The Morning Formation Podcast
Hosted by KP Phillips—a U.S. Army combat veteran, former law enforcement officer, and seasoned instructor in tactics, firearms, and combatives—The Formation Podcast is built on the core pillars of Survivability, Situational Awareness, and the mindset to Adapt & Overcome.
Drawing from over two decades of real-world experience in combat zones and high-risk environments, KP leads authentic conversations with warriors, protectors, and everyday individuals who’ve faced adversity head-on. This podcast is more than content—it's a movement for those who understand that the fight begins before the event.
Through storytelling, lived experience, and expert insight, The Formation Podcast equips its listeners with the mindset, tools, and awareness to remain vigilant and prepared—whether on the battlefield, in the streets, or in everyday life.
The Morning Formation Podcast
Vee Morgan's Journey A Story of Resilience, Reality Show, Non Profits, and Legacy
Army Combat Veteran Vee Morgan's journey from military service to civilian advocacy is both inspiring and insightful. During this episode, she discusses her military experiences, the reality of combat, her transition struggles, and the mission behind the Home of Record Project, which aims to support veterans in need.
• Vee shares her motivations for enrolling in the Army right after 9/11
• Reflecting on the disparity between media coverage and the realities of combat
• Insights on leadership and resilience drawn from her military service
• Discussion of the Home of Record Project's role in assisting veterans
• Emphasis on fitness as a vital part of mental and physical health
• Morgan’s personal anecdote about overcoming challenges in the Grand Canyon
• The importance of community support for veterans transitioning to civilian life
• Encouragement to reach out for assistance if struggling post-service
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Warriors fall in, it's time for formation. So today I have a treat for you. I have a veteran advocate who is a board member for the Home of Record organization. We're going to talk to her about that. But also too, she has a short stint in reality TV show and she's also big into fitness. And it just so happens that over the span of our I guess, our military careers, our paths sort of crossed, I guess all the way out in Hawaii, schofield Barracks. Around the same time she is a combat veteran for Operation Enduring Freedom. Today I'd like to introduce you to V Morgan V. Thank you so much for being on the Morning.
Speaker 2:Formation, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:The honor is all mine and you know when I started digging into, like, who you are, what are some of the things that you've done, just in your life and between the military and civilian, there's just so much. There so much to go on. So I just want to kick things off and talk about your time in the military and would you mind sharing your journey into the Army and what motivated you to serve during such a pivotal time in our history, during two wars Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speaker 2:It was a mixture of a couple things. I wanted to kind of serve my country after 9-11. I feel like a lot of people were kind of uh, going into the military for the same reason. Um, obviously, the benefits of college and I I just wanted to get out of arizona and try something different. I feel like all my friends were doing the same thing and I wanted to get out and travel and just get out of Arizona basically.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So you kind of saw it as a way out. Why not college? Why not the typical traditional, modern route that most people go?
Speaker 2:Well, it was funny because I graduated high school a semester early, so I was able to kind of experience college and I had an essay that I was supposed to write and in that essay we had to talk about our life and I felt like I didn't have a lot of to talk about. So I wanted to gain my own experience and have something you know fruitful to talk about, versus just the regular old I work at IHOP or whatever.
Speaker 1:Right, right.
Speaker 2:You want to set yourself apart.
Speaker 1:So was there anybody else in your family that was part of the military?
Speaker 2:No, my dad had a completely different path. I chose to go in. I had a friend that was going into the Navy and I, initially, was going to join the Navy and as I was walking out of my car, an army recruiter came out and said hey, why don't you come check us out? And I remember walking in the office and I saw the posters and I'm like I don't, girls could do this. Like I was so naive to believe that, you know. He's like yeah, we have a lot of women in the military.
Speaker 2:So for me it was kind of, you know, it was kind of like intimidating but exciting to try to do that. And I remember telling my dad I think I was, I had just turned 18. And I said I joined the army today. And he's like you what? He's like yeah, I just I signed up to join the army. And he's like don't you need my signature? I'm like, no, I don't. So it was kind of a shocker to my whole family. I don't. So it was. It was kind of a shocker to my whole family. Like it was just very casual how I did that.
Speaker 1:Sometimes that's the best way to go is just to jump, just to jump off the diving board, you know Right, and just sign up and go at it, versus like thinking about it, because you can kind of psych yourself out.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and that's kind of how I do a lot of things in my life. I'm sure they were really scared when, uh cause, during that time you know, like I said, you had two wars going on you had Iraq and you had Afghanistan, and during freedom and operation, iraqi freedom. So you ended up getting stationed with 25th in Hawaii. Um, and next thing you know, you're um downrange, you're supporting operation during freedom. How did that shape your perspective on leadership and resiliency, going through basic training, ait, and then now you're in combat.
Speaker 2:I think for me. I kind of really didn't think it would actually happen. Like I had people tell me, you know, women aren't in the military, women don't get deployed, you know, and when we got to our unit it hadn't been activated in 40 years. So I thought, oh, you know, this is going to be nice. And within three months it got reactivated and we were in Afghanistan and it definitely taught me how to adapt and overcome a lot of things, because you know a lot of things in your life you just don't have control over and people you think you do, but you don't.
Speaker 2:You end up in these situations and, you know, I feel like it can be a good thing and a bad thing. Like I have this fear of not knowing what's going to happen next, or kind of like not having control of what's what's going to happen next, and sometimes it kind of freaks me out. But I mean, you know, when I ended up in Afghanistan, I you know you hear all these things on the news and and then you get there and it's so different from what you're seeing on the news and and it kind of makes you realize a lot of what your government is feeding you and the news and stuff like that. I don't know if we can get too deep into that, but I kind of just lost a lot of trust in, and certain things you know no, I I I think a lot of veterans feel the same way, because it was the same for me too.
Speaker 1:I remember standing the. This was. Most people can't even fathom what it was like without cell phones, like when you and I went downrange. There were no cell phones, there was no. Facebook no, looking up at the satellite television watching the news and they were talking about the area of iraq that I was getting ready to go into and they were talking about this terrible like battle that was ensuing and going on and and I went there that night and there was nothing right, I was like yeah, what what is going on?
Speaker 1:right, yeah, where is this news coming from? Like this isn't you know, it's, it's and they act like's, it's like live and happening right now. Um so, and I guess, let's, let's talk about that. So, what was different about what you thought it was going to be versus what it was?
Speaker 2:So before I left, um, we were like prepped, with different you know news stations, we saw different videos. And then, you know, people were like, oh, with different you know news stations, we saw different videos. And then you know, people were like, oh, they're beheading people. And I think, you know, you mentally start to prepare yourself like, wow, I really did get myself into something, you know, and I got there.
Speaker 2:I first landed at Bagram Air Base and, like you, we got off the aircraft and it was like nothing was happening there, you know. But further into my deployment we ended up in Asadabad, afghanistan, and it started to get, you know, a lot more. You know, we got a lot of rocket time. I worked in the medical station there, so I would see, you know, the locals coming in. And before I got there, you hear all this stuff about the Afghan people and things like that. And then, when you get there, you start to realize like these are real people, these are people that have to live here and go through this all the time, you know, and you start to kind of. You know some people, maybe not all, but you start to feel a little empathetic towards their situation, you know.
Speaker 2:And uh, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the day I landed in Mosul was the day that we had the Mosul Chauhal bombing um, which a lot of people don't realize how complex that really was. It wasn't just a bombing and then, and then quietness. Afterwards it was a lot of rockets, a lot of mortars um a lot of running outside under the concrete bunkers. In my underwear, in my um, in in the middle of the night, like right, yeah, you're just always.
Speaker 1:You're just always on edge, like you just never know when you could end up, you know, going in the bunkers or going under attack, or you know, the wild thing about it was, you know, I, I deployed so fast that, like I was still a second lieutenant, like I was still, you could still smell the freshness of my uniforms and I was gone that quick because, like you, yeah, yeah, I didn't.
Speaker 1:I knew I was probably going to deploy at some point, but I never imagined that would be less than a year after commissioning. I didn't know. I graduated college, got my bachelor's degree, got my butter bar pinned on, went to my OBC which it's not what it is my officer basic course, which it's changed a lot now. But next thing, you know, I'm getting stationed in Hawaii and then 45 days later'm I'm in iraq, like right and it's like so fast right after fallujah, like.
Speaker 1:So the hornet's nest has been stirred up. There's insurgents all over the freaking country now. Um, so when I landed, that was my introduction to my year in iraq was the chow hall bombing, which you know. A lot of folks died that day, um, and you know, like you mentioned the rockets and the mortars and stuff that followed. That, I mean, it was, it was pretty scary. And then, you know, when I found out that I was going to be a platoon leader for a transportation company, I was going to be outside the wire almost every single night. I thought the same thing. I said what the hell? What the hell did I did? I did I sign up for? What the hell did I get into, you know? And I learned a lot. I grew up and became a man, I think in that, in that one year, right Um.
Speaker 2:So I think about people that I know now that are 18, 19 years old, and to think that I was that age when I was there is just crazy to me, you know.
Speaker 1:I was so young, you were 18 or 19 you said yeah, wow see, I was older, I was like 24, but still I mean, yeah, 24 to like deal with uh, literally, when you're, you know you're a convoy commander, patrol commander, whatever it's like. You're in charge of other people's lives.
Speaker 1:Like your planning and preparation matter, and it's at a young age, 18 to 24 years old. That's a huge weight to carry and I think about the same thing too, Like the young adults that I know today. Like would they be able to carry that burden?
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, it's definitely something to think about with this new generation.
Speaker 1:So what would you say? V that some of your lessons that you learned from your deployment, your time in the military service. What are some of those lessons that continue to guide you in your current endeavors?
Speaker 2:I think that I've really learned to appreciate my family. Because you're away from them so much, I definitely feel like I live life as if it's going to be over tomorrow. I'm always trying to do something and live my life to the fullest, you know. I try to do a lot of different things. I like adventure, I like trying new things. That's why my name's Exploring V, because I definitely like to explore and try new things.
Speaker 1:But you know, life is short and you got to treat it as a valuable thing as far as being empathetic towards the folks that you met when you were downrange, because it's the same thing with me, like when the Afghanistan pullout happened. I'm sure that was very difficult for a lot of our Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, but for me, my difficult time was a few years prior to that, when I was watching ISIS battle it out in Mosul and just to think to myself that, like, my unit was part of the units that actually owned that territory and we ran that territory. It hurt, you know, it hurt a little bit to know that a piece of my life, a piece of my time was spent over there and here we just completely lost it again.
Speaker 2:Um, that's kind of how you feel, like you like it was a like a waste of time and that's yeah yeah, totally.
Speaker 1:Um. So let's talk about your community outreach. So since you left the military, you find yourself here back at the table and you're doing non-profit uh assistance and you're currently serving as a board of director for community outreach for the Home of Record Project. Would you mind talking about the mission of that organization and how the members of that organization are seeking to achieve that mission?
Speaker 2:We help veterans with transitional housing, financial assistance, our financial stability grants and social services. So if a veteran comes to us and they're struggling with housing or possible eviction or they're having a hard time paying their bills, they can submit a contact form on our website and we will basically approve and make sure, obviously confirm that they're a veteran, because we can sometimes have people come through multiple times and then from there we will either try to work with their landlord and see if we can negotiate something with them and then, if not either way, we will try to assist them through the process to see how we can either get their utilities reduced I'm sorry, yeah, utilities reduced or the rent reduced, or if we can financially help them with their rent, or mortgage.
Speaker 1:You know that's really interesting and it's a very important subject and I'm very thankful that we have nonprofits out there seeking to help out our veteran community, especially with finding a home and keeping that home. But what challenges so far in your experiences, what challenges do you see in the reintegration of our veterans into the communities and how does the organization specifically address those issues?
Speaker 2:I think that a lot of veterans are, you know, military. Before they get out they're told all these things like, oh, you're going to get any job, that. But I don't think you know, because a lot of veterans go in so young they don't realize how to, you know, get into housing and how to do their taxes and how to do this, because the military helps you with a lot of that, you know. So we, you know, we try to guide them in that process. What we do is we have transitional housing. We'll take them in, let them relax a little bit and then guide them through the process. Regular grants and stuff like that, because a lot of them have like a two-year minimum requirement that you have to be a non-profit in order to get financial grants. So a lot of our grants and financial assistance that we get is from donors, from regular donors, not necessarily government grants.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so how long has this nonprofit been up? It's been about a year, yet About a year. So you helped set it up and everything, along with another team.
Speaker 2:I didn't. Our CEO, gary Schell, is the one that started it. And then we have Joe Warhol they're both veterans and then Whitney Hale, who's also a veteran. And then we have Joe Warhol they're both veterans and then Whitney Hale, who's also a veteran, and then we have Alexis, who is also she's. She's not a veteran, but she is an attorney, so she helps us with a lot of stuff that we need to get organized Sounds like a great team.
Speaker 1:So you help veterans out nationally, right right, we hope to get there eventually.
Speaker 2:That's our goal. But obviously you need to start locally to grow out. Alexis is in California.
Speaker 1:So you basically serve California and Arizona. California, arizona. Okay, what inspired you to take on a leadership role with this nonprofit and what impact do you hope to make by being a community outreach director?
Speaker 2:So my father actually has another nonprofit and I was his assistant for four years. I, you know, I grew up around his nonprofit. They help homeless addicts and they help them rebuild their lives, and I felt like it was a very similar mission that we had with the Home of Record project. So I saw the stuff that Gary was doing on LinkedIn and I was like, wow, this is pretty much what I wanted to do. I wanted to work with veterans, so I reached out to him and asked him if he would take any volunteers and he said, yeah, you know, let's talk about it. So I worked with them for about a month to see if it was a good fit, and then they asked me to become a board member, and I've just absolutely love it. I feel so fulfilled there and I really like working with the other board members.
Speaker 1:Right. So is that? Is that, except for Alexis, the rest of the team is there in Arizona?
Speaker 2:Yes, and they're all Marines. So it's me and then the three Marines.
Speaker 1:Bunch of craniators.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you heard that I'll tell you what you know, what actually you know, when it comes to the, to the branches, I gained a lot of respect for the Marines, yeah.
Speaker 1:When I was working down range, and I think they gained a lot of respect for the army as well, cause at the end of the day we were, we were both taking on a lot, uh, right there on the front lines, and so that is a whole different level of respect when you go into combat and you work with these other branches um is what I gained with that.
Speaker 2:I definitely have gained a lot of respect working with them. I've never worked with Marines. They're a lot more organized, I feel like, than I have experienced with other branches, but I mean, it's been really, really awesome to be a part of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so far, what does the outreach look like? How many folks approximately have you been able to help out with the nonprofit?
Speaker 2:have you been able to help out with the nonprofit? Um, that is a good question. I don't know off the top of my head, um, I would say, oh man, I want to say like 80 this year. Uh, we, we've helped veterans go from living in their car to getting their own house, which has been really amazing. Um, that's happened a couple of times, but, yeah, I'd have to honestly go back and look at the numbers on that one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that you know everyone starts from somewhere, but I think the heart is in the right place to even get something like this off the ground. It is because I hear a lot of folks. I hear a lot of folks that are like, oh, I really care. And the way I care is I donate $50 to someone's GoFundMe and I'm like try setting up a nonprofit and running a nonprofit hard work it takes to get a nonprofit going and we all have been really working hard doing outreach, making connections.
Speaker 2:We're all volunteer board. Ninety three percent of our funding goes directly to the cause. The rest is just, you know, for flyers and pay the bills and things like that. So we are really dedicated to making this work and I'm just really excited about it.
Speaker 1:It sounds like a great nonprofit and I'm interested in maybe getting somebody else from the board on the show as well to talk, and I'm all about helping spread awareness and helping these great nonprofits grow as well, because, like I said, the heart is in the right place when you go through all that work um and set up, set up something like this.
Speaker 2:but yeah, I truly think. I truly think that when you do things with the right intention and the right energy, that it'll work out really good. So I'm I think it'll um, I think it'll be great even with this podcast.
Speaker 1:I you know over the last three years that I've been doing this. Almost three years I've I used to just take on anybody that would contact me, anybody. They would just message me. I'm like sure I'll get you on.
Speaker 1:I'll get you on, get all this long list of people yeah but I think over the years I've I've gotten better at being specific about who I want to talk to and who I want to get to know better. Um, and it's all based off the authenticity that I can feel through their content. You know who they are and then I do a little more research and then I figure out oh, this person is a part of this, it's, they're a part of that. Uh, that's some real stuff, um, you know, and the reason I say that is because recently I had a, a fellow colleague of mine, who was, who was, I guess he was invited to a podcast and they invited him, but then they required him to pay and I was like well, sam, what kind of shit is that?
Speaker 1:But anyways, I was just like you know, so I, I, I love that, I love that, uh, the nonprofit that you're a part of, and even yourself, you know, come from a great place. But there's so many sides to you, V, when I started looking into who you are, and another side to you is that you were involved in a reality show with your husband, right?
Speaker 2:on a few episodes, but I believe he was on 70 episodes. It was for gold prospecting and basically they had the, you know, the big equipment and things like that which is really cool to see in person. I didn't realize how big it was in person, like the tires were. I couldn't even go up halfway on some of these tires. It was pretty amazing. But yeah, it was. It was very intense. In any time, you know, they would come to our house or anything like that, and they were. They would be here all day long and I didn't realize how exhausting it was and I felt bad because I was always complaining about God, you need to hurry up and get home and blah, blah, blah. And then when I saw that he was having to work plus also getting filmed doing this, I was like man, I am so sorry because it's emotionally and physically exhausting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you realize that there's. There's a lot more to it than just the showing up, right.
Speaker 2:Right, exactly it looks like. It looks like rainbows and butterflies, until you get behind scenes.
Speaker 1:It always does, it always does um, and that's how. That's just how it is, even with the podcasting world for me, like I do the editing, I do the finding people, I do the interviewing, I do everything I'm. I'm playing the instruments, I'm taking tickets at the front uh, front entrance, and I'm singing on stages all this stuff right, and it's, just it always looks like, like you said, butterflies and stuff editing, editing is a whole nother, yeah, and so that's why.
Speaker 1:I try to be a little more pointed with with who I with who I interview. But talk to me about your experience on the reality TV series. Your husband did like 70 shows. How the hell did he get into that to begin with? Was he already doing like gold prospecting um?
Speaker 2:prospecting, yeah. Inspecting, yeah, if we. So we first started, um, we would just go out and, you know, dig around, and we enjoyed it a lot. So we created a facebook group on it's called arizona gold prospectors and treasure hunters. Now it has over 12 000 followers, but at the time it was, you know, a couple hundred. And we started posting our finds. And then pretty soon some characters from the Discovery Channel noticed that and they wanted to come check it out. And then then they invited him on. Know, they would threaten us.
Speaker 2:We would have the craziest things happen. You know we have people follow us to different spots in the middle of nowhere and then they would message us and say I saw you in this area and it started to get a little scary. So we kind of backed off from doing certain things that we used to do, like before. It was just, oh, we're going to go out in the mountains and explore.
Speaker 2:And then, after we had my son, we started realizing like we probably need to be a little bit quieter of like where we're going and what we're doing and stuff. Because it started to be a little bit quieter of like where we're going and you know where, what we're doing and stuff, because it started to get a little scary, but it was a really cool experience. I think that it's like a once in a lifetime experience that a lot of people don't get to do. And we it was crazy because we were watching these people on the show all the time and then we were working with them and it was kind of surreal to experience that, you know. But when you see what's happening behind, uh, the cameras and behind closed doors, you you start to kind of kind of, your favorite show isn't your favorite show anymore and it's interesting because I'm thinking to how does that tie in to what you mentioned earlier about the media?
Speaker 1:Yeah so you're talking about reality show and the media and it's funny because I had this conversation recently with my fiance about this and I was talking about Instagram and I personally know people who do Instagram and there's a difference between what you see and what is really happening Two different things there.
Speaker 2:Right, and I've been guilty of that too. You know like I'm not going to post all the negative stuff that's happening in my life, because I just don't really care what other people say about it.
Speaker 1:Right. But at the same time, like you, want to try to be as authentic and real as possible right, and I I think the challenge is is when you are consuming it and you're looking at it. You have to remind yourself like this person isn't posting like you mentioned earlier. They're only posting the butterflies, right? They're? Only posting those things they're not posting all the other stuff you know.
Speaker 2:So if I did, I'm sure I would lose a lot of followers I mean, it's just it, just.
Speaker 1:It can be mentally like draining.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because people you're comparing yourself to others highlight real and that's not real life. Like people, everybody has issues, everyone has stuff going on. That's not not, you know not broadcasted, I guess.
Speaker 1:Amen to that. Like a lot of us do have our issues, we do have our you know our things that we're dealing with. And, um, that sounds really interesting, though, to have been on a reality show and, uh, talk to me real quick about how you got on the reality show, Cause you weren't the main character, but somehow you became the main character right on the reality show because you weren't the main character, but somehow you became the main character, right?
Speaker 2:Well, so my husband, the last season I went on a hike to the Grand Canyon and it's funny, because I love hiking, I go hiking all the time I was in the military. Obviously I should know some survival skills. The night before we went on this hike, my sister-in-law asked me to go for my brother because he wanted to go on this hike by himself and it was 17 miles. So I said, yeah, I'll go, because I was worried about my brother. Obviously them Long story short, I try to hike out of there as fast as possible. I ended up running out of sunlight, I got off track a little bit and I didn't make it out till the next morning. I had no. I had water, obviously, and some snacks and pickle juice for cramping and stuff like that. But my brother, they didn't find him for two more days and my husband gets his phone call no-transcript and I only had a gallon of water.
Speaker 1:So what lesson did you learn from that?
Speaker 2:That your body needs electrolytes, that definitely drink more water and prepare obviously Prepare better.
Speaker 1:I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mother Nature, and you know this from being in Hawaii.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:A lot of people go on vacation to places like Hawaii and then they just lose their minds and, being from Hawaii originally, I'm accustomed to the ocean. I grew up in Hawaii and then, later on in my life, I grew up in the middle of Ohio, but I used to surf.
Speaker 1:Yeah but I used to surf, yeah, and I remember the first time I ever caught a six-foot wave it sounded like a train and it it was so fast and I guess that kind of equates to mother nature in a sense of your height, because I've known people before that have done that where they've gone out for a simple little hike or something they thought they could, they could do, and then next thing, you know, mother nature comes into play and and you cramp up and the oh shit factor happens, right.
Speaker 2:So do you think that any of your military experience kicked in during that time and oh, definitely yeah, maybe your resiliency or your and I and I grew up in a small town um, it was a little desert town and my mom used to always say, if you ever end up in the desert, always eat cactus and prickly pears. And when I was out there I was sucking on, I had no energy at all, like I was in and out of consciousness. And I found these prickly pears and they helped me regain energy and I was able to hike because I literally it felt like I had cotton balls in my mouth. So it helped like revive my you know thirst a little bit and then my energy, because it had sugar in it. It's just little things like that.
Speaker 2:I remember this is probably TMI, but I ended up taking my clothes off because, you know, I was sweating and I knew it was going to get colder at night, so I took them off to dry them out and then put them back on so I wasn't more cold at night. I didn't want to get hypothermia or anything. And then the water never drink standing water, so I just put my camelback under this little spring. It took a while to fill up but it helped me, I think. Thankfully didn't get any bacteria or anything that would make me more sick, but those little tricks, I feel like, helped me a lot to just you know.
Speaker 2:And it's crazy because after I, after that episode, I had a lot of people reaching out to me and saying you know, I have hiked my whole life and I hiked the grand canyon and I almost died, you know, and people that were well trained end up in the worst situations are drinking the wrong water, you know, hurting yourself, getting bit by a snake or something you don't know. You know you never know, uh, if you'll ever end up in that situation, no matter how hard. You know how long you've been hiking, you know.
Speaker 1:so I definitely think that a lot of folks have a false sense of confidence.
Speaker 2:I did, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:Oh, I mean, I mean even the pros. Even the pros, do you know? And it's you, you have to humble yourself, uh, and realize that, uh, there are things out there that are bigger than you and stronger than you, and mother nature is definitely one of them.
Speaker 2:It's funny now when I go hike with my friends. I have a GPS tracker, I have electrolytes for everyone that comes with me, I have a life straw and everyone laughs at me like, yeah, you're prepared now.
Speaker 1:That's all it takes. Is that one time and that one time? And to get you know, you know, punched in the mouth and next thing you know now you're like taking lessons, right?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I would never do that again. Well, I prepare this time. The one thing that helped you out, I'd say, would probably be your your physical fitness, because I noticed on your Instagram that's was an avid hiker before I would take my son on my back and hike all the time, but I truly think that lifting weights really helped me, because you're so sore out there. You have to have the strength to hike 26 miles. Have you ever read David Goggins or heard about David Goggins?
Speaker 1:I have yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So he has this book and I read his book right before I left and I truly think it helped me get to the next level, because he has this quote in his book and it says find your why. And that's all I can think about was thinking about my son, you know, thinking about like someone having to tell him that I didn't make it out, and in my head I'm like, did I really try all I truly had to get to the top, you know? And so I just kept pushing along and my heart, I could feel my heart racing really heavily and I was like, well, if I, if I die, you know, trying my hardest, at least I tried my hardest, but I made, I made it out.
Speaker 1:So it definitely pushed you to some higher limits, that's for sure. It sounds like, yeah, definitely so, overall, like fitness wise, would you mind sharing some of your fitness philosophies or your routine? You know I earlier you mentioned that you were all into cardio, cardio, cardio cardio. And then you found like this whole new thing, this passion in lifting uh can you talk to us about that and um, how, how you come up with a balance or a routine to stay motivated.
Speaker 2:I just I, recently. I've been working out with this trainer for a few years and you know people will say, oh, you don't need a trainer this, this and that. But I feel like you truly have to find what works for you. And you know, if somebody likes yoga, if they like you know Pilates, if they like CrossFit, you know, then if that's what is getting you to your best fitness, then do it. But for me, I really do like the family environment of the gym that I go to MyWayFitness and so I. You know they're really big into lifting weights.
Speaker 2:I do do cardio, I'll walk and stuff like that, but it's not my only focus. I noticed that when I did start lifting heavy, I started noticing my body composition change drastically and I felt I just felt like I was in a better mood. I just felt like I had more energy in all aspects of my life. So I really enjoy it in all aspects of my life. So I really enjoy it, whereas cardio I felt like I was a little bit more, I didn't have as much energy. I mean, it's probably different for everyone, but for me it was. I just feel like weightlifting changed my life in all aspects.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's definitely a journey, right, I mean, it's not just a one way.
Speaker 2:There's no instruction manual on this is what fitness is and this is what exercise is it's different for everybody right and you just have to find what works for you. Like some people, you know, I learned how to count macros with my coach and I actually took courses on it and stuff and I felt like that was the best for me, because I was eating out all the time and I wasn't really, you know, I felt like I wasn't able to enjoy myself a little bit, whereas with macros I was able to enjoy myself and try different foods and I love food because I was in culinary school. I mean, everyone loves food, but I went to culinary school and I learned how to cook and stuff. So I like to enjoy different types of food, like to enjoy different types of food. Um, but some people like the carnivore diet and some people, like you know, vegan diet, and you just got to find what works for you you know what?
Speaker 1:the underlining thing all that you mentioned is discipline, right yeah, discipline definitely and I think that's lacking from today's uh, younger generation to be honest with you and physical fitness is no longer a thing. I'm 44 years old and I'm proud to say that I can do good pull-ups. I can still do. I can still get on the floor and do good 50 push-ups good ones, not the, not the little bullcrap ones, but not the marine push-ups.
Speaker 2:I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:The marine was oh no, those are more like the Air Force was, aren't they? Oh? Okay, no but so I mean overall, like would you say that fitness has been fitness has been part of your journey. But how do you encourage other veterans or individuals to embrace fitness as a tool for mental and physical well-being?
Speaker 2:no-transcript, and I really want to encourage any veterans struggling with that to try to you know, change your diet first and try to lift weights and see how you feel about you know after that yeah, no doubt I mean physical fitness.
Speaker 1:Uh, at least when I was in the military same for you it was it was foundational, like it was like the most important thing that you had to do every single morning, right I?
Speaker 2:don't know if it's changed or not?
Speaker 1:I've heard that it has, but, um, I think that it has a lot to, I think, the the mental and the physical aspect of that connection with one another and exactly like you said recently I've been getting into, uh, breath work and hypnosis and things like that just to kind of, because your brain is so strong.
Speaker 2:you and I think people don't realize that, they don't realize how strong your thoughts are, how strong you're. You have to change your outlook on things because that could definitely affect every aspect of your life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the one thing that I was talking to someone earlier about this is breathing, about this is breathing, like a lot of times folks don't realize whether you're doing yoga or you're shooting, or you're in a combat situation and you're shooting real rounds downrange uh, or you're at a tournament doing brazilian jiu-jitsu or you're lifting weights.
Speaker 2:They all involve focusing on breathing running, hell running is too.
Speaker 1:Exactly, yeah, A lot of times people can't run properly because they don't know how to breathe In your nose, out your mouth. In your nose, out your mouth. It's a meditative thing almost, and so that's. I think that has a lot to do with helping us veterans kind of cope with our demons and then also to like cope with the reality of. I always say, the hardest part for me was not necessarily what happened down there, it was coming back here.
Speaker 2:Exactly yeah. And so physical fitness is huge in that aspect classes recently and I've realized, like you know, your breathing is so important, like you were saying, it really does. Um, it's really part of everything you do. You know you want steady breathing for anything you're doing, so I w I would love to like take a course on that, on breath work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's definitely something that I think people underestimate quite a bit. Now it sounds like you're you're transition out of the military. You know you're still on that journey, sort of transitioning out. We all are right, we're always transitioning, we're always like learning something new each and every year, but what was your transition from the military to civilian life like? There's three things on this podcast that I have been focusing on recently, and it's resiliency, adaptability and survivability. And so we talked about your survivability when we were talking about your experience of um, your hike in the Canyon, um, but your adaptability. So what was it like for you to transition out, and what advice do you have for other veterans, um, that would face a similar transition, such as yours?
Speaker 2:When I got out. I think the important thing is to find out what you truly want to do. I think the first thing for me was I went straight into culinary school and I love cooking, but you want to find something that's going to sustain you for the long term. I, you know, take your time to figure out what that is. Maybe go find a small job and then, if you want to go to school, kind of take your time on that and spend your time figuring out what you want to use your GI Bill on, instead of just picking the first thing that comes to your mind. And that's one thing I wish I would have done differently.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I always tell folks that are in the service if you manage your career properly meaning on Fridays and Saturday nights you don't just hit the clubs and the pubs and the bars but you actually take your ass to the education center and spend at least one of those nights over there knocking out gen eds or doing something that is the best thing to do.
Speaker 1:And I always, I always felt like as a commissioned officer, even especially as a platoon leader, that it was my job to kind of intercept the young 18, 19 year old kids that would come in with the aspirations to get their college done. It was my job to kind of push them in that direction to, because I think I've always felt like my biggest enemy was my lack of maturity.
Speaker 1:I always felt like you know, and I, I think, I think for the most part, I never really respected the wise man or the wise woman, but now that I'm older I respect that, that concept, a lot more than I used to yes, definitely, definitely try to listen.
Speaker 2:I wish I would have invested more in real estate because I feel like that has been really profitable. Um, and I, and I think a lot of younger uh, veterans should consider looking into that and figuring out how they could take advantage of their, their va loan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's interesting. You say that my last guest was Robert Tolan and he actually talked about. He specifically helps veterans with VA home loans. Wow and V. Back in the day, when you and I were in the military, we didn't have the internet, wasn't what it is today. No Today there's no excuses right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can make money from your computer yeah, and you can find people that can help you um with just about anything out there. So, like you want to connect with someone that is authentic, well then, just see what they're about on their social media, talk to folks and then connect with them. Um, but back in the day, hell, you would have to personally know someone and just hope and pray that you're at the right place at the right time and you can meet that person live, go to the library Right, go library right, pull out that damn drawer and go through the cards right.
Speaker 2:I feel like I'm old now, so V.
Speaker 1:just to wrap things up, who would you say has inspired you the most throughout your journey, and how have they shaped your path?
Speaker 2:I would say my dad probably. He spent and it sounds crazy, but he spent 15 years in prison. He was homeless and now he's a multimillionaire. But he did it just from perseverance. You know, like he had so many people telling him that you can't do that and it was at 55 years old when he decided to change his life around. So if he could do it, anybody could do it. You know, everybody has an excuse of their background. Oh, I can't do this because I have a. You know I have a past or not. You know I can't do this because I'm too old. I can't do this because of whatever, but it's an excuse, you know.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:It really is. If you truly want something, you'll go for it, and you just got to be persistent.
Speaker 1:That definitely sounds like an inspirational story and is maybe someone I might be interested in speaking to as well. You are surrounded by a lot of interesting people V.
Speaker 2:I know my life is crazy. I'll tell you.
Speaker 1:I mean even your husband, having done like what? 70 episodes, Mm-hmm yeah, and he's also a veteran too, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, he is, my father isn't, but my husband is. Yeah, my husband was in the National Guard.
Speaker 1:Wow, Absolutely amazing. V. Was there anything on this show that I didn't cover that you'd like to talk about before we wrap things up? Anything that I didn't mention or talk about that I might've missed?
Speaker 2:Nothing I couldn't think about right off the bat.
Speaker 1:Nope, but maybe Is there any message? Is there any, but maybe Is there any message. Is there any message out there? Is there any message that you'd like to put out there for our veteran community or any current service members that are that might be listening?
Speaker 2:Of course I want to drop our home of record project. Home of Record Project. If anybody is struggling with transitional, or, you know, if they're struggling with transition out of the military, if they would, if they're struggling with eviction or anything like that, reach out to the homeofrecordprojectorg and we will be able to assist you with that.
Speaker 1:And I want to make sure that I'll post this on YouTube and I'll put this on the podcast as well, but I want to make sure I post your link so I'm connected to you on Instagram. You are on LinkedIn too. It sounds like right.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And you are on TikTok. You added me to TikTok recently.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do have a large following on TikTok, but those are kind of silly videos.
Speaker 1:But that's you know what. That's awesome because you've unlocked something like that's like, that's not easy to do.
Speaker 2:Well, it's great, but now they're talking about shutting it down.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's true, that's true. But at least you're, at least you're multi-platform, so you're you're across different platforms, but make I'll make sure that I put a home of recordorg on there as well. So, folks out there, make sure you help spread the awareness for that nonprofit. And then also, too, maybe I can find you on YouTube with that episode.
Speaker 2:Yes, that one's a little bit harder to find, but I'll send it to you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you do, that'd be great. I'd love to put that on there as well, because folks out there listening you know my whole point of interviewing you. I found your content very interesting. Uh, everything from your TikTok to your Instagram is I wanted to get kind of behind the scenes and get to know who you are and what you're about. And as I started digging and I saw the uh, the involvement with the nonprofit which I'm also involved in a nonprofit with, act now education Um, it became a little bit more like hey, this, this, this woman is very multifaceted uh and very professional so no, the honor is all mine.
Speaker 1:I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to interview you, um, before we round things out, anything else that you'd like to put out there?
Speaker 2:nope, that's it. You can follow me on instagram exploring v and on tiktok as long as it's still up, right, they're saying like january or something like that, yeah, let's hope it is Exploring V on all platforms, or V Morgan Veronica Morgan on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, V, I'll definitely do some soundbites off of this. Thank you so much for your time and the awesome story the backstory behind you. You're a fascinating person as well as you're surrounded by fascinating people, but let's definitely stay in touch. Yeah, Behind you. You're a fascinating person as well as you're surrounded by fascinating people. Thank you, I appreciate it. Let's definitely stay in touch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I appreciate it, thank you.
Speaker 1:All right For everyone else out there. As always, I want you to stay tuned, stay focused and I want you to stay motivated. Warriors fall out.