Continuing the “My Military Story” Series, I talk about the end of Second Phase in Boot Camp. There is a hump at the end and everyone is supposed to do to make it up “The Reaper”.
This is a 700 Foot mountain that all MCRD San Diego Marines must go up. While not a hard graduation requirement, your squad mates and Drill Instructors won’t consider you a Marine unless you climb “The Reaper”. It was a brief moment in my life, but a moment I was happy to experience once I got to the top.
Many lessons can be learned from going up that hill. The one that sticks with me is simply, “Don’t Quit”. That lesson applies today as it did all those years ago.
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
Really enjoyed doing this show. I like getting to learn about Veterans who have started their own business or non-profits. John Currie is no exception. John flew helicopters in the Marine Corps and after getting out he and his wife Stacy started Semper Savage.
They make homemade salad dressings and marinades that are focused on quality and taste versus cost. I tried out the dressings and even though I am more of a carnivore, I enjoyed using the dressings to prepare meals. So much so, that once I looked at the label on dressings in the grocery store, I knew I couldn’t go back.
Listening to how John worked to bring this product to market and how Stacy helped him is a lesson in teamwork and leadership. The business landscape is challenging right now with COVID-19, but that is not stopping the Curries from moving forward with their product offerings. 2021 is shaping up to be a good year for Semper Savage. Thank you John for coming on to talk with me.
See below for more information on how you can connect with Semper Savage.
I talked with Rob Montminy, who along with others, used social media to create groups for Veterans to connect with each other.
The private Facebook Groups Masshole Marines and Masshole Veterans are proving effective for Veterans in the New England area to assist each other, socialize or support Veteran owned and operated businesses.
I feel this kind of advocacy is going to be normalized more and more versus a static location where the Veteran will need to travel to in order to feel connected to others who have served in the U.S Armed Forces.
Thanks Rob for sharing with me how this all works and what it takes to build successful relationships between people groups and regions. I am proud to be a Masshole Marine and Veteran. Semper Fidelis
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
“Don’t lick anything Weird and Wash your Damn Hands!” that is what the shirt says, but it means so much more.
Mistress Carrie was on #62 and #100 for Oscar Mike Radio. Mistress Carrie had worked at 107.3 WAAF in Boston for almost 30 years when the station was sold in early 2020. Combine that with COVID-19 and she realized she needed to adjust to a new reality fast.
Mistress started doing cellphone livestreams over Facebook Live called “Cocktails in the War Room” in March of 2020. It caught on and before you know it people like me who had listened to Mistress Carrie on the radio were tuning in to get connected. There were jokes, serious talk, Wednesday the Goth Pug doing her thing, and Mail Call. Before I knew it, it was the place to be during a time when there was no place to go.
Then one day Mistress had this idea. What if she had T-Shirts made and the sales of those T-Shirts went to help a Veterans Cause? The images below were made into T-Shirts. Mistress thought that she would sell maybe 300…… She sold almost 1000! The money went to the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation Food 4 Vets Program. This program provides food for Veterans in need. It was a great moment that showed how good can come out of anything.
That wasn’t all Mistress Carrie was doing from March when Cocktails in the War Room started till now. She has been working on putting together a company and get her podcast off the ground. You can catch her podcast on https://mistresscarriepodcast.simplecast.com/.
We spent time talking about the transition from WAAF DJ and Radio Personality to having to re-invent herself in today’s world where nothing is stable right now. In many ways her journey is like many of us transitioning out of the military. You have to make a plan, coordinate resources and network with other people who can help you achieve your goal. It doesn’t happen by itself.
As of this writing, her 7th podcast will have dropped. Even now Mistress Carrie’s podcast has been heard in almost every country on the planet. The Mistress is truly in flight.
It was an honor to have Mistress Carrie on for #200. I learn something each time and take a minute to think about how far I have come. I can’t wait to see what is next for her and hope to see you during Cocktails in the War Room! Thank you again Mistress.
On May 31st, the Shaw Memorial was defaced. This monument was created to honor the memory and service of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment. The Massachusetts 54th Regiment was an all black infantry unit that served honorably during the Civil War.
I talked to Shawn Quigley from the National Parks Service in Boston. I learned so much about the Massachusetts 54th, and what this monument means to the African American community.
There are lessons around the Massachusetts 54th and the Shaw Memorial that resonate in today’s world. The Shaw Monument is being renovated at this time. I am looking forward to seeing its unveiling in 2021.
Thank you Shawn for talking with me, I hope people will get a better appreciation of the service and sacrifices made by those who served in the Massachusetts 54th.
Thanks to my sponsors Joyce Asack, Mark Holmes and Shaun Schubert for supporting Veterans!
I watched a show with Coach Danielle Rocco (www.devotedtoasoldier) and Sarah Fausett of Sevins Grace Creations. It is always good to learn about Veterans who are working at growing their own business. Sarah served in the U.S. Navy.
After serving, Sarah used her G.I. Bill to get get her degree and masters. However, she got into making custom cups that started taking off. She made one for me and I wanted to talk to Sarah about what it takes to start a business. This is where the conversation got interesting. Sarah said it is up to us Veterans to be proactive in our medical care, education and professional development. Being proactive will get us further than complaining about what we can or can’t do about a situation. This is a message that we in the Veteran Community need to listen to as we go through our lives after we serve.
Sevins Grace is a place where you can get some unique custom gifts for yourself or someone else. I love my cup and it keeps my iced coffee cold for hours.
Check out the links below and get on the order list for Christmas!
Thank you Sarah for coming on Oscar Mike Radio! Sevins Grace on
