William is a former enlisted Marine who hustled his way into Stanford (danced, actually….it’s a whole story) and then started a business that is doing super well. He is a truly smart guy and very plugged into the veteran entrepreneurial community.
He took everything he has learned about startups and why he thinks prior enlisted are especially great in them into a new book, Startup NCO.
Episode 151 with Steve Callahan, author of sometimes I go away, Dead Reckoning Collective’s latest collection of poetry is a relentless exploration of creativity — not as a gentle muse that occasionally visits, but as a force that demands engagement, discipline, and honest labor.
The conversation explores how ideas arrive, asserting that creativity is a process of dictation and translation: ideas may flash into the mind from mysterious, — even mystical sources — but it is the maker’s responsibility to wrestle them onto the page, to shape and refine them through persistent work. We dissect the mechanics of creativity, drawing parallels between poetry, film, and military service, and emphasizing that the act of making — whether it’s a poem, a screenplay, or a new life after service — requires not just inspiration but the courage to execute, to risk failure, and to keep pushing until the work stands on its own legs.
We challenge listeners to consider the transcendentals — goodness, truth, and beauty — as the pillars that must anchor any creative act. Art is not just self-expression but a responsibility: to communicate with clarity, to wrestle honestly with one’s own moral injuries, and to offer the audience something that is not only aesthetically compelling but ethically resonant. Through candid discussion of military transition, moral injury, and the ongoing challenge of contextualizing painful experiences, the episode insists that our duty as artists is to bridge the gap between the ineffable and the tangible, to translate private wounds into universal language, and to do so with integrity, humility, and a relentless commitment to the good, the true, and the beautiful.
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Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.
SOCIALS:
https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/
https://www.instagram.com/uneven_steven03/
https://www.instagram.com/deadreckoningcollective/
In this thought-provoking episode of Veteran Made, host Carey Kight interviews author David Rose about his latest novel published by Dead Reckoning Collective, Screaming Eagles Wings, and delves into the deeper cultural implications of storytelling rooted in personal experience. Rose, a former Marine who served in Iraq, discusses how his book aims to counter the prevailing narrative about the Iraq War by highlighting the heroic aspects and the sense of brotherhood that many veterans fondly remember.
The conversation takes a critical turn as Rose and Kight explore the concept of cultural decline in America. They argue that the current societal shift towards a “victim culture” has negatively impacted veterans, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of struggle and victimhood. Rose emphasizes the importance of recognizing the extraordinary achievements of their generation and rejecting the notion that veterans are inherently victims of their experiences.
Both Kight and Rose advocate for a return to personal responsibility and reconnection with the broader civilian community. They stress the value of specific, experience-based storytelling as an antidote to the superficial, high-level perspectives that dominate modern discourse. By sharing authentic, deeply personal narratives, they believe veterans can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of their experiences and help combat the cultural decline they perceive.
This episode is sponsored by Go Pills. Use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.
SOCIALS:
https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/
https://www.instagram.com/__davidrose__/
https://www.instagram.com/deadreckoningcollective/
Too many veterans make the mistake of dragging every military habit, mindset, and experience into civilian life, expecting the world to adapt to them. That’s unrealistic, and it leads to frustration and irrelevance. The hard truth is, you must aggressively shed the skills and attitudes that no longer serve you as a citizen. Stop clinging to the notion that your past rank entitles you to anything now. Instead, ruthlessly identify which of your skills and experiences — leadership, adaptability, problem-solving, teamwork — are truly valuable and relevant to new operating environment. Translate your experience into language and actions that matter in your workplace, your community, and your family. Don’t expect others to understand or care about your service unless you show them its value through meaningful contribution, not nostalgia or entitlement.
Here’s the line in the sand: civilians consume; citizens contribute. You are not here to take up space, reminisce about the “good old days,” or demand respect for what you did. We are here to make the world around us better. If you want your next chapter to be as meaningful as your service, you must transform, not just transition.
Episode Sponsors:
Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.
SOCIALS:
https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/
https://www.instagram.com/jc_glick31/
https://www.instagram.com/thecommitfoundation/
Nick is a fascinating guy. He was born in Iran and had an American dad, then fled the country during the Islamic Revolution. He came to the US and had along career in Special Operations. Since then, he has worked in IT consulting.