#zigszagsandpivots

There is an African proverb that says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Today, more leaders are leading distributed and hybrid teams than ever before. Their keys to success include trust in their teams, being responsive, and a relentless focus on team dynamics. Gregg Gregory, CSP, is an experienced speaker, trainer, and consultant. He is a national authority...

After two decades of fast-paced military service, it's natural that a person might wonder what it would be like "on the other side." When they transition from the military into the civilian sector, service members must shift from a collective identity to focusing on their personal identity.   Densmore Bartly retired from the US Army as a Chief Warrant Officer after serving 21 years. An accomplishe...

When we are pondering a life or career change, it is important to talk with people who are doing what we are considering. Learning about their path, including the opportunities they took and/or let pass by, and what they learned along the way provides valuable insight. Jon Sorid is a Senior Director of supply chain strategy and execution at Johnson and Johnson (J&J). During his 23 years at J&J, he...

Transitioning from the military into the civilian sector is challenging for everyone. Service members must shift their mindset away from team leadership to focusing on themselves. But, very often, they don't know who they are as individuals and feel very much alone.  Meet COL Brunnie Garcia, a distinguished leader who retired from the US Army after a 30-year career amidst the pandemic. Today, she...

Are You Okay? In this episode, James Jones talks with Lynn McKoy about the importance of being real about mental health, and how she faced her mental health head on! She hopes that by having honest conversations about mental health, silent sufferers will seek help and no longer feel alone.  A Washington, DC native, Lynn lives now in Durham, NC. She's a mother, wife, sister, and friend, who has wor...

From Connections to Kin: The Family Tree of Networking Growth James Jones talks with Jose Velazquez, a former sergeant major of Army Public Affairs, in this week's episode. Jose is a lifetime broadcaster who anchored the Army's award-winning flagship newscast. He's an early adopter of digital media and advocated for the US military to integrate social and digital media. He founded Velazquez Media...

How I Fired My Boss Robyn Grable, the CEO of Talents ASCEND, is James' guest for this episode. Robyn developed a skills-based hiring process that is proactive, intentional and inclusive for veterans, and the disability and justice-involved communities.  She is also the Founder of The ASCEND Collective: Veterans ASCEND, Ability ASCEND, Mission 2 ASCEND, the nonprofit arm of her company. Robyn is a...

How to Plan Your Military Descent James' guest for this episode is Ryan Padgett, who recently retired from the United States Air Force after distinguished career as a loadmaster on the C5 Galaxy aircraft. Ryan also served as a crisis intervention chaplain for the 1033 Foundation, offering stress awareness management, mitigation training, and specialized crisis intervention for first responders and...

From We to Me In this episode, James' guest is Juanita Chang Pettersen, COL, US Army (ret), a strategic communications expert with expertise in leading global communications campaigns. You'll hear them discuss her transition from the military, including her participation in the Leader Transition Institute's veteran transition program, Changing Focus: Moving From We to Me. Juanita shares some of he...

In Sickness and In Health When you've been told that there is nothing more the doctors can do for you, you have two choices: to live as if you're going to die or to live like you've got a future. Trent Brock is a three-time cancer survivor. In his words, "I was an IT dude by trade, but I started a kettle corn business with a guy that I met in the boxing gym randomly. They did not have kettle corn...

The Only Constant In Life Is Change Heraclitus (544 BC - 483 BC) is credited with saying, "There is nothing permanent except change." The trouble with this statement is that, in general, human beings are resistant to change. We'd prefer almost anything else happening to us than having to make a change. Kevin Dunlap is the founder and lead trainer of the Optimal Performance Academy, a platform and...

Who You Are Matters ... Take Time to Figure YOU Out When you're expecting a baby, you prepare, and prepare, and then you prepare some more. But once the baby arrives, your life is never what you think it was going to be. Zebrina Warner, James's guest for this episode, is Director Of Learning And Development for The Leadership & Coaching Center and co-author of The Leader's Choice: Bridging the Lea...

Riding Out the Storm When it rains, it sometimes pours … and then, sometimes it storms. This happens to us in our lives as well. We'll be dealing with one challenge, and then another comes along … and, then a crisis will pile on top of the stuff we're already dealing with. In 2017, author, speaker, and comedian Michael Cheshire wrote, "Life's most brutal storms leave us completely weak once they m...

When Change Takes Longer Than You Want Or Expect Change is a constant in our lives. Most of us would prefer less rather than more of it … and when we have to endure it, we'd rather just get it over with quickly than have it drag on for a long time.   James Jones's guest for this episode is Chad Jenkins. He's a veteran  and  entrepreneur, and describes himself as a high-energy enthusiast. He's a fo...

You Don't Have To Be Sick To Get Better Over the course of their careers, professional athletes spend thousands of hours practicing their sports. On top of that, they spend significant time working on their mindset. It's because there are times when their mindset will carry them through to success more than their ability or talent. DJ Eidson, the co-founder and President of Limitless Minds, works...

A New Chapter In this special episode, we embark on a seamless transition as we introduce James Jones as the new host of #zigszagsandpivots  Join us in celebrating this transition and embracing the future of our podcast. As always, thank you for your continued support and listenership. Hosted by: Annie Brock and James Jones | Release Date: August 23, 2023 | Duration: 29:32  Note: This episode mark...