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Speech Transcript (very little editing so not exact)

Unknown Speaker  0:00  

Hey this is Stephen Crane with 360 Veteran and if you really want to learn how to level up your life, you should be listening to the time to shine today podcast with my good friend Scott Ferguson.

Unknown Speaker  0:12  

Time to shine today podcast varsity squad at Scott Ferguson Hayward Episode 234 with my boy Stephen crane from the 360 veteran. He’s a leather neck United States Marine, just a kick ass individual we had such a fun conversation he dropped so many knowledge nuggets that will really help our fellow veterans transition into back into civilian life with purpose, dignity and ease. So if you’re a veteran or you know one, please have them listen to this interview because it will just level up their life and make things so much easier. And again, if anybody out there is having any thoughts, bad thoughts going through their head, please have them reach out to time to shine today. We can help them through it introduce them to people like Steven. So without further ado, break out your notebooks sit back and relax because here comes my really good friend Stephen crane from the 360 veteran. Let’s level up. Time to shine today podcast firstly squatted a Scott Ferguson and I got a fellow veteran and we are using him are all about helping veterans successfully transition from the military with purpose, dignity and ease. And my boy here Stephen crane is a serial entrepreneur, mentor and veteran advocate as someone who experienced a stereotypical terrible military transitions which is very true. And he lost everything. He now helps other veterans successfully transition from the service by providing them 360 degrees of care in I am so stoked Steven to have you and if you could please come on. Introduce yourself to pot time to shine today pockets varsity squad. But first, what’s your favorite color? And why?

Unknown Speaker  1:56  

favorite color? That’s a good question. I would have to say blue, blue. I’m also like blue because it’s just called me

Unknown Speaker  2:02  

and I actually the ocean. There you go. You go. And I’m not trying to rub it in. But I’m looking at the Atlantic right now. Got the Atlantic to my right, which is beautiful here and Jupiter, Florida. But let’s get into what what branch were you in brother? I was in the Marine Corps. Nice. Nice, very stoic guys do all the work. Do all the works. What years were you in?

Unknown Speaker  2:24  

I was in from 2013 to 2017.

Unknown Speaker  2:27  

Excellent. Excellent.

Unknown Speaker  2:28  

Any tours deployments? No, unfortunately, no. I was definitely in the rear with the gear that was an admin.

Unknown Speaker  2:35  

Okay, very cool stateside, where it states all up

Unknown Speaker  2:39  

and on the East Coast, primarily station in Buford, South Carolina,

Unknown Speaker  2:43  

South Carolina. Beautiful. That’s beautiful area. Absolutely beautiful. My lady’s daughter lives in like Spartanburg, I believe something like that. Welford or something like that. But yes, beautiful, beautiful area. So let’s get to the roots man of getting into 360 even before then, and what kind of that planted that seed of the fork in the moment mine.

Unknown Speaker  3:09  

That’s a lot. So I guess, to unpack that I gotta go back a little bit just shortly to when I dig it out of the Marine Corps in 2017. Like you said, I was the stereotypical homeless but lost everything. Today I have a plan on what I was doing. But I got out, scraped and clawing my way back to civilization. And my wife and I made a promise to ourselves when we made it back. Two things one, are certainly never going back there again, that was not fun. And we’re gonna do everything on our power to help other veterans and other families not have to endure the same fate that we did. Because we we plan, we did everything we were supposed to. We thought we were doing everything we’re supposed to. But life comes and it hit me. It hit me with a lot of medical stuff. It rendered my degree that I got in the Marine Corps completely useless. And there was nothing that could really do so I had to be a janitor. I had to doordash I had to do anything possible just to make a buck. But over time, I finally got my feet under me. And then from there, I just started doing whatever I could to give back started mentoring. I started with Ronnie started with higher heroes, surges give him back however I could and connected with brothers and sisters around around the world and helping them not have the same destiny that my wife and I endured. So over time, we’ve, we fell in love with this idea of helping veterans and we’re like, you know, where we should start a veteran company, but we never had a good direction of what that would look like. But I came across a company called re medical. They’ve been around for 20 plus years. They’ve helped 10s of 1000s of veterans increase their disability rating. I went through their process. Now granted, I was a special case, I had a really, really good time with him, but it was only 45 days from start to finish came out the other side 100% permit and total disabled. Why are we not funding this? Why are we not making this more mainstream? Like, why are we not helping more veterans with this? So I had a talk with the company and said, can I help? Can I can I mark it? Can I do my own thing? And you know, use you as a backbone? Absolutely. So Cameron affiliate with the company, and then started, you know, since June of last year, started helping veterans increase their disability rating.

Unknown Speaker  5:47  

Wow. So what do you think? When you say make it back? I know what you mean. But can you explain to our audience who might not be veterans that have went through that transition, what it means to make it back?

Unknown Speaker  6:00  

The two most impactful things in any veterans life is the day that they become civilian, to military. And then from military to civilian. Yeah, graduating boot camp is great. Yeah, graduating in the West school, your you know, your technical school. All that stuff’s awesome. But it boils down to those two days. Sure, when you enlist, and when you get your dd 214. And you’re kicked out the door. Right? Right, making it back is a full transition, not only emotionally, spiritually, but physically. Sure, cuz you’re down on your luck. You don’t really have a plan, you don’t know what you’re going to be doing. But you just know, you have to keep pushing forward. Right? You have to know repel them. That’s what we do in the military. Absolutely. We just don’t know how to do it.

Unknown Speaker  6:48  

Right. You know, with that being said, it’s so true, because people sometimes despise being in the military that they just want to get out. Right, they don’t have that plan. And I was surrounded, I enjoyed my time just because I like the structure. And I liked the my, my fellows and you know, San Diego that you know, over at Coronado Seal Beach, and we had great times together. But, and I had a plan. And the reason why I had a plan is because I was married at the time, my mother in law said, Listen, if you’re gonna get out, you’re gonna have a plan. And so we had me set up and it was smooth sailing. For me. I dealt with PTSD a lot, which I went to mental hygiene. I talked about a lot my podcast here. My squad knows about that. But what could the military do with their infrastructure to maybe make it easier for the transition in your perfect world?

Unknown Speaker  7:47  

I think they’ve done a really, so I got to give them props on one. Okay. millbridge program is phenomenal. It really is because the last six months of your tour of duty, you can be an intern, you can go work for another company. Wow. Get your foot in the door. And there’s tons of partnership programs with various companies across the country. Okay, wonderful. The problem is, you have to be accepted. Okay. Okay, I can understand that. Right. That doesn’t have to do with you, or does it have to do with the availability of the company? Have the availability of the military, the company you work with inside the military? The department, the section, whatever you want to call it? If they don’t have availability? You’re not leaving? Okay. Same with retirement. Right, you have to submit a request to retire inside the military. Wow. They don’t have a don’t have room for you to retire. Really? Sorry. We’re gonna have to push it back a little bit. So everything you do in the military is that request, right. And when you’re doing this skilled work program, it’s no different. So if you’re in a very tight spot, if there’s only a couple, you know, people inside your shop in the military, you’re not getting approved for skill bridge. I think that’s

Unknown Speaker  9:13  

because they needed you to do the work. Right. Until your last day. Is that what you’re saying? What was that? So they need you to stay in the shop and do the work until your last day, right? You can’t go out and utilize the skill bridge. Okay. Got it. Got it. So do you work mainly with people that are one on one or groups of people?

Unknown Speaker  9:37  

Primarily one on ones, especially when you’re dealing with disability that can be very personal. I do group workshops and I explain and educate people but when it comes down to, you know, actually helping the veteran through that process. It’s a one on one because some people got PTSD when we’re going through that process process, we do need them to be very open and transparent about what happened. What does that look like on a day to day basis? Or even how that’s impacted your day? Your relationships, your employment? Because that’s what the VA looks

Unknown Speaker  10:13  

at? Sure. So when they’re coming in and your heavier discovery period before you bring them in fully into the 360? What is your secret sauce, if you don’t mind sharing that that helps them maybe locate their blind spot?

Unknown Speaker  10:32  

assessments. So it may not be the biggest secret sauce, but assessments and coaching techniques. Okay, sales one on one. As questions, get to know the person show genuine concern for what the other person has been through what they’re going through right now. And we’re wanting to go. And the only way you’re going to find that is through questions. So I know on the phone, a lot of people I talked to you, they get annoyed, they’re like, man, I feel like I’m playing 20 q with you play unless you’re at the end of that conversation, I really understand you and your family, where you’re coming from, I understand everything. And that allows me to provide the highest quality of service to you. And to make the proper recommendations moving forward. There was a person the other day he had a call with and we had an opportunity based on you know, his disabilities, it couldn’t have either gone really, really good. But we would have been rolling the dice. Or we could have gone steady state. This is this is pretty solid. Okay. And I present that I’m like, hey, based on where you’re at, based on your legal background, based on, you know, drinking drugs, do you want all that kind of based on everything that you’ve told me? I would recommend this. However, you’re the patient. If you want to roll the dice, let’s go ahead, but I just be very transparent about the entire process.

Unknown Speaker  12:07  

Right. Beautiful. So then, during this discovery period with the prospective client that you’re looking to bring on the veteran? Is there any good question that you wish they would ask you, but never do?

Unknown Speaker  12:25  

That self is a really good question.

Unknown Speaker  12:27  

So I’ve decided today, baby, we’re here to do.

Unknown Speaker  12:32  

I, I wish more people would say or ask, what do you know that? I don’t know.

Unknown Speaker  12:41  

Love it. Love that?

Unknown Speaker  12:44  

You know, I’m 100% PMT?

Unknown Speaker  12:48  

Sure.

Unknown Speaker  12:49  

Do I know all the answers? No. Do I know how I got to it? Yes.

Unknown Speaker  12:54  

Yeah, there you go.

Unknown Speaker  12:56  

Are you 100%? No, right. I obviously know something. Right? Or like, Hey, how are you making? X amount of money? How do you how do you make that transition into this career? I know you’ve done it. Someone has done it before. Therefore they know something new. So yeah, yourself up and be a little vulnerable to ask those questions and say, Hey, I don’t have the answers. You apparently know something that I don’t. What is that? I

Unknown Speaker  13:27  

love that. Thank you for sharing that. That’s exactly what I didn’t say want to hear. But I’m glad that I heard it. So thank you for saying that. So let me ask you something. If you saw the movie Back to the Future.

Unknown Speaker  13:39  

I I’ve seen bits and parts

Unknown Speaker  13:41  

about this dude that gets in a DeLorean takes it to 88 miles an hour, the flux capacitor and it goes back in time. So let’s get in that DeLorean with Marty McFly. Steven, and go back to say that 22 year old Steven, what kind of knowledge nuggets would you drop on Stephen to help him shorten his learning curve level up and blast through maybe just a little bit quicker.

Unknown Speaker  14:06  

The amount of knowledge I acquired from 22 to where I’m at now. It makes me so excited because I know from where I’m at now, for like the next 10 years or whatever the case is, how much I’m going to learn in during that time period. I’m just so excited. So if I could go back in time to 22 year old me and drop some nuggets. I would have to say three main things. One. You don’t understand finance. You don’t understand money. You don’t understand economics. You don’t understand this? Yes. You have a degree. Yes. You went to college? Yes. She took some financial literacy course. Right. You don’t understand it right. Until you have bled, like sucked everything in from financial services. sat down with mentors been inside the industry got license actually done policy for people helped other families achieve financial freedom. And to you’ve done that you really don’t understand all the ins and outs of it.

Unknown Speaker  15:15  

Right. So learn money, what else? Second part,

Unknown Speaker  15:19  

you don’t understand the emotional toll that transition has on you. You don’t understand how it’s going to impact you mentally, physically and spiritually. But you need to take care of yourself. That the job is important. Yes, the paychecks important. But your health? You’re never going to get that back. Yeah, you can make your million somewhere down the road. You have to take care of yourself. Absolutely. And the third biggest nugget network. Yeah. And when I say network, I think this is a word thrown around way too much about people saying, hey, I want to connect with you on LinkedIn. Or like, hey, there’s a networking party, I want to come to it and say hi to people. I’m talking real relationships. Absolutely, man. And not only relationships, but don’t be afraid to jump on a call with someone, even if you’re not selling them something, right, even if you don’t have anything to add, right? Even if you’re just if you’ve got nothing to do, right, and you can choose between hopping on a call with someone and just listening to them, right hearing their experience asking them questions versus watching TV. Hop on a call is absolutely

Unknown Speaker  16:41  

bro. Yeah, thank you for saying that. So, Steve, those are all three great, awesome points, man. My squad wants to know, how do you want your dash? Remember that little that little line in between your incarnation date and your expiration day your life date and death date on your tombstone? How do you want Stevens dash? Remember, bro?

Unknown Speaker  17:06  

I don’t want there to be an end date on that dash.

Unknown Speaker  17:09  

None of us do.

Unknown Speaker  17:13  

I really want to be known for and I mean, this is my tagline for just life, making the world a little better a little brighter. I can’t solve world hunger. I’m not like some Ilan Musk, I’m not some basil. I’m not like some special special person. But I am a person of value. And I am a person that can give value. It can be a little bit of it. It can be a bit bit of people. Yeah, whatever that is. I just want to be known for always being there for people. And you are going above and beyond

Unknown Speaker  17:53  

beautiful thing. And it’s beautiful thing what you’re doing. So what do you think people misunderstand about you the most?

Unknown Speaker  18:01  

about myself? Sure. I think people misunderstand. My, like, what do I want to accomplish? Because they see they see me? And they asked me what do you do? I’m like, Well, hold on. Who are you? Who’s my target? Who’s my audience right now don’t define who I am. Right? Right. Right, right. I do so much in various fields that looks like I’m a scatterbrain. Okay, but every person that I’ve talked to, that gives me an hour, and that sees where I want to go and what I’m trying to accomplish. At the end of that conversation, almost every single person’s like, that’s kind of like a maniacal genius. Like, right? You really got something going here. I don’t know how you’re going to put all of it together. But you know, you got something here is everything that I do is for a purpose. Everything I do is intentional. Sure. And every piece, every person that I touch and talk to, I’m doing it for a reason. It’s not just blindly going through life. I’m very intentional about why I do stuff. And that intention can change. Sometimes I do it for money. Sometimes I do it because I need to put food on the table. Sometimes I do it because it’s therapeutic for me. Right things I do it because I just really want to help another person.

Unknown Speaker  19:35  

So you’re saying there’s a method to your madness. Even though it might look like you’re scattered. You’re all bringing it back to a place of service and I love that. So then what keeps you up at night?

Unknown Speaker  19:48  

The fact that I can’t do more

Unknown Speaker  19:52  

bad I love it. How are you at delegating?

Unknown Speaker  19:56  

Oh, wonderful. Okay, okay. I learned that Very early in the Marine Corps, yeah, right. You have to if you’re going to be successful, you have to delegate, you have to trust people, you have to help them and give them the tools and education needed to be successful. Sure. And so I have no problem delegating, so it’s just

Unknown Speaker  20:18  

so much. I want

Unknown Speaker  20:19  

gun. Yeah, as a Marine, I want it done. Right, right. Actually, when I’m dealing with people and other people’s finances, and I, I don’t want to leave that in the hands of someone that isn’t taking it as passionately as seriously as me. Right. Right. So I know no one else cares as much as me.

Unknown Speaker  20:40  

No, I don’t. That’s how it goes. Any owner of a business and whatnot, you can only align with somebody that’s as close as you know, sometimes you want them to but also, there’s a side of me in my businesses that I don’t want them to as well. And it’s not in a bad way. It’s just like, I want them to continue to need direction, in a sense to go out and level up and help people you know, because I’m always learning, like the people that work for you. They’re not always open as we are. And so you can kind of continuously pass on pass that on. So what is your definition of a life well lived?

Unknown Speaker  21:17  

Leaving the court leaving everything on the court. Yeah, and leaving it all. Some of us only up 40 years, some of us got 50 6070 8090 100 years, regardless of that time, if I wasted a name, and when we pissed

Unknown Speaker  21:36  

about that, love it, man. I love that

Unknown Speaker  21:39  

you there. And I did not give 100% it it’s only hurting me. It’s hurting the people around me. It’s hurting me. It’s hurting my sleep. It’s one thing so every day before I get to bed, I have to get everything I can out of me. Sure where I can actually rats.

Unknown Speaker  22:01  

Love it. Love it. Hey, time to shine today podcast varsity squad. We’re back with my boy Stephen crane. And he really helps with the transition for veterans into we’ll just call it the real world. I was one of those people back in 1997. And it took me a minute and luckily I had help. Which I mentioned my former mother in law think bless her heart made sure that I leveled up and not everybody has that. And Stephen is just locking in locked and loaded ready to rock and roll and help people do that. And Steven, we have a leveling up lightning round here and you and I can literally talk an hour on each one of these but you got five seconds Marine, no explanations. You ready to rock? Okay, do it. Let’s do it Leatherneck. What is the best leveling up advice Stephens ever received?

Unknown Speaker  22:56  

The first question

Unknown Speaker  22:57  

you’re gonna throw that one about Get the fuck up early. That’s what they say in the Marines, man. I’ll tell you that. Sure. One of your personal habits that contributes to your success.

Unknown Speaker  23:09  

consistency. Love it.

Unknown Speaker  23:11  

I bet you are man. Other than your own website, which is the 360 veteran.com and of course time to shine today.com shameless plug. What other website does Steven go to to level up?

Unknown Speaker  23:26  

went down Believe it or not? Yeah, beautiful. I

Unknown Speaker  23:28  

love that. You said that. So you see me. I mean, my Donald Trump’s like man for free. He looks like he’s down man. Like what book? Are you handed me?

Unknown Speaker  23:38  

If you’re down on your luck, the compound effect

Unknown Speaker  23:41  

Yeah, there you go, baby. There you go. What’s your most commonly used emoji? When you text? Thumbs up. Thumbs up love it. Chess or checkers?

Unknown Speaker  23:54  

chess.

Unknown Speaker  23:55  

Well, what was your New Year’s resolution

Unknown Speaker  23:59  

to send to grow 360 veteran Loving

Unknown Speaker  24:04  

You are killing it. I 100 clients, you’re killing it. Love it. What’s your favorite charity or an organization like to give your time or money to?

Unknown Speaker  24:13  

i? I like better audio because of just the open source platform. Sure they have across across the military branches.

Unknown Speaker  24:24  

Love it. And this is the last question. You can elaborate a little bit on this one my brother? What is the best decade of music 6070s 80s or 90s?

Unknown Speaker  24:33  

Oh 80s

Unknown Speaker  24:38  

my man bro, you’re young to say that to what you’re? How old are you if you don’t mind sharing?

Unknown Speaker  24:44  

If I have to share

Unknown Speaker  24:47  

your 26 your wealth of knowledge bro for 26 Thank you for stepping up this early in your life dude. Like I’m not being a smartass. I’m being seriously Thank you, man. Thank you so much. So how can we find Your brother.

Unknown Speaker  25:01  

You can find me on social media, you can find me on LinkedIn. I am always on that thing is 24 seven. They also find me on my website. So Stephen crane.com Okay, you can also go to the 360 veteran comm

Unknown Speaker  25:16  

v 360. You guys have to check out this I don’t go yet. But after we’re done that everything’s in the show notes for for my boy here, Stephen crane, my young Bach man, the beard makes gives you a little bit of the mature love, bro. But like, I mean, he’s a handsome dude, if you’re watching on YouTube and whatnot, but man he like he’s 26 That’s awesome, man. Thanks again. Thank you, dude, because your generation scares me. I’m sorry, I’m going to be 50 you know what I’m saying? And it’s like, your generation scares the crap out of me, man. With all the handouts and everything else that’s going on. You’re out there making it happen. Thank you so much, man. So give me one last HUGE favor here. Steven, leave us with one last Knowledge Nugget that we can take with us. internalize and take action on

Unknown Speaker  26:03  

consistency, determination and courage.

Unknown Speaker  26:08  

Write that down CDC contis. Consistency, determination

Unknown Speaker  26:15  

and courage. You have to have the courage to be consistent every single day. And you have to have that determination that you’re going to stay consistent and achieve whatever it is that you’re going for it that

Unknown Speaker  26:30  

given time. Love this man in squad we have just had how you this isn’t loosely us we have a masterclass by my young buck friend here. He’s It’s fantastic. And I cannot wait to introduce him to veterans. We just got to seriously seriously get masterclass. And you’ll he’ll tell you that the the two most important days and the most transitional days is the day to turn from a civilian to military and then back to civilian. There’s a lot that’s got to go on, especially with mindset, you can deal with PTSD, you can deal with just a loss of what you’re going to actually do. Because you’re under such great structure in the military, that you’re like you don’t have it and you don’t have to have it but you still want to succeed. And people like Steven are here to help you do that. He reminded us that a great coach uses assessments to locate their the person’s blind spots that a great coach has genuine concern and empathy for where that person’s been, where they are now and where they want to go. And he wants to help you level up. You know, you ask what do you know or what I don’t know get? So basically, Steven would ask his younger self to get us asking here. That’s what we say get you’re asking you’re asked for help continuously learn. He told you learn about money. He wants you to take care of your health. He wants you to learn how to properly network and get to know as many people as you can, if you’re if you have time to take a 10 minute zoom or a conversation with somebody use that time over a YouTube video or TV or whatnot because you never know what it can lead to to help you level up and if you can level up that person’s life. Stephens gonna leave this place a better and brighter world. But while he’s doing that he’s going to have bumps and bruises and sliding across home plate, knowing that he gave it all man. He’s also going to remind us that consistency, determination and courage the CDC is what’s going to really help us you know, to achieve everything that you want in life and that’s exactly what my boy Steven is here is doing. He levels up as healthy levels up as well. He’s humble yet he’s hungry. He’s part of the time to shine today varsity squad. He’s earned his varsity letter. Thank you so much for coming on. Steven.

Unknown Speaker  28:32  

Thanks so much for having me. Brother. Talk soon.

Unknown Speaker  28:35  

Hey, thanks so much for listening to this episode of time to shine today podcast. Proudly brought to you by Southern Nugent real estate real estate excellence who can be reached at 561-249-7266 in online at www dot Sutter in nugent.com. If you’re a business owner or professional who would like to be interviewed on time to shine today, please visit time to shine today.com slash guest. If you liked this episode, please subscribe on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, I Heart Radio or wherever you get your podcast. There’s a link in the show notes to our website. Also there you will see our recommended resources. We hope that you will support our show by supporting them. If you like what you’ve been listening to, it’d be great if you could just give us a five star rating and tell your friends to subscribe while you’re at it. I’m your host, Scott Ferguson. And until next time, let’s level up it’s our time to shine.

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