
The Jedburgh Podcast
Fran Racioppi

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#129: Why Special Operators Succeed In Finance - 51 Vets Executive Director Lindsey Schiro, Board Member Chris Robinson, Member Victor Reyna
The biggest challenge America’s Special Operations Veterans face is not becoming a Special Operator. Their biggest challenge is no longer being a Special Operator. This transition, despite its challenges, is also a Veteran’s biggest opportunity. Data says that 48% of Veterans believe transition was more difficult than they expected, 62% say transition took more time than expected, and 76% say it was stressful. So, how do we create opportunity from challenge? For this episode Fran Racioppi sat down with 51 Vets, a non-profit committed to connecting veterans from elite military units with leading business professionals in the finance industry. From the American Legion in the iconic New York City Athletic Club, Fran is joined by Executive Director Lindsey Schiro, Board Member Chris Robinson, and Member Victor Reyna to break down 51 Vets pillars of support, how 51 Vet’s is using their City Summits to create opportunities for SOF Veterans to work at financial institutions, and explain why companies who live by the mantra “hire for character, train for skill” are scaling their businesses on the backs of our Special Operators. Transition is hard, but the first step is defining the difference between what you want to do vs what you can do. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube. Highlights: 0:00 Welcome to the American Legion and the 51 Vets City Summit 2:30 The biggest challenge of military transition 5:35 Top events that negatively affect Veteran transition 7:44 Chris, Victor and Lindsey transition for business and family 12:22 Implementing the DOD Skillbridge Program 14:00 Why character is the most important component of building a great organization 20:18 Hire for character, train for skill; but don’t overestimate! 35:22 Why doing what you want to do is the sometimes the hardest thing you can do 38:32 Lack of job satisfaction contributes to the Veteran suicide rate 44:46 51 Vets Three Daily Foundations to Success Quotes: “The biggest challenge facing military Veterans is correlating their military service to civilian service.” (3:12) “America's great because of the military that we have and we have a great military because of capitalism.” (6:32) “We can have all the resources in the world. If our people suck, our organization’s gonna suck.” (14:17) “In the Special Operations world the best thing you can be called is a good dude.” (16:35) “Make sure you can learn, earn and collect a merit badge along the way.” (24:51) “Get surgical on what you want to do.” “Proximity to the problem. Proximity to the decision-makers. That’s how we make influence. That’s how we get things done.” (38:19) “We’re saving lives here. We are creating a sense of community. A sense of purpose.” (41:00)
About The Jedburgh Podcast
The Jedburgh Podcast is a conversation with transformative leaders, visionaries, drivers of change, and those dedicated to winning no matter the challenge. Hosted by US Army Special Forces Green Beret Fran Racioppi, each episode in-depth discussion with trailblazers who have earned success through dedication to talent development, preparation, introspection, and the drive to get things done. Our conversation will empower listeners to define success and operate at an elite level, regardless of the task at hand. Fran speaks with leaders in business, athletics, academics, and public service about their personal leadership stories of success, failure, and the road to continuous improvement. The Jedburghs of World War II was the first Special Operations forces and lived by the mantra, how you prepare today determines success tomorrow. Today’s leaders are no different. Our discussions focus on the nine character traits of elite performance used by Special Operations Forces to recruit, assess, select and retain elite performers. Through this lens, we show listeners that success in any field must be earned every day. We strive for each listener to take valuable lessons learned and concrete action steps to improve themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Although developed and used by US Special Operations Forces, these characteristics are inherently applicable to building resilient and successful organizations in any sector or industry, as well as in the betterment of our personal and professional lives. The Nine Characteristics of Elite Performance: -Drive: Growth mindset, be better than yesterday, continuous self-improvement -Resiliency: Perseverance in the face of challenges -Adaptability: Adjust one’s behavior to the situation -Humility: Recognize that you do not have all the answers; a willing learner maintains accurate self-awareness -Integrity: Understand what is legal and correct and align actions and words to both -Effective Intelligence: apply one’s experience and knowledge to the situation -Team Ability: Prioritize organizational needs ahead of oneself, work as a cohesive unit -Curiosity: Exploring the unknown, questioning the status quo in pursuit of better -Emotional Strength: Emotional control in stressful situations brings calm to chaos Fran is the founder of FRsix. He leads small to medium-sized businesses to scale by transforming their leadership and operations through introspection, continuous improvement, and a commitment to a talent mindset. He spent 13-years in the United States Army as a Green Beret, deploying numerous times to The Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Fran was the honor graduate of the Special Forces Qualification Course and the US Army Ranger School. He has served as CEO, COO, CSO, and Director of Global Security, where he was recognized by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security for his leadership and innovation. Fran earned an MBA from the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a BA from Boston University in Journalism. Fran holds the highest civilian accreditations, including Certified Protection Professional, Certified Business Continuity Professional, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Fran volunteers teaching Veterans to sail as the Race Director for Sailahead, a Veterans organization dedicated to reducing the Veteran suicide rate and is the former Treasurer of the United War Veterans Council. Talent War Group is a management consulting and executive search firm comprised of highly experienced and proven business executives and special operations leaders. We’ll drive you to attract, retain, and develop top talent. With services like Executive Search, Talent Advisory, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, and Speaking & Keynotes, we work with you to create talent solutions to business problems. Contact us at www.talentwargroup.com Access more episodes, subscribe, and learn more.