Episodes

  • Alex Muddiman

    Alex Muddiman
    Aug 25 2025
    What if the thing breaking you down isn’t the system but the belief you can’t fight back against it? Alex Muddiman spent nearly a decade in the Air Force chasing a dream of flying, only to have a hidden medical condition ground him for good. He pivoted to cyber, battled misdiagnosis, fought for the proper care, and stayed on mission even when leadership didn’t have his back. Alex’s story is every overlooked line in the reg, every late night Googling your rights, and every moment you wonder if you’re the only one banging your head against the wall. How he mapped out his entire ROTC plan on a napkin — and made it happen Why a single commander showed him the kind of leader he’d never be The day a simple test proved he wasn’t broken, just misunderstood How he used ADHD as a weapon, not an excuse Why knowing the regs better than your boss is the best armor you’ll ever have ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts 08:20 From welding to Air Force ROTC 15:50 Building a three-college plan to chase the sky 23:10 Getting grounded for good and pivoting to cyber 31:00 Living in the Barney Chair and learning to fight back 38:40 How leadership failed — and what it taught him 46:00 The night shift that cracked him open 52:00 The TOVA test that changed everything 59:00 Why the reg book is your best friend My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Marla Ballard

    Marla Ballard
    Aug 18 2025
    What if the thing that nearly broke you is the same thing that can set you free if you learn to love yourself again? Marla Ballard isn’t a veteran in uniform, but she’s lived the sacrifice. When her husband, an Army major, was wounded in Iraq, Marla lost the life she knew and built something better in its place. Today she’s the CEO of You Too Shine and director of Unconquerable Me, helping veterans and entrepreneurs break free from old stories, stuck trauma, and limiting beliefs — one healing at a time. Why her husband’s recovery showed her the real battle starts at home How tapping and quantum personal development can free trapped pain The lesson she learned about fear, love, and free agency Why community is the greatest tool nobody talks about The power of turning survival into service when the uniform is gone ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Growing up gritty in Kentucky 07:40 From racehorses to resilience 12:30 Becoming an Army wife overnight 18:50 The fear nobody warned her about 26:00 Watching her husband lose his identity 32:40 Why she built her own community 40:10 The truth about trauma trapped in your body 46:50 Free Me EFT and what makes it work 52:00 How to find your unconquerable self again Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlafballard/ Website: https://empower-me-academy.yu2shine.com/marla-ballard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marla.ballard.9 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marla.ballard/ Free E-book: https://mygiftoffer.com/ My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    1 hr
  • Marc Fitzwater

    Marc Fitzwater
    Aug 11 2025
    What if the real fight isn’t keeping people safe, it’s teaching them they can protect themselves long after you’re gone? Marc Fitzwater spent two decades as a Green Beret, leading elite teams through Afghanistan, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. He carried the weight of loss, the lessons of mentorship, and the quiet mission to bring warriors home better than he found them. Now he runs I-Sixty-Eight Consulting Group and the Cutting Edge Training Facility in Colorado, turning tactical training into a sanctuary where men, women, and families find strength, skill, and unshakable confidence. Why two fallen brothers still guide every move he makes The difference between teaching people to shoot and teaching them to believe How building a safe place for women became his real legacy Why running a company is harder than any deployment The cost of protecting others when you forget to protect your own family time ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Growing up in the Virginia mountains 07:30 From college baseball dreams to the National Guard 12:40 Old school Green Berets who changed his life 18:50 Three deployments, two brothers lost, and a new mission born 25:00 From the fight to the family — the real transition 31:30 Why I-Sixty-Eight is more than a gun range 38:00 Women, warriors, and building real community 45:20 How to stay present when the mission won’t leave your head 52:00 Grand openings, future plans, and his open invitation to vets Website: https://www.i68consulting.com Facebook: I-Sixty-Eight Consulting Group Instagram: I-Sixty-Eight Consulting Group My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    57 mins
  • Leah Kaylor

    Leah Kaylor
    Aug 8 2025
    What if the real threat to your mission isn’t outside, it’s the sleep you keep sacrificing to stay in the fight? Dr. Leah Kaylor spent five years as the FBI’s trusted sleep expert, helping elite agents, first responders, and veterans overcome burnout, trauma, and mental fog by addressing the issues that arise when the lights go out. She’s not just theory — she’s run VA sleep clinics, teaches the science behind every bedtime myth, and just dropped The Sleep Advantage to help you stop treating rest like a luxury you can’t afford. Why sleep deprivation is killing your motivation more than you know The brutal truth about sleep apnea and veterans How your bedtime habits confuse your brain every night Why sleep is step one to real trauma recovery What actually works when you can’t turn your brain off at 3 AM ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:00 Growing up in Uniontown, PA 05:40 Passing out in an OR changed everything 10:20 From forensics to trauma to sleep 17:00 Running the VA sleep clinic that opened her eyes 24:10 Myths that keep veterans stuck 32:40 The FBI and sleep stigma in high stakes worlds 38:50 The three S’s that make or break your sleep 45:10 Cannabis, CPAPs, and what really works 53:00 Her message for any vet running on empty LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drleahkaylor Website: https://www.drleahkaylor.com My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Logan Spiewak

    Logan Spiewak
    Aug 4 2025
    What if the thing that almost ruined you is the same thing that makes you unstoppable now? Logan Spiewak went from juvenile delinquent and near prison time to Marine infantryman, then crashed headfirst into the isolation so many vets face on the way out. With no plan and no clue, he almost lost himself again until a stranger at the gym changed everything. Now, Logan runs the Boots to Health Foundation, giving vets a free place to rebuild their minds and bodies, and the kind of second chance he fought so hard to find for himself. Why the uniform was his only ticket out of a dead-end life How brutal leadership left deeper scars than boot camp ever did The moment he realized the gym could save him twice How he risked it all with no experience to build a place for other vets Why your story only owns you if you let it ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:00 Growing up rough in South Central PA 07:10 The recruiter who didn’t care about his medical waiver 12:30 From infantry dreams to real-world pain 19:20 The mental fallout nobody warns you about 26:00 Why he almost didn’t make it back 31:40 The old man and the pair of shoes that changed everything 37:20 Building Boots to Health with zero backup plan 43:50 Why real help has no strings attached 49:00 His message for any vet feeling stuck right now Boots to Health Foundation: @BootsToHealthFoundation (all socials) My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    55 mins
  • Pete Tilliakos

    Pete Tilliakos
    Aug 1 2025
    What if the thing you thought was holding you back turns out to be your secret advantage? Pete Tiliakos joined the Marines to blow things up and see the world — instead, he got assigned to admin and payroll. That detour launched him into a twenty-five-year career as one of the most astute minds in global HR and payroll technology. Now Pete runs PayrollInfluences.com, hosts the HR and Payroll 2.0 Podcast, and shows veterans that boring data and relentless discipline can open doors nobody else sees. How his recruiter’s “no” changed his life forever Why he calls his first job a white-collar prison — and a gift The Disney paycheck that showed him what real shared services could be The myth of HR as a cost instead of an investment Why veterans undersell the very skills companies need most ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Growing up in Florida and chasing the uniform 07:30 Why he never became an infantry Marine 12:50 The desk job that felt like a cage but built his future 19:00 Circuit City and temp jobs — the hidden step up 24:20 What Disney taught him about people and paychecks 31:50 From HR consulting to industry analyst 38:40 PayrollInfluences.com and bridging the tech gap 45:00 How AI is rewriting what skills really matter 52:00 The open invitation to any veteran who needs help Website: https://www.payrollinfluences.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteatiliakis X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/peteatiliakis My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    57 mins
  • John Tansill

    John Tansill
    Jul 28 2025
    What if you’re not falling behind, you’re just not asking the right questions yet? John Tansill spent twenty years in the Marine Corps, split between active duty and the reserves, leading Marines in combat and learning humility from the best NCOs in the Corps. He transitioned from the rigors of Wall Street to the mission of helping veterans and military spouses enter the tech industry. Today, as Director of Veterans Affairs at Skillstorm, he serves as the bridge for thousands who want to break into IT but don’t know where to start. How the MECEP program taught him more than any classroom ever could The shock of trading a rifle for a clerk’s badge on the NYSE Why paying your dues is not a step back but a running start The truth about tech careers: passion first, paycheck second How to build real work experience when you have none What happens when you lead with connection, not desperation ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:00 Military legacy and finding the Corps 06:30 From pilot dreams to infantry reality 12:45 The enlisted mentors who shaped his command 18:00 Why Wall Street humbled him fast 23:30 Starting over without ego 29:50 Why most transition programs miss the mark 37:10 Breaking into IT with no degree 45:00 The real value of Skillstorm’s free coding course 52:00 Serving the next generation of veterans LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntansill Email: jtansill@skillstorm.com My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Justin Boyum

    Justin Boyum
    Jul 25 2025
    What if you’re not stuck because you don’t have a plan, but because you’re terrified to trust yourself again? Justin Boyum traded a commission as an Army logistics officer for three unfulfilling jobs in four years before finally backing himself instead of a company. Now he helps veterans and leaders launch high-value consulting businesses that actually pay the bills without stealing their soul. His “One Day Payday” and Epic Expert System make starting simple and profitable. Why his corporate gigs left him empty, no matter the salary The moment he realized the mission was to multiply what he knew How he made 42 grand in one day with no product built Why most veterans are sitting on six figures, they don’t even see How to stop selling your time and start selling your value ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:10 Growing up in Austin and finding ROTC 06:30 Why logistics made sense 12:45 The command role that forced him to grow fast 19:10 Walking away to build a family first 24:50 The trap of corporate “security” 30:20 Three jobs in four years and still unfulfilled 37:00 The high-performance seminar that flipped the switch 42:30 The power of the One Day Payday 48:00 Why do you sell it before you build it 54:10 How any vets can coach, consult, and multiply LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinboyum/ Website: https://thechargeforward.com My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
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    1 hr