It’s hard to overstate just how dramatic a shift it can be going from enlisted military service to civilian life. From the moment they enlist, veterans live a highly regimented life with a clear purpose, direction, and specific orders from day to day. Then, suddenly, they face the very real challenge of finding jobs and building lives outside of the service — often while dealing with the lasting impacts that military service can have on one’s physical and mental health. For many, building meaningful connections with veterans who have already lived that transitional journey can be critical to navigating their post-enlistment identity, career, and purpose.
In this episode of Sustainability @ Work, we look at how organizations such as GallantFew are helping newly discharged veterans get crucial support during their transition into civilian life, and how we as individuals and organizations can do the same.
Key Quotes
00:20: “You have all these skill sets, you’re ready to take on the world, and then, all of a sudden, life steers you in a different direction.”
03:06: “Now that I’m out of the service, what am I all about? What do I stand for?”
04:30: “The military very clearly lays out what your purpose and mission is… when you leave the military and go out in the civilian world, nobody lays out a clear path to retirement for you.”
08:45: “Going from the military to trying to find a job in the civilian world was a blow to my self-esteem, and it caused me to not engage with people in the community I’d just come from.”
10:35: “I decided to set up a network of other ranger veterans… over time, that network grew to over 1,000 members.”
12:26: “[GallantFew] has adopted what we call the Three Cs methodology: Connecting, Coaching, and Counseling.”
16:45: “I could name at least 50 veterans now who are alive who would not be alive otherwise. That’s very rewarding. Stressful in the moment but rewarding long term.”
19:50: “Veterans have a lot to bring to the table. Some of the skills companies need to grow from the ground up, veterans already have.”
Guest Bios
Karl Monger, Executive Director, GallantFew
Karl Monger is a retired United States Army Major with 10 years active and 10 years reserve service prior to becoming the Executive Director of GallantFew. In his current role, he works to coach and mentor veterans across the country as they make the transition out of enlistment and into civilian life.
Willy Carrion, Business Analyst, Gerent
Willy’s career spans over 23 years of military experience, including 16 years in the infantry and eight active-duty deployments. A graduate of Gerent’s Launchpad program, Willy has successfully transitioned into the Salesforce ecosystem and his new role as a Business Analyst.
All content for Sustainability @ Work is the property of Sustainability @ Work and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
It’s hard to overstate just how dramatic a shift it can be going from enlisted military service to civilian life. From the moment they enlist, veterans live a highly regimented life with a clear purpose, direction, and specific orders from day to day. Then, suddenly, they face the very real challenge of finding jobs and building lives outside of the service — often while dealing with the lasting impacts that military service can have on one’s physical and mental health. For many, building meaningful connections with veterans who have already lived that transitional journey can be critical to navigating their post-enlistment identity, career, and purpose.
In this episode of Sustainability @ Work, we look at how organizations such as GallantFew are helping newly discharged veterans get crucial support during their transition into civilian life, and how we as individuals and organizations can do the same.
Key Quotes
00:20: “You have all these skill sets, you’re ready to take on the world, and then, all of a sudden, life steers you in a different direction.”
03:06: “Now that I’m out of the service, what am I all about? What do I stand for?”
04:30: “The military very clearly lays out what your purpose and mission is… when you leave the military and go out in the civilian world, nobody lays out a clear path to retirement for you.”
08:45: “Going from the military to trying to find a job in the civilian world was a blow to my self-esteem, and it caused me to not engage with people in the community I’d just come from.”
10:35: “I decided to set up a network of other ranger veterans… over time, that network grew to over 1,000 members.”
12:26: “[GallantFew] has adopted what we call the Three Cs methodology: Connecting, Coaching, and Counseling.”
16:45: “I could name at least 50 veterans now who are alive who would not be alive otherwise. That’s very rewarding. Stressful in the moment but rewarding long term.”
19:50: “Veterans have a lot to bring to the table. Some of the skills companies need to grow from the ground up, veterans already have.”
Guest Bios
Karl Monger, Executive Director, GallantFew
Karl Monger is a retired United States Army Major with 10 years active and 10 years reserve service prior to becoming the Executive Director of GallantFew. In his current role, he works to coach and mentor veterans across the country as they make the transition out of enlistment and into civilian life.
Willy Carrion, Business Analyst, Gerent
Willy’s career spans over 23 years of military experience, including 16 years in the infantry and eight active-duty deployments. A graduate of Gerent’s Launchpad program, Willy has successfully transitioned into the Salesforce ecosystem and his new role as a Business Analyst.
S@W Episode 5: The Power of Mentorship: Empowering Black Trailblazers in the Salesforce Ecosystem
Sustainability @ Work
21 minutes 58 seconds
2 years ago
S@W Episode 5: The Power of Mentorship: Empowering Black Trailblazers in the Salesforce Ecosystem
It can be challenging to find your footing as a new employee entering the Salesforce ecosystem. This is especially true for members of underrepresented communities of color, for whom historical gaps in representation translate into a lack of meaningful models for what success looks like. Finding someone who believes in you enough to give you that one crucial opportunity to grow as a professional – or finding a community of peers with whom you can grow together and lift each other up – can be an unbelievably empowering experience for professionals at any stage of their career.
In this episode of Sustainability @ Work, we’re looking at the impact mentorship and community efforts can have on helping members of underrepresented communities grow and succeed, creating a deeper, more inclusive workplace overall. In particular, we’re celebrating the ways in which Tiffany Spencer and Tech Forward Solutions have helped inspire young Black Trailblazers to dream bigger and aspire higher in their careers.
Key Quotes
01:45: “‘How do I get to the next level? And what does it look like being one of very few Black people in the space? How do I navigate this space, and… what does the next step in my career look like?’”
04:25: “I realized that [students] had not been exposed to Salesforce as a platform and didn’t understand how platforms like it could be beneficial as they graduate and start to look for jobs.”
05:02: “I was inspired [to start Tech Forward] to create more diversity… and ensure our HBCU students and underrepresented communities were aware of this amazing ecosystem.”
11:20: “Sometimes you need to know that there isn't one prescribed way of doing things. And it's okay to bring your own flavor and your own experience to a role, and you're not expected to know everything.”
12:30: “I was really inspired to create a space where Black Salesforce professionals can come together and really celebrate each other, be seen, be visible, be uplifted.”
15:10: “Just that kind of spark of joy that came from the event that said, ‘You know what? I am excited about my career. And I want to keep on that journey.’”
18:35: “We've had individuals that have gone through our boot camps, and that have now at this point, gotten multiple certifications... they really get a bigger vision for this whole industry that they're part of."
19:21: “Sometimes we don't know what an employee's goals are in the short term. And if you can't speak to what they want to do in the next year or two? You can maybe only speak to what you need them to do in the next three to six months.”
20:48: “It's all about just opening the door to have that first conversation to take the first step and then figure it out from there.”
Guest Bios
Tiffany Spencer
Founder & CEO, Tech Forward Solutions
An industry veteran with over 15 years experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, Tiffany founded Tech Forward to share her expertise and passion for the technology with new HBCU students and members of underrepresented communities. Tech Forward, and its consulting arm, Tech Forward Solutions, is a nonprofit organization focused on helping HBCU students and new employees gain crucial skills and Salesforce consulting opportunities. With these valuable experiences under their belt, these professionals are able to grow in their careers and obtain higher paying salaries, making for a more inclusive, welcoming Salesforce ecosystem.
Kirbie Pillette
Director of Product Strategy, Financial Services, Gerent
Kirbie brings over 15 years of Salesforce implementation experience to her role as Gerent’s Director of Product Strategy for Financial Services. Prior to joining Gerent, she traveled the world, leading Salesforce implementation efforts worldwide in over 30 different countries.
Sustainability @ Work
It’s hard to overstate just how dramatic a shift it can be going from enlisted military service to civilian life. From the moment they enlist, veterans live a highly regimented life with a clear purpose, direction, and specific orders from day to day. Then, suddenly, they face the very real challenge of finding jobs and building lives outside of the service — often while dealing with the lasting impacts that military service can have on one’s physical and mental health. For many, building meaningful connections with veterans who have already lived that transitional journey can be critical to navigating their post-enlistment identity, career, and purpose.
In this episode of Sustainability @ Work, we look at how organizations such as GallantFew are helping newly discharged veterans get crucial support during their transition into civilian life, and how we as individuals and organizations can do the same.
Key Quotes
00:20: “You have all these skill sets, you’re ready to take on the world, and then, all of a sudden, life steers you in a different direction.”
03:06: “Now that I’m out of the service, what am I all about? What do I stand for?”
04:30: “The military very clearly lays out what your purpose and mission is… when you leave the military and go out in the civilian world, nobody lays out a clear path to retirement for you.”
08:45: “Going from the military to trying to find a job in the civilian world was a blow to my self-esteem, and it caused me to not engage with people in the community I’d just come from.”
10:35: “I decided to set up a network of other ranger veterans… over time, that network grew to over 1,000 members.”
12:26: “[GallantFew] has adopted what we call the Three Cs methodology: Connecting, Coaching, and Counseling.”
16:45: “I could name at least 50 veterans now who are alive who would not be alive otherwise. That’s very rewarding. Stressful in the moment but rewarding long term.”
19:50: “Veterans have a lot to bring to the table. Some of the skills companies need to grow from the ground up, veterans already have.”
Guest Bios
Karl Monger, Executive Director, GallantFew
Karl Monger is a retired United States Army Major with 10 years active and 10 years reserve service prior to becoming the Executive Director of GallantFew. In his current role, he works to coach and mentor veterans across the country as they make the transition out of enlistment and into civilian life.
Willy Carrion, Business Analyst, Gerent
Willy’s career spans over 23 years of military experience, including 16 years in the infantry and eight active-duty deployments. A graduate of Gerent’s Launchpad program, Willy has successfully transitioned into the Salesforce ecosystem and his new role as a Business Analyst.
