Strive Seek Find

Ten Questions with Heath Britt: A Career of Service

November 07, 2022 Chance Whitmore Season 3 Episode 5
Strive Seek Find
Ten Questions with Heath Britt: A Career of Service
Show Notes Transcript

On today's episode we are joined by Heath Britt, one half of the outstanding E14 podcast and retired Navy Chief.   We  have a #dram of #whiskey and discuss his #service in the #Navy. 

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Hello there friends, both old and new. Welcome to strive, seek find podcast. I'm your host chance Whitmore, home of bite sized lifestyle advice from a fellow traveler on the road to a better life brought to you by a longtime educator, writer, parent and outdoor enthusiast. Who may just may I'm saying like a good draft, because our futures set not just through our choices, but through our willingness to explore and find a better way. In today's episode, we're being joined by longtime friend of the show Heath Britt. Heath is one half of the outstanding e 14 podcast, you definitely need to check them out. Side note on this, he dropped an episode this week where I guessed it on his podcast. And while I want to honor him today with a strong intro, I think he speaks for himself far better than I ever could. Now let's get started. Like to work Welcome on, Heath Britt. One half of the E 14 podcast to tonight strive seek find. Welcome aboard Heath. Hey, thanks, Janet. Thanks for having me, man. I'm frickin psyched about being here. Dude. I got my whiskey out. I'm ready to go. Let's do this. Well, since you're starting with whiskey. Let's let's talk about what we're drinking today. Dude, I got Well, like I got some Terry Bradshaw Bradshaw, Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It don't have it don't have a date on it. So you know it's at least two years old. It tastes every bit at two years old. It's spicy, but it's got lots of a lot of good flavors. It's 103.8 proof which is 51.9 ABV. I'll tell you what, I like it. It's not bad. That's awesome. I'm drinking an old reliable for me. I'm drinking the old Overholt, straight rye whiskey. 40% Alcohol 86 proof and it's a it's a screw top bottle, but it is one of my favorite rice. Yeah, nice. Nice. So for my listeners, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself? Yeah, so I'm Heath. One half of the E 14 podcast my wife Jamie is the other half the better half the prettier half of the E 14 Podcast. I'm we started the podcast. We're both active duty. Now. I'm retired. I retired back in October 21. Now I'm a civilian like the rest everybody else and still do the podcast and I love it. We live up here in a Pittsburgh area outside of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania is great. So I came across you if I'm remembering correctly. So it's one of two places I either first time I heard your stuff was either on when you guys came you and Jamie went on? Why whiskey with Ian. Or it was when he went on with Dave with beer in front. I'm trying to remember which because I've heard them both. Well, I went on with why whiskey we first know why whiskey on my show. Back in April of last year. I think it was that's number right. So in damn Ian came hard in the paint with that whiskey because he sent us whiskey. And we were sampling together and my wife does not drink whiskey neat. She's a she's a seltzer gal or margaritas or some cheeky like that. But she got hammered drunk. And we had a blast with Endo. Ian's a good time. And then we went on day I went on days by myself. Back in I think I want to say November ish of last year. It was later on last year some or maybe September August timeframe. It was after the after Independence Day sometime last year. I can't remember off top my head. But yeah. Had a good time with Dave. And didn't they came on our show late after that. And yeah, and I will say as far as your show, I'm going to encourage everybody to listen to it because it's one of my must listen to. My favorites ones though, have been some of your more recent ones as you've been kind of calling attention to some of the issues that people retired from the military have been dealing with. Would you like to kind of just touch on what those have been about? Yeah, man. Thanks for bringing that up. And but after I retired, I noticed it took me forever to get paid my retirement check. It took me forever to just get get the get everything I was you know, because when people get out of the Navy, when they get out and retirement they get out there they got entitlements like a DD 214 is an entitlement you get by serving your country for however long you served your country. You know, that took me a little while so I did a retirement rant. He's retirement rant is what I called it, you know, and I called out a bunch of bullshit that and it's not I tell you what, it's not the I think the Navy's just doing it wrong. On that part, I think Love that I joined the Navy. I don't regret it. It was the best thing I could have done. I'm very proud of my service. There's some things they could improve on. And that started that he's retirement rant. You know, I've done three parts so far. But yeah, just just basically just let them know, Hey, man, step up the game. And just the last one, I believe that I listened to dealt with a recent retiree who, same thing, no matter she'd gone almost was six weeks, almost a couple of months without being paid, wasn't it? Yeah, it was Natalie banks. She didn't. That's right. She did five years. So she she just five years, just did her time and got out, which is not nothing to be ashamed of. And she she's going on 90 days without her without our DD 214. And, you know, yeah, I think she's, she's pregnant too. She's married to a Marine, she's pregnant, can't get health care. And she's at a high risk pregnancy. And she reached out to me via email, and it broke my heart. And I had to get her story out there. You know? Wow, that's incredible. The fact that you're, you're using your platform to make sure that people get hurt. Right. And like I said, though, I say it every time my wife is no, were involved with that part of our podcast, because she's still active duty. She can't. She can't get involved in that. Because you know, me, I'm retired, I can pretty much say what I want. There are advantages to not having someone on the other end of the paycheck, isn't that right? It does. Yeah. Which is why I've only talked about education. Once on my podcast, you're still because you're still active educator for a while with the age of my kids for a long, long time. God bless you. So so how long was your so let's two parter here because we got both podcasts in the Navy career. Tell us a little bit how long you were in the Navy. And then maybe a little bit about the podcast as well. Yeah, man I did. 26 years in the Navy. I started I joined the Navy Halloween of 95. And retired Halloween 21. So everybody knows about this stupid thing that happened. It missed a lot of people's lives off lives up called COVID. And it screwed up a lot of lives. made people locked down on this and the Navy was no was no different. We were locked down. We were locked down after civilians were able to go out and go to restaurants. We're still locked down. So that means me and my wife couldn't go out to dinner. Could go have a drink at a bar. Hell, I couldn't give it an even get a haircut for about a year. So we decided, you know, this is not good for our mental health. And Jamie came to me and said, Would you do a podcast? I'm like, yeah, why not? I like to talk. And that's what I do. I love talking. So we started the E 14 podcast and and we went from there. And we did that in January of 21. January 13. I think we dropped our first episode of 2021 and I would have sworn it was longer that ago because I feel like I've been kind of keeping track of you guys for longer than that but doesn't seem possible. We've grown you like an algae chances. It doesn't hurt that we've ended up in the same the same circles, same circles as far as podcasts go and no Can I say something real quick, man when I when we did the the tavern in question, which I love. I love Ian and Josh man, those are my boys. And we were end up on their season two finale together, man, I was like, I was like an AW, I like them. I got a chance. And we had a summer from stress, depressed and anxious. And just they picked us at everybody. When I was like, holy cow. It was an honor to be part of all that. Definitely. And podcasters I respect and get to hang out with and God this is the first time we've just got outside of that first time. We've got to settle in and tip one back while we talk. Exactly. And I'm super excited that you hit me up. But we were right in the middle move. And I told you as soon as I get to where I'm going where I'll hit you up and here we are a few months later. A few months later. So what about so one more so for? Just love it? That's my feeder? Yeah, I love it. What? What led you to the What led you to the Navy? And then what led you to pod while you told us what led you to podcasts and what led you to the Navy? Well, it was kind of weird. Jamie I was married before. You know I've been married and like a good sight. I was married at least a few times, you know, like this. But I say the best for last obviously with Jamie. But anyway, I was married wife was expecting and I needed a health insurance. That's the reason I joined maybe had nothing. Health insurance was the only reason I think that was before 911 So there was no war. There was no war going on. It was I needed health insurance. I need a steady paycheck that gave me health insurance. And that was the whole reason I joined the Navy Gotcha. And not in a good reason. The What about the Navy? Kind of? What did you love about your time in the Navy? It's all I guess, you know, I was an Electronics Technician by trade. So I worked on a lot of communication radar gear that was important to the ship, because I did a lot of ship time. I guess I felt like I was do some bigger than me. Right? It's bigger than myself. I was I was doing something for the big picture that that I thought was important. And, and that's I think that's why I kept realist and because it felt important. That That makes a lot of sense to me. You. Service, you felt like you're part of something bigger. And you had an opportunity to be a part of that. Yeah, exactly. The what is it? How did it feed your creative energy during that time? And then maybe what feeds you on the podcast? How does it feed you? So to speak, the creative energy piece? Well, here's the thing about the Navy was is that once I got established, and I was good at what I did, I got to mold other people. Right? I got to mold other people, which which was awesome that I got to create them like not like in my image or anything but how I was brought up. And I feel good creatively that I got to, you know, you go through the hardship, you freaking bust your ass, you suck it up. And then you overcome the cream rises to the top to the to the top, right. And then with the podcast. I tell you what, it was just awesome. Meeting these badass people. Dude, I've met some people that's overcome way more shit than me. And came out smelling like roses on top because they just had that, that that American spirit. Don't say die. Don't give up the ship. Don't stop striving. And man. They're their motivation right there. They're yearn to survive motivate the hell out of me. And that's why that's why I keep doing it. Because I've had talks with like, I talked about JJ Gonzalez, man, he was he was a Sixth Fleet. Now he's over in New London. He's in Rhode Island now, but he was a six leaks command mash cheap. This dude came it came Panama Panamanian came from Panama. Didn't know shit. Nobody knew English. And now a straw. He's hustled. And now he's he's at level in the Navy. Because he would never die. I mean, that's the kind of shit that just gets me going, man. I listen to his episode. I probably heard his episode probably 10 times 15 times. And it motivates me every time because of his story. So I guess it's the struggle that people go through and they overcome that gets me going. That's amazing. The What do you do to what did you do? And now what do you do two questions. You're getting 20 questions. You told me throw it at me chance I like it. So what are you what? While you were in the Navy, what did you do to make sure you were the cream rice into the top? How did you make yourself better? And what do you do to get better as a podcaster? Well, for the Navy, I just tried to outwork everybody. It was easy. Like I'm gonna try to outwork everybody like they're going home. I'm staying late. There. I gotta get these qualifications. I gotta work. I gotta get this up. There's no they couldn't get couldn't fix this equipment. I'm gonna fix this equipment. That's what I did. I mean, it was just outwork everybody, but not stabbing. Anybody in the back. I didn't believe in getting ahead by stabbing people back. I just believe in not working somebody. Now for as the podcast goes, Man, I just listened to podcast. I listened to your podcast, I listened to Ian and Josh is having a question. I listened to scuttlebutt, I listened to Florida middle Florida, man. That's how I get better. Beer in question. I mean, beer Beer front and rear in front, I'm sorry, the beer in front. I listen to those podcasts. That's how I get better. I take notes. I'll listen to what you guys do to make me better. And I think you guys have such a sweet setup and sweet do a sweet job that i i There are some of your episodes that I have. Absolutely. Just been NDSM so keep up the good work. Thank you. The one that that kind of intersected the most on my world. I I was listening to and I almost got it on and started tweeting on back at you about it because it was the one about the Mardi Gras trip. With all the shit that went down with that. Yeah, that's funny. I was like, I could provide some clarification on some of this at least with its substance because right, that shit soon happened. No, hell no. What what do you what do you think about the resource officer? I wouldn't have had him My school. Yeah, this dude was a piece of garbage man. I was pissed. I was it was funny. I made it funny on the show but in real life I was freaking pissed. I completely understand there should that should have never ever happened. If he's there and he's doing the job he's he's got to do the job. And other otherwise what's the point in having him I might write the DS or O's the school resource officers I've worked there are usually the there button down there on top of it. They are there. I will be honest, most most of the good ones that I've worked with are guys that were ex military and then had come into and then felt an urge to come into the schools as well and do some good there. They they're not that sort of guy. So I was pissed for you because that was me. Oh, she couldn't believe that man. And I don't blame in oop, New Orleans Police Department. And guys, that I forgot which episode that was. That was in March of last year if you want to hear it, but I don't I'll throw the link to it on what the title of his offhand but I don't blame in what NOPD New Orleans Police Department because do them guys are undermanned, you know the I'm not I'm not trying to be political. But when they went to defund the police, those guys got undermanned and this is Mardi Gras shit goes down at Mardi Gras and there was not enough people to to to properly feel the area. You know. All these It was an unbelievable thing. You guys need to listen to this, but just is the worst possible things that can happen. Well, not the worst. Nobody died. Nobody died. But it was damn close with all the things that went wrong with if people not being very smart and a kid getting drawn on basically, kid getting I mean getting attacked by grown up. I mean, that's that was there to protect the kid. Of that parent of another kid, right? A parent of another kid that was there as like a chaperone. It was funny, man. It's crazy. I didn't forgot about that. You brought it up. Yeah, I remember that. Because I was like, I remember Jamie was like, You won't talk about it. She's like, No, I do. Let's talk about it. You know, and I was ready to talk about this. She was I couldn't believe it. It's just off the chain. Yeah. So. So with both both. Who are some people that you idolized as you came through the Navy? Ship, man, so many? The first one probably there was two chiefs now not when you make chief in the Navy. I'm gonna do a little i It's kind of a big deal. Jamie's going through that transition right now. She just made chief. So she's going through that. It's a big transition. You go through an initiation, like type like fraternity type initiation, but it's like it's focused toward leadership. Right? Because as a chief, you are this certain subject matter extra, the technical expert, and you are the technical expert of people. Right. Got what I'm saying is the technical expert on people. So you're going through that transition. So when I was a young sailor man, I had two chiefs. His name was their name was Scott Wagner and DJ Henderson, man just and I tell you what, DJ Henderson was hard. We just call him Darth Henderson. Like Darth Vader, but dude, I tell you, that dude did not quit. He was he was I mean, he if he thought if an officer came to him and hadn't seen some bullshit, do he'd be like, Nah, we ain't doing that. Oh, he was hardcore, man. No. And same thing with Scott. Scott was like, oh, when if they were micromanaging him, he wouldn't have it either. He'd be on their ass. And then, and then as I got, you know, to my next command, there's a guy that we're still friends and we were still tight today. We call each other all the time. His name was Kirk Hurst. He reached a retired senior chief like myself, I'm a retired senior chief. But this guy here was just he was a man, man. He was cool, too cool for school. Like he never got flustered. And I'm sure he did. I just never saw it. But it was, you know, you always admire people you can't be like, that you want to be liked, but you don't have the same personality, or you're not able to be like them. And that's kind of how I am with him. I wish I could be more like him. But I can't because I'm just I'm just not that way. I wish I was but I'm not but those guys were just on the point technical experts, new new equipment, new people, and knew how to get their point across and got their point across in a in a relative respectful way. Even if they're being a little disrespectful. It still came off and respectful. You know what I mean? And if yes, then a lot of me Yeah, definitely. But if I've been I've come across disrespectful when they knew I was being disrespectful. And there was no there was no, I wish I had that tact to be disrespectful and respectful at the same time, I guess. Would you do it in such a way they may not realize you're being disrespectful to get your point across? Yeah, I guess and Uh, I just would like I would just go, I would just go off because I couldn't believe these guys were that stupid and you're in charge of me. The app my mind blown, but I remember what me and Kirk actually got to work together. I was the chief. He was retired civilian, and we've worked in the same office. He was actually my boss. And this department had to some dumb as shit. And I was pissed. I was seeing flames. I was seeing red spitting flames. I said, Sir, you need to know your F and people. Just like that. And then right in front of him curves like Heath Unicomp S. F that MF for it. But he was standing right there when I was doing it. I was just done. But nothing happened. Yeah, because he knew I was right. He was he was fucked up. And he knew it. But I just remember that Kurt was so cool. He could get his point across but never lose his cool. And that's what I liked about him. And plus, he was awesome to learn from, you know, he was awesome to mentor to be to to he was also an awesome mentor. Off of that, what do you think? What, in your opinion, what is your greatest accomplishment in your naval career? You know what, I'll tell you. I've been asked that before. It's not the people under me, not as the entrepreneur. It sounds like people that worked that I mentored right, they weren't maybe for me, that are like in my position now are my position before I retire? Right there. Yeah, leading leading troops, doing their thing. Getting accolades getting recognized for their badass leadership skills, can get accolades for a badass technical skills. That's my biggest compliment because I never cared about making ranking just have worked out for me. It happened to work out for me and for those guys working out for those guys just freaking make makes me feel good. That's awesome. Yeah. How about from the podcasting end of things? What are the what are some of what are you most proud of from that? Well, having people like you reach out what to do for me on their show, man, that's badass. I was like holy shit chance was gonna show you them right in our en or scuttlebutt or Dave, you know, Florida, man. I mean, all of them. You know, I love the the camaraderie I've made friends and you know what, what's funny, and I've said this before, I remember when virtual like gaming online was started be a thing like, Xbox online or Playstation online and my son. I was like, Dude, I'm not your real friends are online. Dude. You I could see you guys, my friends. And I've never met you in person. So it's like, I got friends now. I got more friends across the country through podcast. And I would agree with that sentiment. Exactly. I've met so many good people through this. Yeah, good people. And I don't agree with everything they do. Or they say but they don't know. They're good freakin people. And that's all I care about. Exactly. That's what I like about it because it breaks the barriers of religion, politics, and all that other bullshit. That people get their vision that gets clouded just for people for being people. That is well said the if someone wanted to join the Navy, what would you suggest him? Do your homework research do your homework because the Navy that people join today is not the Navy that I joined I think it's a good it's a good it's a good move. If you have nothing else going for if you're not big on school, which I was not big on I did well in high school but I was not I was done with school I was done I was just didn't feel like doing it anymore. I think it's an option, definitely an option. But make sure you know what you're getting into. Because it's not one of the things that you're guaranteed a paycheck as long as you're in but if you want to you want to strive you gotta be better next guy because you are ranked against people again, in your in your peer group. So you gotta be willing to work and work hard. And the Navy don't need no lazy jack or no lazy Jane. So do your homework and be willing to work and work hard. And people thinking about starting a podcast. Alright, that's tough. Do it because there's a reason you're starting. But don't Don't worry about your first 510 1520 30 Whatever episodes you want to get maybe 20 view or listeners. You do it because it's a good outlet. You get your emotions taken care of people get to hear if you got one person listening to you mess one person who gives a shit what you say what you have to say. And that's a big deal. So if you started don't stop it because you're not getting a million listeners, your first season or your third season necessarily are your Walk in fifth season, you know, never, ever, you know, you're doing something. And I tell you what we're after COVID You gotta think we had I think I don't remember I think scuttlebutt did it did a count or they had a rough estimate of how many podcasts are out there. And it was like in the millions, right? But only a small percentage of those stick around after the first year. And that is true. I mean, you're in the top 3% If you just keep keep, you get like 12 listens and are still producing after a full year. Yeah, you're you're you're in a small percentage. If you do that, just remember it doesn't. You know, in today's it doesn't take a lot to be in a percentage. All you gotta do is Outlast everybody else. Which is a lot of life right there. Just be willing to be the one that the last man standing. Yeah, exactly. We're we got almost two years. We're going on two years already. And I can't believe that shit. That's crazy. You guys. And I mean, this is the highest compliment. You guys put out such a product. I thought she'd for some ways I had my head that she'd been doing it for much longer than that. So, dude, yeah, listen. The first time I was like, I didn't know. I didn't know what to do with my hand like Ricky Bobby on Talladega Nights on the camera. I know what to do, man because we just do Facebook Live. I was like, I don't know what to do. Because you know, I was so nervous. And I used to talk in front of people I talk with people a lot. It's just that when you know there's a camera on you. It's like it changes things. It does and Jamie was so his JD did a podcast before me man Jamie did this savage squad outside of the uniform of the savage squad where a bunch of recruiter like five recruiters came together. You're gonna had a podcast, it was during COVID like July of 20 They started it I loved it. I thought it was such an awesome deal. I thought it was an awesome idea and I was set out she would be in we lived in Scottsdale in the first house we moved into right on the waterfront apartment beautiful place and she would be in the living room area doing it little studio and I'd be outside in the back smoking cigars drinking whiskey and watching it on my phone. So I wouldn't you know make noise. And I was like, Man, this is so much fun. And that's when she came to me and said you want to do well I'm like Hell yeah, let's do one. Then I was hooked. I was freaking hooked. And I'm gonna take try to get screencap actually I'm gonna cheat and take a picture of my phone the setup that you guys use the cameras everything is something that I need that I have learned from because I haven't done anything that the video and it's all just This is as close to doing it on the video as and I've just been trying to learn it this year because I thought that would it's something that I want to add to my game right now. It's cool. Jamie was always about just Jamie she's always been about aesthetics. And we had a badass studio everywhere we ever been semi decorated nice you know in this year we're actually in a spare bedroom that we just turned into a podcast and a smallest studio overhead but we got a cool light it's simple get the front we got the plant over here and it works man I like it's simple but it's it's cool I'm happy with it. I'm very carefully not showing what's behind me on camera right now because it's the spare bed with the the box of lunch size chips for the kids for the pack in their lunches for school on it in the spare bedroom at our house. Yeah, I have not decorated it beyond that. Well I wouldn't have either chance that's the difference I got a female is part of the podcast so I get the aesthetics you know what I mean? I happen to have lucky to get the aesthetics and part of that is Jamie's you guys do amazing work. Thank you so much appreciate that. Hey, last question. Yeah, what else would you like our audience to know silence crickets guys if you listen to if you listen to chance on the strive seek final podcast we did a great a great show, man. I think you might like ours. It's kind of the same deal. You know, rise above the ashes get you know, you know there's no elevating above the bullshit. Doing good things. I think you'll like ours. So please if you're if you're looking for new another podcast to listen to on your way to work, give us give me 14 podcast a show. Listen, we're on every every album. Healthy. Thanks for coming on board. Oh man, a blast. Thank you. Well, friends, I'd like to thank you again for coming on board. It's been a long time coming. And I'm extremely grateful for him sharing his passion for service and podcasting with us. What about you? What are you passionate about? If you'd like to share, please reach out my contact informations there. shown in the show notes. Until next time, friends, keep seeking your own brilliant future