Paying It Forward: How an Air Force Veteran and FourBlock Alumnus Is Helping Others Transition
Release Date: 04/12/2021
How a U.S. Navy Veteran Transitioned from the Nuclear Power Program to a Successful Engineering Career
The FourBlock Podcast
Join us on the latest episode of the FourBlock Podcast as hosts Michael Abrams and Lindsey Pollak engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Tom Croff, the head of the Aviation Department at Matern Professional Engineering. With a rich background that transitions from serving as an Electrician's Mate in the U.S. Navy's Nuclear Power Program to spearheading critical projects in the aviation sector, Tom brings a unique perspective on navigating career shifts and leveraging military skills in the civilian workforce. In this episode, Tom reflects on his career path, sharing pivotal...
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Hiring Veterans in Aviation: Insights from an HR Expert
The FourBlock Podcast
On this episode of the FourBlock Podcast, discover why veterans' skills are in high demand in aviation and hear actionable advice on resume building, networking, and interview preparation from Britney Ratcliff, Director of Human Resources at ®. Britney brings her extensive experience in recruiting and human resources to the discussion along with a passion for supporting transitioning service members. In conversation with Lindsey Pollak and this week’s guest host Queta Rodriguez, Britney shares valuable insights into how veterans can navigate the job market successfully and...
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Follow Your Passion: How One U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Became a Battle-Tested Entrepreneur
The FourBlock Podcast
This week on The FourBlock Podcast, it’s an honor to welcome two members of the leadership team from a company that provides innovative event solutions and proudly employs over 800 veterans: U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Founder and CEO Casey Holiday, and U.S. Army Veteran and VP of Military Strategic Partnerships Robert Cox. In a candid conversation with hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams, Casey shares how he went from feeling lost after transitioning out of active-duty service to founding a premiere live event security company that aims to improve the lives of veterans. Casey...
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Veteran LRS Architect Promotes Sustainability and Training in Pacific Northwest
The FourBlock Podcast
This week on The FourBlock Podcast, FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams sits down with Kevin Schneider, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who went on to become an architect and now works as a Project Architect at LRS Architects, Inc. As a veteran who successfully transitioned into the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, Kevin possesses invaluable advice for fellow veterans embarking on their own journeys into the civilian workforce. He generously shares his personal story, insights, and tips to help pave the way for others. In conversation with Mike, Kevin delves into what inspired...
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The Power of Relationships: Leadership Insights from a Military Affairs Expert
The FourBlock Podcast
This week on The FourBlock Podcast, we welcome USAA’s* Military Affairs Relationship Director Charles “Chuck” Bunch, a 20+ year retired U.S. Air Force veteran who works alongside fellow retired officers and senior noncommissioned officers on USAA’s Military Affairs team to advocate for those who are currently serving in our military, all those who have honorably served in the past, and their families. In conversation with FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams, Chuck shares personal stories and lessons learned from his military experience, his transition into the private sector and...
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The Stoic Transition: How Veterans Can Thrive in their Next Adventure
The FourBlock Podcast
If you are in the military entering the civilian world or are you a veteran who has transitioned already but still struggling to find your path, this episode is a must-listen. This week, we welcome author and Founder of Mission Edge Ken Davenport. In conversation with hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams, Ken shares how his passion for helping people achieve greatness in their lives led him to starting a social enterprise to help nonprofits and small businesses grow and devoting much of his time to helping military veterans transition to the civilian world. Most...
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Air Force Veteran Allison Kruse Discusses Her Legal Career and the Importance of Giving Back
The FourBlock Podcast
"I want to give back to the community that gave me so much." This week on the FourBlock Podcast, we are honored to be joined by Labor and Employment attorney Allison Kruse, a U.S. Air Force veteran and current associate at Stinson LLP, who serves as the chair of the firm's Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG). In conversation with FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams, Allison shares what first inspired her to attend the Air Force Academy and join the military and details her experience transitioning from the Air Force into law school and then the private sector. ...
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Actionable Advice for Transitioning Into the IT & Cyber Industry
The FourBlock Podcast
This week on the FourBlock Podcast, we welcome U.S. Army Veteran and Senior Program Manager at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT)* Gregory (Greg) Doubek. In conversation with FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams, Greg shares why he was called to serve and decided to join the Army, his personal military transition story, and some of the advice he received and lessons learned along the way. Greg also raises an important point for those in transition about taking the uniform all the way off and provides guidance on how veterans can adjust to their changing role in the civilian workforce and...
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Inside the Veteran Hiring Process at a Leading Global Aerospace Company
The FourBlock Podcast
This week on the FourBlock Podcast, we welcome The Boeing Company’s* Shane R. Chapman and Devon Rumsey, who give us an in-depth look at Boeing’s commitment to supporting veterans in transition and share actionable advice for veterans and military spouses interested in beginning a new career with the company. A U.S. Army Veteran with 30 years of service, Shane now leads the Boeing Global Services Military and Veterans Program (BGS MVP), providing guidance and support to veterans and military spouse candidates and referring them to be seen by a hiring manager for interviews. After more...
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From CO to CEO: Transition Advice and Leadership Insights from a Retired U.S. Navy Captain
The FourBlock Podcast
Transitioning service members, do you know how to make the most of your military training once you transition into the civilian workforce? Corporate leaders, do know how to optimize your veteran employees’ potential for success? That’s why author and consultant Captain William Toti, US Navy (Retired) and former CEO of Sparton Corporation, wrote “From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership.” With more than 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy and more than 40 years of experience in the defense industry,...
info_outlineOn this week's episode of the FourBlock Podcast, we welcome FourBlock alumnus Brian Arrington, USAF (ret), M.S., CEO and Founder of VETS2INDUSTRY LLC and VETS2INDUSTRY Foundation Inc. and a Business Initiatives Consultant with Wells Fargo.
Brian joins host Mike Abrams to discuss his 20-year service in the Air Force, his military retirement and transition, and his subsequent work creating VETS2INDUSTRY to help more veterans and their families get connected with the resources and benefits available to them and to ensure the success of every veteran and their families after military service. VETS2INDUSTRY provides a free online library that of all the free veteran and dependent resources and Veteran Service Organizations nationwide.
Since founding VETS2INDUSTRY in 2019, nearly 1,000 vetted resources have been added on vets2industry.com, and the community has grown to more than 35,000 followers on LinkedIn alone.
Brian retired in July of 2019 after serving 20 years in the United States Air Force with Robins AFB, GA as his final duty station. His distinguished career led him to deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Qatar and provide humanitarian relief throughout Southeast Asia during the tsunami, Haiti during the earthquake, and in Turkey supporting refugee evacuations during the Israel-Lebanon Mideast Crisis. Brian’s career has taken him to 90 countries and five of the seven continents.
In his last year of 20-years devoted service to the U.S. Air Force, Brian learned there were over 45,000 Veteran Service Organizations nationwide that provided free services and support to U.S. military families and realized a huge gap existed between available free Veteran, Military Spouse, and dependent children resources and benefits and the knowledge of their existence among our nation's heroes and their families.
With this newly discovered knowledge, Brian vowed to eliminate the knowledge gap and ensure the success of every veteran and their families by creating an online library, a free single-site repository of every free Veteran Service Organization to include providing mentorship and information services to each knowledge-seeker.
Since the library’s creation, March 2019, Brian has led VETS2INDUSTRY’s growth by reaching 7,000 veterans and military spouses with over 20,000 page-views and he continues to supply employment opportunity success with the ever-growing grassroots volunteer force of veterans and military spouses he leads.
Brian is married with six children and resides in Atlanta. He is an active alumnus of Centurion Military Alliance, Hiring our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, FourBlock, and American Corporate Partners. He volunteers with VETLANTA and the National Black MBA Association Atlanta Chapter, and he is a student veteran leader and student ambassador at Syracuse University where he is currently pursuing his MBA.
He holds two A.A.S. from the Community College of the Air Force, a B.A. in History, a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security, and a M.S. in Management from Thomas Edison State University and is a certified Georgia State Hostage Negotiator.
ABOUT US
Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.
General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.
But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.
FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.
Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, founder of FourBlock, and author of two military transition books. He’ll be representing the military transition perspective.
Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.
Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/
Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.
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Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.