Serious Play for a Serious Transition: How Creativity Can Guide Your Next Mission With Van Lai-DuMone

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this episode, hosts Scott Schimmel and Joe Lara sit down with Van Lai-DuMone, a team and leadership development expert who uses LEGO Serious Play and creative problem-solving tools to guide transitioning veterans. Van shares her personal story—from being a Vietnamese refugee to creating transformative learning experiences—and explains how creativity can unlock new mindsets, build hope, and reframe what’s possible after military service. Whether you’re unsure about your next step or looking for a new way to connect the dots, this conversation will inspire you to take action and play your way forward.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• LEGO Serious Play is not just about toys—it’s about thinking with your hands. Veterans build models that reflect their inner thoughts, helping surface possibilities they wouldn’t articulate otherwise.

• Creative problem-solving starts with divergent thinking. In transition, you need to ask “what else?” and “what if?” instead of “what now?” or “how am I going to make this work?”.

• Curiosity leads to clarity when paired with action. You don’t need to have it all figured out—just take one small step and see where it leads.

• Transition work shouldn't only focus on job search mechanics. Self-reflection through play helps veterans reimagine what’s possible, which is why Van’s sessions at the Honor Foundation are so impactful.

• The process of building with your hands helps bypass the internal critic. Instead of shutting down ideas with “Who am I to do this?” the act of play opens up space for ideas to emerge and grow.

💬 Memorable Quotes

“The military career informs what you do next—but it doesn’t dictate what you do next.” – Van Lai-DuMone

“Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s the belief that tomorrow will be better because I’m going to do something to make it better.” – Scott Schimmel

“You are the builder. You are the storyteller. What you build is what you say it is.” – Van Lai-DuMone

“Follow curiosity with creative action.” – Van Lai-DuMone

🚀 Next Steps for Listeners

1. Try this today:
   Write down everything you're curious about for one week. At the end of the week, filter them using personal parameters (like income, location, flexibility), then take a small step toward one of those ideas.

2. Build something.
   If you have LEGO bricks at home, build a model of what you loved doing as a child. Use it as a metaphor to explore what that passion could look like in adult life.

3. Grab Van’s book:
   What If Pigs Can Fly? is a practical guide to following your curiosities—with exercises and prompts to help anyone move forward creatively.

4. Connect with Van Lai-DuMone:
   Reach out on LinkedIn or visit worksmartadventures.com  to learn more about her methodology.

5. Join the Vector Accelerator community:
   If you’re a transitioning veteran and want to explore your identity, purpose, and community with guided support, visit vectoraccelerator.org  to get started.

Van Lai-DuMone CEO, worksmart Advantage Author, What if Pigs Can Fly? 

Van is the founder of worksmart, a progressive leadership and team development consultancy that utilizes creativity, play, and shared experience to attract, engage and retain top talent. She also serves as a volunteer faculty member at The Honor Foundation where she uses creative tools to assist in the transition process for the SOF community. Van studied Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and earned her MBA from Pepperdine University. With over 20 years of corporate and start-up experience, Van actively works to rewrite the way we apply creativity in the workplace, inviting clients to think with their hands and use creative tools to disrupt traditional training methods. Her clients include gamechangers such as Google, LinkedIn, and Pandora. 

Her TEDx Talk titled, ‘What if? The Life Changing Power of Curiosity’ highlights the incredible story of how 20 Vietnamese refugee women, including Van’s mom, followed their curiosity,  pioneering the now $8.3 billion manicure industry in the United States. Her book, ‘What if Pigs CAN Fly?’ offers a practical guide and framework for all of us to follow our curiosities to achieve seemingly impossible goals. 

Connect with Van on LinkedIn