On this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I sit down with General John Michel for an inspiring conversation about his remarkable journey from serving as a commanding general for NATO to becoming a purpose-driven entrepreneur and community leader.
General John’s story is one of service, leadership, and transformation. From humble beginnings in ROTC at Texas State to flying jets and leading 14 nations in building the $8 billion Afghan Air Force, he reflects on the discipline, passion, and responsibility that shaped his military career. After retiring from the military, General John felt called to a new mission, addressing food insecurity with dignity and innovation. He shares the genesis of Soulcial Kitchen and Currency of Caring, a venture that mobilizes food trucks and empowers entrepreneurs to deliver hot meals and hope to neighbors in need.
About General John Michel,
Air Force Brigadier General (ret.) John Michel is passionate about people and possibilities. A soulcial entrepreneur at heart, he’s also an award- winning author, TED speaker, and business leader who has successfully led several multi-billion-dollar domestic and international transformation efforts.
Today, he serves as Founder of Soulcial Kitchen as well as President of the Food is Love Foundation. His passion is developing and operationalizing innovative approaches to addressing food insecurity and building sustainable community capacity via his Nationally acclaimed Currency of Caring tokenized free meal program.
In 2015, John completed a distinguished 26-year career in the United States Air Force, where in his final assignment, he led NATO’s unprecedented 14-nation effort in Afghanistan to build the $6.7 billion Afghan Air Force. His efforts leading this international coalition culminated in his team being awarded the 2014 Department of Defense’s highest award for innovative nation-building efforts.
John has earned several advanced degrees, including a Master’s of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Military Operation Art from Air University, and earned a Doctorate in Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University. He is also a graduate of the Stanford University Supply Chain Leaders Course, the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation, and served as a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard University’s JFK School of Government.
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