About Scotty:
Why Listen:
There is so much to love about today's interview. First of all on the professional side, Matt went from the Army National Guard and an unexpected departure into opening a series of nutrition supplement franchises that built up a skill set for him to then start his own performance supplement company, actually creating and selling many of these products, and then to his current role with company called Fit Ops which is doing absolutely unbelievable things in the military community training people physically, mentally, and emotionally,.
II just loved so much of what Matt had to share in this interview. We cover a lot of ground in this interview we talk about things like mentorship, finding clarity through, of all things daydreaming. Finding one's purpose through a combination of authenticity, excitement and discomfort. And we talk about letting your gut guide you in decisions. And I love in particular Matt's thoughts about not discounting yourself not counting yourself out from the dreams and aspirations that you have.
This is both an informative interview, but it's also a very inspirational conversation and I think you'll really enjoy this this episode.
I want to give a special thanks to the Carlson School of Management, whose financial sponsorship made this interview possible. I want to share a little bit more about them, because while many people talk about supporting the military community, the Carlson School of Management, put their money where their mouth was and literally gave us the funds to produce five or six new episodes which you'll see in the next couple of weeks. So whether you're transitioning to civilian career or continuing military service, an MBA from Carlson at the University of Minnesota prepares you for a high impact career in business. Carlson is committed to the veteran community and provides the benefits experiencial learning and network to accelerate your career. In addition to a resident tuition waiver all admitted full time MBA military candidates receive generous scholarships and stipends to cover expenses that may not be eligible for the GI Bill. If you're interested in learning more, you can email MBA at you. in.edu also in the show notes at beyond uniform.org I'll include this information as well. Thank you so much Carlson School of Management for your support. So with that, let's dive in to my conversation with Matt Hesse.
About Matt:
Matt Hesse is the Chairman & Founder of the FitOps, the CEO of Performix, and the Founder & CEO of COrr-Jensen. He also serves as an Advisory Council Member on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He served in the Army and National Guard for nearly five years, and was a multi unit franchise store owner for GNC.
In this episode, I share thoughts about freelance consulting work and why both Veterans and those on Active Duty should consider this sort of work, either as a side hustle or a full time career.
A quick announcement about brand new episodes coming your way, courtesy of financial support from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
Why Listen:
Today’s episode originally aired one year ago. Usually, when I do rebroadcasts, I like to go a lot further back then that, but Robin’s episode has been on my mind a lot lately. We got a one-star review on Apple Podcasts recently, after a 132 5-star review streak. The review criticized Beyond the Uniform for focusing on the 10% of Veterans who are most successful in their career transition. I feel that there is some truth there - I imagine it can be frustrating, especially for those of you who are approaching a career transition or who are experiencing difficulty in your transition - to constantly see stories of seemingly simple success. That’s certainly not my intention for this show. However, one of the things I loved about my conversation with Robin is her candor in her own 13 year journey of mistakes, pitfalls, and setbacks, that eventually led her to a job that she truly loves. I personally put Robin in a small category of people I have interviewed where it feels like she has felt her calling in her current career path, rather than simply a job. She talks about how the attributes that made her successful in the military were a liability in the civilian world - how she had to adapt her communication and response to corporate culture in order to be successful. We talk about her job in public service and why this sort of career may be very fulfilling to other veterans.
Additionally, Robin Brown is one of three Veterans spotlighted in the 30-minute documentary, Adventure Not War. I watched it and consider myself a movie aficionado -it’s fantastic. Google it - it’s also free. It is inspiring, to say the least.
If you like this interview, be sure to check out Episode #268 - How the Outdoors Saved My Life (Stacy Bare), as Stacy is featured in Adventure Not War along with Robin.
About Robin:
Robin Brown is the Executive Director at Grand Junction Economic Partnership, a non-profit organization that is your first point of contact if you are looking to expand or relocate your company to the Grand Junction, Colorado area. She served as an Army as an Aviation Officer flying OH-58s for 8 years, where she deployed twice to Iraq- first as an AS3, then as a Company Commander of an attack helicopter company. She is also a self-proclaimed "Army brat from a family of Army brats,” and her husband served as an Army pilot as well.
Our Sponsor:
StoryBox- People trust each other more than advertising. StoryBox provides the tools and supports businesses need to take the best things customers say about them, and use them to drive more sales and referrals. StoryBox offers a 10% discount to companies employing veterans of the US Armed Forces.
Audible is offering one FREE audio book to Beyond the Uniform listeners. You can claim this offer here, and see a list of books recommended by my guests at BeyondTheUniform.io/books