American Flag

Sustainability @ Work

Episode 8: Helping Veterans Make the Transition to Civilian Life (Feat. GallantFew)

American FlagTransformation at Work podcast backgroundtransformation at work icons on dark grey

Sustainability @ Work

Episode 8: Helping Veterans Make the Transition to Civilian Life (Feat. GallantFew)

American FlagTransformation at Work podcast background

Sustainability @ Work

Episode 8: Helping Veterans Make the Transition to Civilian Life (Feat. GallantFew)

Karl Monger

Executive Director
GallantFew

Karl Monger is a retired United States Army Major with 10 years active and 10 years reserve service prior to becoming the Executive Director of GallantFew. In his current role, he works to coach and mentor veterans across the country as they make the transition out of enlistment and into civilian life.

Willy Carrion

Business Analyst
Gerent

Willy’s career spans over 23 years of military experience, including 16 years in the infantry and eight active-duty deployments. A graduate of Gerent’s Launchpad program, Willy has successfully transitioned into the Salesforce ecosystem and his new role as a Business Analyst.

It’s hard to overstate just how dramatic a shift it can be going from enlisted military service to civilian life. From the moment they enlist, veterans live a highly regimented life with a clear purpose, direction, and specific orders from day to day. Then, suddenly, they face the very real challenge of finding jobs and building lives outside of the service — often while dealing with the lasting impacts that military service can have on one’s physical and mental health. For many, building meaningful connections with veterans who have already lived that transitional journey can be critical to navigating their post-enlistment identity, career, and purpose.

It’s hard to overstate just how dramatic a shift it can be going from enlisted military service to civilian life. From the moment they enlist, veterans live a highly regimented life with a clear purpose, direction, and specific orders from day to day. Then, suddenly, they face the very real challenge of finding jobs and building lives outside of the service — often while dealing with the lasting impacts that military service can have on one’s physical and mental health. For many, building meaningful connections with veterans who have already lived that transitional journey can be critical to navigating their post-enlistment identity, career, and purpose. 

In this episode of Sustainability @ Work, we look at how organizations such as GallantFew are helping newly discharged veterans get crucial support during their transition into civilian life, and how we as individuals and organizations can do the same.

Key Quotes

00:20: “You have all these skill sets, you’re ready to take on the world, and then, all of a sudden, life steers you in a different direction.”

03:06: “Now that I’m out of the service, what am I all about? What do I stand for?”

04:30: “The military very clearly lays out what your purpose and mission is… when you leave the military and go out in the civilian world, nobody lays out a clear path to retirement for you.”

08:45: “Going from the military to trying to find a job in the civilian world was a blow to my self-esteem, and it caused me to not engage with people in the community I’d just come from.”

10:35: “I decided to set up a network of other ranger veterans… over time, that network grew to over 1,000 members.”

12:26: “[GallantFew] has adopted what we call the Three Cs methodology: Connecting, Coaching, and Counseling.”

16:45: “I could name at least 50 veterans now who are alive who would not be alive otherwise. That’s very rewarding. Stressful in the moment but rewarding long term.”

19:50: “Veterans have a lot to bring to the table. Some of the skills companies need to grow from the ground up, veterans already have.”

About Our Guests

No items found.
green background

Ready to reinvent the future?
Let’s chat!

Get Started
green background

Want to get involved?

More episodes

More episodes

Follow Us