It’s Our Turn to Serve!
THE MILITARY EFFECT
I wholeheartedly recommend Scott Manthorne’s “The Military Effect.” This book skillfully weaves together the stories of military veterans who have harnessed their training, discipline, and resilience to overcome challenges and excel in various fields. It beautifully highlights the unique qualities and perspectives that veterans bring to the table.
“The Military Effect” not only showcases the triumphs of these featured veterans but also imparts valuable lessons for anyone striving for success. It serves as a testament to the incredible potential within each veteran and serves as a reminder of the strength derived from their service.
Written in an engaging and compassionate manner, this book is a must-read for those seeking motivation and insight into the power of military service as a foundation for remarkable achievements in civilian life.
- John E. Michel, Brig. General, USAF (Ret)
Founder, Soulcial Kitchen and the Soulcial Solutions Foundation
Discover the Inspiring Stories of 50 Veterans
Veterans
The Military Effect brings you authentic narratives from fifty remarkable veterans, each sharing their personal journey and invaluable insights into overcoming the challenges of transition and achieving success in the world of business after their service to our country.
April Shprintz – Air Force
Blake Hogan – Marines
Brendan Aronson – Marines
Brett Whitsitt – Navy
Carrie Roeger – Marines
Christopher William Rohe – Air Force
Clint Musgrove – Army
Dallas Jamison – Navy
Dan Jarvis – Army
Diana Villa – Army
D.J. Vanas – Air Force
Garth Massey – Marines
Gene Moran – Navy
George Kovatch – Coast Guard
Heather Throne – Army
J Scot Heathman – Air Force
James “Bart” Bartelloni – Navy
Joe Musselman – Navy
Juliana Mercer – Marines
Juliana Vida – Navy
Katherine Rowe – Army
Kirsten Campbell Brunson – Army
Larisa Harrington – Air Force
Laura Noel – Air Force
Lindsey Streeter – Army
Mark Zinno – Army
Marlene Andersch – Air Force
Matthew Griffin – Army
Meaghan Mobbs – Army
Micah Niebauer – Army
Michelle “Mace” Curran – Air Force
Mike Sarraille – Navy
Misty Cook – Marines
Molly Jenks – Army
Neal Conlon – Marines
Patrick George – Marines
Robert Hamilton Owens – Air Force
Sal Filardi – Army
Shannon Potts – Marines
Stacy Raske – Army
Suzanne Lesko – Navy
Tameka Rushing – Air Force
Tammy Laird – Air Force
Tracey Jones – Air Force
Travis Mills – Army
Tyler Van Hook – Marines
Valerie Lavin – Army
Vian Morales – Army
Victoria Rydin Boncz – Air Force
Endorsers
Anne F. McDonald
Brigadier General, USA (Ret.)
President, Army Women’s Foundation
John E. Michel
Brigadier General, USA (Ret.)
Lori E. Reynolds
Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret.)
Patricia Abt George
USMA Class of 1988
Veteran, Operation Desert Storm
M.Ed, Vanderbilt University
Daughter, Sibling, Spouse and Mother of a U.S. Army Veteran
Richard Carmona
VADM (Ret.)
17th Surgeon General of The United States
Former US Army Special Forces combat veteran
Welcome to The Military Effect Initiative
"Changing the Narrative"
Welcome to The Military Effect Initiative
"Changing the Narrative"
Our Initiative is driven by powerful yet simple deliverables
- BEST PRACTICES. By fostering increased interaction within the military community, we strive to create a vibrant ecosystem where individuals can collaborate, exchange ideas, and discover new business opportunities. Our initiatives aim to bridge gaps, facilitate partnerships, and empower the industry as a whole.
- INDUSTRY RESEARCH. We are committed to advocating on behalf of the veteran employee, while proactively seeking to uncover new methodology that will positively impact the corporate community. This will be spearheaded by a quarterly published report of updated findings.
- RECOGNITION. The country needs more positive examples of our active duty service and veterans. To support this, we will launch two new platforms highlighting the vertical: A business awards show, and a literary book award (recognizing authors from each branch).
Join us in our mission to empower, elevate, and connect. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those who have served our country.
Register for Our Report
Lessons Learned
What it comes down to is one word and that's access. If you have access to the right people, the right resources and the right capital, your chances of being successful are better than if you don't.
By talking to people, and humbly seeking their advice and expertise, you can learn from them. Connect people, connect ideas, connect opportunities. People will like you and trust you if you speak their language. Take the time, and the knowledge will come.
Meeting someone where they're at and trying to explain things as simply as possible is an incredible skill set, super important. True mastery of a skill can be demonstrated by how simply you can explain it. If you ask me to explain physics or something, I'm not an expert and I probably would use words that I heard. But if you ask someone that's a true expert in that field, they can break it down so that even a marine like me could understand it. I think the capacity for teaching and explaining things simply is very helpful in business. Discipline & follow through, just doing the things that you say you're going to do. Putting in the level of effort needed and be proud of the outcome.
Embrace and fully engage in your journey – give it your all. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Never underestimate your experience or undervalue your capabilities due to the military; instead try to truly quantify those before you enter civilian society.
Assume everyone you meet can positively impact your life. Connect the right people at the right time. Find a mentor or find someone that can give you good advice. Hearing no is ok. Keep things simple, and just deliver the important stuff. Stretch beyond what is comfortable, be courageous. You have to ask for that next role. Don't wait for someone to tap you.
“Going into the Air Force because of falling flat on my face and then getting to a place where I tried again and was successful is something I draw on anytime that I feel like I’m failing. Living overseas teaches you how to build a community. You get to know people with different backgrounds and cultures, learn from them and find common ground that makes the world a smaller and more amazing place. Be proactive! In the military, we were taught to do whatever it takes to get the job done, I still live by that today.”
“If I ever committed to doing something, I would do it. It's OK to make mistakes. Tomorrow's a new day. How will I grow? Know what your strengths are. Know what your weaknesses are, play to your hand but in the background you hyper focus on what’s lacking. Strive daily to improve. To get what you need, you have to understand what the other person wants. You gotta pay it forward.”
“It's important to learn about the people and help develop relationships. Relationships matter. How you treat people matters. When you learn it, it's conversational.”
"Find ways to build camaraderie. I always liked being part of a good team. I was never the strongest soldier, never the fastest, never the brightest. But man, I was part of some amazing teams. no matter what you threw at us with unwavering optimism, we would find a path to success."
“Being an exceptional leader means you also have to be willing to be an intelligent follower. You don’t want to be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who know more than you, so you can grow. And you can only grow as far as your level of awareness will take you. Seeking mentorship is critical for success.”
“For leaders, timelines are often compressed. You don’t always get a fantasy draft of players to choose. But how you make the pieces fit together can create ripples in your team that lead to truly incredible things in the future. Leaders are Learners first - traveling the world professionally forced me to constantly view my team, my processes, and my idea of success from new angles. We were constantly adapting and improving because of it.”
An Author's Journey
I did not serve, nor do I come from a family that did. But I wanted to do something to say “Thank You” to those who have protected us from harm and given so much of themselves in doing so.
Through the generosity of two good friends (and veterans) and my professional network, I was quickly introduced to those who are featured in The Military Effect. In this writing journey I was humbled, I was honored, I was happy, I was touched. And, I made fifty new friends. It changed my life, gave me a new community and a purpose in life to serve our veterans.
I will forever be grateful. Each conversation allowed me to learn more about the men & women in our military and I began to understand. I hope that each story you read will be full of impact and value.
Lessons Learned
- A veteran embodies the best traits. Some of them include commitment, gratitude, honor, respect & service.
- It’s a family affair. So much of our military personnel comes from generations of veterans. A sense of duty and pride is passed down from generation to generation.
- Service to our country is not just a tour of duty, or even a career. It’s a lifelong commitment to the brothers & sisters each served with.
- Those who choose to serve are our greatest heroes. The sacrifices each make (and continue to) are the foundation for our way of life.
- Veterans are applauded on holidays, and often forgotten otherwise. But their fight never ends, as the memories of service leave oftentimes invisible injuries that never heal. This has to stop!
