Transacting Value Podcast
Looking for ways to reinvigorate your self-worth or help instill it in others? You're in the right place. Transacting Value Podcast is a weekly, episodic, conversation-styled podcast that instigates self-worth through personal values. We talk about the impacts of personal values on themes like job satisfaction, mitigating burnout, establishing healthy boundaries, enhancing self-worth, and deepening interpersonal relationships.
This is a podcast about increasing satisfaction in life and your pursuit of happiness, increasing mental resilience, and how to actually build awareness around what your values can do for you as you grow through life.
As a divorced Marine with combat and humanitarian deployments, and a long-distanced parent, I've fought my own demons and talked through cultures around the world about their strategies for rebuilding self-worth or shaping perspective. As a 3d Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and a lifelong martial artist, I have studied philosophy, psychology, history, and humanities to find comprehensive insights to help all of our Ambassadors on the show add value for you, worthy of your time.
Ready to go from perceived victim to self-induced victor? New episodes drop every Monday 9 AM EST on our website https://www.TransactingValuePodcast.com, and everywhere your favorite podcasts are streamed. Check out Transacting Value by searching "Transacting Value Podcast", on Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube.
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Transacting Value Podcast
Life After 30 Years of Military Service with Sarah Williams
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Sarah Williams discovered the real secret to thriving after military service wasn't about chasing a salary figure or landing the most prestigious position—it was about purpose. After dedicating nearly 30 years to aircraft maintenance in the US Air Force, Sarah faced the question every service member eventually encounters: who am I beyond my uniform? Her journey from leadership on the flight line to finding fulfillment with Firewatch Magazine offers profound insights for anyone navigating major life transitions.
Sarah demonstrates how military values can transform into civilian strengths. Whether you're approaching separation from service, supporting someone who is, or simply fascinated by journeys of reinvention, this episode offers practical wisdom for navigating life's most significant transitions.
Visit FirewatchMagazine.com to learn more about resources for veterans, first responders, and patriotic families.
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The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast host and guest and do not necessarily represent those of our distribution partners, supporting business relationships or supported audience. Welcome to Transacting Value, where we talk about practical applications for instigating self-worth when dealing with each other and even within ourselves, where we foster a podcast listening experience that lets you hear the power of a value system for managing burnout, establishing boundaries, fostering community and finding identity. My name is Josh Porthouse, I'm your host and we are redefining sovereignty of character. This is why values still hold value. This is Transacting Value.
Sarah Williams:If you are driven by a number in your head and that's what you're looking for, you're not necessarily going to be happy. You may get lucky and get this awesome job and it's giving you whatever you think your number is, but is that really what's going to get you out of bed in the morning?
Josh Porthouse:Today on Transacting Value. What do you do after a 30-year career in the US Department of Defense? More specifically, who do you become after you spent so much time designing who you needed to be? Well, in today's conversation, retired US Airman and current Firewatch Magazine contributor Sarah Williams is going to talk all about it, and for now, I'm Josh Porthouse, I'm your host, and so, from SDYT Media, this is Transacting Value. Sarah, how are you doing?
Sarah Williams:I'm doing great, josh, thank you.
Josh Porthouse:Absolutely. I appreciate the opportunity. I mean you've put decades of your life into what's about to be this conversation, so you're doing me the honor when you had what was it close to 30 years in the Air Force.
Sarah Williams:Correct.
Josh Porthouse:And all of the experiences and all of the deployments you've had. Did you get a break after or did you go straight into Firewatch?
Sarah Williams:I took a year break. A whole year I did transition programs correct. I did tap four, block the honor foundation and the star network oh, okay.
Josh Porthouse:Okay, I'm familiar with the honor foundation and obviously tap everybody's got to go through tap. But was that? Did you find enough for you? I mean, I just did like 15 years active and I was like I don't know, I need some time to exhale and figure out who I am. And you did twice as long.
Sarah Williams:And part of that. I was also an intern with the Global Special Operations Foundation, GSOF, so I was very blessed to be coming out of a staff and my boss gave me that time to intern under the skilled program and then to take those other other programs as well.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, okay. Well, let's start there then, I guess, relatively speaking, at the beginning. So for anybody who's new to the show, unfamiliar with you and your experience, just take a couple minutes. Who are you, where are you from and and what sort of things have shaped your perspective on the world today?
Sarah Williams:Absolutely. I'll start my senior year of high school. So you know not to share my age, but that was 1993. And I was on my way to a service academy interview. I knew I wanted to be in the military and I had a wonderful guidance counselor that guided me towards the service academies. So I was at the final stages of that process and I had applied to the Naval Academy, Air Force and Coast Guard and I was on my way to an interview in my 86 Camaro, my pride and joy I had worked two summers for and I was driving in the big town of Duluth, Minnesota, and I say big town because I grew up in a one traffic light town of 1200 people in Grand Marais, Minnesota, and I say big town because I grew up in a one traffic light town of 1200 people in Grand Marais, Minnesota, First time in the big city, right, and I ran a red light and I was broadsided, completely, 100% my fault.
Sarah Williams:So I was okay physically. The other person was okay physically. My Camaro was very dented, upented up, and the policeman showed up and he said why are you in such a hurry? And I told him why and he looked at me and I'll never forget it. He slammed his clipboard shut and he said you go do that interview and we'll take care of this later. So that is how I have tried to always look at my career is. I chose aircraft maintenance because it's a job working with people and I wanted to be that person. Like that police officer was that, no matter what happened in your life, no matter what you're dealing with, just go.
Josh Porthouse:Wow, wow, ok, and so then you stayed with aircraft maintenance your entire career.
Sarah Williams:I sure did so. After that interview I well, at first I didn't get picked up right away. I was on my way to go to, I was working three jobs, I was going to go to veterinary school and then, two weeks before boot camp, the Air Force sent me a snail mail letter and said oh, we have a spot for you now. Be here in two weeks. And my dad and I we got in that same Camaro and he drove me out to Colorado. And four years of school and 26 years later, here we are.
Josh Porthouse:Wow, wow. And so I mean I'm assuming this is like everybody's sort of multi-contract experience in the DOD. But you know, let's say it's four years. Every time, at like three years you're like I don't know if I want to keep doing this. And then by five years you're like I don't know why I did this, but then you continue to do it again, contract after contract. Was it the same case for you?
Sarah Williams:It was I. I really loved aircraft maintenance. I mean, from day one I was new, nothing, new, nothing, no military background. I'm this, you know, young Lieutenant running around in a 90% male dominated field on the flight line, but I learned to love the smell of JP eight and I'd go visit with my maintainers and I'd get my hands dirty. And every job until I got more senior was like that, where I just got to be with people that were making a difference and we were getting those aircraft fixed and in the air and absolutely loved it. Then, you know, there's the more senior positions after that, but I would not change a thing. The entire military career was an honor for me, a blessing, and I loved it.
Josh Porthouse:Now, I think in every branch, every rating or occupational specialty is fully gender equal, I think, is the phrase now, but at the time, what is this? The mid to late 90s, that wasn't the case, correct? So how did you end up? I mean, what did you deal with? How did you end up? Making a name for yourself, that sort of fought, the stigmas and the stereotypes, and what did you have to do differently?
Sarah Williams:I will say one thing that helped on day one when I drove up. I drove up in a 1967, I'm sorry, a 1976 jacked up Chevy truck with 33 inch tires. I'm like, okay, it'll work. But no, I mean seriously. I attached myself to a senior NCO. I said teach me and I just made it a big point to really understand my people and to support them. And once they saw that, you know they'll do anything for you. Now, of course, there were times where you know the days weren't so so, so nice, or there's, you know you're running around the flight land like clowns on fire, but at the end of the day it was all about the people.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, and I assume that served you well over the last few years as well, transitioning out and now into your new career path and standing on a lot of the same skill sets, minus maybe JP8.
Sarah Williams:Right Minus the JP8, but I just go. You know we put gas in the car, no yeah.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, and so now then, crafting all of that and honing all that into a skillset that you can stand on and and use, what are you finding to be the most resonant, or maybe even the most relevant skills that you've taken with you?
Sarah Williams:I would say the most relevant is resilience. We are always facing these things in our life, no matter what we're doing, that are hard. I mean, it can be something in our personal life, it can be something happening to a family member, it can be having your pride and joy car getting broadsided and it's 100% your fault, you know. But having resilience to be able to, to figure out how do I overcome this? Who do I talk to? What is my support network? What action am I going to take to get myself out of the situation onto more firm ground?
Josh Porthouse:In coming up with these systems. I guess it's probably a fortuitous assignment in airframes and aircraft, but I assume systems is sort of your jam.
Sarah Williams:Ie fixing things.
Josh Porthouse:No more specifically a pattern or a process, or implementing one where it seems a little bit more uncertain or complex or chaotic.
Sarah Williams:I would say yes, but with flexibility, worked in there as well. And let's just take the camaro, for instance. I had to get home that night after that incident. My door if you remember those old 86, you know camaros, it's a big, huge, heavy door and you can't you can't go around a corner and hold that by hand but it wouldn't shut. So I got out of that interview and I was my biggest concern was somebody, that somebody stole all my cassette tapes. My cassette tapes were still there, but I had to get home. I couldn't call my parents. I was embarrassed I probably should have, but I just was like, okay, I'm going to figure this out.
Sarah Williams:So I drove it to a body shop. Of course, this is before cell phones, this was before I could, you know even being able to look up where a body shop was. I had a, I had a yellow pages in the car. I found a body shop and I had probably $40 in my wallet cash, no credit cards. I'm like, well, all right. So I talked to these nice gentlemen there, explain my situation and here's kind of where the people aspect comes in. They basically fixed my door well enough for me to shut it and drive the two and a half hours home and I said I don't have, I don't have, I don't have a credit card. I gave him, I gave them $20 and they said that's fine, just go. So there again somebody in your life that like just trying to help me out, just go get home safely.
Josh Porthouse:And so what sort of a role, I guess, do you find that that kind of grace has had from you to you as you've gone through your career, as you talked about for other people, but you're also one of one in every one of those instances?
Sarah Williams:How has that affected me for the future?
Josh Porthouse:More in the present, at that moment respectively, however you want to take it, but that degree of grace and self-assessment, I think, has a role to play as well when you're talking about resilience.
Sarah Williams:Absolutely, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing now with Firewatch, because I want to give it back.
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Sarah Williams:Absolutely, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing now with Firewatch, because I want to give it back. I knew that I did not want a contractor job or an office job or a six-figure job. I wanted a job that was not defined by a paycheck but defined by purpose, autonomy and making a difference for, in my case, veterans, first responders and patriot families with Firewatch, and I absolutely love it.
Josh Porthouse:Well, that helps too right. Finding something that on one hand, you've got enough of a living wage and it's paying you well enough to do whatever you want, but on the other hand that it's actually fulfilling. And I guess, if there's a third hand, that you enjoy it and that you can go to it consistently and not have it burn you out, that's huge.
Sarah Williams:Yes, I remember when I was going through the transition programs and they were all wonderful, but every single one had a little portion in it. That said, figure out what your number is. Ie, what are you worth in the civilian world?
Sarah Williams:And they had all these different calculators and I hated it. I was never comfortable with sitting down and figuring out what my number was Cause for me, it was never about the money, and I get it. I mean, I don't have kids to put through college, it's just two German shepherds and myself. But I just think that if you are, if you are driven by a number in your head and that's what you're looking for, you're not necessarily going to be happy. You may get lucky and get this awesome job and it's giving you whatever you think your number is, but is that really what's going to get you out of bed in the morning? I don't think so.
Josh Porthouse:If anything, it may be the one that keeps you up at night.
Sarah Williams:Exactly, exactly, yes.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, absolutely Well. So okay, how do you? How do you, I guess, contend with that sort of dichotomy, right? Because, not to pry into too much of the details, but you've obviously got 30 years of retirement, I mean, you're on a pension, right?
Sarah Williams:Cause it was active duty. Yes.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah. So so you're on a pension, I mean you've got an income. So do you think, compared to anybody getting out after four years or getting separated after 20 or whatever applies, is that sort of the same kind of equity in terms of perspective, potential, purpose fulfillment, or are there instances where money comes as a higher sort of premium? I guess?
Sarah Williams:The money is important in some regards absolutely but I do think it applies to everybody, whether you got out at four years or 30 years, or whether you are a one striper or you have four stars on your collar. I think that having that purpose means that you never have to work a day in your life. And then what's going to happen is okay. Say, you take an entry-level job and you're making $20,000 a year on something you absolutely love. If you love it and you're driven, you're going to increase that paycheck. You're going to find other ways to be making 40K the next year or 60K the next year. You're going to figure it out, because once our heart and soul is in what we do, our opportunities are endless.
Josh Porthouse:I like that. So you've had a lot different experiences than I've had in the DoD. I mean one commissioned, vice-enlisted, two 30 years to 15, and then three totally different branches, let alone specialties, and you know everything that comes with that Stations, campaigns, operations, whatever. Have you found, I guess, looking back, that it was a relatively seamless transition for you, contract after contract, and you just sort of grew into your role. Or was there like an active assessment or reassessment of who you were as a person to relearn a new position or a new promotion or a new step?
Sarah Williams:Oh, there was definitely reassessments and relearning. One thing with aircraft maintenance is you don't get to pick your airframes. You don't get to pick obviously your locations is you don't get to pick your airframes, you don't get to pick obviously your locations. And then each location had different responsibilities and learning curves with it, depending on what our mission was or whether we were deployed, of course. Then you throw 9-11 in there and all of a sudden there's no plan. You just get on a C-130 and go.
Sarah Williams:And then, of course, command and then staff. Every single position had a learning curve, but I would always revert back to okay, pick the, maybe it's the one striper that has the most knowledge that can help you out. Maybe you know, it doesn't have to be rank, it can just be somebody else that has been working in that position or that unit for five years already. And it's talking to people being willing to learn and then once they see that and see your open-mindedness, they're not going to let you fail.
Josh Porthouse:Hmm, I've had a Marine recruiter come on the show. He was also actually in my platoon at one point. I've had one or two of my squad leaders come on the show at one point or another and it's interesting because from your perspective, and what you're describing is exactly what they said from their perspective and how they described it, and so that sort of harmony doesn't make a difference the branch, the rank, the time and service, and to a certain degree, I think, maybe only time and grade, because you got to learn the ropes the first year or two, but after that, once you understand how to apply what you've learned and the science is muscle memory, I think the art tends to take over, and it's this like inverse uh ratio of a skill set the longer your career where it's a little bit less science and a little bit more art. Was it the same case for you A?
Sarah Williams:hundred percent.
Josh Porthouse:Do you think now you've essentially reinvented yourself in the private sector as a civilian, now not in the DOD? Has it been starting over Relearning the science and communicating and feeling out processes in society? Because you stepped out of reality for 30 years and now you're back. Everything's different.
Sarah Williams:Yes, I would say it's not starting over but it's learning the civilian way. For example, my boss, steve, roderick and Stacey, they're amazing, they're super, they're just super intelligent people. And I, but I started, I started using I don't mean that as a caveat, I just mean that I used my military terminology and I wasn't remembering the fact that neither of them have been in the military. They're, they're, they're super successful business people. And so I started talking to Steve oh, let's do this at 1800 or 1400. And he's like oh, now I got to subtract 12.
Sarah Williams:And then I was using a couple acronyms one day and I really had to remind myself to civilianize myself when I talk terminology and time and also expectations. So another example there is you know, in the military we just operate 24, seven, you know, and especially in in command, you, if you're working at two in the morning, then it's okay to go take a break from, I'm going to say, 1400, two to 3 PM the next day, whatever your schedule is kind of just all the time. So my first week on the job I blocked out two hours on my calendar for a personal event in the middle of the day and I learned that that was not the right thing to do, because that was company time and our company time is scheduled.
Sarah Williams:It is what it is right, and I either needed to coordinate it first prior to just throwing it on the calendar, which would have been fine, or I needed to do it during non-company time.
Josh Porthouse:Okay, well, there's a lot of that friction and complexity and obvious uncertainty in different degrees and scales and scopes, whenever we're in a war, war, fighting environment or humanitarian aid mission, or it's the nature of war, it's theory of war, right? So what role does humility have, in your opinion, in that process?
Sarah Williams:Oh, a huge, huge role. No matter how many great things somebody did in the military I mean, we all did great things If we have to talk about them, number one, then we're too busy talking and we're not executing. So, as I'm learning this civilian, you know caveats and expectations and I realize oh, I just used six acronyms in that sentence.
Josh Porthouse:Check myself, remind myself that that's okay, but from a standpoint, hey guys, I'm really I apologize, let's start that conversation over and just to kind of put myself in my receiver's shoes and be cognizant of where they're coming from have you found, either professionally in the DOD or now after the fact, let's say professionally, personally, that that degree of vulnerability helps or hurts your position in a conversation, in a role, in a, you know, whatever placement in society you want to attribute to that?
Sarah Williams:It can help or hurt. I think it helps when you are very genuine. It can help or hurt. I think it helps when you are very genuine and you pick the timely avenue in which to explain yourself. Or maybe you don't have to explain yourself.
Sarah Williams:But on the flip side and here's an example I was in a meeting with a civilian entity last week. They had no agenda, they were all over the place. People were talking on top of each other. I was getting so frustrated and instead of maybe holding my tongue and talking to the leader of that meeting after the fact, I started stepping on people too and at one point you could just tell I was frustrated, and I don't think anybody was very impressed with that, because this entity doesn't know me I was kind of a new member of it and who's this person that thinks that? You know she wants structure in the meeting. So I need to step back and pick the right time to give feedback and not get wound up over how something is or is not happening just because it's not the way I'm used to doing it.
Josh Porthouse:Well, that's a powerful observation, isn't it? It's hard right, that's exactly what I was going to say. Yeah, I mean, could you imagine if there were anything else that maybe is even more difficult? I don't think so. You have to say yeah, I mean, could you imagine if, if there were anything else that maybe is even more difficult? I don't think so. You have to I don't know how to phrase it. You have to learn or maybe relearn your place. I mean it's it's. It's a new organization, or well, it's a new sector of society.
Sarah Williams:And they may operate very well that way, right? So I like to call it checking myself. It's almost like I should. I should walk into those those types of meetings and just put that like the top of my notebook or something.
Josh Porthouse:Or yeah, right, tie the string around your finger, or whatever the trick is yeah.
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Sarah Williams:I should walk into those types of meetings and just put that at the top of my notebook or something.
Josh Porthouse:Sure, yeah, tie the string around your finger or whatever the trick is, yeah. So this is. This is, I guess, a good opportunity then, when we're talking about all the things that you've learned about you and how you've put them into practice. This is a segment of the show called developing character D D D, developing.
Josh Porthouse:Now, for clarity for you and anybody else who might be new to the show, it's two questions, but here's why my theory is that our values are a shortcut to our identities, to deepen our relationships, to broaden out communication and conversation, but to deepen society and culture, and I think it gives our awareness, self-awareness, a grounding. And so, to make all of these decisions, I'm sure your Department of Defense, career and professional acumen contributed a lot, but can't be all, because you started as you before you started. So my two questions are about your value systems, and they're rooted in time. Okay, my first question is what were some of the values that you remember being raised on or grew up around or were taught? And then my second question is now that all this time has passed and this experience has been gained, what, then, are some of your values now?
Sarah Williams:then, or some of your values now. I was the first daughter of three. I was very, and still am, very stubborn and I will say my parents were, in my opinion, kind of strict, especially, I think, because I was the first and we didn't have a lot of money and, uh, my dad both my mom and dad uh, just super, super hard workers. My first five years we lived in a cabin in northern Minnesota with no plumbing, no electricity, no running water. I remember waking up at night because we just had a wood stove in there and my sheets would be frozen to the wall and I'm still traumatized by dropping my stuffed animal down the outhouse toilet one night.
Sarah Williams:But through that I watched my dad build our next house. I watched my mom primarily. She was raising us, worked part-time, my dad was the full-time. I watched how hard they worked and sometimes growing up. It was very frustrating because I had friends who you know. They had a boat or they had a really nice house with heat. It took a while for me to really get to that understanding. I wouldn't wish that on anybody, but it taught me that you don't need to live off a credit card and you don't need to be driving the most fancy car in the neighborhood or have the fanciest house, if you just work hard. And I mean by the time I left home and my sisters were there, they did have the nicer house. They had the things because my mom and dad worked really hard for them. You know, and this was back when I think the APR for a house loan was like 12 percent or something. So I witnessed that and then it was ingrained in me as I was growing up and then just further reinforced throughout my military DOD career.
Josh Porthouse:Okay, so that was that. Yeah. So then if we take that and use that as a foundation or as a springboard for your own, let's say, self-assessment and character development, what about now?
Sarah Williams:The working hard definitely has helped me out a lot. Now here's one where I did not listen to dad. I got in a lot of financial debt throughout the years. I did have credit cards. I had numerous credit cards and I bought stuff I didn't have money for, you know, and I finally got to a point where I realized how stupid I was being. But that was later on and I had told. I told myself I was going to be debt free by the time of 40 years old. So I made that decision. About 35 years old I took Dave um, the Dave Ramsey's financial peace University program.
Josh Porthouse:Oh yeah.
Sarah Williams:Teaches you how to get out of debt and I was debt free by 40. And then, oh, congratulations, oh, thank you. And I haven't relied on credit cards since and it's this huge freedom off your shoulders when you don't owe money to people except, okay, so a house mortgage. There's probably usually always that. But, yes, working hard and then sometimes not following the values my parents were trying to instill in me, but in the end I learned from that too. Nobody's perfect, I mean, you know, and I, I, I did have a fun boat at the time. I had horses I had, I did burrow. I mean I did a lot of fun things with that money I didn't have. But being debt-free is a lot better.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, Well, I mean the peace of mind alone that comes with that.
Sarah Williams:Yes, yes.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, absolutely. Now, to that point, though. You mentioned Dave Ramsey earlier and, at least as far as I'm aware, snowballing the debt payoff is one of the big principles of his entire curriculum, right? Yes, okay, so I mean it goes both ways, right, Like as it accrues and as you pay it down, but that's all finances. What about the cognition? Because we hear about it all the time and I'm sure, as a commander or, you know, formerly known as that, you saw it all the time with your airmen, right, the people that get into this. Well, on a spectrum, on one hand, a relatively safe and comfortable pattern of self-neglect, to then that just becomes destructive, the the house calls the wellness checks that you know, whatever that actually has some substance, it tends to snowball as well. How do you manage that? Through any of these, let's say, career changes, identity changes in some cases, because it's tempting. There's times where you're like I don't know if this is for me, what did I just do? Doubt comes in all the time.
Sarah Williams:Absolutely. You know in in that regard it's it's the whole 10 of your people will take up 90 of your time. But how I manage that is I had half. To this day I have six. I call it my six pack and I have six friends who I could call day or night some military, some not, and from different walks of life that if I have a question, if I need help, if I just need to vent or if I just had a shitty day, I can call up one of my six pack and they're always there for me and likewise I am for them as well. So it doesn't have to be six, it could be 10. It could be three, but I think having you know dial, a friend on speed dial, is absolutely necessary to help help overcome those times and to be there for you.
Josh Porthouse:Well, so I well, I appreciate the point for clarity, because I'm not entirely sure speed dial exists anymore. That's where you I'm kidding. But so when you're talking about that, though, you said, these are people from all different walks of life as well, and in the military, and I'm really just isolating it for clarity, as a reference, to make this point. But it could be as a police officer, it could be as a firefighter, an EMT, a nurse, it doesn't matter. Pick your focus of frontline community servant, high occupational stress position, right, but for now, in the military, all you know are people in the military. You live where you work, you work where you enjoy your hobbies. It eventually, or initially maybe, starts in this silo and then, if you're lucky, you broaden it out, and if you're normal, you don't. So how did you branch out? What worked for you, socially, behaviorally, anything?
Sarah Williams:I would be very involved in other column, extracurricular activities outside of the workplace and volunteer opportunities. I've been in this past year. I've had more time to do some of that and I think those kinds of things are invaluable For me. It's the American Legion, Women in Defense, NDIA, Canine Partners for Patriots, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, to name a few, and all of those are, you know, very different from each other, some more professional, some more social, some about saving animals, and but they're, they're all ways to be involved in something outside of that silo of excellence that we're used to.
Josh Porthouse:Oh, that's a cool phrase. What do you think that's rooted in? Is that performance? Yeah, silo of excellence. Is that performance? Is that awareness? Is that professionalism? What is that attributed to?
Sarah Williams:In my opinion, a silo of excellence is something that comes from an organization such as DOD that is very strict in its structure, strict in its structure. So I've always thought, you know, I did some consulting at one point, working for the joint staff, where we visited combatant commands and shared best practices, insights, lessons learned and we always tried to break, help, help the teams break down their silos of excellence. Cause you've got, you know, the logistics, the, the, you've got the operational people, you've got intelligence, you've got all the different that are very focused on what they do, as they should be. But if you're able to encourage an organization to flatten it out a little bit more and to find a venue with which to talk across versus up and down that chain of command, you can be much more productive All right, folks sit tight, We'll be right back on Transacting Value.
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Sarah Williams:Slash that's linktreemiketaylor357, and tune into Transacting Value to hear more but if you're able to encourage an organization to flatten it out a little bit more and to find a venue with which to talk across versus up and down that chain of command, you can be much more productive.
Josh Porthouse:How do you recommend instilling that in? Let's say it's not even professional. Let's say it's not even an organization. You're trying to build out your six-pack. It's not even professional. Let's say it's not even an organization. You're trying to build out your six pack, the six pack of friends, not your fitness routine, and you're trying to identify these opportunities. Right, let's say you're within a year, three years, whatever, of active duty, of separating from your whatever tenured position you had. How do you start to broaden it out?
Sarah Williams:You find out what your passion is and and then it's going to evolve into you go to one event, then somebody recommends another one and then eventually you just have all these opportunities without putting too much on your plate. But for me it's always been, uh, like the humane society I love. What do we get? Over 200 animals adopted out per week? It's a no kill shelter, I guess they're per week, yes, between the cats and dogs and exotics, an average of 200 per week.
Sarah Williams:It's because of how well run their organization is and how they operate. Sherry Stilk, the president she's absolutely amazing and she herself is is at events. Um, you can talk to her. She's got an open door policy. She treats all of her volunteers and employees like that and it's a very flat organization and it's very effective. Um, so I in in. In answer to your question, though, I think you find something you're passionate about. You start going to those events, the uh, you know, I mean, it can just be as simple as a Google and finding what's where, and then it's going to branch out to many others.
Josh Porthouse:Okay. Well then to your point of sort of flattening out the dialogue in the conversation. So it's not, as let's say, organizationally hierarchical. How do you start to make inroads into flattening out wherever you end up? Because sometimes you know you get a job at I don't know PricewaterhouseCooper, or you get a job at whatever Ross, or whatever it is you're doing as a truck driver. You know you've got to. Well, like you said, you've got a hierarchy you've got to fall into and the routine may not match what you're used to. So how do you try to influence that and flatten it a little bit, to compromise your learning style and their conversational climate or whatever?
Sarah Williams:Yeah, good question, josh. You get out of your office, you walk around leadership by walking around. You just start to go talk to people like like even you know, walking around, you just start to go talk to people like like even you know, socom is love it, but it's a very, very strict uh, you know? I mean there's so many, um, you know, classified areas, so you've got all these natural walls built in already, because if you're not read into the program, you're not going to go in that skiff. Here I go with my military jargon again anyway, Anyway.
Sarah Williams:So, like it's so calm, personally I would just I would spend half my day just visiting, like walking around trying to go to somebody else's workspace, versus talking on the phone, learning a little bit. Oh, I see you have a picture on your desk of whatever it is and then we'd have a conversation. So now you form that relationship and then when I do have to talk on the phone a week later, it's more comfortable and it's not just you've got a name with the face, and I think in any organization that can apply. You could even be on a ship and you walk around your ship while you're underway. It could be Amazon. You go, walk the floor, you talk to your employees, get out of the office, get out of the walls that you find yourself working from within.
Josh Porthouse:I like that a lot. Now saying that this is a perfect opportunity, I think, really for the sake of time, for my last, probably two questions. My first one is getting out of your walls where you find yourself, or getting out of your comfort zone throughout your career, throughout your life, to this point, and then now, presently, into the role you find yourself. What is all of those, or what have all of those experiences done for you to actually instigate your own self-worth and your own sense of self?
Sarah Williams:They've made me stronger, everyone because sometimes those situations are not comfortable, or sometimes you walk into somebody's workspace and they don't want you there, they don't have time for you. So you know, you, you realize well, oh, I just burned that bridge, but it made me stronger because it taught me something, and everything we experience is a learning lesson. It's a building block to something that we can use later on. And we don't, we don't want to. You know we don't always make the right choices, but why beat ourselves up? It was a learning lesson Recover and go on.
Josh Porthouse:And even, frankly, we don't always know it at the time that we're going to be able to look back and use it.
Sarah Williams:Right.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, that's, that's definitely something I've learned, so you sort of owe it to yourself to try to make the best of it. And this, this is something I did earlier this week, or I guess it's last week now at the time of this recording. But I got home after a long day and I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know how to respond to a particular situation physically, verbally, mentally, cognitively, every adverb you can think of. I was burnt out on the day, so I put a chair in the backyard it was still sunny outside and I just sat there. I went and got a bottle of water, made a sandwich and I said no decisions till I feel better. And then you know you're better able to reflect on it, because you never know how it's going to impact the future you. So you may as well pay it forward to yourself and make it a decent enough interaction in your internal dialogue to learn something. That's awesome. Yeah, well, it worked Well, we'll see how well it works when future me needs the moment. But anyway, that brings me to my last question.
Josh Porthouse:So now, having said all of these things, you're in a role with Firewatch Magazine that covers all sorts of things, I'm assuming military. Let's break down the magazine and then what does it do? What does it cover? Where can people go? How can they find it Get involved? Absolutely All of the above.
Sarah Williams:Yes, firewatchmagazinecom will bring you to our publication. We are print and we are digital and it is free on the digital platform and you could also contact me anytime at Sarah at firewatchmagazinecom that's Sarah with an H as on the screen and we have so many fun things planned for 2025 that people can get involved in um that are coming up and we're really excited about where we're going with this publication. So, military first responder, patriot, patriotic families, we want to help you and we want to be a resource that is the go-to resource for those, those three venues. I will say here here's the new, brand new December, just hot off the press.
Josh Porthouse:There you go, Nice nice.
Sarah Williams:Yes, so sign up.
Josh Porthouse:There you go, firewatchmagazinecom. So for anybody else who maybe is or isn't familiar with this show or with the magazine, is it only print and digital, or do you guys broadcast anywhere else?
Sarah Williams:Anywhere else, people can track you down in person, anything like that we don't broadcast specifically, but we have an entire like marketing, campaign, engagement, platform, etc. Project where we are out in the, we're out in the media, we're out at venues, we are constantly um networking different people together.
Josh Porthouse:That's super cool.
Sarah Williams:Yeah.
Josh Porthouse:Yes, and so it's all different groups of people, though.
Sarah Williams:Yes, yes, like, for example, I had a, so I also bring our advertisers into the magazine as well as networking. I had one client that does home healthcare and then I ran into a friend of mine whose mother needs that service, so I put them in touch with each other. So it's kind of just being that voice and then and then putting people, people in touch with, with who we've met that can, who can help them yeah, sweet, by virtue of now being tied to the magazine, you mean yes, yes, yes it's a cool opportunity it, is it Well speaking of finding fulfilling opportunities, I guess, and things you're passionate about.
Josh Porthouse:It sounds like you just happened to walk into this one. It wasn't like a intentional discovery, right?
Sarah Williams:No, it's a cool story. I started up a company called Shining Star LLC. In October I launched it and it was a window decal that a business could put in their window identifying the fact that they offer a 10% discount to a veteran. So then I I had this magazine sitting in my read pile. I looked at it. I thought, oh, I should be, I should be in this magazine. So I contacted Steve and I said I want to advertise with you and he said let's meet. So then we met a few days later and then he said I love your concept, but I want to hire you. I said, okay, yeah, firewatch is doing what I was trying to do, without starting from scratch.
Josh Porthouse:Well, I mean, that's important, right? Any, I think, business leader or business throughout history to this point that has actually been super uber successful, I guess theoretically like Uber as well. But Tesla, nobody started from scratch. Everybody started with a degree of torque to then just drive down the road.
Sarah Williams:Yes, yes.
Josh Porthouse:Yeah, that is powerful, but yeah, so to that point, anybody who's new to Transacting Value and in case you missed the point, since we talked a little bit past it, depending on the player you're streaming this conversation on or watching this video on, you can click See More, you can click Show More and in the drop-down description you'll see links to Firewatch Magazine and then from that website, even while we're finishing this conversation, you can go there. You can check out the material, you can check out the articles, you can check out the advertising, sponsorship opportunities, everywhere it's put out, and you guys also have local events or an events calendar.
Sarah Williams:Yes, in fact, that's in our latest issue, right now.
Josh Porthouse:Okay, well, there you go, and it's in print so you can track that down as well. Perfect, firewatchmagazinecom. Sarah, I love the conversation. I appreciate your perspective and just your zeal, your personality. I think it made for a really interesting opportunity. I don't get to talk to too many people that have as long a career as you've had in the DoD, but also where you find yourself in a place that you're willing to talk about the length of the career in a way that's're willing to talk about the length of the career in a way that's still entertaining and relatable and resonant. So I appreciate your time, but I also appreciate the opportunity. So thank you well.
Sarah Williams:Thank you, josh.
Josh Porthouse:This was a lot of fun and I really appreciate the opportunity for my end absolutely, absolutely, and to everybody else who's joined in to watch this conversation or listen to it, depending on the player you're playing it on. I appreciate your time and I appreciate you guys staying with us throughout the conversation, learning some cool stuff, learning Sarah's story and obviously all about Firewatch Magazine. I think it was a pretty empowering opportunity to showcase it. I appreciate that. But there's also something you guys need to know. If you want to hear any more of our conversations, you can go to our website, transactingvaluepodcastcom, and here's what's cool about it. In addition to that, On the homepage there's a little button that says leave a voicemail. It's in the top right corner. Click on it. Two minutes of talk time, it's all yours. Here's my recommendation to you about what you do with it.
Josh Porthouse:One, let us know what you think of the show. Let us know your feedback, the topics, my style, the questions, the content, the guests, anybody you think might be a good recommendation to come on to the show, tell us. It can be totally audible and it can be totally anonymous. Leave us the voicemail. But secondly, tell Sarah what you think of the conversation. Let her know what you think about what she's doing. Talk to her about Firewatch Magazine, leave her comments, ask her questions and we'll forward the audio file onto her as well. That said, I really do appreciate the time and the opportunity. If you guys want to get involved with our show, send an email to transactingvaluepodcast at sdytmediacom and we'll be sure to get in touch with you as soon as we're able, but until next time, that was Transacting Value.
Josh Porthouse:Thank you to our show partners and folks. Thank you for tuning in and appreciating our value as we all grow through life together. To check out our other conversations or even to contribute through feedback, follows, time, money or talent, and to let us know what you think of the show, please leave a review on our website, transactingvaluepodcastcom. We also stream new episodes every Monday at 9 am Eastern Standard Time through all of your favorite podcasting platforms like Spotify, iheart and TuneIn. You can now hear Transacting Value on Wreaths Across America Radio. Head to wreathsacrossamericaorg. Slash transacting value to sponsor a wreath and remember, honor and teach the value of freedom for future generations. On behalf of our team and our global ambassadors, as you all strive to establish clarity and purpose, ensure social tranquility and secure the blessings of liberty or individual sovereignty of character for yourselves and your posterity, we will continue instigating self-worth, and we'll meet you there Until next time. That was Transacting Value.
