Military Bottom Line

If you've heard of me, you've probably heard of Sam Eckholm!  Sam is an Air Force Academy graduate and currently a Public Affairs Officer with the F-22 Raptor Demo Team. He captures unbelievable action shots of these incredible jets while traveling all around the world.  We discuss everything from his time in the academy and why he passed on the pilot opportunity, to his love for his job...

On this week's episode, I meet with Lamont Hicks (SSgt, USMC). With 12 years of service in the Marine Corps, he tells his story of how he thought he was going to be recruited for college basketball and ultimately joined the Marine Corps Instead.   Through deployments, billets, and every day life in the Marines, Lamont is always working to find and maintain his optimism. Sharing his smiles and...

To download Honey go to www.joinhoney.com/besthoneyad   On this week's episode I meet with @warboyactual. After completing his undergrad at LSU, Rod joined the Marines as a machine gunner. After four years of training and a combat deployment, Rod decided to hang up his uniform. Throughout the episode, Rod and I discuss everything from how he ended up joining, to the culture of the Marine Corp...

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the podcast! This week I meet with Matt Kinsman! Matt joined right after high school with his eyes set on the Marine Security Guard program. Despite falling for a common trap as a junior enlisted Marine, Matt was able to come back from his mistake and achieve his dream of doing the MSG program. Matt talks about his time on MSG and how he has set new goals...

In this week's episode I sit down with David Pere of From Military to Millionaire. David started his career the same way many young, new enlisted men and women do, with poor financial decisions and failing to consider the future.  After reading a book that changed his life, David began his entrepreneurial efforts and has become an advocate and mentor more many military members who desire to b...

In this episode I meet with Ben Landon. Ben spent six years in the Marine Corps beginning as a helicopter mechanic before he volunteered for the Marine Security Guard Program. Ben spent 2 years abroad and a year in the MSG quick reaction force before he decided to get out and pursue an education in Israel.   Ben successfully used his GI Bill benefits at a foreign school and will still have so...

After moving out of his parents at just 17 years old, Robbie realized he wouldn't be able to make ends meet. Without having the intention of joining the military before that moment, Robbie decided to take the leap in order to get away from his hometown and current situation. Twelve years later, Robbie has never looked back. He is living the life and continuously growing in his career. With just ei...

Have you ever wondered if you could use military education benefits to study abroad?  Lauren talks about how she was able to study abroad for free, graduate debt free, and make money from her part time military career all while she was  getting the  'college experience'. This enabled her to build an unbeatable resume at a young age and put herself years ahead of her peers. Her story...

If you're considering joining the military or are in line to become a military recruiter, this episode is for you!    Lucas just got off a 3 year recruiting tour in Philadelphia and speaks on the hardships of the job and the importance of being true to yourself and the next generation you're enlisting.   He covers everything from the hours worked to the reality of kids changing thei...

In this week's episode my friend Shani Moore and I talk about our time in together. We discuss intense topics as I try to understand the dynamics of racism in the Marine Corps and his experiences with it. We discuss everything from losing friends by suicide to Shani's tips for success.  I hope you enjoy the show.

This week on the show I have Mike Grooms! Mike enlisted in the Marine Corps at the ripe age of 17 years old and left for bootcamp quickly after high school graduation. Mike tells his story of getting in legal trouble on two separate occasions and what it took to come back from that. Mike offers encouragement to those who are in their own tough spots with their career and the law and speaks from ex...

Captain Talia Bastien has always pushed herself. While most people graduate college at the age of 22, Talia did it at 19 and became one of the youngest female officers in the Marine Corps at age 20! In this episode we discusses the hurdles of being such a young officer and compare them with the additional trials that she faced as a woman in the military. Talia discusses the huge culture shock that...

Thanks for tuning in! Are you interested in changing branches to better direct your military career? Better yet, are you interested in being a pilot bt don't want to go to school for four years before being eligible? If so, this episode is for you! Josh Zeek spent 5 years in the Marine Corps as a V22 crew chief. He just recently transitioned into the Army to pursue flying. He did this all without...

Check out this episode with Adam Brown! Adam was in the Marines for five years in the intelligence field. He was fortunate enough to be sent to language school and deploy twice in his first and only enlistment. Adam has since moved on and become an accountant. Hear how Adam strategized his transition, made the most out of his GI Bill benefits and was able to graduate from a private school in South...

In this weeks episode I meet with John Thompson. John has been in the US Coast Guard for nine years and continues to love his job and excel in his work. We discuss differences between the Coast Guard and other branches, how to succeed in the Coast Guard and what it's like to be at a school during COVID-19. John also shares stories of some career highlights. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from...

Find out what happened to Ali Thompson when she left college to join the Air Force, only to end up in the middle of a massive recruiter error! Despite what had been agreed upon, a 6 year contract was sent to the Air Force for her enlistment and not a 4 year contract as they had discussed. Listen to hear how the Air Force handled and the options they gave her to continue her career. Listen to the e...

Thanks for joining! In today's episode I speak with my good friend Matt Sorensen. Matt joined the Army as a machine gunner as a result of 9/11 and ultimately spent over 2 years in Iraq during his enlistment. Matt talks about his experience with Stop Loss and what that means. We also discuss the strategy he used to get a Bachelor's and Master's degree out of his Post 9/11 GI Bill. Matt has experien...

Are you struggling to find a way to pay for college? This episode is for you!  In this episode, I speak with Gus Yohner, a USC alumni who used the Navy ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program to pay for his undergraduate degree. Gus was raised in a blue-collar household, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream and accomplishing his goal of going to a four-year college. Find out...

Have you ever wondered if military recruiters lie in order to get people to join the military? On today's episode, GySgt Ricard Marko (USMC) sets the record straight. He speaks from years of experience as a career recruiter and has impacted over 300 individual's decisions to join the Marines. We discuss recruiting tactics, stereotypes and more. In addition to Rich's wisdom on how to interact with...

In this episode, I talk with my good friend, Sam Brandt (Sgt. USMC), aka Sammy B! Sam is one of the most optimistic dudes I know! He runs ultra marathons and is always ready to find the positives in every situation. He has a ton of good information to share from his time in the Marine Corps, including finding himself in Afghanistan within his first year of his enlistment.  If you are new to t...

In this episode, I talk with Sgt. Dan Gaughan. He spent 5 years as an enlisted Marine, working as a C-130 Crew Master out of San Diego, CA. He tells stories of training and deployments while giving insight on what it's like to transition off active duty. He shares his regrets as well as his successes helps shine light on opportunities he believes everyone should take advantage of.

In this episode, I talk with Lt. Kelly Patterson (USMC) and learn about her experiences and the success that has come from her volunteering throughout her career. She has never shied away from an opportunity and has only benefited from her eagerness to raise her hand. From enlisting out of high school to recently graduating from Ohio State via the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Prog...

On today's episode we have the fortune of hearing from Rafael Cervantes. A Purple Heart recipient who was able to stay in the Marine Corps despite his injuries. We discuss everything from what he hoped to get out of the military and his deployments, to his love for the Marines and how he believes younger Marines and military members should be preparing for what's next in life. Find more about Rafa...

Hear me and my friend, Ethan, talk about his experience in the Marine Corps and what it was like to work on the Marine Security Guard (MSG) program living abroad. In this episode we dive deep into education benefits and the differences between TA (Tuition Assistance) and the GI Bill, further explaining how to make the most of it while still in service.  Ethan has a lot of cool stories and ton...

In today's episode, I talk to my old roommate from the Marine Corps. Cody spent a number of years in and experienced a different type of contract that did include some time in the brig. Despite some difficulties early in his career, he was able to rebuild his reputation in order to receive an honorable discharge and keep all his benefits.