Veteran Transition, Mentorship, and Life After the Military
Tech Talk Team Room Participants
HOST:
Steve Trevino – SOFtact Solutions, Director of Innovation and C5, retired CSM, USSASOC G6 Steve Trevino | LinkedIn
GUESTS:
Jack Nichols - Retired CSM and Operations Director at NTT Data Service | LinkedIn
Rich Baisley - Technology PM at Zscaler | LinkedIn
Marty Distel - Tactical Communications Account Executive at Viasat | LinkedIn
Tech Talk Team Room Ep. #9: Veteran Transition, Mentorship, and Life After the Military
In this episode of Tech Talk Team Room, host Steve Trevino sits down with Jack Nichols (Retired CSM and Operations Director at NTT Data Service), Rich Baisley (Technology PM at Zscaler), and Marty Distel (Tactical Communications Account Executive at Viasat) for an unscripted conversation about life after the uniform — transitioning out of the military, finding mentors, and building a career in industry.
From the importance of investing in relationships with senior leaders before you ever need them, to networking at trade shows while you're still serving, to the mentor who changed the trajectory of an entire career — this episode is a candid look at what it really takes to navigate the jump from military service to civilian industry.
In this episode:
- Why mentorship should start long before you separate
- How to build relationships with leaders instead of waiting until you need something from them
- The "two years out" rule for training toward your next role
- Using AI to help translate military experience into civilian-facing language
- Why success in this transition is a team sport, not a solo effort
They got into the realities that don’t always make it into a transition briefing: checking your ego at the door, understanding what your experience is actually worth in the civilian world, building a network before you need one, finding mentors who will tell you what you need to hear, and much more.
Mentorship has played a role in so many of our own careers, and we believe in paying that forward. As Steve put it at the end of the conversation, “If you don’t have a mentor…reach out to us. We’re here to help.”That’s what the Tech Talk Team Room is supposed to be: real people, real experiences, and conversations that might help someone else figure out their next move.
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