Scott Schimmel (00:01)
Yeah. Hi, Joe. It's been yeah. I saw you this morning, but it's been a minute for this podcast. ⁓ I think it's because the Dodgers have been doing so well on the playoffs. And now they're in the World Series. So I've been like, all my extra energy has been going towards supporting them. There's a big game tonight. Hopefully, by the time you're listening to this, they've got the ⁓ I don't know what you get a trophy, a badge, patch, you get something. Hopefully they win the World Series in a few days. But yeah, we
Joe Lara (00:04)
It's been a minute.
Scott Schimmel (00:30)
We got this chance this morning to work with a group of veterans. I think I saw 259 of them were in the zoom call ⁓ at some point, 240, 259, so many. And it's a group called Allegiant Vets. These are all SkillBridge interns. Fantastic organization. Big shout out to Marcus Haney, CEO, founder. He was on the podcast a while ago and we get to come in once a month and now even more so to guide them through.
Joe Lara (00:40)
so many.
Scott Schimmel (00:59)
the vector accelerator course. so one of the exercises, the third exercise is something that we haven't quite covered on the podcast before. So that's what I thought we could cover. And my question to get started, drum roll is if you can go back to 18 year old Joe and 18 year old Joe can visit, I'm not going to name how old you are now. Joe today, 51, I was going to say 52. Good thing I didn't say it.
Joe Lara (01:22)
51.
Scott Schimmel (01:28)
If 18 year old Joe can meet 51 year old Joe, what would, and he's walking in your house right now, what would he be surprised about?
Joe Lara (01:39)
That is hilarious because you'd like, how did that happen? 18-year-old Joe ⁓ was basically trying to escape where he grew up, wanted something different, knew that his life was not going to go anywhere if there was not a drastic change. so luckily, the military provided that change to leave.
Scott Schimmel (01:55)
you
Joe Lara (02:07)
⁓ meet new people, get some sort of, you know, a job that would feed me and, and tell me what to do and where to go. And not realizing that 24 years later, it sent me on this trajectory. I mean, that's, it's just a wild thing where super undisciplined, not a great student in school. Wasn't engaged much was not definitely not popular. ⁓ and then finding my way navigating through this thing.
that the military provided were identity, right? All the things that we talk about with vector is identity, purpose, belonging. Well, you know, what's neat is now in this spot where I'm at today, after the military, it's almost, it's definitely it's nine years. I just calculated this recently nine years since I've been out and I'm still moving in a really cool trajectory. ⁓ but thank goodness I had.
Scott Schimmel (02:56)
wow.
Joe Lara (03:04)
you in my life and these questions that we're asking veterans today through Vector ⁓ to help me get here. Cause I don't, I think it might've been a little lost probably on my own. Like so many veterans do so on their own. So I would say I'm in a really good place and I would be shocked in a good way. And super excited that damn, that's where I get to be, you know, and it's weird saying that it's so weird. Cause I don't want to sound like I'm full of myself. Cause I'm
Scott Schimmel (03:16)
Yeah.
No, sounds grateful. Not not braggadocious or whatever. Yeah.
Joe Lara (03:33)
Believe me, I'm not.
I'm 100 % grateful.
mean, that's, I think that's what I wake up more every day realizing is just a sense of gratitude for sure.
Scott Schimmel (03:44)
What about nine years ago, Joe, getting out of the Navy? would you, what do think that guy would be surprised by? You today.
Joe Lara (03:52)
So is this before the deep dive questions or is this after? Okay, before the deep dive questions, I would still be proud and happy and grateful. I'm like, wow, I didn't think that was possible. ⁓ Cause I think in most of us veterans, we, I don't know why we do this, but we think that life is basically linear. Cause our careers may be felt linear. Like you kind of go from pay grade to the next pay grade. You do duty stations, the next duty station.
Scott Schimmel (03:54)
Yeah. No, before.
Yeah.
Joe Lara (04:22)
But what's funny is when I asked veterans, hey, was your life or career in the military linear? And all of them laugh and say, no, hell no, it wasn't. I got orders when I wasn't expecting to go here. Now all of a sudden I have to go over here. A war happened. Now my life changes and my family's life changes. And so there's all kinds of ups and downs and the trajectories. Yeah, it's not linear. And so for some reason when we talk about leaving the military,
Scott Schimmel (04:28)
Hmm, interesting.
unexpected turns. Yeah.
Joe Lara (04:52)
the natural progression of things seems like a check in the box or like a linear line with dots and okay, I'll accomplish this, then this, then this, but life is not like that. so I would, looking back at nine years ago to now, I'd be like, wow, this is not where I would have expected to land, which is in a good place.
Scott Schimmel (05:13)
⁓ that's helpful. mean, obviously I've worked with veterans now for a long time, but I don't think I've really, well, probably because I haven't experienced it. I'm not a veteran. don't, I guess the idea of things being linear is an interesting concept. think that's why this question that we're going to talk about today is, ⁓ can be helpful, but also maybe distressing to some people. Like, so the question is what kind of life do you want to have? And that's ⁓ a different yet similar question that
most veterans get when they're in transition, I think friends and family will say, so what are gonna do next? What's your plan after you're out of the military? And that's, that is in the same ballpark as what kind of life do you wanna have? But it's a qualitatively different question, right? It's like, and I think the first question does lend itself to what is the linear logical leap from what you've done to the next thing? And the question we're trying to get out is, yeah, let's look at that. Let's look at what that logical step would be.
Joe Lara (05:55)
you
you
Scott Schimmel (06:13)
But then let's let's try to defy logic for a second because we, you know, we're in America. We can do that. That's the American mindset. What would the ⁓ what would the wild leap be that is illogical? And then we can backfill that with the little, you know, stepping stones or lily pads to get there. But if you've been this and now you want that, you know, let's just explore that. Let's take let's just take five minutes. Let's take an hour to kind of sit camp in that dream for a second and.
Joe Lara (06:16)
Thank
haha
you
Scott Schimmel (06:42)
see what it does. And maybe it's after that, just like, no, that's just a dream. That's for later. Or that's just a side kind of sideshow hobby thing. But there was a guy this morning that was on the call that behind him had a bunch of bottles. And he mentioned cigar and whiskey. And then he the more he shared, the more he shared this dream about I don't know what it was, but it was like custom experiences for cigar and whiskey people and tours and traveling and he starts describing this
dream that he had, which is, I'm sure, not a logical leap, unless he was like a supply logistics officer or something like. Yeah, so ⁓ helping people imagine that can be, again, distressing for a little time. But we want to actually help you do that because now would be the time to explore those things.
Joe Lara (07:29)
The word explore is so huge because ⁓ I think when we refer to explore in transition, explore means do Google search, but that's not what we're talking about. Again, step back ⁓ and think about the best parts of your career, no matter what it was, no matter how long it was, because there were good parts and bad parts. Just call it what it is. It was good and bad, and we've all lived it. ⁓
Scott Schimmel (07:40)
Good point.
Joe Lara (07:59)
But the good parts, what made it good? What made it exciting? What were the things that you were doing that made you feel empowered, made you feel like you were productive, made you feel like you were really contributing? Maybe it's solving problems and like when nobody else could solve the problem and saying, aha, I figured it out. Or maybe it's, ⁓ I was talking earlier on the call of having like, with the veterans, like, you maybe you have 10 people, but you got one knucklehead that reports to you and they keep like messing up.
Scott Schimmel (08:02)
Yeah.
Joe Lara (08:29)
And so what do you do? spend 80 % of your time with that one knucklehead. But then when you see the turnaround and they're no longer a knucklehead, it's, it's amazing. That's, that's my juice, right? I love the development of people. So whatever it is, that thing explore that, like when we say explore, ⁓ and don't have to think about, well, what titles of jobs fit that? Maybe you could start there. I don't know, but like, where could you do that? You know, and that actually opens up the aperture in a major way, right?
Scott Schimmel (08:32)
Yeah. Yep.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
huh.
Joe Lara (08:59)
if it is development of people or it is solving problems or whatever it is your thing is. so exploration is huge in this phase. I, man, I hope veterans take the time to do that.
Scott Schimmel (09:11)
And it's beyond career. think that's one of the biggest limitations for most transition programs. It's just, you know, ⁓ specifically looking at job career side of things, but life is obviously so much bigger and broader than that. You reminded us this morning, it's a third of your waking hours for just five days a week. And you know, typically you have a weekend. So it is a significant portion, but it's not the whole thing. There's so much more outside of life.
And I know for me, one of the ways I've imagined my life always going has been to always be involved in coaching kids and use sports. And I've finally aged out of coaching my own kids, all three of my kids. And I just recently got this opportunity to like, someone asked me, do you want to be ⁓ a high school golf coach? And golf is like my number one thing in the world. Coaching kids is my, know, right there. And while I thought things were ending, I got to have this kind of dream.
Joe Lara (09:56)
wow. Yeah.
Scott Schimmel (10:05)
rekindled and that it does not fit in career side of things at all. It is pure like life done well for me equals or includes this. And if I were to try to fit that in, I just don't think it would work. I don't want to be a professional youth sports coach, but to not do it would be such a gap. And I there's things that you're super into outside of work too. So this question is beyond
What do you want to do for a job? Which is how that normally is kind of positioned. This includes where do you live? What kind of life do you want to have? What kind of relationships are you looking for? Impact. So it's such a broad question. And inside vector is a process to not just sit with a journal and a cigar and wonder, but actually kind of put pen to paper and get some clarity on this and then go test that and see if it's got any legs and figure out what those.
little lily pads are to make this illogical leap to dreams that you have. So this is our pitch for today. Come check out this free program to help you get clarity because you've only got one life. You might as well do it well and not just do what everyone else says you're supposed to because that's the logical step for you. So Vector Accelerator dot com. See you in there. See you soon. Hope to see you too, Joe. Go Dodgers. Bye.
