The High Value Man Conversation

The Raw Life of a Veteran: Branden Bowman’s Path from War to Civilian Life

Erin Alejandrino & Josh Lashua Season 3 Episode 25

What happens when the structure and camaraderie of military life fall away, and you're left to find your place in the civilian world? Brandon Bowman, a United States Marine veteran, shares his inspirational journey from military service to a successful civilian career, dedicated to helping other veterans rediscover their purpose. Brandon opens up about the mindset shifts and strategic moves that allowed him to thrive after service, emphasizing the transformative power of faith, fitness, and community. His story is a powerful testament to resilience and leadership, offering valuable insights for veterans and civilians alike.

Transitioning from military to civilian life is no small feat, and Brandon’s experience sheds light on the emotional and practical challenges involved. With poignant personal anecdotes, we explore the profound loss of structure, purpose, and community that often accompanies this transition. Brandon’s candid reflections on depression and the struggle to redefine oneself in a new world are a stark reminder of the importance of planning for life after service. By sharing his own step-by-step approach, Brandon offers a roadmap for others facing similar hurdles, touching on the crucial roles of physical discipline, financial readiness, and finding one's faith in the journey ahead.

Leaders are not born, but made through experiences and choices, as Brandon’s story vividly illustrates. From bartending and solar sales to finding his stride in life insurance for veterans, Brandon’s career path underscores the importance of aligning oneself with mentors and maintaining strong, accountable relationships. His encounters with influential figures like Justin and the partnerships formed within motivated communities have been pivotal in his rapid professional growth. We also delve into the heart-wrenching issue of veteran suicide, underscoring the urgent need for strong communities and meaningful connections. This episode is not just about Brandon’s journey, but a broader call to action for all of us to build supportive, resilient communities where every member can thrive.

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Speaker 1:

Well, let's bring into your story a little bit, because for any veteran listening to this, this episode is one you need to listen to on repeats. Brandon is mission driven to help veterans really develop purpose outside of service, and we're gonna talk a lot more about that. How did you get there, mindset wise, or the process around it, because, imagine, right out of the military, this didn't just land in your lap.

Speaker 2:

Man, that's a great question. Actually, what I actually like to do is, anytime that I was ever an interview for the five years before I got into what I'm doing, I always looked at the other side of the table.

Speaker 1:

Guys, if you're listening to this, this is a really, really key strategy that Brandon is articulating for you. If you are not where you want to go, go create the interest and curiosity by searching the worldwide web. Go find things you're interested in and find people that have the fruit in that. Then look across the table. Do they have what you want in their faith, fitness, family and finances? Do they look the part? Do they act the part? Do they talk the part? Do your time and then link up as closely as possible, Just like arm and arm tethered, just like you did in the military, because you become the sum of the people you spend time with.

Speaker 1:

This is the High Value man Conversation Podcast, a show dedicated to the mission of building high value men. One great man means a great family, a great neighborhood, a better city, community, state and the world. The question is, if not you, then who? All right, my friends, welcome back to the High Value man Conversation. This is a bonus episode with my very good friend, Brandon Bowman, United States Marine, a man of God, 100 mile ultra marathon finisher and all around gangster, One of my close friends here at Mighty Men in Texas and just a great guy that I have an opportunity to do a lot of life with and just grateful to have you on the show man.

Speaker 2:

Well, man, I'm excited. I'm excited to be here. I've been wanting to be here for a really long time and just to be able to watch what you've been able to build in your life and created that fallible excellence for me. I've always just wanted to be around you, so it's really cool that I've built up myself to be where I am today, to where we can be in alignment, to be good friends and we can go out and make impact in this world.

Speaker 1:

So I'm just grateful to be here. Yeah, actually, that just reminded me. We met at Mighty Men and it was our Saturday morning men's group and if you guys are ever in Dallas, texas, please join us. It's there every single Saturday morning. But you came up, you introduced yourself, we were in a small group together and that was that was about two years ago and it just, it just has turned into a friendship, like many of the relationships here.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I figured the beard was alignment, so a hundred percent. Give me a foot in the door. Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Well, dude, you're I. I know you're just crushing it right now. So we talked about your. Fitness is dialed in Faith, is you're? You're on fire for faith. You recently got married, right right To the woman of your dreams and business is going better than ever. Like you're just. You're just winning. But tell the listeners a little bit about you and how life's looking now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, first off, glory to God. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all the alignments in my life. I wouldn't be the man that I am, for all of my trials, tribulations and all that stuff too, which I know we're going to get into. But for me. So I work in, I do all the life insurance for veterans. I'm a chief executive producer.

Speaker 2:

Just in March alone I was able to go out and hit Gold Club, which is writing over 50,000 in production, in one single month, earning a ticket to Ireland where I got to take my wife now First time out of the country. She got to go to Ireland. And so if you think that all of the future trips are ruined because of the way the AO does it, it absolutely is. Yeah, but so I served United States Marine Corps. I did five years. Actually, next month I'll have been out for seven years.

Speaker 2:

I was a crew chief, door gunner, tail gunner, mechanic, traveled to 42 states, went to Norway, met the king, did a flyer for the Tennessee Titans and I just feel like I did anything, everything at such a young age. And then I moved into the civilian life which I know we're going to get into, but fast forward to where we are right now. I'm working with people that are in alignment with the vision, with the dream, in alignment with the big picture and have these core values that are all lined up, and I just feel like I never have to go into work. I feel like everybody around me is just on the same mission, moving in the same direction, and we all just here to support each other because, at the end of the day, we all just want you know that financial freedom. We want to buy back our time and just create wealth with our, with our families, and do it with really cool people too.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's awesome. I want to touch on just. You dropped a number there and you just kind of glanced over it and I know you're a very humble person but Gold Club 50,000. So what does that equate to in regards to, like, personal production?

Speaker 2:

Well, what I love about what we do, too, is that means every ALP, so annualized life premium. That means we helped families. So, at the end of the day, the families went first, and so what I was able to do is go protect over 30 plus families, which, in alignment, was over 55,000 in production, and just that month alone I was able to earn $43,000. Come on Now, what the cool part about that is. I've always really just wanted to help veterans come out and have success after service, and when I did the math, I actually looked back and looked at what I earned in 2017 as a sergeant with flight pay. I earned what I did an entire year as a sergeant with flight pay shooting a 50 cal out of a helicopter Awesome At night, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And I did that in a month. That's incredible, man. That's absolutely incredible. I know we're going to talk about that, that story, because, uh, um, I think the the greatest gift that you have I talked to my veterans about this all the time is that if you know how to follow a blueprint, a plan and a process, get in the draft, understand that leadership, the best leadership, begins by great followership. If you can deploy those principles in the civilian world, you can create a true success runway like anybody else, and I know that you applied all those principles and you're you're seeing the fruit of it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. Grateful for it. I love the runway part because it really is. It's just all in the templates, all in the alignments.

Speaker 1:

So good, yeah. So let's bring me into your story a little bit, because for any veteran listening to this, this episode is one you need to listen to on repeats. Brandon is mission driven to help veterans really develop purpose outside of service, and we're going to talk a lot more about that. But just that dollar amount may feel, maybe, like just this giant mountain they have to climb, like they can't even achieve it. How did you get there, mindset wise, or the process around it, because imagine, right out of the military, this didn't just land in your lap.

Speaker 2:

Man, that's a great question. Actually, I think that's where is you need to. So, actually, this is what I actually like to do. Is, anytime that I was ever an interview for the five years before I got into what I'm doing now, I always looked at the other side of the table. I said do I want to be on their side of the table? Because to me that's where I'm going. So if I'm in an interview and I see somebody in front of me and they have the life that I want to live, then I'm going to do everything I possibly can to get on the other side of that table. That's good.

Speaker 2:

Now, and the same is the opposite too is if I look at their life and they don't seem happy. They're working more than they're actually earning, they're not with their family, they're unhappy. They just look miserable, out of shape, is a big one too and then I'm not going to want to go down that road, right Smart. So what I was looking for was somebody that had the fruits, that had the core values, the alignment, the life that I wanted to live, and so that's how I was able to have the mindset, kind of early on, of like, even like, just looking at, like, say, justin Herman. I looked at the life that he was building with his now wife, ella, and I was like, man, that's a life that I want to have.

Speaker 2:

And so I remember in March because we always talked about it, talked about these big numbers, talked about these big numbers, talked about these big numbers and in March is when I got the very first week of March, got paid $9,000. And I was like March of this year, march of this year, yeah, wow. And so I go on a walk with my wife. And I was like March of this year, march of this year, yeah, wow. And so I go on a walk with my wife and I was like I got so much excitement, we need to go for a walk, so we go for a walk. And I was talking to her and I was like how does that make you feel that we just earned $9,000 in the first week of the month and we still got three weeks left, wow. And she's like and this is, this is the cool part she's like I just, I just didn't know when, but I knew it was going to happen because it was the belief, was there for so long and I'm going to get back into it, but the belief was there for so long that it was like, oh, here it is. This is what we've been talking about.

Speaker 2:

Be faithful, do the work, just be faithful. When in doubt, just take a step. Yeah, it's good, and I know, I know it's really hard, because I see it in a lot of new people that come into what we do, or just see people come out of the military, where they're so used to making X amount, no matter how hard they work or don't work, and so what I'm recommending is you just got to go dive deep into think and grow rich, and then it's a draw. In my mind, it's the gateway book for everybody. It's with the four quad, everybody. It's the uh with, uh, uh, the four quadrants, uh, the four agreements, uh, four agreements is a great book. Kiyosaki, kiyosaki, yes, rich dad, poor dad, rich dad poor dad man.

Speaker 2:

I don't know how I forgot that, but that that book right there is like the gateway for a lot of it Rich dad, poor dad, and think and grow rich.

Speaker 1:

So, if you guys are listening, he just dropped three books, right. So, rich Dad, poor Dad. This is a great mindset book for money management. He talks about four quadrants in there, and basically the first quadrant that 99% of people are in is trading time for money. Correct, right. And if you stay stuck there, you stay stuck there working somebody else's vision, paying for their vacations, and never really get out of that box. And so you have to start thinking the way the wealthy think and never really get out of that box. And so you have to start thinking the way the wealthy think, and this is the whole lesson inside of that book that you need to get your money working for you.

Speaker 2:

Right, yep, and so that's like, and just diving deep into podcasts and just like self-help, like I didn't necessarily know exactly what I wanted to do when I got out. I just knew that I wanted to not have to ask permission to go on vacation. So good, go on vacation, to go anywhere, like to take time off. And so I was just constantly chasing that rabbit for a really long time and like I just, you know, tried this, tried that, tried everything, until I found the right alignments.

Speaker 1:

So good. So I want to. I want to take you a little bit further back on your timeline. So, august, you did 9k. When did you hit gold club?

Speaker 2:

March. No, it was March. Oh, that was March was.

Speaker 1:

March, and so we're in August right now. So it's just a few months. You're doing way better than you have ever previously done. But what did it take to get there? So you get out of service 5 years ago 7 years ago roughly what was like that first 6 months? Talk about that, because I know that there's not like a military. I don't know, maybe is there a military offloading like hey, now you're going to civilian world, Like here, here's the next great thing to do.

Speaker 2:

So if you're active duty, you want to pay attention. If you know somebody that's active duty, you want to pay attention. If you just know somebody, somebody in the military, you want to pay attention because it's really important. Is bootcamp, roughly about 90 days, something like that, depending on the branch, and then you got, you know, a year maybe of like like schooling, like teaching you to become the best in your military occupational specialty, and then you're going to spend the next like three years doing your job. Okay, what's going to happen is you're going to have a week worth of classes they call it taps, I believe at least it was when I was in. It's called transition assistance program school or something. A week of classes Okay, one week of classes to get you ready to go out into what we call the real world, or civ, div, civilian division. Okay, one week of classes is going to set you up for the bigger portion of your life. Right and so?

Speaker 2:

it's hard to believe that with one week of classes, that you're going to be ready for the real world, and so I don't care if you've been on multiple deployments. I mean, I do care about if you did, but the point is transitioning or if you never deployed, or if you're an admin, or if you're in a helicopter or special forces, you're going to get out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

You're eventually going to get out, whether it's after your 20 years, it's your four years. You get medically separated, you're going to get out, and so you have to plan while you're in to be ready to get out. And so me, I would ask people that got out before me a year, before me two years, like hey, how's it going? And they're like, man, it's actually harder than I thought. I'm like. I was like how hard could it be? You're just going back in the real world. You're the top dog, like just go get some really cool job, you're gonna fall into place.

Speaker 2:

Everybody hired veterans yeah and so the humbling experience is when I left there, no one's calling to check on you. Make sure you go to medical dental, make sure you have a haircut and make sure that you're in standards, weight and height. No one's checking on to see if you're managing your money well or like doing anything.

Speaker 2:

Well, let's literally getting dropped off and saying see you later. Oh man, yeah, and that's scary, yeah. And so for me, my first six months and that's nothing against these people if they're listening, anything like that I went right back to friends and stuff went back to the bars, went to like to the point where I'd be looking around and I'm by myself, because when you go out with Marines, it's like we got each other's back. Yeah, they'll swoop you off a curb and bring you back to the barracks. Yeah, in the real world it's not always like that, unless you set up those relationships, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And so for me, I was sitting in a bar by myself, just like what do I do? And so for that, that transition out was very scary and very lonely no direction, no mission, no purpose, no income, and I really want to step back into my story of that part. If it's okay, I could do that real quick, yeah, of course. So I was married in the Marine Corps, okay. And so I always say is the Marines, give you a rifle and a wife? Okay, one's more reliable than is the Marines, give you a rifle, and a wife Okay.

Speaker 2:

One's more reliable than the other. There you go.

Speaker 1:

Hey, it was my experience. There's also like there's significant financial incentive, isn't there?

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of incentives.

Speaker 2:

To be married, yeah, so you're telling me at 22 years old, I can get married, make twice my paycheck, I can live off base. Yeah, married, make twice my paycheck, I can live off base. Yeah, and my, my super exciting girlfriend gets all the benefits. Let's go like sounds great to me. Yeah, because that's the only way you can really get like an increase in pay right while you're serving and live off base because you got to get the room inspections, all the stuff on your base. It's just you never leave it. So I had a wife. At the time I was the crew chief of the year of the East Coast. I was helping wing other people and so I pinned like seven people to get their wings. I was a sergeant, I was like weapons and tactics instructor, I was everything and what happens?

Speaker 2:

is what happens is that all comes to an end. Yeah, and as I was leaving, uh, my best friend was actually looking to swoop in on my wife at the time, so I lost my best friend. I lost my wife, my mission, my purpose, my pay, my friends, my community, my routine, everything. I packed it all up in a honda accord with the blue honda accord with this bright orange bike on the back, up in a honda accord with the blue honda accord with this bright orange bike on the back, and packed to the gills and just I left. And so all I can remember is my rear view. Rear view mirror is marine corps, air station, new river, and that's it. I haven't been back since in seven years and it just, it just ends just like that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and so when I was coming out, went through depression, through like just I'm a high-driven person, I was a top dog, top guy right Now I got nothing and I got started over I'm serving tables, getting humbled real quick, starting over going to college and really trying to figure it all out. Yeah, and I tried the GI Bill that was great for income and stuff trying to. You know, I've changed my major like five or six times, just trying to really figure out what the heck I wanted to do in my life and I just knew I just like to trust god and just put one step in front of the other. It's good, and so that's where we were talking earlier, can we?

Speaker 1:

spend a little minute there and hover around that, because I coach a lot of guys and the segment of veterans. If they don't have purpose after service, they can spend a lot more time there than just six months a year two than you know. Developing what I hear you say is really a strong faith and trusting that the right alignment will create the next assignment and getting themselves around the right people. But what was like the transition point for you to go from bar stool to like a high value man, like purposeful, like what's that? What did that look like?

Speaker 2:

For me it was really just there was was a lot of the faith piece too, but as far as like the actual like first off is mindset. We can't really do anything unless we get our mindset figured out. Sure, and so that's what I was talking about with the podcast, with the audible, with books, just being around other people. And then it was like how to develop my skill set of, like new way of communicating, because the way you communicate in the military is different than when you communicate with somebody in the real world. Yeah Right, Especially if you go from a leadership position in the military compared to civilian. So I had to learn, like a new leader, a leadership skillset or communication skillset. That's good. And then the tool set was really just like when in doubt, just show up was really just like when in doubt, just show up. It didn't like whatever, it is just like show up.

Speaker 1:

It's like the hardest part.

Speaker 2:

Whether it's for yourself, for your family, for someone up, just show up. It's good. And the next step's crazy one, but keep showing up. Yeah, and what I would do is we're in a world of like technology, where we have YouTube. Let's say that you're remotely interested in something, just go study it Like, just go figure out what does that actually look like? And seek out the people that are doing it and just communicate with them, cause it's going to save you so much more time. Yeah, cause when you're in a room with high achievers, you're going to increase about 15%. Yeah, when you're a room with high achievers, you're going to increase about 15%.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, when you're in a room of low achievers, you're going to lower yourself 30%.

Speaker 1:

So true, yeah, you're the sum of the five people you spend your most time with.

Speaker 2:

And so what I realized is I just had to figure out who my core people are and just keep researching what the heck I wanted to do, because what I was doing was going to like these different, you know majors, and then I would get into this major and be like, okay, cool, so what does it look like? Like I was talking earlier, the other side of the table, yeah, that's good. And so what I would do is I go find somebody that's the best at it. I follow them on social media, start paying attention to their life, how they're doing things, if I can get in close proximity with them or somebody like them and I'd actually like see behind, you know, the curtain.

Speaker 1:

Yep.

Speaker 2:

Nah, I don't want to do that.

Speaker 1:

That's good, guys, if you're listening to this, this is a really, really key strategy that Brandon is articulating for you. If you are not where you want to go, go create the interest and curiosity by searching the worldwide web. Go find things you're interested in, find people that have the fruit in that. Then look across the table. Do they have what you want in their faith, fitness, family and finances? Do they look the part? Do they act the part? Do they talk the part? Do your time and then link up as closely as possible, just like arm-in-arm tethered, just like you did in the military, because you become the sum of the people you spend time with.

Speaker 2:

And it's cool because I've been actually like following your journey for a really long time with everything that you've like you've built as well. And one thing that I always like recommend to people is you want to come. If there's somebody that you want to be around to, it's, you got to go create value for them and ask for nothing in return. It's good. So go and like with you, with me, with anybody or anybody that you just see that has the fruits. Go create value in their life and watch how that pays out to you.

Speaker 1:

So good, yep, yep, that's good. Zig Ziglar says this Help enough other people get what they want. You will get everything you want, that's a good mindset.

Speaker 2:

That's like the platinum rule, yeah, so good, awesome, yeah.

Speaker 1:

So you left the base. You got the rear view mirror behind you fresh out of a relationship. Um, identity is all amok. Like what am I gonna do next? Go from top dog to servant tables? Like what is the next five years look like?

Speaker 2:

yeah, the next, the next five years. I like to say that I wander around the desert. Okay, thank god, it wasn't 40 years.

Speaker 2:

Okay, that's good yeah so for me it was five years and I tell this story too because my wife actually came into my life about, uh, the second year of this journey, okay, but I also wasn't like fully prepared for her and I'm like glory to god and thankful for her that she was like stuck with me while I was growing. And so for me, uh, what you have to really do is you like you we've said it several times is you really just got to go find somebody with fallible excellence? It's good you got to find somebody that has the core values within your alignment and and that's the thing too is it doesn't have they don't have to be in physical proximity to you.

Speaker 1:

Like, social media is huge, yeah, it's great yeah, so many greatest benefits in the society we live in now.

Speaker 2:

Yep you literally can get onto, like the high value man you can really get into, like these different neat groups that are going to help get what you want in life and this world of like living virtual, like everything that we do is virtual. So I can sit down with somebody in washington in florida in the next hour, so like there's no excuse now.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I just took it away.

Speaker 2:

I just took away the excuse. Yeah, it's good, find a mentor with fallible excellence, with that alignment with your core values, and then also that has the template it's good, it's good.

Speaker 2:

What were some of the early templates as you were climbing out of this pit and mentors that you had that were like pivotal to you mentors that you had that were like pivotal to you, man, I think that that's actually what I'm going to be diving a lot into with other people like yourself, and help create a more fallible template as far as, like the transition out. So what we're going to be creating is a the veteran after service community, and so it's going to have the template to get your self set up because, like I said, you got to be able to get your mind right and your body right. It's good. So that was the template that I first started. Following was whether it was like Steve Weatherford, it was you, um, pastor Keith.

Speaker 2:

Now, like there's just so many different people out there, what I started focusing on is, uh, getting my mind right and getting my body right, it's good. And so, getting when you get those two things right, then you have like the pressure breath of fresh air to where you can start working on the next thing, and so that's where you talk about faith. Uh, fitness, family finances. You got to get those things in alignment now so that you're ready for the blessings when they come. It's good, cause you gotta have. So, so that you're ready for the blessings when they come, that's good. So that was the template I started to follow as I looked at, what are they doing? Oh, they're all in great shape. They got great community of people. So what am I going to do? I'm going to make sure I maintain the shape that I had when I was serving and work on my mindset with that. So that was the first step on the template Love that.

Speaker 1:

Okay, get fit. Get on my mindset with that. So that was the first step on the template. Love that. Okay, get fit, get fit, get fit.

Speaker 2:

Super simple, yeah, okay so get fit, um, and the next thing would be is, like I said before, is, uh, the second thing would be researching what you want to do in life, like I said, and uh, you know, just like getting to know this type of people, to like follow that, like see if that's really what you want to do, because if you're in college right now, you may get to the end of that and you realize that that's not exactly what you want to do, and so that's what I'd recommend is getting that in an alignment.

Speaker 1:

First, it's good man, so all right. So we got get fit, which there? As men, our body is our business card, right. And so if you want to start hanging out with higher caliber men and this is just the truth it'll hit you right between the eyes. If you are in bad shape and you want to go sync up, link up and spend time with high value men that are doing great things and have fruit in their life, we're going to judge you. We're going to judge you based on how you look, and it's not because we're judgmental, critical, we're answering the question can you have our back?

Speaker 1:

And so a physically built man that is able to run marathons, lift heavy you know you're in the jujitsu now like actually take care of himself, like that's the guy you want, like in your circle and your squad, and so your physical discipline is what I hear you say is like what's your step one? So you master physical discipline. Then you start finding other templates for leadership and followership. That's like you linking up. Brandon built value for himself. Then he goes and explores the communities he wants to be a part of. In those communities he's linking up and then, like I'm going to, I'm going to lead you here, cause I know it's like we're going to spend a lot of time on it is uh, you follow, like the steps, the process they went through.

Speaker 2:

it's like follow the playbook yeah, and that's what, as veterans, we're really good at is just following that. And so what we end up finding is a lot of uh veterans, if it's not taken care of early on, having these like take all of the stuff that you learned, all the disciplines and the mindset, everything learned from the military, and like apply that right away, yeah, apply that as fast as you can, or at least keep onto those core, those core values that you learn, and that's where we're talking about Get the get fit, get your mind right, yeah, and then you can fall that way. Cause I really do think that like especially with like with God too is it's like you're not going to get the alignments, you're not going to get the assignment until you have the alignments first, but you have to be ready for those blessings too.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, just staying prepared and being prepared. Yeah, that's good, that's good. Okay, so you're. You're living the dream right now and you're working with AO, crushing it on path to partner and building a team. What are some of the like, the lessons that you are learning in this season that are very similar to your career in the military?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think, is when you do find that mentor, when you do find that template is implement before you improvise. So I think it's like implements what you learn before you want to come in and reinvent the wheel. That's good. There's a reason why they have the fruits, there's a reason why they have what they have. So, when in doubt, just follow the template. And then once you know that, you know that, you know that you can do it, then we're going to be like okay, what do you think that you can add? Add the value. Then what we find a lot of times is people want to come into the business or in life, not just with what we do, but a lot of veterans because they're the top dog. It doesn't completely translate to the civilian world. So, implement before you improvise.

Speaker 1:

So good, that's powerful, and that's leadership and followership in a nutshell.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, If you're too big. If you're too big to follow, you're too small to lead.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's a pastor, keith ism. Yeah, a leader of the house here at elevate live church and again, part of the big reason that, uh, I'm here in Texas probably the primary reason I know that, like, that was a big motivator for you, um, and we were talking about this a little bit as we were getting our pump on in the garage, so you went from serving tables. You had a couple sales professions as well. It looks like you had a handful of different jobs before you landed on working in AO In that season. What are some of the things that like? What are some of the skills that you developed?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think I think communication it all, it all rises and falls in communication. So, whether that's with your spouse, your friends, with other people and just being a good listener, with the people that you're around and helping, I just go into every conversation of how can I add value? I go into it, what's in it for them and they're going to open up the doors for you. And so that's what I learned with a lot of people is it's because, yeah, I did landscaping, I did labor work. And so that's what I learned with a lot of people is it's because, yeah, I did landscaping, I did, you know, labor work. I did bart bartending serving. I was an emt. Uh, I went to school for, like, physical therapy I did all this in five years.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I my parents were kind of worried when I first got out, because you're always changing your mind on what you want to do. It's like, yeah, because I'm not happy with the bigger picture on this path, because I'd sit and that's why I like it really. I I know I've said it several times it's like when I would try something new, I would look, I would look at the positives of that, their leadership, and I'd work to apply that. And anything I didn't like or in alignment with my core values, I wouldn't focus on those things because I would just be focusing on the positive things. So I would just take a little bit of positive leadership styles or life lessons. I just like pluck them.

Speaker 1:

It's a Bruce Lee-ism. Yeah, take what works, cast what rests. That's good.

Speaker 2:

And that's what Justin Herman does really good because he's full of equanimity is he never is like too rised up, never too low. He's very balanced and there may be something that goes on. You ask him about it. He'll always say what's the value in what happened? He doesn't ever talk about what's wrong with it. Yeah, where a lot of people they'll focus and so that's where I'm getting into is like the, where it's like the value in it, not the victim part of it.

Speaker 1:

I love that and we've mentioned justin a couple times, just so the listeners are aware, he's been on a previous episode of the high value conversation. Another mighty man, another. He's a double a hundred mile ultra mile.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so good to do it twice yeah.

Speaker 1:

He is the captain of the ship in a you know for the easiest way to describe it, but another just man of God, gangster dude, very, very just, balanced emotionally, which I really respect about him. That's awesome, yeah. Um, how did you end up meeting Justin Cause bartending solar sales EMT, like there's, there's a runway there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. So I was, um, like I said, I went down to the E to be an EMT. I looked on the other side of the table, uh, when I was going through the and it looked good at the time. And so there I was in charge of a couple non-congregate sites like helping homeless get off the streets, put them into county-funded hotels. I was in charge of paramedics, emts, nurses, support staff. So I was living that leadership part of it and an opportunity came up for me to move to Houston. So I plucked that leadership part of it and an opportunity came up for me to move to Houston. So I plucked my wife out of her comfort and, within seven weeks, moved to Houston, realized that Houston wasn't the place for us, wasn't alignment, just a lot of stuff that's going on. It's crazy.

Speaker 2:

And so I was looking at a couple different places, whether it's Colorado, whether it was Dallas or Austin, and I followed a different couple of people, influencers, and I was like they're all going to the same place and I believe about, like I've talked about before, getting in alignment with other people, just being around them. And so I went into. I was recommended to Elevate Life, went to Elevate Life watched this. You know six foot, you know five or something. Giant, big human, big human up there like getting vulnerable about his family and I said that's fallible. I planted my flag right then and there and so found out there's this group of men that meet at 7am. I was like that sounds crazy. I'm kind of crazy, let's do this. And moved into there. And that's how I actually was introduced to Cole McCarter, who's another guy in the business. Third, third month in earned a trip to Visa, uh, to Costa Rica. Yeah, he's got a cool story.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

He's got an amazing story, yeah and uh. And then I was invited to uh Tuesday morning Bible study where I met, uh, joe Nelson and Justin Herman. I was like, who are these guys? You know, uh, they don't have a car right now. I was like what's going on? I was like, oh, they're waiting on their brand new Tesla, they're waiting on their brand new Raptor to come in.

Speaker 1:

Young guys, young guys 20, 22 year old.

Speaker 2:

You know, joe Nelson, like whatever Justin, uh, 27 at the time or something, and so, um, I just really liked what he was doing. I didn't really know exactly what he's doing, and this is why it's so important that, everywhere you go to show up like the leader, show up with a positive attitude, because you never know who you're going to influence.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And how you do. One thing is how you do everything. Yep, and that's one thing that Justin did real well is how he does. One thing is how he does everything. So, like, okay, I didn't really know what he's doing. Cole McCarter is actually the one that told me about it. He's like you should go do it, and I found out what we do and I went all in on it Fast forward a year and a half now. Cole was with us because you've been seeing the fruits and life that we're building.

Speaker 2:

So that's how I got in alignment with Justin, and what I did is exactly what I've been preaching is I just attached myself to Justin and just always added value or as much as I could just like. How can I help you? How can I support you? Maybe I'll know something about this. How can I help you with that? Yeah, and I just created so much value, and what he did is he downloaded the last five years that he was in here doing this business. You get a leapfrog over where he's at.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so I just, I'm just going to. It's like reading a book, like take everything that they learned, read the book. You just learn their life lessons. Yes, I do that on a bigger level when I've aligned myself with the right person, and so I, what he's been doing at seven years, I'm about to do in two years. Crazy, because of him, yeah, and Because of him and me being a good follower and just following the template.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's the greatest. Greatest principle that is laid out so well from a biblical standpoint is learn how to follow. Learn how to follow, submit, implement. Before you improvise. You guys better write that down on your forehead. That is so, so good. So many guys I talk to want to do it their own way, whatever it is, but there's blueprints, there's templates, there's groups, there's men out there that are pouring their life's mission and vision into something you can follow and join and literally just follow a step-by-step process so that you don't have to suffer and struggle like so many guys are struggling. And I want to segue into your passion project right now, which is veterans after service, this free community that you're building, because you get to take all of your best knowledge that you've been suffering and walking through the muck in like pea soup for several years, and you get to pour into veterans that are looking to do exactly what you did. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So what I've found is, if you're doing too many things at once, you're not going to get anything done, and so that's why, for the last two years, I just went all in on what I'm doing with AO and have really been able to create these systems and process and this template for other people just to plug themselves into. And I do have this passion to help more veterans is I wanted to be able to create a community of veterans after service to help them, give them to create better relationships, how to find a good community, how to get your health back.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Dial in your communication leadership, everything yeah.

Speaker 2:

And so I wanted to be able to create this community where we all can support each other, and then that way I can help more people, because that's what's great about this online world is I can help more people get all of these things that they need so that they can have maybe the breakthrough that I had, that took me five years to help them, maybe not have to go through that so good, and that way we can compound and maybe you can get to where I'm at as soon as you come out of the military.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's good.

Speaker 1:

And so we have to really focus on the mindset first, and that's why, like, if you're listening to this, you're already a step ahead to the majority of the people, because you are seeking out mentorship, like you're seeking out like advancing yourself, because it's really hard to work on yourself when we keep having to work about the elementary phases of yeah, it's good life, so good, um, and we you mentioned this kind of in passing in our workout today, but you had a keep having to work about the elementary phases of life so good, and you mentioned this kind of in passing in our workout today, but you had a friend recently take his life and I know that that's a main reason, a driving factor behind this veteran after service community that you're building out. But let's talk a little about that. Why? Why veterans specifically need to get plugged into a community.

Speaker 2:

And I always say that you need three people in your life at the same time. You need somebody that you're following, you need somebody you're in life with and you need somebody that you're bringing up so good. Never do life by yourself so good. It doesn't matter if it's business, it doesn't matter if it's a relationship, whatever, it doesn't matter. Like every everywhere you go, you should have those three people. You need to identify who they are. So when you're following in the business, for me it's Justin and David Carpenter right, the people I'm doing life with. That's Cole McCarter. That's you. I mean, I still see you as one of my mentors and everything but like people you're doing life with. Right, your accountability people. Yep, Guys in the trenches with you.

Speaker 2:

Guys that are doing the life with you 2 am.

Speaker 1:

They show up with a shovel. No questions asked.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love that Right. And then the third one is is bring somebody up Cause if you're, if you're bringing somebody with you, and so you should always have those three people figured out. And, um, yeah, right, there, that's the first thing you got to figure out. And the next thing is you're not alone. Even if you feel like you're alone, there's other people that are going through the exact same emotions. If you think you're the first human to have these emotions, you're crazy through the deepest, darkest thoughts. But I've just lost so many people in my life that I see the other side of it. I see the families are the ones that actually have to struggle.

Speaker 2:

And I didn't want to do that to my friends and family, and I knew that I had a bigger purpose to help, like, break through that. And so, wherever you are right now, you have to identify those three people and just get around other people. But what I always find is the one that has the most value is when you're bringing somebody up. Yes, 100%, because a lot of times you realize whatever you're going through is probably not as bad as the guy next to you and you have no idea what they're going through at home. And so when you're lifting somebody else up, you're going to go with them. You're going to get with them yeah, like you're going to get raised up too.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, a rising tide lifts all ships. That's so good, and I think how it aligns so much with veterans in particular is in the military you have those three relationships. You have people that are leading, giving direction and a template to follow. You, of course, have your brothers in the military with you, like soldiers alongside you, and you have the guys that you're training, teaching, mentoring, that are, you know, the younger cadets, and so that formula works in the civilian world and it's how we stay on purpose. It really is. As men, we need those three relationships, and without those suffering, struggling, depression, suicide, like that's right around the corner. And it's not just veterans. Every man will experience that. If you don't have those relationships in your life you are, you're really a victim to the devil and all of the distractions and the negativity you can pour into your head. And so what Brandon is building with this community is the ability to connect with that community, with those three men.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and actually you said something too that I think is really important too is a lot of people will say the enemy is attacking me, when we're actually giving credit to the enemy instead of where we should be giving credit to God, because God is actually testing us. I think that we're being tested for something bigger, because if we can't pass this test right, then we're not going to be able to be ready for the next one Good, then we're not going to be able to be ready for the next one, good. And so we're giving credit to the wrong person, when in reality, it's. That's like that's how you remove victim and add empowerment to yourself. So good, because you're looking at like okay, what's going on right now, like what do I need to learn from this, as opposed to like why me?

Speaker 2:

yeah what do I need to learn from this? As opposed to like why me it's not good, and so that's why I think it's really important to look at what's the test in this. And when you are going and kind of go back to is, like when you're going down there like this deep cycle, what I learned is that it doesn't necessarily go away. You just shorten the length that you're in that hole. Good, so what maybe used to take like a month. You're like in this rut for a month, all right. Well, maybe let's learn how to do it in two weeks. Let's get over in two weeks and then a week, and then five days, and then three days and then one day, and then now you've recognized these tendencies that get you down this rut and let's just stop it sooner.

Speaker 1:

It's good and a whole lot easier to do when you've got intrusive accountability with men that will lift you up, hold you up and are moving the same mission and vision as you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and you got to be open to being vulnerable too, yeah. Is that's what I learned, too, is you got to be open, to be vulnerable and authentic to yourself.

Speaker 1:

So good, yeah, and you know the I that's uh um, vulnerability and authenticity is uh, sometimes uh, like a touchy subject.

Speaker 1:

It was almost like emotional move, especially for a lot of guys and a lot of veterans. And the way that you learn how to this is my experience the way that you learn how to process your emotions is by spending time with men that have full emotional range. And so if you're hanging out veteran post-service six months, 10 years with barstool buddies, they're emotionally constipated and they're stuck and their life is for lack of a better word fucked Like. If you're, that's your circle. Their emotional range is not going to be vulnerability, authenticity and living with purpose, and so you have to be able and be willing to humble yourself and get inside new rooms with men like Pastor Keith we talked about Steve Weatherford, justin Herman's a great example but like the men inside, mighty Men that put faith first are following another template. You get around that and you start learning to process experience and feel the way that you need to feel as a human as a human to be able to better interact with all your relationships.

Speaker 2:

And I think it's really important too is because I I've kind of been in that slump before. I feel like God's given me all of these opportunities to grow from and we're humans. We just keep throwing ourself in the pit. Right, he'll pluck you back up, put you back on. You're like, ah, back, right in, like a dodo bird, right, just right back into it.

Speaker 2:

But what I kept coming back to is, whenever I got into these complacent parts of my life, I would see something like you know, somebody do what we talked about and, like hurt themselves. Or maybe it was somebody, I didn't know, but I saw it on social media and I kept. I wrote on my whiteboard stop making it about you, you're, you're somebody's waiting on your growth. So good, because really is your struggles, trials, tribulations, everything that you're going through. Somebody else is relying on you to be able to pick yourself up and get out of there so that you can help them get out. So good. And so I actually really want to get into this too is because this is where the alignment with me and you like really got into. Uh, what changed my life is, for some reason, uh, a lot of people found me as that guy to get them out of that rut. And so what would happen is they call me. You know I would talk them off the ledge. I can't tell you how many times I've talked different people off the ledge and what was happening is, every time that happened, I get them talking off the ledge. Life goes on. They don't talk to me anymore, they don't communicate with me, when that's fine, like that's not what it's about. But what happened is a piece of me went with them. So every time I communicated with somebody, helped them, talk them off the ledge, then a piece of me would go with them. And what I learned when I was with you cause I brought this up in our men's group I said, man, I just keep losing myself with this.

Speaker 2:

And then that's where I learned about the lighthouse versus tugboat leadership, and that there changed my life. And so, for those of you guys that don't know, there's two different types of leaders. There's the tugboat and then there's the lighthouse. They both want to help people. The tugboat wants to help people. They both want to help people. The tugboat wants to help people, the lighthouse want to help people.

Speaker 2:

And there's this massive storm going on and there's a lot of lost ship, a lot of lost people out there in the sea right, the tugboat is going to go out there into the storm, weather, the storm, with you, fight really hard to help bring you back to safety and hopefully, in doing so, it doesn't lose itself along the way. And then you have the lighthouse. The lighthouse is bounded by the land, with its boundaries, its standards, its core values, weathering the exact same storm, but it's got this light that's bringing in new people every single day that want to be helped. And that's the big part they want to be helped, because there's a lot of people unfortunately don't want to be helped. Yeah, and so the tugboat may lose itself while it's out there in that storm so good Whereas the lighthouse is bounded with its boundaries that it's set on its life. And what is that doing? It's bringing dozens of ships every day.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, that's perfectly articulated. Yeah, and that's, you know, the lighthouse. That's a reference that I use quite often because, you see, a lighthouse, it's a structure that withstands the test of time. It shines its light in 360 degrees all the time and it is an invitation for ships that are lost to find the light, to drive towards the light, to be able to essentially become a lighthouse in their own life. But there's a willingness there that two people are contributing to the relationship, rather than the tugboat. You know, the tugboat will exert massive amount of energy trying to save, to save somebody, but it will typically and it can will drown with that sinking ship.

Speaker 1:

And here's the thing about that, especially speaking to the veterans you are a lighthouse. Nobody decides to go serve the country just because of benefits. There's a part of you that is deeply, deeply lit up with service um, being able to stand for the uh, the rights that we have as civilians, protect america like. You've got that hardwired into your biology as a veteran. And when you realize that your life matters and you need to be the shining light and you do exactly what Brandon did follow the templates, build your personal discipline and fitness and develop self-confidence, when you do that, you become the lighthouse, and that's when real purpose and fulfillment starts to follow you.

Speaker 2:

And it's so much peace that comes with it too. Yeah, that's what I learned the most is peace. Peace that comes with it too. Yeah, that's what I learned the most is peace is with my faith, with this mindset of the lighthouse versus tugboat. Because I just got so much more peace in my life and because I wasn't follow follow, falling down with other people. Yeah, I was able to help more people by doing that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so good and that's way more fulfilling, because at the end of the day, it's like you do, gotta you could. You do have to want to get out of that. Yeah, cause there's a lot of people that say that they do, but they don't follow the templates, they don't follow the mentor that's giving them advice, because why, improvise before they implement.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and so that's the thing, too is, if you are starting something new, be a sponge, absorb it. Yeah, so good, and stop trying to invent the wheel. Yeah, eventually you can. You can take that same wheel and add different grip to it and do what works for you. But, um, right now it's like implement for improvise, and so that's like what changed my life, too, was the lighthouse, where it's going to give, bring in a lot more people and you're going to have so much more peace in life.

Speaker 1:

So good, brandon, this is. This has been a great conversation. I want to plug your group and we'll put the link to where they can join this free community Veterans Service or Purpose After Service. He's got modules teaching in there. There's going to be weekly group calls, from my understanding. Just a spot for you to connect with other guys, to talk through, walk through and find a template that you can start implementing instead of improvising, but, more so than anything, provide you the emotional support, the faith-based direction and really give you the guidance.

Speaker 1:

If you are a veteran and you're listening this episode, like this episode, share it with another veteran. We know that most veterans know 10 veterans right that they're doing life with, and so there's probably a barstool buddy that you're hanging out with that has lost, suffering and struggling. Link up with him Like, get into this free community, follow some of Brandon's just process, reach out to him, dm him he is actively serving the veteran community and be the lighthouse, because your friends, your family, your community, your kids, your grandkids, your legacy is all dependent on you walking through and overcoming the problems that you're in right now.

Speaker 2:

Amen. So good, it's good, Awesome man. I'm grateful to be here and again, just thank you for so much the impact that you've had on my life and love everything that you're doing with the high value man. So, guys, just keep getting plugged into this. This is a endure. Through it, Everything that you're going through right now. The fruit is worth it. It's going to feel like a 10 year overnight success, but I tell you what it's it's rewarding if you just keep one foot in front of the other. So love y'all.

Speaker 1:

Awesome man, appreciate you guys. If you enjoy this episode, do us a big favor. Leave us a five-star review and a comment. Share this with another veteran on path. Join the Brandon's free community All the information will be the link in the bio and just connect with us. Connect with Brandon, the one-on-one. He'd be happy to answer your DMs and we'll see you on the other side. Much love many blessings. Talk to you soon. Boom Boom, get off the podcast, get back to the fucking mental lab.