Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You

Welcome to this special producer pick edition of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . We’re thrilled to bring back one of our standout episodes with Air Force veteran Jaimee Freeman. In this powerful conversation, Jaimee opens up about her transition after 28 years of service — stepping out of the “Chief” identity, finding the courage to turn down the wrong opportunity, and landing her dream...

In this episode, we meet William “Jax” Jackson, a Navy and Air Force veteran who went from making six figures in Japan to being ghosted by employers and stocking freezers at Sam’s Club at 3 a.m., before becoming a Pentagon recruiter. Jax shares how a brutal first transition exposed the gaps in TAP, why most veterans still introduce themselves in ways recruiters forget, and how he rebuilt his appro...

In this episode, we meet Stephanie Hahn, an Air Force Reserve Colonel with 21 years of service, who transitioned from intelligence and cyberspace operations into enterprise software sales. Through a prestigious Secretary of Defense Executive Fellowship at Cisco, she gained a front-row seat to corporate leadership and discovered a completely different way of working and living. Stephanie shares how...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , Kathleen and Rachel sit down with Joey Meininger, an Air Force veteran who spent 20 years as a firefighter, became a command chief, and then had to figure out what it meant to be “just” himself without the rank, title, or guaranteed paycheck. He shares how growing up overseas on an Air Force base, choosing firefighting over a flying job...

Join us as we get to know Army veteran, former JAG officer, civil affairs officer, and political thriller author Francine Ehrenberg. Francine shares how a random brochure in a law firm desk drawer rerouted her from a bored real estate attorney to Army JAG. She opens up about the shock of coming home to “too much” comfort after living on MREs and unexploded ordnance, why she keeps serving through A...

In this episode, we sit down with Marine Corps veteran Ferguson “Juice” Dale, who went from chasing a football scholarship to flying aircraft, then founding Semper Sky, a company focused on emergency management and airborne disaster response. Juice shares how losing his shot at college football, a life‑altering car accident, and a tough lesson in integrity pushed him toward the Marines—and how a s...

In this episode, Kathleen and Rachel chat with Air Force veteran Jacki Davenport, a 20+ year intelligence and special operations professional who refused to take no for an answer from the very beginning. Jacki shares her journey from recruiter office moments to tight-knit special missions units, cyber operations, and eventually, the private sector. Along the way, she gets honest about the cost of...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , Kathleen and Rachel sit down with Army veteran and West Point grad Bryson Bort, who went from feeling “complete ignorance and sheer terror” in terms of military transition, to successfully building multiple cybersecurity companies and a nonprofit. From a global commodity manager who didn’t know what an RFP was, to an IT asset manager, t...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , Kathleen sits down with Army veteran and former 82nd Airborne paratrooper Patience Ulsted, who went from ballet shoes to jump boots to holistic health entrepreneur. Patience shares how chronic pain, daily migraines, and living at “10 out of 10” readiness pushed her to explore yoga, massage, chiropractic care, Reiki, acupuncture, and Ayu...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , Kathleen and Rachel sit down with Laura Hatcher, a veteran who served as a Navy Diver and intelligence officer before pivoting to professional photography. She opens up about the fear of not having a 5-10-15 year plan, and courageously turning her side-hustle photography passion into a full-time business—complete with walking into a str...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , Kathleen chats with Joe Hogge, an Army combat engineer who turned a love of Bavarian beer into a Texas Hill Country brewery named after his old MOS. He shares memories of his first-year transition, the hidden trauma from years of explosives training, and the decision to start the Fireside Chat Support Network—sparked by a local veteran&...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , Kathleen flies solo to sit down with an Army Reservist whose career reads like a masterclass in relentless effort and reinvention. From active-duty tanker and All-Army wrestler to Iraq deployment as an embedded advisor, drill sergeant, roofing/construction business owner, and now equity partner at a law firm, Anthony "Tony" Ku...

Welcome to this special edition of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . As we gear up for our second season (airing January 26, 2026), we’re excited to share a “producer pick” featuring one of our first and favorite episodes. If you missed it the first time around, buckle up and enjoy learning from Navy veteran Shanon Raab. You can view the show notes and transcript from the original airing...

It’s the Season 1 finale! Kathleen and Rachel sit down to reflect on the incredible veterans who joined us on Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . From pilots to cyber warriors and nonprofit founders, each guest left us with hard-won wisdom on mindset, identity, resilience, networking, purpose, and navigating military transition. This episode is the ultimate recap: the biggest “aha” moments...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , we meet Stephanie West, a Navy veteran who charted a course from the supply lines of the military to the heart of Starbucks operations. She discusses joining the Navy at 17 through the Buddy Program, how she turned night classes into degrees (all the way to an MBA), how her passion for Starbucks’ business model became her civilian north...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , retired US Air Force pilot Jessica Ruttenber shares her remarkable journey navigating—and ultimately transforming—the world of military aviation. Jessica recounts battling physical and cultural obstacles to become a pilot, and how she advocated for lasting policy changes at the Pentagon. She discusses her transition with SkillBridge, th...

Join Kathleen Smith and Rachel Bozeman as they welcome Tom Eston, a Marine turned cybersecurity trailblazer, podcaster, and mentor, for an inspiring dive into his journey. From his infantry days to carving out a security career, Tom shares how curiosity, self-discipline, and determination fueled his rise. Tom emphasizes the importance of mentorship, continuous learning, and leveraging military-lea...

Join Kathleen Smith and Rachel Bozeman as they welcome Rob Fuller, a U.S. Marine veteran, cybersecurity leader, and community founder, for a raw look at his journey. From blowing up 300 pounds of C4 as a combat engineer to thriving in cybersecurity, Rob’s story takes a sobering turn with his struggle for VA benefits. Impacted by a culture of "toughing it out" and relying on "Vitamin...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You, Air Force veteran Jaimee Freeman shares her recent military transition experience—shedding her Chief identity for "just" Jaimee after 28 years of service. Jaimee reveals how she pivoted from linguist to Pentagon event planner, turned down a lucrative job upon transition (not allowing fear to make her rush into something), and u...

Air Force veteran Josh Mason shares his journey of military transition and personal growth on this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . From cybersecurity to teaching, entrepreneurship, podcasting, and building a chicken coop, Josh showcases the power of creativity, networking, and embracing challenges with a stoic grin. He reveals how strategic outreach on LinkedIn and a willingn...

Army veteran Daniel Benjamin steps up to the mic to share his military transition story, from 20 years in signals intelligence to a program manager in cybersecurity and healthcare, on this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . He recounts how the reserves offered a helpful safety net during his transition into contracting, and how his wife’s military transition deepened his underst...

In this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , 20-year Air Force veteran Trecie Spencer shares her journey from joining the Air Force at 17 to a successful career as a project manager at GSA. She dives into how a phone line snafu at Nellis Air Force Base launched her networking mindset, how dreams of colorful nails signaled her military exit, and how a hiring freeze curveball tested...

Air Force veteran Steve Luczynski shares his remarkable journey from soaring the skies in F-15s and F-22s to navigating national security policy, diving into a cybersecurity leadership path, and eventually pivoting back to his first love—flying—in this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . With a career that spanned Japan to Europe and a Pentagon stint that sparked his cybersecurit...

Army veteran John Stoner shares his resilient path from signals intelligence analyst to cybersecurity leader in this episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You . With a decade of Army service—spanning time in Afghanistan, Bagram, Ottawa, and NSA headquarters—John was primed for a return to intelligence work after separating. Instead, repeated inconclusive results on the NSA Full Scope Pol...

In this bonus episode of Exit Buddy: Veteran Stories to Guide You , hosts Kathleen Smith and Rachel Bozeman pull back the curtain for a fun, heartfelt "get to know us" chat. From the inspiration behind the podcast name to their career journeys, military connections, and top advice for transitioning vets, they share laughs, life lessons, and a peek at their furry co-hosts. Whether you&apo...