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Become a Global Ambassador for Self-Worth. Text us your feedback! 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 Fire...
Become a Global Ambassador for Self-Worth. Text us your feedback!
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.
(11:10) https://porthouse.kw.com/
(23:15) https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/Newsroom/WreathsAcrossAmericaRadio
Looking for more perspective, empowerment, and self-worth?
For a chance to hear your question answered on the air, remember to Subscribe and Leave a Voice Message at TransactingValuePodcast.com!
We'll meet you there.
An SDYT Media Production I Deviate from the Norm
All rights reserved. 2021
WEBVTT
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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.
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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.
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My name is Josh Porthouse, I'm your host and we are redefining sovereignty of character.
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This is why values still hold value.
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This is Transacting Value.
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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.
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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?
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Today on Transacting Value.
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What do you do after a 30-year career in the US Department of Defense?
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More specifically, who do you become after you spent so much time designing who you needed to be?
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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.
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Sarah, how are you doing?
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I'm doing great, josh, thank you.
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Absolutely.
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I appreciate the opportunity.
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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.
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Correct.
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And all of the experiences and all of the deployments you've had.
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Did you get a break after or did you go straight into Firewatch?
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I took a year break.
00:02:04.486 --> 00:02:08.742
A whole year I did transition programs correct.
00:02:08.742 --> 00:02:12.951
I did tap four, block the honor foundation and the star network oh, okay.
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Okay, I'm familiar with the honor foundation and obviously tap everybody's got to go through tap.
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But was that?
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Did you find enough for you?
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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.
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And you did twice as long.
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And part of that.
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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.
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Yeah, okay.
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Well, let's start there then, I guess, relatively speaking, at the beginning.
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So for anybody who's new to the show, unfamiliar with you and your experience, just take a couple minutes.
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Who are you, where are you from and and what sort of things have shaped your perspective on the world today?
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Absolutely.
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I'll start my senior year of high school.
00:03:06.260 --> 00:03:11.112
So you know not to share my age, but that was 1993.
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And I was on my way to a service academy interview.
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I knew I wanted to be in the military and I had a wonderful guidance counselor that guided me towards the service academies.
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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.
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So I was okay physically.
00:04:00.016 --> 00:04:01.640
The other person was okay physically.
00:04:01.640 --> 00:04:09.034
My Camaro was very dented, upented up, and the policeman showed up and he said why are you in such a hurry?
00:04:09.034 --> 00:04:13.568
And I told him why and he looked at me and I'll never forget it.
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He slammed his clipboard shut and he said you go do that interview and we'll take care of this later.
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So that is how I have tried to always look at my career is.
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I chose aircraft maintenance because it's a job working with people and I wanted to be that person.
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Like that police officer was that, no matter what happened in your life, no matter what you're dealing with, just go.
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Wow, wow, ok, and so then you stayed with aircraft maintenance your entire career.
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I sure did so.
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After that interview I well, at first I didn't get picked up right away.
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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.
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Be here in two weeks.
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And my dad and I we got in that same Camaro and he drove me out to Colorado.
00:05:06.802 --> 00:05:09.567
And four years of school and 26 years later, here we are.
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Wow, wow.
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And so I mean I'm assuming this is like everybody's sort of multi-contract experience in the DOD.
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But you know, let's say it's four years.
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Every time, at like three years you're like I don't know if I want to keep doing this.
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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.
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Was it the same case for you?
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It was I.
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I really loved aircraft maintenance.
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I mean, from day one I was new, nothing, new, nothing, no military background.
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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.
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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.
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Then, you know, there's the more senior positions after that, but I would not change a thing.
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The entire military career was an honor for me, a blessing, and I loved it.
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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?
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The mid to late 90s, that wasn't the case, correct?
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So how did you end up?
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I mean, what did you deal with?
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How did you end up?
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Making a name for yourself, that sort of fought, the stigmas and the stereotypes, and what did you have to do differently?
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I will say one thing that helped on day one when I drove up.
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I drove up in a 1967, I'm sorry, a 1976 jacked up Chevy truck with 33 inch tires.
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I'm like, okay, it'll work.
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But no, I mean seriously.
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I attached myself to a senior NCO.
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I said teach me and I just made it a big point to really understand my people and to support them.
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And once they saw that, you know they'll do anything for you.
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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.
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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.
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Right Minus the JP8, but I just go.
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You know we put gas in the car, no yeah.
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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?
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I would say the most relevant is resilience.
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We are always facing these things in our life, no matter what we're doing, that are hard.
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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.
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But having resilience to be able to, to figure out how do I overcome this?
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Who do I talk to?
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What is my support network?
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What action am I going to take to get myself out of the situation onto more firm ground?
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In coming up with these systems.
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I guess it's probably a fortuitous assignment in airframes and aircraft, but I assume systems is sort of your jam.
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Ie fixing things.
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No more specifically a pattern or a process, or implementing one where it seems a little bit more uncertain or complex or chaotic.
00:09:02.301 --> 00:09:05.530
I would say yes, but with flexibility, worked in there as well.
00:09:05.530 --> 00:09:09.432
And let's just take the camaro, for instance.
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I had to get home that night after that incident.
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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.
00:09:20.148 --> 00:09:26.692
So I got out of that interview and I was my biggest concern was somebody, that somebody stole all my cassette tapes.
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My cassette tapes were still there, but I had to get home.
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I couldn't call my parents.
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I was embarrassed I probably should have, but I just was like, okay, I'm going to figure this out.
00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:40.626
So I drove it to a body shop.
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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.
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I had a, I had a yellow pages in the car.
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I found a body shop and I had probably $40 in my wallet cash, no credit cards.
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I'm like, well, all right.
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So I talked to these nice gentlemen there, explain my situation and here's kind of where the people aspect comes in.
00:10:04.106 --> 00:10:14.950
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.
00:10:14.950 --> 00:10:18.586
I gave him, I gave them $20 and they said that's fine, just go.
00:10:18.586 --> 00:10:25.071
So there again somebody in your life that like just trying to help me out, just go get home safely.
00:10:27.741 --> 00:10:42.773
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?
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How has that affected me for the future?
00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:57.390
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.
00:10:58.552 --> 00:11:03.951
Absolutely, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing now with Firewatch, because I want to give it back.
00:11:05.841 --> 00:11:08.386
All right, folks sit tight, We'll be right back on Transacting Value.
00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:16.452
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00:11:57.811 --> 00:12:03.206
Absolutely, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing now with Firewatch, because I want to give it back.
00:12:03.206 --> 00:12:12.089
I knew that I did not want a contractor job or an office job or a six-figure job.
00:12:12.089 --> 00:12:25.871
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.
00:12:27.962 --> 00:12:28.947
Well, that helps too right.
00:12:28.947 --> 00:12:38.109
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.
00:12:38.109 --> 00:12:46.148
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.
00:12:46.850 --> 00:12:54.928
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.
00:12:54.928 --> 00:12:56.852
That said, figure out what your number is.
00:12:56.852 --> 00:12:59.058
Ie, what are you worth in the civilian world?
00:12:59.259 --> 00:13:03.591
And they had all these different calculators and I hated it.
00:13:03.591 --> 00:13:10.071
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.
00:13:10.071 --> 00:13:15.120
I mean, I don't have kids to put through college, it's just two German shepherds and myself.
00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:24.725
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.
00:13:24.725 --> 00:13:35.107
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?
00:13:35.107 --> 00:13:37.533
I don't think so.
00:13:38.660 --> 00:13:40.688
If anything, it may be the one that keeps you up at night.
00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:43.825
Exactly, exactly, yes.
00:13:43.905 --> 00:13:46.051
Yeah, absolutely Well.
00:13:46.051 --> 00:13:46.993
So okay, how do you?
00:13:46.993 --> 00:13:52.789
How do you, I guess, contend with that sort of dichotomy, right?
00:13:52.789 --> 00:13:59.460
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?
00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:00.261
Cause it was active duty.
00:14:00.261 --> 00:14:01.524
Yes.
00:14:02.086 --> 00:14:02.267
Yeah.
00:14:02.267 --> 00:14:04.591
So so you're on a pension, I mean you've got an income.
00:14:04.591 --> 00:14:24.711
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?
00:14:24.711 --> 00:14:24.972
I guess?
00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:36.524
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.
00:14:36.524 --> 00:14:42.500
I think that having that purpose means that you never have to work a day in your life.
00:14:42.500 --> 00:14:44.706
And then what's going to happen is okay.
00:14:44.706 --> 00:14:50.905
Say, you take an entry-level job and you're making $20,000 a year on something you absolutely love.
00:14:50.905 --> 00:14:56.107
If you love it and you're driven, you're going to increase that paycheck.
00:14:56.107 --> 00:15:00.970
You're going to find other ways to be making 40K the next year or 60K the next year.
00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:08.163
You're going to figure it out, because once our heart and soul is in what we do, our opportunities are endless.
00:15:09.424 --> 00:15:11.268
I like that.
00:15:11.268 --> 00:15:16.162
So you've had a lot different experiences than I've had in the DoD.
00:15:16.162 --> 00:15:30.129
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.
00:15:30.129 --> 00:15:41.744
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.
00:15:41.744 --> 00:15:52.735
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?
00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:56.048
Oh, there was definitely reassessments and relearning.
00:15:56.048 --> 00:16:01.740
One thing with aircraft maintenance is you don't get to pick your airframes.
00:16:01.740 --> 00:16:07.038
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.
00:16:07.038 --> 00:16:14.881
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.
00:16:14.881 --> 00:16:17.866
Then you throw 9-11 in there and all of a sudden there's no plan.
00:16:17.866 --> 00:16:19.667
You just get on a C-130 and go.
00:16:21.441 --> 00:16:23.469
And then, of course, command and then staff.
00:16:23.469 --> 00:16:34.590
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.
00:16:34.590 --> 00:16:44.009
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.
00:16:44.009 --> 00:16:53.083
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.
00:16:54.206 --> 00:16:58.880
Hmm, I've had a Marine recruiter come on the show.
00:16:58.880 --> 00:17:02.178
He was also actually in my platoon at one point.
00:17:02.178 --> 00:17:43.954
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.
00:17:43.954 --> 00:17:45.394
Was it the same case for you A?
00:17:45.816 --> 00:17:46.438
hundred percent.
00:17:49.215 --> 00:17:56.421
Do you think now you've essentially reinvented yourself in the private sector as a civilian, now not in the DOD?
00:17:56.421 --> 00:18:03.595
Has it been starting over Relearning the science and communicating and feeling out processes in society?
00:18:03.595 --> 00:18:07.030
Because you stepped out of reality for 30 years and now you're back.
00:18:07.030 --> 00:18:07.772
Everything's different.
00:18:09.176 --> 00:18:12.894
Yes, I would say it's not starting over but it's learning the civilian way.
00:18:12.894 --> 00:18:22.371
For example, my boss, steve, roderick and Stacey, they're amazing, they're super, they're just super intelligent people.
00:18:22.371 --> 00:18:34.252
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.
00:18:34.252 --> 00:18:36.901
They're, they're, they're super successful business people.
00:18:36.901 --> 00:18:41.499
And so I started talking to Steve oh, let's do this at 1800 or 1400.
00:18:41.499 --> 00:18:43.644
And he's like oh, now I got to subtract 12.
00:18:45.371 --> 00:18:59.482
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.
00:18:59.482 --> 00:19:19.138
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.
00:19:19.138 --> 00:19:32.294
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.
00:19:33.496 --> 00:19:45.884
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.
00:19:48.111 --> 00:20:04.115
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?
00:20:04.115 --> 00:20:09.614
So what role does humility have, in your opinion, in that process?
00:20:10.394 --> 00:20:11.817
Oh, a huge, huge role.
00:20:11.817 --> 00:20:22.393
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.
00:20:22.393 --> 00:20:33.520
So, as I'm learning this civilian, you know caveats and expectations and I realize oh, I just used six acronyms in that sentence.
00:20:34.343 --> 00:21:14.788
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?
00:21:15.936 --> 00:21:16.710
It can help or hurt.
00:21:16.710 --> 00:21:18.919
I think it helps when you are very genuine.
00:21:18.919 --> 00:21:30.691
It can help or hurt.
00:21:30.691 --> 00:21:32.853
I think it helps when you are very genuine and you pick the timely avenue in which to explain yourself.
00:21:32.853 --> 00:21:33.914
Or maybe you don't have to explain yourself.
00:21:33.934 --> 00:21:36.759
But on the flip side and here's an example I was in a meeting with a civilian entity last week.
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They had no agenda, they were all over the place.
00:21:40.663 --> 00:21:42.631
People were talking on top of each other.
00:21:42.631 --> 00:22:11.597
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?
00:22:11.597 --> 00:22:14.076
You know she wants structure in the meeting.
00:22:14.076 --> 00:22:27.045
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.
00:22:28.371 --> 00:22:30.156
Well, that's a powerful observation, isn't it?
00:22:30.156 --> 00:22:35.675
It's hard right, that's exactly what I was going to say.
00:22:35.675 --> 00:22:37.979
Yeah, I mean, could you imagine if there were anything else that maybe is even more difficult?
00:22:37.979 --> 00:22:38.441
I don't think so.
00:22:38.441 --> 00:22:41.412
You have to say yeah, I mean, could you imagine if, if there were anything else that maybe is even more difficult?
00:22:41.412 --> 00:22:42.294
I don't think so.
00:22:42.294 --> 00:22:46.663
You have to I don't know how to phrase it.
00:22:46.663 --> 00:22:49.955
You have to learn or maybe relearn your place.
00:22:49.955 --> 00:22:50.897
I mean it's it's.
00:22:50.897 --> 00:22:54.211
It's a new organization, or well, it's a new sector of society.
00:22:54.953 --> 00:22:57.317
And they may operate very well that way, right?
00:22:57.317 --> 00:22:59.362
So I like to call it checking myself.
00:22:59.362 --> 00:23:01.170
It's almost like I should.
00:23:01.170 --> 00:23:07.452
I should walk into those those types of meetings and just put that like the top of my notebook or something.
00:23:08.696 --> 00:23:13.191
Or yeah, right, tie the string around your finger, or whatever the trick is yeah.
00:23:15.457 --> 00:23:17.883
Alrighty, folks sit tight and we'll be right back on Transacting Value.
00:23:20.631 --> 00:23:26.864
Alrighty folks, if you're looking for more perspective and more podcasts, you can check out Transacting Value on Reads Across America Radio.
00:23:26.864 --> 00:23:30.519
Listen in on iHeartRadio, odyssey and TuneIn.
00:23:33.530 --> 00:23:39.163
I should walk into those types of meetings and just put that at the top of my notebook or something.
00:23:40.309 --> 00:23:44.862
Sure, yeah, tie the string around your finger or whatever the trick is, yeah.
00:23:44.862 --> 00:23:47.034
So this is.
00:23:47.034 --> 00:23:52.797
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.
00:23:52.797 --> 00:23:58.356
This is a segment of the show called developing character D D D, developing.
00:24:00.579 --> 00:24:24.432
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.
00:24:24.432 --> 00:24:37.794
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.
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