VET S.O.S. Podcast

In this powerful episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew engage in an inspiring conversation with Peter Cline, an Army veteran and the visionary founder of Boots to Books. Peter candidly shares his personal journey transitioning from military service to civilian life and how his struggles ignited the creation of Boots to Books, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering veterans and their...

In this powerful and insightful episode of the VET S.O.S. Podcast, hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew sit down with Dr. Paul Lawrence, an esteemed Army veteran and former Under Secretary of Benefits at the US Department of Veteran Affairs. Dr. Lawrence shares his remarkable journey and the pivotal role he played in improving veterans' access to their earned benefits. His latest book, "Veteran Benefit...

In this episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Eric welcome Elena Comperatore, Director of Client Service Delivery, and Romaine Byrd, Georgia Program Manager at Hire Heroes USA. Discover how this impactful organization supports veterans and military spouses through personalized services like resume assistance, LinkedIn training, interview preparation, and comprehensive job search strategies that n...

In this episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Eric sit down with Karleton Lawrence and Dara Lora, co-founders of MILCRUIT, an organization dedicated to supporting veterans and military families in their career transitions. Karl, a retired Marine and Director of Talent Grow Military, and Dara, a retired Air Force member and Acquisition Manager at Kinetics RPO, share their personal transition journ...

In this compelling episode of VET S.O.S., we welcome Aleha Ingle, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran with 21 years of service and the visionary founder of Work Culture Works. Aleha shares her inspiring transition story from military service to entrepreneurship during the challenging COVID-19 era. Frustrated by the inadequacies of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), Aleha took matters into her o...

In this insightful episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew welcome Jennifer Burks, a program analyst specializing in personal branding and career marketing. As a military spouse and career transitioner, Jennifer shares her inspiring journey of overcoming challenges, leveraging personal networks, and building a successful career. Jennifer recounts her pivotal moment of resourcefulnes...

In this inspiring episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew welcome Patrice Sutherland, President and Chairman, and Amy Reiter, Director of Operations at MedTechVets. Founded in 2014 by Mike Minogue and Alex Gorsky, MedTechVets is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military veterans transition into thriving careers in the medical technology industry, including medical devic...

In this empowering episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew welcome Clay Anderson, a 20-year Navy veteran and advocate for veteran transition success. Clay shares the incredible opportunities offered by the HKPO Veterans Academy, a 501(c)(3) DOD Skill Bridge Program providing high-value training in project management, Lean Six Sigma, and leadership development. Discover how this flex...

In this inspiring episode of VET S.O.S., we welcome Hope White, an accomplished entrepreneur and expert in the federal hiring process. Raised in a military family, Hope's early experiences with military life deeply influenced her mission to empower veterans in their transition to civilian careers. Drawing from her diverse background in the Army, federal government, and corporate America, Hope brin...

In this unfiltered and empowering episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew welcome Keith Cassant, a veteran with 22 years of distinguished military service, to share his raw and honest story about the difficulties he faced transitioning into civilian life. Now a cybersecurity professional and dedicated mentor, Keith opens up about his struggles, his turning points, and how mentorship...

In this compelling episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and Eric Brew welcome Colonel David Grant and Master Sergeant Lorena Wilson to discuss the vital work of the Soldier for Life (SFL) program. Their conversation dives deep into how SFL empowers service members, veterans, and military families by fostering long-term connections and providing critical resources for a seamless transition into...

In this powerful episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn Welsh and new co-host Eric Brew engage in an in-depth conversation with Reggie Gooden, a retired Command Sergeant Major with an impressive 30-year military career. Now serving as the Regional Director for Still Serving Veterans, Reggie passionately discusses his transition journey and his mission to support fellow veterans in navigating the often...

Welcome to a monumental episode of VET S.O.S. as we proudly celebrate ONE YEAR of supporting veterans, service members, and military families in their transition to civilian life! Hosts Shawn and Mark reflect on the powerful insights shared by past guests and announce exciting changes and future plans for the podcast. Joining us for this special episode is Eric Brew from American Corporate Partner...

In this powerful episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Mark welcome Army veteran Matthew Langseth to discuss his 21 years of dedicated military service and his inspiring mission to empower veterans and military spouses in their transition to civilian life. Matthew candidly shares the challenges he faced during his own transition, emphasizing the shortcomings of traditional checklists and the need...

In this milestone 50th episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Mark celebrate a significant achievement by welcoming Brace McCoy, veteran and founder of the Veteran Email Program. Brace dives deep into the motivation and development of this groundbreaking initiative, designed to empower veterans in their career transitions. The Veteran Email Program offers personalized email addresses ending in .ve...

In this deeply inspiring episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Mark sit down with Shane Hicks, a West Point graduate, veteran, and the founder of RebootVA. Shane courageously opens up about his struggles with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after his military service and how those experiences fueled his passion to empower other veterans. Shane created Reboot...

In this compelling episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Mark engage in an insightful conversation with Kimberly Dinkins, a veteran with 14 years of active duty and over six years in the reserves. Now serving in external affairs at SK Battery America, Kimberly is a passionate advocate for veteran hiring and workforce integration. She shares her inspiring journey from military service to corporate...

Join us for an inspiring and heartfelt episode of VET S.O.S. as hosts Shawn and Mark sit down with Meghan Wald, a resilient breast cancer survivor and devoted wife of a Marine. Meghan has transformed her personal challenges into a mission to support veterans through the K9Hereoes4Heroes organization. Her journey began when she trained her German Shepherd, Fiona, as a support dog during her cancer...

Welcome to another transformative episode of VET S.O.S.! In Episode 46, we are joined by Trisha Houghton, a military and executive life coach dedicated to empowering veterans through holistic stress management and transition support. Drawing from her own experience overcoming a debilitating nervous system crash, Trisha now helps others reset their nervous systems and reclaim their lives. 🌟 What Y...

In this groundbreaking episode of VET S.O.S., hosts Shawn and Mark welcome Michael Cortina, a leading PTSD and trauma resolution expert, to explore his revolutionary Cortina Method. This cutting-edge, brain-based healing approach delivers life-changing results for trauma sufferers, achieving an astounding 88-90% resolution rate—often in a single session. Best of all, the method requires no relivin...

In this insightful episode of VET S.O.S., Shawn and Mark welcome Geoff Weber, a former US Navy intelligence officer turned entrepreneur, to discuss his groundbreaking work with Heirloom, a tech startup dedicated to preserving life's most precious moments. Geoff shares how Heirloom digitizes old media—like photos, VHS tapes, and more—into secure, cloud-based digital formats, offering the peace...

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of VET S.O.S., we welcome Dr. Gordon Sumner, a retired U.S. Army colonel and the CEO of Veterans Moving Forward. This extraordinary nonprofit organization is committed to providing fully trained service and emotional support dogs to veterans at no cost, offering hope, healing, and support to those who served our nation. 📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: -...

In this insightful episode of VET S.O.S., Shawn and Mark welcome Deb Curtis, founder of Small Business Finance Solutions LLC and a leading expert in small business acquisition financing through the Small Business Administration (SBA). With decades of experience in banking and business lending, Deb has dedicated her career to helping individuals, especially veterans, achieve their dreams of owning...

In this episode, we are joined by David Trenholm, a retired naval aviator, community leader, and current Vice President at Bank of America. David shares his remarkable journey from serving in the U.S. Navy to excelling in the corporate world, offering valuable insights and actionable advice for veterans navigating their own transitions. David’s story is a testament to the power of mentorship, netw...

In this deeply moving episode of VET S.O.S., Shawn and Mark sit down with Tiffany Martschink, a retired Army NCO, podcast host, and mental health advocate, to discuss the unique challenges veterans face in transitioning to civilian life. With 24 years of military service as a religious affairs NCO recruiter and instructor, Tiffany knows firsthand the struggle to redefine identity post-military. As...