The Next Tour podcast

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia check with Jason Medsger on his transition journey, this time just after his retirement ceremony while he is taking his terminal leave. Jason shares his experience since making the decision to retire in early 2025, describing it as a blend of excitement and anxiety. He emphasizes that the months leading up to retirement or separation are crucial, fil...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with retired Air Force Colonel Robert “Trip” Raymond about how military camaraderie translates into the world of distilled spirits. Trip shares how his experiences as an Air Force pilotshaped his passion for crafting fine spirits. But he shares that it’s about more than drinking; it's about creating connections, sharing stories, and preservi...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk about their post-military and military spouse career journeys. Negotiating salary is tough, especially when you’re used to set military pay. We look back to when Ian was transitioning from military life to civilian roles and some of Andia’s salary and benefits negotiations as she landed roles in different organizations over the years. Finding me...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with retired Navy Captain Laura Hatcher about her transition from military service to professional photography. What started as a hobbyeventually turned into a second career, and Laura shares the story of how she made that shift, along with the lessons she learned along the way. We talk about creativity, taking chances, building something new af...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Beau Higgins, a Marine Corps retiree who transitioned to civilian life in August 2014. After serving, he worked at Amazon, leading initiatives focused on military hiring before joining Oplign, a free resource designed to connect veterans and military spouses with job opportunities. In today's competitive job market, many veterans and mi...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Benito “Benny” Barrón, a retired Air Force colonel, who shares his journey from military service to leading defense programs at a contracting firm. He emphasizes that understanding the financial and acquisition processes is crucial for success in this field. But it’s not just about numbers; it’s about passion and culture. Finding a company...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Lewis Baker, a former US Army Infantry Officer and current Wealth Planner, to discover essential tips for military members transitioning to civilian life and wealth planning. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls and succeed in financial management. The transition from military service to civilian life can be daunting, especially when it comes...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia provide a real check-in on our family’s transition journey. It’s been two and a half years since Ian transitioned to civilian life, and there’s a big realization that rings true—it's a journey, not a destination. We’ve faced changes, challenges, and lots of self-discovery. From career shifts to our daughters finding their paths, every step has ta...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia meet with Sydney Matthes, a military spouse and current CEO of Service to School (S2S), a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides free college and grad school application counseling to U.S. military Veterans and Service Members. Sydney tells us about the unique aspects of what S2S does for college hopefuls, helping each person work through the unique aspe...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia meet with Paul Rodgers, a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, who took his passion for woodworking and turned it into a post-military career. Using his creativity and desire to remain connected with the military and veteran space, Paul formed Barefoot Woodwrks, where he blends his mastery of design with the visions of his clients, creating heirl...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia chat with retired Air Force Brig Gen Mike Manion, where we “unpack” how he and his wife, Shannon, were able to go from active duty to living full-time abroad. Listen in as we talk about the year immediately following retirement where they lived as nomads, where Mike and Shannon explored many destinations around the world before settling on their fore...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia meet with Ben and Angela Jacobson, both retired Air Force officers, to chat about their year-long adventure with their RV across America. While on terminal leave, before their official retirement dates, Ben and Angela toured the country where they hit 37 states, stopped at 174 locations, including 30 military bases and about 50 Harvest Hosts location...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia give a recap of Season 1, share some of their favorite moments, and highlight some of the many things they learned during the first year ofrecording. They also give a quick highlight of what’s to come in Season 2. Join Ian and Andia on your transition journey to learn about the multitude of resources available to you and your family. Connect with Ian...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Grant Vermeer, a US Navy veteran, current military spouse, podcaster, and founder of The Vermeer Group, a concierge service specializing in connecting military and veteran families with tailored real estateprofessionals around the country. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of home buying, particularly around the time a service mem...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia meet with Jason Medsger to follow up on his transition journey, first highlighted in Episode 4. Almost a year ago, Jason was contemplating the retirement decision and preparing to “push the button” to apply for retirement. Now that he has an approved retirement date, we revisit the questions we asked the first time around, such as what gives him anxi...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia have a conversation with Britt Andrade, a US Army veteran andWarrior-Scholar Project participant. She unpacks her experience as a junior enlisted servicemember and her journey as a college student. Through Warrior-Scholar Project’s unique focus on bootcamps and preparatory programs, Britt not only succeeded in attaining her bachelor’s degree and turn...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Attiyya Ingram, a tax professional and spouse of an active duty US Marine. She walks us through some of the most common mistakes transitioning servicemembers make when leaving military service, whether it is to enter the civilian job market or fully retire. Attiyya provides practical advice when it comes to effective planning and where to b...

In this bonus episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia meet with Dr. Gabrielle (Gabby) L’Esperance, Director of Insights at the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN). Gabby shares information about the 2025 Military Family 360 Survey and why the data from this survey is so impactful, which is why we encourage military and veteran families to participate. At the end of this quick bonus episode, we...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia have US Army veteran and lifelong positivist, Andrew Polley, as a guest. Andrew was honored by Hire Heroes USA as the Junior Enlisted Client of the Year, following multiple post-military professional endeavors that all had one thing in common – giving back to his fellow human being. But often givingback can come at a price, both spiritually and other...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia chat with Ryan Pavel, CEO of Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP). Ryan is a veteran who separated after 5 years of service as an active-duty Marine. WSP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips service members and veterans for success in higher education. Ryan shares the mission and the focus of Warrior-Scholar Project. He also explains WSP’s Academic Boot Cam...

Episode 21 - Transition and Finding Your Career Path In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Ross Dickman, US Army veteran and CEO of Hire Heroes USA. We talk about the unique aspects of what this Veteran Service Organization does differently in a space filled with more than 45,000 other entities and how their approach to helping veterans and spouses find their own career paths,...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Kate Horrell, ChFC®, AFC®, MQFP® about Post 9-11 GI Bill Benefits. Kate Horrell is a financial educator and expert who deals with these benefits on a daily basis; so much so that she wrote the book on it. Join us as we delve into examples and more specifics of the Post 9-11 GI Bill. Below are links and resources that we mentioned during the...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk withDedrick Curtis, CFP®, ChFC®, AFC® about Post 9-11 GI Bill Benefits. With Dedrick’s extensive background and experience working at universities, with servicemembers, veterans, and families, he shares his tips on using Post 9-11 GI Bill Benefits, making the most of your benefit, and how to avoid some common pitfalls. Join us as we delve into t...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Daniel Kopp, an Air Force veteran, Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Military Qualified Financial Planner (MQFP®), and widower, where we unpack some of the most important aspects of being prepared to deal with the loss of a loved one. Daniel’s firsthand experience and his professional expertise highlight several things families can do, bo...

In this episode of The Next Tour, Ian and Andia talk with Lacey Langford, an Air Force veteran and founder of both MILMO Show and MilMoneyCon, where we explore her venture into entrepreneurship as a financial professional. Lacey helps us understand how a veteran or military spouse can get into the financial professional sphere, what resources to leverage along the way, and some excellent tips on w...