearing from Sarah Moore, who poignantly shares her journey from post-9/11 enlistee to aviation officer, and how the intensity of military life steered her toward advocating for mental health. Sarah reveals the prevalent unhealthy coping mechanisms in the military, such as excessive drinking and lack of sleep, and ...
Published 08/14/24
What happens when a father and son, both veterans, sit down to share their military stories across different generations? Join us as we uncover the powerful, emotional journey that began with my father being drafted during the Vietnam War, me enlisting in the Army National Guard in 1998, September 11th, and my decision to commission into the active duty military during a time of war. From the changes in military training and the unique challenges of urban warfare to the emotional The tol...
Published 07/26/24
What if you could find the perfect balance between a rigorous military career and a passion for martial arts? Join us for an eye-opening conversation with JP, the founder of Military BJJ Gees and an active-duty soldier.As he shares his experiences from Fort Drum, New York, JP opens up about the unique challenges he and his wife face adjusting to their new environment. We'll explore JP's ROTC background at the University of Alabama and delve into the financial motivations behind his decision t...
Published 07/12/24
What if resilience and adaptability were the keys to conquering life's toughest transitions? Join us for an illuminating conversation with John Jones, a Navy hospital corpsman turned Homeland Security federal law enforcement officer, whose inspiring career journey defies the odds. John opens up about his experiences from a high school graduate bravely facing deployment in Somalia, to overcoming medical retirements and reinventing himself as a financial literacy advocate. His story is a testam...
Published 06/28/24
Transitioning from a military career to civilian life can be challenging, but Lester Lombad, a veteran Air Force and current President of the Southern Nevada Chamber of Commerce, has navigated this journey with impressive success. How did his security clearance and background play a significant role in helping him find a job? Listen in as we delve into his unique experiences as a military spouse and entrepreneur, and how his involvement with the Southern Nevada Veterans Chamber of Commerce...
Published 07/12/23
We're excited to share with you an incredible journey of courage, transformation, and laughter with our guest, Dan Dean. From his days in high school, to serving in the Marines and Army National Guard, and finally taking the leap into the world of comedy, Dan's story is truly unique and inspiring. Join us for an in-depth exploration of military life, the challenges of transitioning back to civilian life, and the surprising connections between military service and comedy. In this fascinating...
Published 06/28/23
Today I’m joined with a very talented guest who grew up as a military brat, her father and his twin retired from the United States Army and she grew up like many other military dependents, moving every 4-5 years learning how to make new friends all across the world. Today, our guest serves as National Corporate & Community Relations Coordinator for U.S. Vets and we’re going to talk about her employer, her position, her journey, and her passion for helping Veterans. Today, I’d like to...
Published 05/03/23
Warriors! Fall in… It’s time for formation! Today, I'm joined with two miliary community professionals that used Act Now Education to elevate their careers. And what exactly did they do to level themselves up? They joined the Act Now Education community and took advantage of one our many, great programs. Act Now Education launched a program called the "3 Cert Cohort" which provides virtual bootcamps and exam vouchers for free! All this training is geared toward obtaining Project Management...
Published 04/19/23
Our guest today is a Marine Corps Veteran that has been featured on “About Face Radio,” Urban Valor, and Course of Action Podcast. He’s operates an adventure gear rental business with his wife called GOBE and is also an author of a book that helps the Veteran community through recovery through spirituality. I’m excited to learn more about today’s guest, so let’s welcome Matt Stack to The Morning Formation Podcast. Buy Killing Chaos Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/fP0qciD Join Matt on IG:...
Published 04/05/23
Warriors, Fall in! It’s time for formation… Today I am joined with a Air National Guards service member who also happens to be a retired, professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter. She been training in some form of martial arts since she could walk and spent time on The Ultimate Fighter 28 for Team Whittaker in 2018. Since then, she did some additional professional fights and also took some time off to take care of her physical and mental health. And today, we’re going to get to know her a...
Published 03/22/23
Warriors, fall in...It’s time for formation.  Today, I’m joined with a Marine Corp Veteran who I actually met while attending the Military Influencer Conference in Las Vegas, last year. At that time, I got an opportunity to hear all about his non-profit organization, more importantly I actually felt and listened to the passion behind his overall project to change lives. Today’s guest is on the show today because he believes Instilling Confidence and Hope with our at-Risk Youth through...
Published 03/08/23
Warriors, Fall in… It’s time for formation. Today, I’m joined with a very active Act Now Education board member. Unlike many other situations, being a board member for Act Now is a tall order, in itself because it means you’ve spent hundreds of hours helping the 50k plus community who are considered part of the Act Now Education military group. He spent 9 years in the Army and currently serves at an IT Security Support Specialist for Bank of America, is a certified Scrum Master, and...
Published 02/22/23
Warriors…Fall In. It’s time for formation. Today I am joined with a Marine Corps Combat Veteran who transitioned into being a private security professional after his military service. His professional accolades don’t stop there, he also is the host of the best private security podcast available on the downloadable market called “Executive Protection Lifestyle.” He is a MUST FOLLOW on his social media bc his content is entertaining, but the captions explain the safety and security lessons...
Published 02/08/23
Warriors, Fall in. It's time for formation. I'm  joined with a Special Operations Sergeant First Class in the United States Army, who is currently serving as an 18E in the United States Special Forces. Now, this individual is rather unique, because over the years, he has heavily invested himself in real estate, which is really setting himself up for his career transition. As of today, our guest owns 10 different properties. I wanted to talk today about specifically, how and why he...
Published 01/25/23
Welcome to 2023! 🥳 It's been an incredible year for The Morning Formation Podcast. We've seen tremendous growth and success thanks to the amazing team of content creators from Act Now Education. In particular, we want to give a big shoutout to Lina Gomez for her incredible contributions! Her enthusiasm and creativity have been instrumental in driving the podcast forward. Here's to the future of the podcast - we can't wait to bring you more thought-provoking conversations, inspiring...
Published 01/11/23
Warriors, Fall In… It’s time for formation. If you’re an avid listener of TMF, you’d recall that I sat down and had a conversation with Professor of Military Science LTC Michelle Parlette about Army ROTC opportunities, well contacting her lead me to the San Diego State University Army ROTC Recruiter Dr. Michael Brantley. So today, we’re going to learn who he is and he'll take us even deeper into the many opportunities that are out there for young adults seeking to challenge themselves beyond...
Published 12/28/22
Warriors, Fall-in! It’s time for formation. Welcome to the Act Now and Execute Your Goals Edition. Today, I’m highlighting a member of the Act Now community who used the Act Now Resources to level up their career. So, let’s meet who we have today! I am joined with Sumeya Gibril, who’s an Army Veteran and we’re going to learn how she used the Act Now’s Resources to her career advantage. Contact Sumeya: [email protected] Connect with Sumeya on...
Published 12/14/22
Warriors, Fall In!  It’s Time for formation. Ladies and gentlemen, standing across from your host today at 6’3” and 175 lbs is a military service member who represents our community through his Mixed Martial Arts endeavors.  Today, I am joined with an Air Force Service member who caught my attention on social media when I saw a short video where he had severely broken nose in 3 areas during one of his fights last August and this warrior opted to keep fighting. He even got it adjust shortly...
Published 11/30/22
🎙This week, we’re joined with one of the Act Now Education's Board Members‼️ 📍Dr. Nicole Dhranraj is currently the Director of Education for Act Now Education and amongst all her career accomplishments, she is an US Army Veteran. 📚Today, Dr. Dhanraj going to talk with us about her own transition experiences, her role with Act Now, leadership, and important concepts within the career transition space. Connect with Dr. Dhanraj on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoledhanraj Check out...
Published 11/16/22