Operation Next Chapter

We spend a lot of time talking about our “next chapter” like it has to be something big. A new career. A business. A major accomplishment. A complete reinvention of who we are. But what if your next chapter doesn't have to be a big deal? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole talk about the pressure we sometimes put on ourselves to make the next chapter bigger, better, and...

Sometimes we talk about our “next chapter” like it's something that's going to eventually find us. The right opportunity. The right job. The right purpose. The right time. But what if your next chapter isn't waiting for you? What if you're waiting for it? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole talk about what happens when we spend too much time waiting for th...

For most of our military careers, success was pretty easy to measure. Rank. Promotion. Awards. Retirement. Pay. Position. There was always another goal to chase and another box to check. But what happens when those measurements no longer matter? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole ask a question that gets more complicated the further we get from the uniform: What does success...

One year. One year of Operation Next Chapter . When Marc and Cole started this podcast, the conversation was about life after the uniform—figuring out who we were, what came next, and how to navigate a transition that looked a lot different than we expected. But we didn't make that transition alone. In this special one-year anniversary episode, Marc and Cole are joined by the two people who h...

For years, someone needed you. The military needed you. Your team needed you. Your family needed you. There was always a mission, a responsibility, a problem to solve, or someone counting on you to step up. But what happens when the phone stops ringing? When the uniform comes off? When the kids grow up, the career changes, and the responsibilities that once defined your day-to-day life aren't...

What happens after the uniform comes off and the plan you thought you had doesn’t quite work out? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole get off the script and share some of the funnier, harder, and more unexpected experiences they've had since retiring from the military. Some were wins. Some were failures. Some took them down rough roads before ultimately bringing them som...

Not every military memory is about the hard days. Sometimes, it’s the TDY that went completely sideways, the deployment story that somehow gets funnier every time you tell it, the assignment you never expected to love, or the people who made even the worst days memorable. In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole take a trip down memory lane and share some of the stories, experienc...

Why do so many people quit on their goals? Because they know what they want—but they've forgotten why they want it. In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole explore one of the simplest yet most powerful mindset shifts they've learned: "So that..." Inspired by a lesson from Dave Ramsey, this concept has transformed the way they approach finances, marriage, healt...

What if one of the best blueprints for a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life has been right in front of us all along? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole take a lighthearted idea and uncover powerful life lessons from man's best friend. Dogs don't overcomplicate life—they focus on the fundamentals. As it turns out, those same fundamentals can help us become...

How Your Daily Choices Shape Your Future What if the results you're chasing aren't the place to focus? This week, Marc and Cole welcome special guest Chris , who shares the powerful concept behind his company's new name: IO (Input/Output) . While the idea has applications in personal finance, this conversation goes far beyond money. Together, we explore how the principle of input an...

Growth begins where excuses end. In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole tackle one of the hardest leadership lessons anyone can learn: you can't change what you're unwilling to confront. Whether it's your relationships, your health, your finances, your leadership, or the habits you've been avoiding, real transformation starts with radical ownership. The guys...

We're constantly told to chase more . More money. More success. More followers. More possessions. More achievements. More commitments. But what if the pursuit of more is actually keeping you from what matters most? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole explore how the relentless pursuit of more can quietly steal your peace, your purpose, and your contentment. We discuss wh...

In a world that glorifies hustle, speed, and constant motion, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. But what if the real problem isn’t how fast you’re moving… it’s where you’re going? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole break down the truth that progress isn’t measured by speed—it’s measured by direction . Moving fast in the wrong direction only takes you further away...

How often do we search for answers everywhere except within ourselves? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole explore the idea that many of the answers we're looking for are already inside us—we've just been asking the wrong questions. Whether you're navigating a career transition, facing a difficult decision, rebuilding after a setback, or searching for greater p...

What does fitness really build? In this episode, we sit down with a retired military veteran, fellow F45 coach, and IPE Pro Natural Bodybuilder to go deeper than workouts, macros, and aesthetics. Because fitness was never just about looking good. It’s about discipline when no one’s watching.  It’s about standards that don’t disappear when the structure does.  It’s about building a body that suppor...

What if success isn't built in the big moments? What if it's built in the small, ordinary things you do every single day? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , Marc and Cole explore the power of long-term consistency and why the habits that seem insignificant today often create the biggest results over time. From fitness and business to relationships and personal growth, the things...

Who are you when the title is gone? For many of us, our identity becomes tied to our profession, accomplishments, rank, business, or role in life. But what happens when those things change? What happens when the uniform comes off, career changes, the kids leave home, or the goal you've been chasing is finally achieved? In this episode, Marc and Cole explore the challenge of building an identi...

What happens when the roadmap disappears, the timeline slips, and life takes a turn you never saw coming? In this episode of Operation Next Chapter , we explore one of the most challenging realities of leadership and life: navigating the moments when your carefully crafted plans fall apart. Whether you're transitioning out of the military, changing careers, leading a team through uncertainty,...

This Memorial Day episode is a personal one. With Cole out of town, Marc sits down solo to talk about the real meaning behind Memorial Day, the purpose behind the Murph workout, and remembering a close friend lost in Afghanistan. This conversation is about sacrifice, grief, brotherhood, transition, and why remembering matters long after the uniforms come off. Some names never leave us. And they sh...

A lot of people are waiting for clarity before they move forward. A perfect plan.  A big moment.  A clearly defined mission statement. But purpose usually doesn’t show up that way. In this episode, Marc and Cole talk about what it means to build purpose through action — not just ideas. Because real purpose isn’t something you eventually find. It’s something you create through responsibility, consi...

 At some point, the scorecard changes. The rank is gone.  The titles fade.  And the external validation that once defined success… isn’t there anymore. So the question becomes: Who defines success now? In this episode, Marc and Cole challenge the idea that success is something given — and make the case that it has to be built intentionally. Because if you don’t define it for yourself, you’ll defau...

Here’s a strong, on-brand Buzzsprout description for Episode 5: Money doesn’t just reflect your situation… It reveals your leadership. In this episode, Marc and Cole break down the connection between financial habits and personal responsibility — and why the way you handle money says more about your standards than anything else. Because leadership isn’t just how you show up at work. It’s how you m...

In this episode of Operation Next Chapter, we sit down with a retired law enforcement officer to talk about the reality of life after a career built on structure, responsibility, and accountability. This isn’t about war stories or nostalgia. It’s about what carries over — and what doesn’t. We talk about the shift from external structure to self-leadership, what discipline looks like in everyday li...

You can lead teams, run operations, and carry responsibility all day—but if you’re not leading well at home, it eventually catches up. In this episode, we take a hard look at what leadership really means inside your own walls. Because leadership at home isn’t about control—it’s about influence. As kids grow into adults, the dynamic has to shift. What used to work—rules, structure, authority—has an...

Most people don’t struggle because they don’t know what to do… They struggle because they don’t do the small things — consistently. In this episode, Marc and Cole break down what discipline actually looks like in real life. Not motivation. Not big, dramatic changes. But the daily decisions that no one sees. Because real leadership isn’t built in big moments — it’s built in the small things, done d...