21 Years of Grit, Growth & Gratitude: Lessons from the Military

What if the hardest years of your life were the very years that forged your greatest strength?

Today marks what would have been my 22nd year in the United States Navy. Although I officially retired on June 30, 2025, this day still holds weight. It’s more than a date—it’s a reflection point.

21 plus years in the military is more than a job. It’s a calling and a crucible. It transformed me from an unsure 19-year-old into a seasoned leader, a father, a husband, and now a coach. My time as a hospital corpsman included combat deployments, sleepless nights, heavy responsibility, and moments of clarity I never expected.

In this blog, I want to take you behind the curtain—into the grit, the grace, and the growth. But more importantly, I want to show you how this journey forged a leadership style rooted in intentionality. Whether you’re a high-performing executive, parentpreneur, or team leader, YOU can learn from these lessons. You can use the framework, the REAL Reflection Cycle™.

The REAL Reflection Cycle™: Recognize. Evaluate. Adjust. Launch.

This framework fits perfectly to reflect on any chapter of life. Today, it helps me reflect on over two decades of service and transition.

Recognize: The Early Years. I joined the Navy as a young man looking for purpose. I didn’t fully understand what I was signing up for—but I recognized a deep desire to make an impact. My early years were filled with unexpected challenges. I experienced combat medicine in the middle of the desert chaos. I carried an emotional weight from caring for others, and faced constant relocation.

But I also recognized leadership—not by title, but by responsibility. The military taught me that leadership starts when no one’s watching. When I helped a fellow sailor stay mentally resilient. When I gave hope in the middle of war. When I chose to stay calm so others could focus.

Evaluate: Who I Was Becoming. I started evaluating what kind of leader I wanted to be—not just for my team, but for my future family. What values was I upholding? Was I building others up, or was I just getting the job done? The Navy gave me a mirror.

I had to learn emotional discipline. Tactical focus. And how to lead under pressure. These moments forced deep internal evaluation and formed the leadership values I now teach: clarity, resilience, purpose, and integrity.

Adjust: From Uniform to Coach. Transitioning out of the military wasn’t just about leaving the uniform. It meant adjusting my identity. Who was I if I wasn’t “Doc” anymore? Could my experience transfer into civilian life, fatherhood, or business?

Yes. But it required intentional adjustment.

I had to learn new ways to communicate. I also learned how to apply my discipline to a different battlefield—entrepreneurship, parenting, and personal growth.

Launch: The Mission Now. Today, I coach high-performers who feel stuck. Leaders who lack purpose. Parentpreneurs torn between success and significance.

And everything I do—every framework, every keynote, every coaching call—stems from what the Navy taught me:

Lead with clarity.
Respond with resilience.
Operate with purpose.

My mission now is to help others become who they were created to be—intentionally.

Formal portrait of a young U.S. Navy sailor in dress uniform, seated in front of an American flag during boot camp graduation, taken 22 years ago.

Conclusion

21 plus years in the Navy taught me that leadership is not about commanding—it’s about becoming. Becoming the person who shows up. Who doesn’t give up. Who learns and leads with intention.

If you’re on your own journey, you don’t need 21 years of military service to start leading with purpose. This is true whether you’re in the C-suite, juggling business and family, or seeking more meaning.

You just need to Reflect. Evaluate. Adjust. Launch.

Call To Action

Ready to get intentional with your leadership? Download my free resource, The Intentional Leader Roadmap, and start applying intentional frameworks to your life today.