Order of Man


155： Supporting Our Nation's Warriors ｜ Phil Randazzo


Episode Stats

Misogynist Sentences

2

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2


Summary

In this episode, I talk with my good friend Phil Randazzo about his 15 year mission to help our military members successfully transition into civilian life. We talk about why transitioning out of the military is so challenging, what our military should be doing prior to leaving service, how they can find a new battle to fight, and how we can support our nation s warriors.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 I spent time in the military, including an active duty tour to Iraq in 2005, 2006.
00:00:05.820 I know how hard it can be to transition from service to civilian life.
00:00:09.720 One of the most challenging things for me was to go from having a clear sense of direction
00:00:14.120 and purpose to not knowing what my next battle was.
00:00:17.680 I know a lot of our nation's warriors feel the same.
00:00:20.200 Today, I talk with my good friend, Phil Randazzo, about his 15-year mission to help our military
00:00:24.640 members successfully transition into civilian life.
00:00:27.680 I believe so much in what he and his organization are doing that I now sit on the board of advisors
00:00:32.100 for American Dream U.
00:00:34.080 Today, we talk about why transitioning out of the military is so challenging, what our
00:00:38.420 military members should be doing prior to leaving service, how they can find a new battle to
00:00:43.000 fight, and how we can support our nation's warriors.
00:00:45.880 You're a man of action.
00:00:47.380 You live life to the fullest.
00:00:48.840 Embrace your fears and boldly chart your own path.
00:00:51.780 When life knocks you down, you get back up one more time, every time.
00:00:55.860 You are not easily deterred or defeated, rugged, resilient, strong.
00:01:01.300 This is your life.
00:01:02.380 This is who you are.
00:01:03.800 This is who you will become.
00:01:05.520 At the end of the day, and after all is said and done, you can call yourself a man.
00:01:10.980 Gentlemen, what is going on today?
00:01:12.240 My name is Ryan Michler, and I am the host and founder of this podcast, The Order of Man.
00:01:17.460 I want to welcome you, whether you're new or have been listening in for three years,
00:01:21.080 to the best show on the interwebs for becoming a better man.
00:01:26.100 I am interviewing the world's most successful men, from warriors to athletes, New York Times,
00:01:31.360 best-selling authors, scholars, you name it.
00:01:33.360 If they're doing good things, big things in their lives, I'm interviewing them.
00:01:37.200 We're extracting their knowledge, and then we're delivering that straight to you through
00:01:41.460 this podcast.
00:01:42.060 So I want to welcome you to the show today.
00:01:44.540 We need more men in this fight, guys.
00:01:46.500 We need more men in this fight.
00:01:47.680 It's amazing to me how much this has grown over the past three years, but as I'm always
00:01:52.040 saying, we need to have more guys anxiously engaged in this battle of reclaiming what
00:01:56.760 it means to be a better man.
00:01:58.240 So if you would, I would ask that, number one, you would go ahead and share this show.
00:02:02.120 Just share it with one person, two people, your brother, your dad, your colleagues, your
00:02:05.720 coworkers, your friends, whoever that may be, and specifically this show, if you would
00:02:09.920 share it with a member of the military.
00:02:12.200 We're going to talk about military life.
00:02:13.760 We're going to talk about transitioning into civilian life, which millions and millions
00:02:17.820 of our soldiers and Marines and veterans are doing, and I want to make sure they have the
00:02:22.480 information that I'm going to share.
00:02:23.540 So make sure you share this episode that you share this show.
00:02:26.060 I would appreciate if you did now, only a couple of quick announcements before we get
00:02:30.440 into the meat of the discussion today.
00:02:32.040 I want to talk with you about building a band of brothers.
00:02:34.760 This is something that gets brought up in our order of man, Facebook group all the time.
00:02:39.220 And it is so, so important.
00:02:40.740 And I think one of the most helpful things in my life is building a band of brothers.
00:02:44.620 This is a group of men who are dedicated and committed to growing their own lives and being
00:02:49.180 successful in their own lives, but they also want to help you be successful in yours.
00:02:52.940 And we've actually got two resources for building your band of brothers, because what I've noticed
00:02:57.980 when I started this journey, probably nine years ago of becoming a better man, it was very
00:03:02.940 difficult for me to find other men who wanted to do the same things that I did.
00:03:07.620 So I just went out and created it and that's what order of man is.
00:03:10.720 And that's what we're doing here.
00:03:11.740 So two quick resources that you are definitely going to want to check out.
00:03:15.840 Number one is we've got our digital band of brothers, and this is called the iron council.
00:03:20.460 This is a group of 360 men from all over the planet who are engaging in assignments and
00:03:27.220 challenges.
00:03:27.760 We're having some very, very focused conversations on the topic of building wealth and getting in
00:03:33.060 better shape and overcoming loss and building businesses.
00:03:37.640 I mean, you name it.
00:03:38.440 If you want to have a discussion about it, we are having some of these conversations.
00:03:42.300 And then of course, and this is a big deal when it comes to building a band of brothers,
00:03:46.240 we've got the accountability in place and that accountability to yourself and to other
00:03:52.240 men is really, I think what separates guys who talk about wanting to improve their lives
00:03:57.340 and the guys who actually do improve their lives.
00:03:59.660 So if you feel like you're stagnant, you feel like you want something more out of life,
00:04:03.540 whether that's increased health or money in the bank account or the new business, whatever
00:04:07.920 it may be, the iron council may be a great resource for you.
00:04:11.340 You can check it out and you can join us at order of man.com slash iron council.
00:04:16.100 Now, the second resource that I wanted to share with you along the idea of building your band
00:04:20.480 of brothers is our three and a half day experience in the mountains of Southern Utah.
00:04:25.500 It's going to be held May 3rd through the 6th, 2018.
00:04:28.440 And what I've noticed, we've done two of these now.
00:04:30.860 What I've noticed is that the men who come to this event, who attend these events are
00:04:35.120 still maintaining contact long after these experiences are over.
00:04:39.320 That's because they've been pushed, tested mentally, physically, emotionally together.
00:04:43.700 They've gone through this.
00:04:45.000 They've talked about their challenges and their struggles and they've helped each other
00:04:47.720 in a period of three and a half days really forges a very, very powerful relationship that
00:04:54.040 I didn't fully anticipate happening when I decided to launch the uprising experiences.
00:04:58.840 So if you want to connect with other men, whether that's digitally or locally, you want
00:05:03.040 to find other men who are doing big things in their lives and by default will naturally
00:05:07.980 help you do big things in yours.
00:05:10.020 Then again, it's the two resources.
00:05:11.600 It's the iron council, the digital band of brothers, order of man.com slash iron council.
00:05:16.200 And then it's our three and a half day experience.
00:05:18.700 In fact, our first experience, we call ourselves the terrible 20 and we all stay in contact
00:05:24.360 because we went through that together.
00:05:25.940 You can find out more about that May 3rd through the 6th, 2018 at order of man.com slash uprising
00:05:32.800 order of man.com slash uprising.
00:05:35.140 So those are the two announcements I wanted to share with you today.
00:05:37.520 I'm really anxious to get into this conversation.
00:05:39.860 I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to introduce you to my friend, Phil Randazzo.
00:05:45.160 Him and I met about a year ago through some mutual acquaintances.
00:05:49.660 And since then we began working together with his organization, American Dream U.
00:05:53.780 He's an extremely, extremely successful business owner working in the financial services industry.
00:05:57.740 But more important than that is this 15 year journey that he's been on to help transition
00:06:02.900 our nation's warriors.
00:06:04.920 I can tell you that this is a man who has his heart in the right place.
00:06:08.380 We've had plenty of conversations about that and he's genuinely, genuinely concerned with
00:06:13.280 helping our veterans.
00:06:14.400 He's been invited to the White House.
00:06:16.540 He's testified in front of Congress on the behalf of veterans.
00:06:19.620 He's been given a key to the city of Las Vegas, commissioned as a member of the Veterans
00:06:23.740 Service Commission.
00:06:24.780 So needless to say, he's committed to the work.
00:06:27.920 And again, I couldn't be more proud to be part of his organization and call Phil a friend.
00:06:34.080 Phil, what's going on, man?
00:06:35.140 Thanks for joining me on the show today.
00:06:36.680 Hey, thanks, Ryan.
00:06:37.740 Yeah, I've been looking forward to this for some time.
00:06:39.420 I was in the military and I know a lot of guys that are listening to this podcast are
00:06:43.380 or have been in the military.
00:06:45.140 And I think there's some real challenges with transitioning from their service into civilian
00:06:51.900 life.
00:06:52.680 And that's what you guys are addressing.
00:06:53.980 I was thinking about this, even before we hit record on this podcast, we have a lot of
00:06:58.940 people in common and we know a lot of people mutually.
00:07:02.080 And if there's one like underlying theme between who I know and who you know, it's you.
00:07:08.540 You seem to be everywhere.
00:07:10.060 So I'm excited to have you on the show, man.
00:07:12.360 I appreciate that.
00:07:13.400 I mean, looking at your guest of speakers that you've had, it's just tremendous.
00:07:16.980 And congratulations on all your success on that, right?
00:07:19.420 So tell me about a little bit about American Dream U, which is your organization.
00:07:24.080 You've been going for quite a while now, but really at the end of the day, the goal is
00:07:26.960 to help these guys transition and gals to transition into civilian life.
00:07:30.720 But tell me a little bit about what the mission is.
00:07:32.600 You know, it started back in 2003, a week after the Iraq war started.
00:07:37.120 I never served, Ryan.
00:07:38.320 I looked into joining after 9-11 and just was medically disqualified.
00:07:42.300 And so, I mean, you were there, you were in Iraq.
00:07:44.440 I mean, it was a whole bunch of young men and women serving our country.
00:07:47.480 I felt like there wasn't a whole bunch of, I don't want to say support, but I thought
00:07:51.920 as civilians, we could do more.
00:07:54.200 And the program, after about 10 years, we helped to wounded their families.
00:07:56.920 We helped build fisher homes and we were early on contributors to Wounded Warrior Project.
00:08:01.880 And then five years ago, I asked a friend of mine who was a colonel at the time.
00:08:06.320 Now he's a four-star general.
00:08:07.900 I said, what can we do to help support?
00:08:09.360 And he says, you know, for some, the transition can be difficult.
00:08:11.900 And so I had the idea just to bring entrepreneurs and different thinkers to military bases and
00:08:17.940 have them share with what's possible next.
00:08:20.220 And that's kind of how it evolved.
00:08:21.880 And that was about 85 events ago.
00:08:24.500 And we've had 17,000 attendees and honored to have you, you know, you speak as well at
00:08:29.220 one of the events.
00:08:30.140 I mean, it was such a cool experience.
00:08:31.760 I actually went out to Fort Sill, which is where I did basic training.
00:08:34.860 And it was really nice to go under there under a different set of circumstances than I did
00:08:39.540 before.
00:08:40.460 But it's pretty amazing when I step back and take a look at what you guys are doing.
00:08:45.040 What do you see as being some common threads or themes that our soldiers and Marines are
00:08:51.720 having a difficult time when it comes to transitioning?
00:08:54.760 The thing we hear most is, you know, I'm only an infantry guy or I only did this or I only
00:08:59.940 did that and I don't have a college degree.
00:09:02.320 And so I'm not qualified to do anything.
00:09:03.660 And we just kind of, you know, as civilians, we kind of look at them and go, do you guys
00:09:07.220 work well with teams?
00:09:08.640 Do you show up on time?
00:09:10.100 You put the mission first, but they're surrounded by a whole bunch of other Marines and soldiers
00:09:15.020 who all do that, right?
00:09:17.100 Getting it through kind of a new mindset that they have what this country is looking for,
00:09:22.660 Ryan.
00:09:22.920 They're looking for leadership.
00:09:24.580 And unfortunately, and I know this is what you're all about, this country, in my opinion,
00:09:29.300 is lacking leadership.
00:09:30.240 And I think this generation of Iraq and Afghan vets can provide that leadership.
00:09:35.140 So we try to instill that, yes, they have the abilities to go out and lead, whether it's
00:09:40.660 a small organization or a large organization.
00:09:42.480 So if I could just say anything to anyone listening to this that might be in the process of transitioning
00:09:47.400 is that you guys have what civilians and what organizations are looking for.
00:09:52.980 It seems to me like a bit of a confirmation bias in a way.
00:09:56.200 I mean, they look around, for example, and see everybody works well as a team.
00:10:00.080 Everybody's disciplined because that's the requirement and that's what is expected of
00:10:03.620 you.
00:10:03.980 And that's what you see around.
00:10:05.580 And yet, I think that's probably not as common in the civilian sector at all from my experience.
00:10:13.840 And that's a very translatable skill.
00:10:16.560 I'm fortunate I own at least a handful of businesses.
00:10:18.940 One of my companies has over 300 employees.
00:10:21.480 Ryan, I can't get people to show up on time.
00:10:23.300 Yeah.
00:10:23.540 And when they do show up on time, they're on social media.
00:10:26.500 You know, they're waiting for everyone else to do the work.
00:10:28.200 So it's frustrating as a civilian business owner.
00:10:31.820 So that's why I try to hire as many veterans as possible.
00:10:34.440 Do you see that there's certain areas of the civilian sector, whether that's, I don't
00:10:39.720 know, construction or starting businesses?
00:10:42.620 I mean, where are these people thriving the most in your experience?
00:10:46.740 Again, after years of doing this and 15,000, 17,000 plus, a lot of soldiers, Marines, you
00:10:54.120 know, et cetera, love to use their hands.
00:10:55.820 I love to work.
00:10:56.560 I love to be outdoors.
00:10:57.620 I think you're one of them, right?
00:10:59.160 Definitely.
00:10:59.800 Definitely.
00:11:00.360 Yeah.
00:11:01.080 And so some of them are thriving doing just that.
00:11:04.600 Carpenters, plumbers, leading outdoor adventures, those type of things.
00:11:08.560 And others are super tech savvy where, you know, the military are leaders when it comes
00:11:14.040 to everything from drones to communications.
00:11:15.980 And some of them just thrive coding or leading.
00:11:19.320 And then, as you know, and you've interviewed a lot of them, everyone from Daniel at Grunstile
00:11:24.220 to Griff at Combat Flip Flops to all these amazing veteran-owned businesses, the military
00:11:30.040 teaches, whether they know it or not, leadership to become an amazing entrepreneur.
00:11:34.200 Absolutely.
00:11:34.640 Absolutely.
00:11:35.980 Yeah.
00:11:36.520 I mean, that's true.
00:11:37.620 A lot of the people that I talk with who are business owners have some military service
00:11:42.520 in their background.
00:11:44.020 Do you find that the people that are transitioning out of the military, majority of them are retiring
00:11:50.100 or are they just finishing up their enlistment contract?
00:11:53.540 What do you see?
00:11:54.620 Yeah.
00:11:55.040 I mean, it's like 90-some percent are those that are just finishing up their contract.
00:12:00.380 They're not retiring.
00:12:01.440 So they don't have that kind of retirement, you know, salary to kind of for a runway.
00:12:06.060 So, yeah, the majority of them are, we're seeing are one or two-term guys, mid-20s.
00:12:10.700 Typically, they don't have a college education and they feel like, or maybe they're told that
00:12:15.420 that's, they need that college degree.
00:12:17.840 They need that certificate, which in my opinion, I'm a college graduate, but I don't think that
00:12:21.900 paper's worth as much as it used to be worth.
00:12:24.560 And so they're struggling with that.
00:12:26.280 So their first instinct is to go back to school, you know, and get a degree.
00:12:30.580 And we hear it all the time around like, yeah, I want to start my own business.
00:12:32.800 I'm going to get a business degree.
00:12:33.740 I'm like, what class has he taken now?
00:12:35.620 They're like, well, the history of the Beatles and I'm taking this.
00:12:38.120 I'm like, dude, you know, you're going to get so frustrated before you hit the classes
00:12:43.100 that you think might help you start a business.
00:12:45.760 You got to just, you know, go do it on your own.
00:12:48.120 Yeah.
00:12:48.540 Yeah.
00:12:49.080 And what's really fascinating about this is there was a video that just came out recently
00:12:53.100 and I don't know if you've seen this video or heard it or not, but this school teacher
00:12:57.160 belittling a student, this is in the LA area, I think, belittling a student who had a Marines
00:13:02.900 sweatshirt on and basically talking about how the military is uneducated and the lowest
00:13:09.880 of the low.
00:13:10.540 And although there may be some truth to that when it comes to a degree, I think that the
00:13:15.780 military is not a last resort option.
00:13:19.280 I think these are intelligent people using an opportunity to get ahead and to grow and
00:13:24.300 to have some experiences.
00:13:25.320 It's amazing what I hear from some of this, but I don't think that's a general consensus.
00:13:28.720 It's just amazing.
00:13:29.880 Some of the garbage and nonsense that I hear from some of these very few people.
00:13:33.720 Yeah.
00:13:34.100 And, you know, I've said this and I have three kids.
00:13:35.940 They all graduated from college.
00:13:37.220 They all played sports, you know, and I've said this in front of them and I've kind of
00:13:40.440 got them upset.
00:13:41.060 You know, I'd rather hire, you know, one term Marine or one term soldier, airman, sailor
00:13:45.880 with the experience they've had versus someone with a liberal arts degree in college.
00:13:51.180 I mean, to me, it's a no brainer when it comes to that.
00:13:53.580 So I'll have to check out that video, but that's, it sounds disgusting to me, to be
00:13:56.960 honest with you.
00:13:57.620 Yeah.
00:13:58.100 Yeah, it really is.
00:13:59.400 So what do you see as being the biggest challenge then?
00:14:02.540 I mean, we've talked a little bit about the transition can be difficult and of course that
00:14:06.700 maybe they don't think they're qualified.
00:14:08.080 And so they immediately run into college, which I don't think in and of itself is necessarily
00:14:11.880 bad as long as it has purpose to it.
00:14:14.140 But what are some of the biggest hurdles when transitioning out of the military?
00:14:18.680 So what we've heard, and I make calls every week, is that, you know, you leave this tribe
00:14:23.140 of brothers, brothers and sisters, and you have this identity that comes with the uniform
00:14:27.820 and serving the nation.
00:14:29.520 And when you take that uniform off, it's no different than we've had a lot of professional
00:14:32.540 athletes come speak at our program.
00:14:35.400 That identity stays in the locker room or stays back at Fort Silla, wherever you served.
00:14:41.320 And so that's what we're seeing as the most difficult part of the transition is missing that
00:14:45.380 tribe and that identity and that mission driven.
00:14:49.360 So how do we recreate that?
00:14:51.220 That's what we're working on right now, Ryan.
00:14:52.900 And you were on a call last week because you're part of the leadership team here.
00:14:56.200 It's a big challenge for us to get connected with these men and women and let them know
00:15:02.240 it's very, very important to build that community and that tribe once you get out.
00:15:07.620 So, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on that because I know you left and a big part
00:15:11.700 of you serving was your identity there.
00:15:14.520 Well, and it's really interesting you bring that up because if you ask people to tell you
00:15:19.060 a little bit about them, usually what they'll say is they'll tell you their job, right?
00:15:23.220 And they use that as the identifier, the main identifier for who they are.
00:15:28.340 And that might be what you do, but I don't really think that's an indicator of who you are
00:15:32.380 because there's a lot of skills, like you said earlier, that can transition, whether
00:15:36.200 that's discipline, teamwork, commitment, dedication, that can translate perfectly into so many
00:15:41.560 different areas.
00:15:42.420 You are so much more than just your job or your title.
00:15:45.900 And I can see that being a very real challenge.
00:15:48.340 How do you suggest a soldier or Marine build the type of tribe or support unit that you're
00:15:55.420 talking about?
00:15:56.300 I know it's a challenge because these guys are bouncing around every two to five years
00:15:59.580 and that can be a very difficult thing to do.
00:16:02.520 Yeah.
00:16:02.700 You know, that's a big problem, Ryan, right?
00:16:04.280 You know, I wrote a book called Mission Next and interviewed over a hundred amazing, successful
00:16:09.140 veterans and a good portion of them left where they were from because they knew the handful
00:16:14.420 of people they hung out with weren't good influences.
00:16:17.520 So to go to leave the military, wherever you bounce around and go home and then hang
00:16:21.880 out with a handful of people that maybe you shouldn't be hanging out with could be trouble.
00:16:26.440 Absolutely.
00:16:27.080 And we've heard that.
00:16:27.800 So the challenge is finding the right organization, tribe, whether some key people.
00:16:34.500 And that also may mean that you might have to kind of disconnect yourself from those friends,
00:16:38.400 you know, if you go home and some family members.
00:16:40.760 Honestly, I mean, I have some family members who are just a drag, right?
00:16:44.600 Negative.
00:16:45.560 And being around that is not helpful.
00:16:47.580 So build some civilian relationships while you're in the military.
00:16:51.600 There are people like me, a lot of other people that want to develop relationships and
00:16:56.080 connections.
00:16:56.700 And so one of the things that we teach, and you're a master at this, is connections and
00:17:01.120 making connections and building relationships outside the military.
00:17:04.480 So that would be the biggest thing.
00:17:05.660 But it's hard.
00:17:06.660 I mean, I'm struggling with it as a civilian.
00:17:09.780 Sure.
00:17:10.400 Sure.
00:17:10.880 I have very few, and I don't want to get into all my issues and problems because I got a
00:17:15.620 ton of them.
00:17:16.120 We don't have time on this show.
00:17:17.920 We go for hours, right?
00:17:19.140 We go for hours.
00:17:20.340 Yeah.
00:17:20.640 I mean, it's an identity thing and it's super difficult to do.
00:17:23.860 And that's a big part of what I'm doing and what we're trying to teach.
00:17:26.840 And what I share at the basis is building that community outside the gates.
00:17:31.880 Yeah, I can see that.
00:17:32.700 I mean, obviously your network is critical.
00:17:34.840 It's so, so important.
00:17:36.080 And as I improve my network, every other metric of my life is enhanced and improved.
00:17:41.000 It's pretty fascinating.
00:17:42.520 One of the things that I was thinking about is when I was in Iraq, again, that was 2005,
00:17:47.420 2006, I actually took some of my study materials.
00:17:50.780 So my insurance and investment exam study materials to Iraq on a leave.
00:17:55.740 So, so I brought them back to Iraq and in my downtime, I would study and I actually took
00:18:01.660 a couple of college classes and then came back and pass those exams.
00:18:05.500 But it was really interesting because I saw a lot of guys who were doing, you know, marathons
00:18:09.880 of the TV show, 24 or all of their time was just spent, who knows what they were doing
00:18:15.700 in their downtime.
00:18:17.240 What would you say about that and how soldiers and Marines can use their time effectively in
00:18:24.060 service so that they're more prepared when they transition?
00:18:26.880 You said that perfectly.
00:18:28.020 So, yeah, we go to these bases.
00:18:29.500 We're like, all right, what are you guys doing to prepare to leave?
00:18:32.540 We don't have time.
00:18:33.280 Sure.
00:18:33.380 We don't have time.
00:18:34.000 Sure.
00:18:34.120 And I'm like, okay, well, what'd you do this weekend?
00:18:36.220 Well, we did some Xbox 360, you know, we hit Game of Thrones.
00:18:41.120 I'm like, yep, that's, and you saw it, right?
00:18:43.760 You serve with guys who on their downtime were doing, right?
00:18:46.540 So I'm like, just carve out two hours a week, just two hours a week.
00:18:51.180 Plus your net time, your no extra time when you're commuting to work, to the base, when
00:18:56.460 you're working out and download a podcast or listen to a TED talk or an audible book
00:19:03.220 or something.
00:19:03.860 And we all have this extra time and just try it for two hours and see what it does.
00:19:08.360 And I mean, I can just tell you right now, if people listen to a handful of your podcast,
00:19:12.320 it's going to get them hooked on becoming self-educated.
00:19:16.100 I mean, I don't know if I shared my grades when you spoke at Fort Sill.
00:19:19.720 You did.
00:19:20.040 Yeah.
00:19:20.160 You brought those up on the screen, actually.
00:19:22.160 Oh, brutal.
00:19:22.680 Brutal.
00:19:23.060 I mean, my senior year, I had a 1.8.
00:19:24.780 I couldn't play sports.
00:19:25.740 I mean, I went to high school to play sports.
00:19:27.380 I didn't know why they had classrooms in high school.
00:19:29.440 I mean, to me, it was ridiculous.
00:19:31.320 It was all about sports.
00:19:32.200 Same thing.
00:19:32.560 I couldn't get into college.
00:19:33.560 I went to junior college and somehow I made it to college.
00:19:36.420 So traditional learning wasn't for me.
00:19:38.500 But boy, I am hooked on learning.
00:19:41.140 And again, I'm not telling someone not to have some downtime and watch some TV.
00:19:44.980 That's all great.
00:19:45.640 But just carve out a few hours a week.
00:19:47.680 And I mean, look, I mean, you hit the ground running when you came back and you passed all
00:19:50.660 these tests and courses and it set yourself up for a business.
00:19:54.720 And there's no reason why all different branches of service and spouses couldn't improve their
00:20:01.300 life by doing that.
00:20:03.120 Obviously, it's more difficult because you have to exert yourself and you have to have
00:20:06.720 some initiative to be able to figure out what it is you need to do.
00:20:10.340 But I think the military can be such a powerful tool to be able to grow and expand while you're
00:20:16.060 in service.
00:20:16.580 But then also that you can utilize that time effectively to really set yourself up in a
00:20:22.500 very powerful way moving into your civilian life.
00:20:25.300 Yeah.
00:20:25.760 And let me just put this out there.
00:20:27.080 So, you know, I mentioned my grades and, you know, I was most likely in high school to
00:20:31.960 do absolutely nothing.
00:20:32.780 Right.
00:20:33.340 I don't know if I was like the gas station attendant guy or the bus, you know, the dishwasher,
00:20:37.620 whatever the case may be.
00:20:38.640 So don't look at your grades and what other people think of you in terms of your education,
00:20:44.060 just like this teacher ripped this kid with a Marine T-shirt on.
00:20:48.100 Don't look at that because you and I both know people that we're smarter than, but they're
00:20:52.800 more successful.
00:20:53.540 They have better relationships.
00:20:55.340 They're happier than us.
00:20:57.240 Don't look at your skills in terms of your education as a way to move forward because
00:21:02.780 I don't even know if I just said that right.
00:21:04.640 But what I'm saying is I'm not that smart of a guy and I've done okay.
00:21:08.320 And you and I know a whole bunch of people that aren't smart, but just have that determination
00:21:11.620 and that focus to push through and get it done.
00:21:14.920 I think if there's one trait that you need to possess of the two, I mean, both would be nice,
00:21:19.500 but if you had to choose one, I would say resilience, toughness, fortitude, grit, the ability to figure
00:21:27.200 things out and your level of education, formal education, smarts isn't really as important
00:21:34.180 as just grinding your way through things at times.
00:21:36.560 Yeah.
00:21:37.460 We mentioned, you know, Daniel from Grunt Style.
00:21:39.800 He's had one college credit and that was, I think, a health class because he had in the
00:21:44.860 army, he took first aid, right?
00:21:47.620 And he talks about GTS and that's how he started Grunt Style.
00:21:51.740 It's Google that and then the S word.
00:21:53.640 That's how he started.
00:21:54.860 That's how he learned.
00:21:56.300 And he'd be the first to tell you, I just built a team around me to help me succeed.
00:21:59.800 So let me just say something about, about being a, a father and a dad and just a mistake.
00:22:06.160 And I've shared this with people.
00:22:07.940 So if I can just rip just for about 30 seconds, of course, yeah, I've been married 26 years.
00:22:13.140 A few years back, my wife literally came to me and said, 90% of the time, Phil, you're
00:22:18.460 an amazing husband, an amazing dad, but 2% of the time, you're just a dick.
00:22:23.460 You get angry.
00:22:24.680 I have no idea why you get angry.
00:22:26.440 You get frustrated, all this kind of stuff.
00:22:28.740 And what happened was I had a whole bunch of anger and resentment towards my family.
00:22:33.380 It's horrible to say, because I was working 10, 12 hours a day doing something.
00:22:37.200 I hated my day job.
00:22:38.700 I don't get paid for American dream.
00:22:40.000 You.
00:22:40.120 I love it.
00:22:40.580 I wish I could do it a hundred hours a week, but I almost lost my marriage over not being
00:22:46.280 authentic to myself and just being a jerk.
00:22:49.400 Right.
00:22:49.720 I mean, we make all these decisions all day.
00:22:52.140 I'd get home and my wife would be like, Hey, what do you want for dinner?
00:22:54.540 I'm like, whatever you want to make me.
00:22:55.940 No, I want to make you something special.
00:22:57.220 Do you want chicken?
00:22:57.660 I'm like, I don't care whatever you want.
00:22:59.460 Like the third time I'm like, just effing feed me.
00:23:02.960 Right.
00:23:03.420 I can't make another decision today.
00:23:05.400 And I remember saying this at a base and the guy in the front row was like, amen, brother,
00:23:09.700 you're in my kitchen.
00:23:10.760 Right.
00:23:11.360 And so as men, we need to be conscious of this.
00:23:14.760 And I know, and again, I'm not a veteran, but I know those that are listening that have
00:23:18.700 gone through this, just be conscious about it and be authentic to yourself.
00:23:23.400 And I was chasing the wrong things, Ryan.
00:23:25.700 I was chasing financial success.
00:23:27.220 I was trying to be as successful as people that I hung around with.
00:23:30.640 It was a losing game.
00:23:31.940 It was a losing game.
00:23:33.040 And it got me frustrated, angry, and resentful.
00:23:35.980 I mean, I've been there too.
00:23:38.500 I'm in the same boat and my wife can attest to that as well.
00:23:41.660 You know, it's interesting you bring this up because with order of man, we've been going
00:23:45.640 at this for three years now, and I've never been more satisfied and content and fulfilled
00:23:51.760 in my life.
00:23:52.680 But I think that's a testament to what you're saying is that you're finding something that
00:23:56.140 you're passionate about, that you're enthusiastic about, that you're engaged in, that really
00:24:00.340 fires you up.
00:24:01.320 So I guess my follow-up question to that would be, how does a transitioning military member
00:24:07.220 begin to find what that would actually look like for them?
00:24:11.060 Yeah, that's the difficult part because I'm still actually searching myself.
00:24:14.660 But what I've discovered is, first off, there's very little correlation between making a ton
00:24:19.820 of money and happiness.
00:24:20.920 And you and I both know this.
00:24:22.040 We know people that are super successful financially and they're miserable.
00:24:25.300 They're not healthy, all that kind of stuff.
00:24:26.720 So I'm actually going back to when I was a child and looking at what got me excited,
00:24:31.860 what got me interested, what could attract my focus that I could actually focus on stuff.
00:24:37.400 And that's where I started.
00:24:38.560 And so, you know, I ask a lot of soldiers, I'm like, what do you do on the weekends?
00:24:41.680 Oh, I build apps or, oh, I work on my car, my all these type of things.
00:24:47.560 And look for areas that you lose track of time and just see where you can make some money
00:24:53.620 from those type of things.
00:24:54.680 And again, it's tough because a lot of these, you know, men and women getting out have families
00:24:59.460 and they have to support them.
00:25:00.520 And the financial stress of just having to pay bills is difficult.
00:25:06.140 But it might take three or four different jobs, you know, Ryan, to figure out where you
00:25:11.140 fit in and where your tribe is or a dozen different jobs.
00:25:13.900 But try not to get frustrated with that discovery process because like you and I both know, I
00:25:18.800 mean, we're not young kids.
00:25:20.640 I mean, you're a young kid, actually.
00:25:21.560 But it's a process to figure this stuff out.
00:25:24.220 And I don't know if you have any ideas for the listeners on that, because I know you're
00:25:27.100 in your zone.
00:25:28.560 Well, I think you bring up a really good point.
00:25:30.080 It's like, what are you doing when you lose track of time?
00:25:32.240 Another question that I've asked before is, what are people asking you for advice on?
00:25:36.660 They recognize something in you that you may not even recognize in yourself.
00:25:40.240 And I think when you start to answer these type of questions, you can see some common
00:25:43.480 themes.
00:25:44.360 But you bring up a really good point, too, of starting a business even while you're in
00:25:48.900 the service.
00:25:49.740 And I don't know if there's any rules or regulations against doing this, but I think
00:25:54.180 it's fully possible for a military member to build a thriving business.
00:25:59.840 That might be a digital business, but a thriving business while in service.
00:26:03.960 Have you seen that before?
00:26:05.000 Oh, for sure.
00:26:05.800 For sure.
00:26:06.260 And from what we understand, and again, we're not part of the DOD or anything, but yes, you
00:26:10.240 can start your own business.
00:26:11.960 And we've worked with some men and women and spouses who have actually started their
00:26:15.860 business while in the military.
00:26:17.640 And it gives them that runway, right?
00:26:19.120 I mean, they've got three squares a day and some housing and insurance and all that kind
00:26:23.580 of stuff.
00:26:23.980 So a fantastic idea, Ryan, is to start your business while you're still in the military.
00:26:29.540 And there's tons of resources out there that are free that soldiers could obtain to get
00:26:34.440 that business started.
00:26:36.260 Guys, as I mentioned before, the uprising is now roughly 60 days away.
00:26:41.240 It's going to be held May 3rd through the 6th, 2018.
00:26:43.700 And we have eight spots guys, just eight spots remaining.
00:26:46.900 If you're new to the show or order of man, the uprising again is a three and a half day
00:26:51.000 experience.
00:26:51.760 And we call it an experience for a reason.
00:26:53.520 It's in the mountains of Southern Utah.
00:26:55.140 This isn't your typical corporate retreat where you sit down and some stuffy conference
00:26:59.900 room and hear people talk to you or at you for three days.
00:27:03.560 This is an intense and an involved experience where you'll team up with other men.
00:27:07.820 You'll compete against other teams and physical and mental and emotional challenges designed
00:27:12.300 to push you and get you thinking about life differently.
00:27:14.980 I've had a lot of people ask me what all is included in this event, and I don't give them
00:27:19.080 that information.
00:27:19.780 I give you an overview, the 30,000 foot view, but part of the experience is the element
00:27:24.660 of surprise.
00:27:25.760 But I can assure you it is a life changing experience of the men who have come to these
00:27:30.500 events in the past.
00:27:31.340 I can tell you that their lives were very stagnant.
00:27:34.020 And the three and a half days that we spent together as a team gave them the jolt, the jolt
00:27:39.100 they needed to kickstart their relationships and their health and their wealth and just their
00:27:42.760 lives in general.
00:27:43.420 So you need to get signed up quickly if you are interested because registration is going
00:27:47.300 to be shut down soon.
00:27:48.420 We only have eight more spots guys.
00:27:50.500 You can claim yours at order of man.com slash uprising order of man.com slash uprising.
00:27:56.140 We hope to see you there.
00:27:57.240 So go ahead and take care of that.
00:27:58.540 But in the meantime, we'll get back to the conversation with Phil.
00:28:03.160 The first thing I wanted to ask as we shift gears here is from a business owner perspective.
00:28:09.160 So there's a lot of business owners who are listening to this, who have the potential
00:28:12.760 to hire veterans.
00:28:15.600 And I would be really curious as to what you would say for them in advocating for hiring
00:28:20.640 veterans.
00:28:21.300 I've got a handful of veterans that work for me and I can tell you their worth work ethic.
00:28:27.640 The fact that they show up is just such a game changer.
00:28:30.720 All I do is pretty much tell them what the mission is, what the outcome is.
00:28:34.880 And I know you know this from, or from serving in Iraq for over a year.
00:28:38.340 And they just get it done.
00:28:40.560 So if you're looking to hire somebody who you don't have to, you know, kind of babysit,
00:28:46.820 you know, I got a lot of people who got to babysit on this, on these type of things.
00:28:50.480 Sure.
00:28:50.740 Man, these guys just get it done.
00:28:52.700 These guys and girls that I have, you know, on my team, I don't know how they do it.
00:28:56.900 And maybe I should probably find out how they do it because I could probably learn a lot,
00:29:00.740 but they're just incredible.
00:29:02.620 So if you're looking to hire now, it's got to be, it's got to be the right fit.
00:29:06.000 I don't think a lot of soldiers don't want to come in and work and sit in a cubicle all day.
00:29:10.500 Yeah, that'd be a hard transition.
00:29:11.640 That'd be a hard transition, but they love working with teams.
00:29:15.060 They love to complete a mission.
00:29:17.100 If you're a business owner that needs help, you know, taking something to the finish line,
00:29:21.480 I'm great at starting things, Ryan.
00:29:22.880 I'm horrible at finishing.
00:29:24.620 I'm a horrible finisher.
00:29:26.440 I'm kind of a visionary, I guess, but I have the men and women who know how to get it done
00:29:32.820 work for me.
00:29:33.600 So that would be kind of my advice with that, with hiring veterans would be just make sure
00:29:38.300 you give them the outcome you're looking for, be clear on the mission and let them just have
00:29:43.580 at it.
00:29:44.560 I'd be really curious about your viewpoint on our obligation as a country to take care of
00:29:50.520 our veterans.
00:29:51.440 And there's been a lot of debate from VA to, you know, health insurance and housing
00:29:57.060 and all of these other things and hiring veterans.
00:29:59.640 What is your take on the obligations and responsibilities we have as a country to take care of our warriors?
00:30:06.060 That's a really tough question.
00:30:07.120 I have some veterans that I work with who clearly could have qualified for some type of disability
00:30:12.400 for the number of deployments they did.
00:30:14.340 And they're like, I don't want to take any type of, they consider a quote, a handout or
00:30:18.740 any type of government help.
00:30:20.680 And they signed up, they served their country.
00:30:23.020 They don't want any of that kind of stuff.
00:30:24.900 And then I have other veterans who are like, hey, listen, I deserve what I'm entitled to.
00:30:29.240 And I'm for both of them, right?
00:30:30.420 I mean, I'm a huge patriot and I think we should go out of our way to help our military.
00:30:36.860 But I also think in any group, there's also a sense of entitlement as well.
00:30:41.920 And this isn't from me talking.
00:30:43.720 This is from hearing some veterans that get frustrated with their fellow soldiers who
00:30:47.380 aren't taking responsibility and feel like this country owes them a job or owes them this.
00:30:54.480 That's a really tough question for me, Ryan, to be honest with you, because I, in my opinion,
00:30:58.040 I want them to get the best health care, the best housing.
00:31:02.620 So I don't know.
00:31:03.620 That's really tough for me.
00:31:04.900 And I probably did not answer your question.
00:31:07.200 No, I mean, it's good to talk about because this is something that I'm questioning for myself
00:31:11.580 as well.
00:31:12.300 And I think I fall probably somewhere in the middle.
00:31:15.260 I think that there's some certain contractual obligations that we as a country have to our
00:31:19.760 veterans, and we should certainly uphold those types of things.
00:31:23.080 My health care is provided through the VA and I can see the value in it, but I can also see
00:31:28.560 some horrendous behavior and systems and processes and red tape that has to be jumped through.
00:31:34.180 But then the other side says, yes, you know, I did volunteer to work and to do this job.
00:31:42.240 And am I entitled to anything after that job is over?
00:31:45.420 I can't give you that answer either.
00:31:47.200 And so I'm probably somewhere in between.
00:31:48.940 I just wanted to get your take and your perspective.
00:31:50.840 Sounds like we're actually very similar in that we're somewhere in between, but don't
00:31:54.520 fully know how to answer the question.
00:31:56.520 It's a tough one.
00:31:57.400 It's definitely a tough one.
00:31:59.860 Yeah.
00:32:00.300 And one that I would actually just consider that most of us just think and ponder on a
00:32:04.820 little bit.
00:32:05.240 I think as men, we have an obligation and I think there's going to be some certain responsibilities
00:32:09.880 that we may have to lead our communities and potentially those of you who are listening
00:32:14.100 to lead our country.
00:32:15.080 And so I think these are questions that are difficult to answer, but certainly worth considering
00:32:20.100 and thinking about.
00:32:21.920 You know, talk about serving your country.
00:32:23.480 I would love to see more veterans get more involved in their communities, whether it's
00:32:29.040 on a volunteer basis, whether it's on a political basis.
00:32:32.700 I've got a guy on my team running for Congress and he is just frustrated with what's going on
00:32:38.860 and wants to instill leadership, you know, in the country.
00:32:41.740 So for all those listening, I highly encourage you to get involved.
00:32:44.780 That doesn't mean running for office, but it means just getting involved in your community.
00:32:48.780 Yeah, so important.
00:32:49.980 And I look around, I see one of the things that I talk a lot about is this lack of male
00:32:54.220 leadership in our young men, specifically our young men's lives.
00:32:58.220 And I think we're beginning to see basically the tip of the iceberg on how challenging this
00:33:03.240 is going to be for society in general.
00:33:05.560 And I feel like as men, we have a moral obligation.
00:33:09.160 And I think even more so as veterans, because we've seen other sides of it.
00:33:14.000 And we know some difficult things about the reality of life that a lot of people don't
00:33:19.480 see and are sheltered from.
00:33:21.020 And this is a perfect opportunity to talk with our young men and serve our young men and
00:33:25.300 lead our communities in a way that's realistic versus the suits, you know, in the higher
00:33:30.660 ups that don't really have any realistic experience with what it costs to defend this
00:33:35.960 nation.
00:33:36.240 Yeah, it's life as difficult as it is.
00:33:39.420 And I think, and again, we talked about this early, I think this country is craving leadership
00:33:43.820 and I think men need to start leading.
00:33:46.660 And I know we're going to get into that, into that more, but, and sometimes, man, I'm not
00:33:50.500 a good leader.
00:33:51.280 As I said earlier, as a dad, as a father, as a community person.
00:33:54.540 And sometimes I wear these masks and it's, uh, I'm trying to strip these masks away, Ryan,
00:34:00.140 to be honest with you, because it's tough, man.
00:34:03.300 It's tough.
00:34:05.560 It is a challenge.
00:34:06.660 Definitely.
00:34:07.480 I want to talk about something that is a difficult conversation to have because I personally know
00:34:13.400 somebody who has committed suicide that's been in the military.
00:34:16.180 And I know a lot of people listening have as well.
00:34:18.920 I think this is plague probably is not the right word, but this is something that is,
00:34:22.860 is a serious, serious problem that needs to be addressed.
00:34:25.640 And I'm curious about your take as to why we're experiencing so much of this.
00:34:30.420 And if you have any ideas on what maybe could be done in the future to address these sorts
00:34:34.520 of things.
00:34:35.440 I was, um, asked to testify in front of Congress more about the transition, but the suicide
00:34:40.040 thing came up and it's, it's tragic numbers.
00:34:42.660 It's, you know, the official number is quote 22.
00:34:45.300 We've heard it's closer to 54.
00:34:46.740 Or I know for teenagers, Ryan, it's the second leaving cause of death is suicide.
00:34:53.240 And it's difficult.
00:34:54.460 You know, I've never personally thought, Hey, today would be a great day to just to kind
00:34:59.480 of disappear from this planet.
00:35:00.720 Right.
00:35:01.300 But I could tell you, man, I've had some, some dark times where it's been, um, you just
00:35:05.560 feel super alone.
00:35:06.720 And so I've heard a number of different things that have helped veterans, everything from
00:35:12.100 journaling.
00:35:12.760 And I know you've talked a lot about, you know, journaling gratitude to meditation, to
00:35:18.920 acupuncture, to all these different things.
00:35:21.200 But I think I'm going to throw out, and I don't want to talk about your book and your
00:35:25.340 success, but there's a book by a guy by the name of Dr. John Sarno.
00:35:29.920 And he wrote a book called heaving back pain and the divided mind.
00:35:33.440 And I first heard about him from, from listening to Howard Stern and Larry David as kids, we
00:35:38.880 grow up and man, I feel bad for my kids and I'm trying to work through them.
00:35:43.120 We hear from our fathers and our mothers, and we have all this pain stored up and going
00:35:48.120 through when I was interviewing all of these, these veterans for, for the book I wrote, a
00:35:52.840 lot of this stuff came up from childhood of why they wanted to join or why they wanted to
00:35:57.480 be part of something.
00:35:58.380 And so I think working through some of those things could be very helpful.
00:36:03.680 And Dr. Sarno's books talk about these type of wounds that we carry within our body.
00:36:09.380 And again, I don't want to be too woo-woo about this.
00:36:11.160 I'm the least woo-woo guy out there, but there's a, there's a ton of truth to that.
00:36:15.260 And so anyone listening who's, who's contemplating that, please, you know, reach out and get,
00:36:21.060 and get help because it's not a solution to your family, to any, any of the things going
00:36:27.940 on, I personally know people who, know people who served with, you know, I even had moms
00:36:35.280 call me and go, my son died in Iraq, even though he was here.
00:36:38.620 It was the horrors he saw or whatever tragic situation, but he ended up committing suicide
00:36:44.200 here in the States.
00:36:45.200 And so it's, it's a person problem though, right, Ryan?
00:36:48.480 I mean, it's not just, it's not just veterans.
00:36:50.280 It's people are using that, um, unfortunately as a way to kind of end their suffering.
00:36:55.300 But yeah, yeah, it is unfortunate.
00:36:57.360 It's tragic.
00:36:57.980 And I think you guys are doing good work because my transition from coming back, not transition
00:37:03.700 out of the military necessarily, but transition from Iraq back into civilian life was a challenge
00:37:09.100 in many ways because I saw what was a very noble mission and a noble purpose and a higher
00:37:15.960 calling on my part to now I have to worry about that.
00:37:19.800 I didn't get the right flavor in my mocha Frappuccino or whatever.
00:37:22.920 And so this, this loss of purpose and guidance and direction in my life was a challenge.
00:37:29.740 And I know I didn't have it nearly as difficult as some of these other soldiers and Marines
00:37:34.440 and military members have when, when they come back from my perspective, I think finding
00:37:39.740 an outlet for this stuff, if you can find a productive and a healthy outlet, whether that's
00:37:44.560 a hobby working out, being part of some organization or team or competing with other men.
00:37:51.080 But I think that goes back to your point about finding a tribe and being around other people.
00:37:55.480 I mean, that's such a valuable answer.
00:37:58.180 Yeah.
00:37:58.380 And I know you run retreats and, and part of that is a lot of, a lot of physical aspects
00:38:04.920 to your retreat.
00:38:05.700 Cause that's kind of what guys do, right?
00:38:07.800 I mean, we're, we're physical warrior creatures and it's frustrating.
00:38:13.040 Like you said, it's like you come home and you've, and you've served their country.
00:38:16.800 You've been away from their family.
00:38:17.800 And then you hear someone complain about they ordered extra hot and it's not extra hot and
00:38:22.200 make it again.
00:38:23.500 And you're like, dude, just come on.
00:38:26.020 Right.
00:38:26.360 It's just, just wait a couple of minutes.
00:38:28.580 Yeah.
00:38:29.540 At the end of the day, it's not a big deal, but I have to say that I have been, that's
00:38:33.680 been me at some points in my life because of frustration and resentment and anger.
00:38:38.560 And so dealing with those types of things.
00:38:40.860 And again, I'm such a work in progress and I'm a mess.
00:38:43.220 And if anyone out there can help me, please help me.
00:38:45.200 Cause we're working on it, man.
00:38:47.540 We're working on it.
00:38:48.340 Yeah.
00:38:48.760 Yeah.
00:38:49.060 So, so, but, but you're right, man.
00:38:50.880 And there's nothing better when I felt just like crap and felt depressed and all that
00:38:56.280 stuff, hitting the gym hard and having a good workout, right?
00:39:00.200 Getting physical.
00:39:01.340 I used to do a lot of training and boxing and all those types of things, mixed martial
00:39:05.580 arts.
00:39:06.440 There's nothing like just rolling around with somebody and just getting your butt kicked.
00:39:09.860 I mean, there's something to that physical aspect.
00:39:12.440 So I encourage everyone to keep that.
00:39:14.220 And again, in the army, you're paid to work out.
00:39:16.040 It's called PT, you know?
00:39:18.200 And when you get out, there's, there's no one paying you to work out anymore.
00:39:21.920 So keep that physical, that, that physical aspect up.
00:39:25.000 And I know you're a big proponent of that.
00:39:27.760 Absolutely.
00:39:28.220 I mean, even in Iraq, we had a gym and I had a buddy that him and I would go work out every
00:39:32.220 single day.
00:39:33.820 And there was just a release that came from that.
00:39:36.440 Yeah.
00:39:36.880 We're bumping up against time here, man.
00:39:38.620 But, uh, I do want to tell you, man, I just think you're, you're doing great work.
00:39:42.020 I wouldn't be part of your organization if I didn't believe that you guys were doing noble
00:39:45.820 work and something that I think we as a society absolutely need.
00:39:49.860 So I've got to tell you, I appreciate you from that standpoint.
00:39:52.200 As we wind down though, I do want to ask you a couple additional questions.
00:39:55.500 And the first one is what does it mean to be a man?
00:39:58.600 I think it's, my motto has been show them.
00:40:01.900 And that's been to my family.
00:40:04.220 Instead of telling them that I'm going to change and telling them I'm going to be more
00:40:07.240 patient and be a better listener, I'm showing them.
00:40:09.920 And I'm not even saying anything.
00:40:11.140 So I think in my opinion, and you need to be patient is just show people who you are
00:40:18.220 and be your authentic self.
00:40:20.500 I love that, man.
00:40:21.540 Obviously I see that in you.
00:40:23.180 So many people that are just willing to talk a big game.
00:40:26.000 I'm going to do this and I'm going to do this and look how great I am.
00:40:28.060 And at the end of the day, you look at the fruits of their labor and it's just non-existent.
00:40:31.360 That's not the case with you, man.
00:40:32.720 Again, I'm excited about your organization.
00:40:34.700 I'm honored actually to be a small part of it.
00:40:37.360 And I know you're doing great things.
00:40:38.980 I'm excited for our military members and the help in transitioning that they can get
00:40:44.000 from what you guys are doing.
00:40:45.340 So I appreciate that from you.
00:40:47.300 How do we connect with you?
00:40:48.320 How do we learn more and tap into the resources you guys have available?
00:40:51.280 Everything we offer is free and it's AmericanDreamTheLetterU.org.
00:40:55.860 So you can just jump on there, put in your first name and your email, and you've got some
00:41:00.040 tremendous resources.
00:41:01.560 I don't know when we're launching this podcast, but we've totally redesigned the online program.
00:41:05.800 And Ashley, I wanted to ask you, and I guess I'll just put you on the spot.
00:41:09.800 I would love for you to shoot a video or two and just kind of share your story and what
00:41:14.240 you're doing over there with Order of Man.
00:41:16.580 Yeah, of course.
00:41:17.340 I'd be honored.
00:41:17.980 I'll definitely put that together.
00:41:19.000 Absolutely.
00:41:19.720 Excellent.
00:41:20.460 Well, good, Phil.
00:41:21.020 Well, again, I appreciate you.
00:41:22.140 I appreciate our time.
00:41:22.960 I know we're getting together in a couple of weeks here with your family and my family.
00:41:25.880 I'm looking forward to that and just honored to be on this journey with you.
00:41:30.000 And again, a small part of it, you're doing great things and I can't wait to see where
00:41:33.540 this thing goes.
00:41:34.220 So thanks for taking some time with us today.
00:41:36.120 Hey, thank you, Ryan.
00:41:36.760 And congratulations on the success of your book as well.
00:41:39.080 Thanks, brother.
00:41:39.520 Appreciate it.
00:41:40.160 You got it.
00:41:42.260 Gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Phil Randazzo.
00:41:45.700 He is the founder of American Dream U.
00:41:47.480 And as we talked about in the interview and before we got started, this is an organization
00:41:51.520 committed to helping transition our nation's warriors, our veterans from military life into
00:41:57.500 civilian life.
00:41:58.220 I am part of the organization, so I know a little bit more about the inner workings and
00:42:03.420 how things go behind the scenes.
00:42:05.100 And I can tell you that Phil and his team are an amazing, amazing group of individuals
00:42:10.200 striving to do some incredible work.
00:42:12.520 So if you found value from this episode, if you want to learn more about what Phil is doing,
00:42:16.800 please go check out American Dream U and that's U as in the letter U dot org.
00:42:21.240 You can check us out there and then leave us a message on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook,
00:42:25.240 wherever you are.
00:42:25.940 Let us know what you thought of the show.
00:42:27.880 Share this with a military member.
00:42:29.480 More military members need to hear this message.
00:42:32.440 And I think this is a really good way to kickstart that.
00:42:34.680 So share this episode if you would.
00:42:36.860 In the meantime, guys, the band of brothers that I was talking about earlier, the Iron
00:42:40.160 Council, that's our digital band of brothers.
00:42:42.380 It's amazing what experiences these guys are having and the transformations that they're
00:42:46.460 having in their lives as well.
00:42:47.880 So if you feel like you want something more, you need something more, you can't quite put your
00:42:51.100 finger on it.
00:42:51.980 You need a plan or a frame of reference for growing in your life as a man.
00:42:54.960 Go to order of man dot com slash iron council.
00:42:58.400 And then if you want to get out into the mountains with me and 27 other individuals, the mountains
00:43:03.340 of Southern Utah and have an event and experience unlike any other three and a half days, May
00:43:09.360 3rd through the 6th, 2018.
00:43:12.420 Join me at the uprising.
00:43:13.420 It's at order of man dot com slash uprising.
00:43:16.620 I hope to see an iron council.
00:43:18.320 I hope to see you at the uprising and I hope to see you next week.
00:43:22.380 But until then, guys, take action and become the man you are meant to be.
00:43:27.660 Thank you for listening to the order of man podcast.
00:43:30.560 You're ready to take charge of your life and be more of the man you were meant to be.
00:43:34.340 We invite you to join the order at order of man dot com.