Signal Mirror: The Scott Tucker Episode
from lahr.media
Wealth. What does that word mean to you? It seems so obvious, doesn’t it? When you think of something who is wealthy, you probably think of someone who is rich; those who have made the Forbes 400 list. In fact, Merriam-Webster defines the word as an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources.
Scott Tucker, my guest on episode 14, understands that definition of wealth. His background is in financial management. But through his philosophy, there’s more to it than we typically consider. Wealth is like value or success in that we’re each going to have our own interpretation. And, much like value and success, wealth is something we all desire.
Look again at the definition. Do you want an abundance of valuable material possessions? I absolutely don’t. As a minimalist who still battles chronic consumerism, I know the dangers of having a more than I need. But an abundance of resources? More time! More knowledge! More energy! And, yes, more money! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Of course, I want to be resource wealthy!
Enter: Veteran Wealth Secrets: The Post-Military Playbook For Veterans. As Scott and I discussed on the podcast, his third book is a subtle camo-dressed take on The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, plus more. That’s not to say that you’re going to read this book and suddenly become an entrepreneur. There’s a lot to take away from this book. I think it’s must-read for military veterans — especially if you’re nearing the end of a contract term.
I spent a lot of time toward the end of my active duty enlistment stressing out because I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing. I knew I wanted to stay in broadcast journalism and improve my skills. But I also knew I needed to use my time wisely, taking the final couple of years to develop more knowledge and become better as a photographer, storyteller, and public speaker before presenting myself to the civilian hiring managers. I also used that time to network my way into a civilian job. It turns out, based on my own experience and supported by what I read in Scott’s ‘Veteran Wealth Secrets’, I was absolutely doing the right thing. I was pursuing a passion that brought value to myself and a community, and I made all the right moves to find success in that sense.
I know — I no longer work in TV news. So is all of that work still relevant to my life? Well, yeah. Scott explained that our why is always evolving. My career path is a perfect example. I realized that what I was doing wasn’t the best thing for my family and I. Of course, my family is a huge influence on my why. When I left the station, I made a lateral move into public relations. I still use many of those skills I spent years developing. On top of that I decided to debut The Boots Off Podcast in 2017, a couple years after the idea first popped into my head. As I continue to work on this side-project, I’m keeping those soft skills fresh through writing, interviewing, audio/video editing, and using social media in various ways.
In no way would I say that I’ve achieved wealth. In some ways, I’m moving away from wealth. Thanks to this podcast, I’m getting less sleep and devoting less time to other parts of my life while spending my own money to produce the content (this seems like the perfect place to kindly request you chip in by becoming a Patreon member — ha ha ha… winking face). At the same time, I feel wealthier in other ways. I’m building a community, gaining knowledge, and hosting meaningful conversations. These are the things that matter to me right now. This is me addressing my why. We’ll work on the rest of the wealth formula later.
I’m fortunate to have worked in a career field that aligned with my passion. And it was relatively easy to take my experience in the military and apply it in the civilian world. Not everyone is so lucky. Bryan Jacobs spoke about this on episode 13. Not everyone in transportation wants to separate and drive a Greyhound bus to retirement. I think you’ll find this less often, but I would bet that not all pilots want to hang up their flight suit just to climb the rank system of a commercial airline. So it’s very beneficial to understand that other paths are out there post-military if you do the research both inside your self and in the civilian market. Figure out who you are and what you want to give to the world. Set a path toward achieving the outcome you desire. It doesn’t have to be a perfect plan, and it probably won’t work out the first time anyway. But start now.
And one way to start is by reading the book! There is a lot of other great information from Scott in ‘Veteran Wealth Secrets’, and this isn’t a book review so I won’t go into much more. Check out Scott’s website at USVetWealth.com and read for yourself.
Many thanks to Scott Tucker for taking the time to speak to me on the podcast. If you would like to share your military transition story, or if you know someone who would make a great guest on The Boots Off Podcast, send me an email or connect with me on LinkedIn.
