I Inc and Beyond

Interview with Susan McCain, Veteran, Educator and Entrepreneur

Susan has been able to truly become empowered in her life's pursuits. 

She started out as a combat medic with the Michigan Army National Guard, moved on to becoming and Educator and has since retired and taken up Photography. 

Since she "never wants to retire", she is continuing to stay active in supporting veterans and is a firm believer in the value of mentoring and volunteering. 

A veteran mentoring group that she wanted me to mention is: Veterati.com  Check them out. 

Also, her email address is: susanmccain728@gmail.com and I know she would be happy to hear from you.  

Susan, thank you for taking the time to allow me to interview you and I hope that you are able to continue to support women veterans for a very long time.  

Turning Points. Finding Under-served Needs when there is Disruptive Change in your Industry.

There are two ways to find opportunities.  You can scan the want ads and hope someone will give you a job or you can take advantage of disruptive change in your area of interest, and position yourself to be valuable within that specific space. 

In the late 80's Design Engineers had to learn how to think differently.  They were using drafting tables and thinking in 2D space and when the revolution in workstations happened, they had to start thinking in 3D space.  The newer people had an advantage because they were trained in the 3D space. 

Later, the iPhone ushered in a whole new way of connecting with the internet and the folks that were able to think differently, were better able to take advantage of the new technology.

Recently, in the world of Project Management, there is a movement away from traditional "waterfall" approaches to a concept called "Agile Project Management".  Agile, like other disruptive changes, requires a new way of thinking.

And just think of the opportunities that will emerge from the "Black Lives Matter" movement as the Global Economy pivots to respond to injustice in positive ways.   

Bottom line, look for disruptive changes in your areas of interest.  Be open to a new way of thinking.  Prepare yourself for the new approach and you will be able to capitalize on the change and truly take advantage of the new environment. 

Good luck.  

A No Nonsense Approach to helping you Create and Nurture your own Personal Brand

Here is your chance to learn about a simple, 10 step approach to creating and nurturing your own personal brand.

 

We all have a brand.  By using this approach, you can manage yours so that it is communicating to the external world the story that you want told.

 

Check it out and good luck.  

An Interview with Chris Laythe, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and how she supports Adult Males who are Returning Citizens

Chris has been working with adult males who have committed sex crimes but have served their time and are now trying to re-integrate into their community. 

She highlights some of the major challenges this group faces in terms of the stigma associated with their crimes but also has a lot of very positive and uplifting stories of success.

She summarizes the necessary work into three categories: 1. Find Help, 2. Prepare to do the Hard Work, and 3. Don't lose faith, keep working at it. 

If you are interested in a national resource for support groups, you can go to the following web site: atsa.com

Interview with Jeff Arnold, Veterans Coordinator for the 5 campuses of Oakland Community College

Take some time to enjoy listening to Jeff Arnold as he discusses some of the challenges and opportunities veterans are facing as they make the transition from the military to the civilian world. 

Jeff discusses some of the challenges associated with PTSD and encourages veterans to visit the VA.gov website for help if needed.

He also talks about helping veterans take advantage of the opportunities at Oakland Community College and especially invites everyone to participate in a Career Services Workshop that will be held on July 16th.  You can either reach out to Jeff directly at jlarnold@oaklandcc.edu or sign up at: occ-virtual-veterans-career-services-workshop.eventbrite.com

Good luck 

Join us to listen to my interview with April D. Halliburton, MBA, BA. Founder/President of All-4-HR & Business Solutions LLC

Hear what April Halliburton has to say about founding her business over 10 years ago as a vehicle to bridge the gap between small businesses and great HR and the work she is now doing to support veterans and returning citizens.

Her company, All-4-HR & Business Solutions LLC,  manages and consults with small businesses that have from 2 to 49 employees throughout the country.

In addition, she is also a proud Volunteer with SCORE, a Certified Mentor, a Workshop Facilitator, and an HR Consultant. 

April fully understands the need for training for veterans and returning citizens, especially in the areas of technology and career management.  She has developed a six step process that she takes her clients through in the development and landing of a viable career opportunity. 

 

Hear what she has to say and if you are interested in more information, you can reach out to the following website, select the contact option, and let us know about your interest. 

 

 https://tinyurl.com/VetsandRC

Interview with Gerald Thomas, Veteran Outreach Coordinator with the Dearborn Vet Center

Join us for an interview with Gerald Thomas and hear about the services he provides to veterans.

Gerald is currently active in the military and has several years of experience counselling veterans with PTSD and other Mental Health challenges along with helping vets with their career pursuits.  

He is a firm believe that any door is open to a vet and if he cannot help you, he will get you in touch with someone who can.  

Gerald is very outgoing, friendly and a true joy to be with. 

You can reach him at his email address at: gerald.thomas3@va.gov 

or go to the following website, select contact us, and let me know that you want to reach out to Gerald. 

https://tinyurl.com/VetsandRC

Listen to Ed Ruckle, Canadian Born, USAF 20 year veteran and Technology Whiz Kid.

Tune into the recent interview I had with Ed Ruckle and learn about a great resource that he has created for veterans. 

Ed is Canadian born but chose to join the USAF and is now helping US veterans achieve what he calls the Perfect Patient Experience.  

He has had some great experience both in and out of the military and I am sure you will enjoy listening to his story. 

You can learn more about his services by checking out: veteranfacilitator.com

 

Hear about a 9 Step Process that we have developed that will help you become more empowered in your career pursuits

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with their song unsung".  H. D. Thoreau

We have a better way and can help veterans, and returning citizens, make the transition into civilian life. 

Over the next several days we will be posting one episode every other day until we have covered all 9 steps in this process. 

Take charge of your career and your life.  Become empowered and listen in to these upcoming podcasts so that you are truly in charge of your career. 

Good luck. 

Step One - Think like an Entrepreneur

Step one is possibly the hardest of the 9 steps.  It requires you to choose to make a personal change in how you think.  

Changing how we think can be very difficult but if we are not prepared to change our thinking, we really cannot expect to get different outcomes.

It all starts with how we think and so this step gives you 9 different elements associated with thinking like an entrepreneur. 

Take some time to listen to the podcast, and then reflect on what we are saying.  Make the commitment to think differently and you will be much more successful in implementing the following 8 steps. 

Good luck.