When One Mission Ends, How Do You Find the Next One? My Guest: Alexa Jenkins, The Periwinkle Crayon

June 01, 2026

Episode Transcript

Titles change fast. Identity changes slower. And when you’ve spent years living inside a mission, walking away can feel like you’re leaving part of yourself behind. I’m joined- for the third time- by Alexa Jenkins, former United States Navy commander, a wife and mom who’s now building her next chapter in the corporate world. We get honest about what “reinvention” actually looks like when it’s not a social media makeover, but a real reset of purpose, confidence, and community.

Check out the two previous episodes:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2041024/episodes/12176107-what-do-pirate-hunting-and-personal-connection-have-in-common-my-guest-alexa-jenkins-united-states-navy-commander.mp3?download=true

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2041024/episodes/13372521-does-personal-leadership-style-impact-public-connection-my-guest-commander-alexa-jenkins-united-states-navy.mp3?download=true

Alexa shares the surprising thing she prioritized most during her military to civilian transition: culture. Not prestige. Not the perfect job title. Culture. We talk about how to find the “ocean” where you thrive, why veterans- and plenty of civilians- get trapped in credentials they don’t even want, and how one person’s belief in you can unlock your next role. Along the way, she breaks down the debrief mindset the military trains so well and why that skill becomes a powerful tool for corporate leadership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

We also dig into the uncomfortable reality of veteran employment, including the stat that 63% of veterans are underemployed or unemployed, and what needs to change in awareness, hiring, and self-assessment. Alexa explains how SkillBridge can help, how to translate military experience into business value, and why she talked to 200+ people through cold outreach to learn industries from the inside. We close with reflections on service, “The Watch,” the whiplash of swapping deployments for PTO sign-ups.

This episodes Honorable Mensch spotlight on Jonathan Richmond, Director of Mission United at United Way of Northeast Florida.
https://unitedwaynefl.org/mission-united

Do you have some feedback, thoughts or questions?

Want to be a guest on my show or have an Honorable Mensch to nominate?

Connect on Instagram @SchmoozewithSuze

Subscribe to the Schmooze with Suze Podcast for your dose of #Culture, #Values and #GlobalCitizenship... with a side of #chutzpah...

Don’t forget to leave a review if you enjoyed this episode.
Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE.
Thank you for helping us grow!

Society & Culture

See full episode transcriptTranscript is autogenerated by AI

Recalibration And Identity Across Careers

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Today's conversation feels personal to me because I understand recalibration, resilience, and reclamation in real life. Not the cute social media version where somebody changes a job title and suddenly becomes a reinvented woman. I mean the real version. The version where you look around at your life and realize that somehow you've lived six different lives inside one. Over three decades, I've moved from property management to homeless services, from real estate development to education, nonprofit work, community building, storytelling, advocacy. On paper, some people might call that a winding road. I don't. I call it threading the needle. Because when I look back now, I realize every chapter carried the same DNA: people, purpose, possibility. The address has changed, the business cards changed, the titles changed, but the assignment never really did. And I think many of us reach a moment where we're asking to rediscover ourselves. Not because we failed, not because we took a wrong turn, but because life evolves and suddenly asks, who are you now and what parts of yourself are you taking with you? Today's guest understands that question at a level few people ever will. Because imagine serving your country, leading people under extraordinary pressure, living a life of mission and structure, and then stepping into an entirely new landscape while still thinking, what's next? And that's what we're going to tackle today. Hi, I'm Suze here with a dose of culture, values, and global citizenship with just enough Chutzba to tackle the topics others may avoid. Today I'm excited to welcome back Alexa Jenkins. She's been on to Schmooze twice before, and the episodes are attached in the show notes. We talked about her pirate hunting days and personal connection to her team, leadership style, and the public connection that becomes your legacy. Alexa has served our country as a commander in the United States Navy, leading with discipline, service, and purpose through a career defined by commitment and resilience. As a wife, mother, and officer, she balanced multiple identities while carrying responsibilities that most people can only imagine. Today, she has transitioned from military service into the corporate world, bringing that same leadership mindset into her new skills. Her journey represents something so many people wrestle with. How do you honor who you've been while creating space for who you're becoming? In addition to being on my personal board of directors, she is also my dream co-host for when this show gets picked up as a talk show. We're talking about transition, reinvention, fear, purpose, and what happens when one mission ends and another begins. Hi, Alexa. Hi, Suze. So excited to be back. Welcome back to Schmooz with Suze.

Culture First When Changing Careers

SPEAKER_02 2:44

I want to start a little bit about transition. When people transition careers, they often focus on titles. What did you focus on instead?

SPEAKER_00 2:52

I focused on culture. If I could narrow it down to one thing, it was culture. I think there aren't many people who get an opportunity to reinvent themselves. And when you get that opportunity, you should focus on where do you thrive? Like if you're a fish, go find an ocean. Like this is not a forest. Right, right. And so it's important that when we look at what makes us happy and purpose-driven with work. Normally that's a place or people that you're going to be spending a lot of time with, uh, not just your family, but these other people, this other um place. So be around people in a culture that you thrive in. So for me, I looked at where were there gonna be smart, curious, funny people who enjoyed what they were doing and were invested in constant learning.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

You spent years serving as a commander in the Navy. Many people struggle with change because they think they're leaving part of themselves behind. Did you ever feel that tension?

SPEAKER_00 4:09

You know, I think this is probably where I excelled in the transition. But I will say that a lot of my peers, a lot of veterans, do struggle with this, especially, and I don't ever mean to broad brush and generalize, but a lot of men when they're leaving the service, the only thing that they have ever described themselves as, like just to themselves, is I am a naval officer. Or insert your you know, service of choice. But this is who I am, and I have always said, like, I am Alexa, and I do this job.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

So you already had it in your mind that who you are is not defined by the role that you're in professionally. Correct, correct.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

So I think that made the transition for me a lot easier because if your self-definition is I am a driven woman, I am a smart one, I am someone who's a great storyteller, I am whatever your role is. You are all of those, plus a builder. Correct. Yes. And so saying who you are helps shape where do you want to go. Again, find that culture, find that ocean for yourself. Um, so go and look for things that you do well naturally. And there's lots of them, right? Like people have all sorts of talents, and there's ways to be happy and thriving, and uh many different ways.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

So that leads me to my next question.

Debriefs And Skills That Transfer

SPEAKER_02 5:46

Being an officer provides you with a skill set and some strengths that you have been sort of leaning into. What followed you from the Navy into the corporate world that you didn't initially recognize as being something that was valuable outside of a naval base?

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, I would say it's terrible, really good self-assessment. So after every evolution that we do in the military, there'd always be this debrief, and you would sit around and everybody would talk about how you could do whatever the thing you just did, how you could do it better. The Monday morning quarterback. Correct. And while I was in the service, sometimes you'd be like, oh, we have to have the D Rod, we have to have the debrief. I love it. It's awful. You know, like why do we do this all the time? But really focusing in on that and taking the time and the space to self-self-assess and say, how can we do it better? made me a better teammate at my current job because it continues to have you question and you don't get complacent and you say, Okay, well, we did it this way, but could we have done it better? Could we have communicated better? And it's not a blame game. That's important. It is a it is a honest look at what could change to improve and to not be satisfied with the way we've always done it.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

I love that. I love that. That's such an important lesson for people to remember no matter where they are in life. Now you've been navigating multiple roles concurrently. Your wife, mother, officer, leader. What role, as you self-assessed yourself, probably in all of them, did you think before you left one entity and moved to another shaped you or contributed most to who you would become?

SPEAKER_00 7:49

I would say probably being a mother. I think being a mother gave me a patience that I didn't know that I possessed. It gave me a grace about people. It allowed me to look at someone and assume positive intent. Right? I think when you're young without having your own kids, it was very easy for me personally to be like, well, why don't they why did why were you late? Yeah, why was this like you've done this thing to to me? Um, and being a mother allowed me to look at people in a different light and be like, maybe they have other stuff going on, maybe there's a reason behind this. Um, and to be a little bit more forgiving and a little bit more curious about other people, which then in turn made better relationships to move forward.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

I completely understand where you're coming from. I in my own experiences. Uh, before I had my kids, I remember being far less forgiving when it came to people telling me about childcare or hiccups that were happening in their home life. It was almost like, I don't understand, can't you just figure it out?

unknown 9:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Then you live with someone who's a fraction of your size that can put you in your place, and you realize, not always can I figure it out in a timely manner. And I hope and pray that someone is willing to extend that grace.

unknown 9:22

Yeah.

SkillBridge And The Veteran Hiring Gap

SPEAKER_02 9:23

So now we're gonna talk a little bit about transitioning out, and that's a scary thing for people when you say, you know, moving. You can't just say I'm an officer in the Navy and now I want to do a comparable job outside of the Navy.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

What were the resume builders? What were transferable skills that you could then put onto your, you know, next cover letter that made you seem like you were not going to be this oddball who's only able to do something on a warship? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Yeah. You know, I think one of the greatest things that the Navy, well, not just the Navy, I mean Congress mandated this, but the services allow people to do a skill bridge program. And I can't support this program enough. So the last six months that I was in the Navy, I was really getting experience in the corporate world while the Navy was paying my salary. And so therefore, I was learning hard skills while showcasing what I would call like my softer skills of being able to communicate clearly, of being able to tell a good story, of being a very quick learner, uh, someone who could operate with ambiguity and just be a person who was like, no, I can figure stuff out, right? Right. So, but if I hadn't had that opportunity to also get the hard skills and the at-bats in the corporate world, I think it would have made the transition much harder. Because everybody thinks they're more mysterious than they are. Everybody thinks their job is like way harder than it, like no one could possibly learn this. But you can if people just give you a chance. Did you know, by the way, Susie, that 63% of veterans today are either underemployed or unemployed? I did not know that. So when we talk about underemployed, I'm talking about people who take jobs that they are, you know, like they have more skills, but they take less qualified jobs because people don't understand what veterans can bring to the table.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

That is a fascinating statistic, specifically because if I'm going to trust you to protect and defend me, then I probably should trust you to do a lot of things that are community engaged or leadership-based. So, what were experiences you originally thought no one in the corporate world is going to care about this, but ended up being incredibly useful or a superpower today?

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Yeah, I think I never thought that all of those PowerPoint briefs that I had to make uh in the Navy to convince um to convince leaders of a path forward would be useful in my life. But how you present, what information is shown, what order you show it in, how you are able to convince somebody who has authority into an action is a really great way to know that you are made for sales. Right? Same thing. Influence um is the same whether you're in the military or you're in the corporate world.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

That's an interesting perspective. You're right. I think when you think about what successful transition looks like, is it more skill or is it more confidence? Is it knowing what you're capable of doing, or is it knowing what you're capable of learning to do?

SPEAKER_00 12:57

I think it's both, but but the number one thing I would say is who believes that you have both of those things? Does someone else think, Susie, I believe you have the confidence and I believe you have the skills to do this? That you just need one person to believe that and you are going to be golden.

SPEAKER_02 13:20

Wow. So for those 63%, where do you think that there's a lapse in them not feeling that degree of confidence to be employed adequately or even to take a chance on themselves?

SPEAKER_00 13:33

I think awareness is step one. I don't think people are aware of all of the resources at their fingertips in their own local communities. Um I don't think people are aware of maybe how to self-assess themselves and understand. But don't just look for a job, understand who you are and then find something that fits who you are, who you want to be, who you're going to be, because then you will succeed because you're internally motivated to do it. A lot of people tell officers that are transitioned, you should get your PMP certification, a project manager certification, because clearly you have you have managed lots of projects in your life, which is true. I'm sure there are some great PMP folks who are providing the project. I'm trying to get a PMP also because I come from the construction field. Yeah, just get one of those and you'll be golden. And I would ask people, well, do you want to do project management? And then they would say, Well, no, I can't stand people. But they're like, but I can get a job doing that. But you don't want to do this. So don't just collect certifications and skills that you don't actually want to do. I think the hardest part for veterans is really to take the time to sit down and really look at what do you do well naturally that nobody has to tell you to do. So if you went to work every day and this was your work environment, what does paradise look for you? What does that look like? Okay, go find people who are in that that do it every day, and then ask really good questions and figure out now does it actually work with your life? Yeah, it sounds super interesting, and gosh, I really love yoga and I just want to be a yoga instructor. Like, oh okay, well, have you talked to any of them yet? Well, no. Okay, well, you should probably do that.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

Right. Probably find out how many hundreds of hours it takes to become certified. Correct.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Do you have a space do you want to do this?

SPEAKER_02 15:37

You know, do you want to be an entrepreneur, own your own space? Do you want to work for other people? There's so many avenues. What are some resources that you reached out to initially?

Cold Outreach That Builds Opportunity

SPEAKER_02 15:45

I mean, people will compare and say, Well, I wasn't an officer, I wasn't a retiring, you know, it almost like you had the luxury without realizing, no, this was you actually having to jump and ship nobody intended to an entire new whether it was water, lands, forest, desert.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

And I would say I didn't do it as a beeline. I think a lot of people think that they have to get the answer right away. I took a lot of courses and talked to a lot of people that had nothing to do with what I do now. I thought maybe I'll be in marketing, maybe I'll do something in sports, maybe I will, you know, I could do that, I could do this. You see lots of titles that you think to yourself, I could do that. Um, and just reach out. I cold contacted so many people, in addition to having actual warm intros and using a network, but many just cold outreach. Hi, I'd like to just talk to you about what you do. And again, I'm not looking for a job. I'm looking to hear about them and their life. And lots of people will give you 20, 30 minutes because you're not asking for a favor, you're just getting information. Um and people love to talk about themselves. They do. I think I talked to over, I mean, it it's definitely over 200 people. Really? Yeah, on like way over 200.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Um, give me an example of what one of those successful conversations sounded like and one of those, like, oh, I feel like I wasted their time and they're annoyed with me now. Did you have one of each?

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Um, I never felt that I had a conversation that I wasted anybody's time or that wasted my time. Good because everybody, and this is my dad used to tell me this, but everybody knows something that you don't know. True. So asking people questions about themselves, learning about themselves, learning about different industries, it's still all fascinating. Whether or not I want to do it for me, I mean, that's good information that I needed to know. I talked to folks, the guy who started Meow Wolf, right? You know, the uh it's like an art uh museum, I don't even know the right word, uh interactive space that you walk through and there's art and you experience it and it's super cool. And I thought, well, that's really neat. Yeah. And I would like to open one in Jacksonville. So what would that take? What would that what would that take? I don't know. I talked to people in design, I talk to people that learn things that I would never know. Hey, all of those exhibits have to be fireproof. So great, you have artists, but like, do they have special coatings so that the building will be okay? No, no, no idea. No, you don't know what you don't know. I have no idea. But here's somebody who is, I have no I am not going to improve this man's life at all. I have no connections that benefit him. And yet he totally took time to talk with me.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

I will say that Jacksonville uh in Northeast Florida specifically is exceptional in that way. People here are so forthcoming with giving of themselves their time, their talent, the information. I say often that it's a great pilot city for when someone wants to do what you did, cold call and learn about different spaces, fields, opportunities because we're always trying to grow from within.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Yes. And not only that, but I have never had a meeting where people didn't then say, Oh, would you like to talk to my friend so and so? Right. So each then meeting leads to more network to build. So I thoroughly encourage folks to just reach out. Jacksonville is warm, but they will get a lot of response just by asking for a call.

Pride Service And Standing The Watch

SPEAKER_02 19:31

Let's talk a little about reflection. So when you reflect back on your years of service, what emotion rises first? Pride. What does serving your country mean to you now looking backwards instead of forward?

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Um I can't do it in one word. Can I do it in two words? Yeah, you can do it as many words. This isn't a lightning round. Oh my gosh, what's it? No, I don't know a word. No, the pride came real quick.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

And I I can't thank you enough. And your family. You're what generation are you now? Second?

SPEAKER_00 20:05

I'm I'm an I'm a geriatric millennial. Oh, you mean what no? I meant your dad served. Oh, my dad served, yeah. Yeah. And so his his par his dad served and then I served. So you're the third generation. Third. All Navy? No. Um, my dad was better. He was a Marine. Um he's he's what do they say, the Marines? Yeah, he my my dad. Well, you have to understand, my father uh passed, but he was 86. He was from a different generation, and he used to love to tell me that it was um the Navy was uh the Marines were a department of the Navy, the men's department, right? This is these old sexist jokes. He told me it was okay that I went to be in the Navy because I was a woman, so like it was okay. He was still proud of me, like it was still a good service. Thanks. Um, all may his memory for a blessing.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

He was a funny, smart and really cool guy who uh planted such deep roots into you, but provided wings. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So is there something that you miss unexpectedly about that life?

SPEAKER_00 21:11

I think I I will always miss the real impact that I felt I was having on the broader country. It's pretty cool to be going out, and I mean, right now I have friends out there that are dealing with getting shot at, and what is Iran doing? And how are we protecting free uh lines of sea trade so that we can get all the goods that you all order on Amazon? Like there are people out there right now that are making sure that cargo ships are getting where they need to go. And there are people who are traveling the world.

SPEAKER_01 21:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Yeah, and so I didn't recognize how close I mean, I always knew that global citizenship was something that was tangible for me because my parents are not from this country. And so I have cousins that live all over on almost every continent, which means that I've always been watching what the global media shows and shares, but I've also known that the local media is not gonna give me a finger on the pulse. What are we, laymen? What are we like civilians? To the civilian population, just how interconnected we are. And so when I see those campaigns to support our military or around Halloween, when you send your candy or to have kids on Veterans Day, write those cards and letters, or you know, on Memorial Day, and to really invest in how our children, my children, feel about what that means to serve and protect and defend this amazing life that we get to live. Your friends, your colleagues are the ones who are currently doing that.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Yeah. I mean, I couldn't be more prouder of the people who are out there. I think it's great when you retire, they recite this poem called The Watch. I know it.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

It brought tears to my eyes. I was.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

So at the end of the retirement, there's somebody who's still on active service that will come and uh deliver this speech about how for however many years you serve people during like this person, meaning you the person that's retiring, stood the watch. And now at the end, like this new person, like there's people behind you ready to stay on the watch. And I am so proud of the the fact that I'm just a part of a great chain that will continue. There's always somebody new, there's always these young people that are willing to raise their hand and say, I mean, we have an all-volunteer force. Do you know how incredible that is? That all of this is done by people, young people raising their hand today, willing to stand up and defend this great country. I think that's pretty impressive.

SPEAKER_02 24:00

So people can't see that I'm actually like welling up with tears because I was there at your retirement ceremony, and I think it was one of your closest friends that was and she did such an exceptional job that I I I have never forgotten it, and I went home and I reread it and I researched it because I had no clue. Like like we just said, I'm a civilian, and my family served only in other countries where in being in the military is a requirement. Right. Um, and so I have such a deeper appreciation. Um, all right, you once had missions and deployments that were what your schedule was revolving

A New Rhythm Of Family Life

SPEAKER_02 24:42

around. Today, let's talk about a schedule that includes PTA and school events.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Oh my gosh, so many.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

What has that shift meant for you personally?

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Um I think, oh gosh, especially PTOs. Shout out to every mom out there, whether you are a volunteer who shows up for the talent shows, the dances, the luwows, the gosh, I don't know all of it. Or if you're just a like, here's some Venmo, please, like other moms go do some do the Venmo. Shout out to all of them. To all of them. I had, I would actually rather take the 90 days with no bone no more than like the school year of May Summer for moms. Like, oh my gosh, it is it is so much. It is so much. So I'm in awe of the other women and dads. I I work with some really awesome dads at my local elementary school as as well to make sure that our kids are having fun events. I mean, God help them if they don't have a monster mash at Halloween here, Susie.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Oh my gosh, I know all about those sign-up geniuses. Oh God's word. So the person who creates a sign-up genius and the person, do you think they all have PMPs or they should make them?

SPEAKER_00 25:54

I do! Those are the PMP people. I'm telling you, gosh, I shouldn't I I really think that there should be a form when you enter school and be like, hi, are you a well-organized person who really likes to color code things and over-communicate? Welcome to the PTO.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

Nobody needs me there, but I show up anyway. Oh my gosh, I was one of those. So early on, I came to those meetings because they're free and they were at a time that was convenient, and I was not a value ad. Early on, we discovered that I am not equipped for that kind of thing. Those moms were super special. They were never mad, they were always like even keeled, and I gave them so much credit, which is also why I have Venmo.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Yeah, you know, but I'm telling you, there's a place for everybody, and I feel like right now my my son is in elementary school, so he's still at an age where he wants me at school. So therefore, Susie, I will make the PTO part of my part of my week. You know, I will show up. I will be there for the field trip. I will, I will be there for the luel. I will sit there with the paper craft that I have no business making at all with these children. 100%, 100%. But man, I am I'm gonna be there.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

You're present. Absolutely. Is this a different version of you that your family gets to see since retirement?

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Yeah, I uh I I Did they know you were a paper crafter? No, no. Um I I I remember we had a there's always a cruise book at the end of a deployment, and somebody has to put together the cruise book. And again, in the early days, they were like, oh, look at you, young lady. Clearly you must have these attributes. I was like, please don't make me the cruise book person, please don't do this to me. I think I'm not the person to collect the photos or write the capture, like, please don't do that. Oh my god. It was the worst, it was the worst collateral

Women In The Military Myth Busting

SPEAKER_00 27:43

duty ever.

SPEAKER_02 27:43

So I do want to go a little bit deeper into being a woman, and you mentioned something that was really um important and special. It's a volunteer. What would you tell a young woman considering military service today? How is it different from when you first decided that you were going to join? And what misconceptions about women pursuing military careers do you want to myth bust?

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Great questions. I think joining today is a great opportunity to figure out who you are as a leader, as a woman. I think there are few organizations who will give you as much instant credibility and authority as a military service will do. Like day one, you have responsibilities. Day one, you will be in charge of people that may or you may or may not be qualified to be doing, but that they will be like, welcome, welcome to serving. Um I think you mentioned a part at the end that question because it was long and I wouldn't have to be a good idea. Misconceptions, myth busting. I would say that now today there's so many ways to make it work long term. When I first started in the Navy, there weren't examples of women with children that did what I did for a living. They didn't exist.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

There was like one woman who, by the way, lives lives here in in Jacksonville, now just before we continue, when you began, so this is like 2004. This is in the 2000s, not in the 1911.

SPEAKER_00 29:17

Not even in the Oregon Trail era, yes. Um, but there was one woman who did the job that I would do as a surface warfare officer who had kids, Mary Jackson. Shout out to Mary Jackson. Um and she was like, I just said, just give me one example of someone who makes this work. And now there are so many more examples of women who do this in different ways. So do you marry another military member? Sure. Do you marry a civilian? Sure. Do you have an aw pair, a nanny? Do you have help from your family? Because they move where you are. Do you do there's so many ways to make staying past that initial five years worth it? Like there's so many ways to make it work and and to still feel like you're yourself without giving up your femininity, without giving any anything.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

That's unbelievable. I I remember hearing you mention earlier that there was Mother's Day um celebrations, and that wasn't something that you entered this field into. It was something that evolved along your journey.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

Yes, yeah, absolutely. I again I started, there were six women on a ship of 300, um, and we were all young, so none of us were mothers, so nobody was congratulating anybody on on Mother's Day. There was no mothers on the on the ship. But was Father's Day a big deal? Yeah, Father's Day, definitely a big deal. Oh my gosh. Yeah, definitely a big deal. Okay. Um yeah, people would come, they wanted to thank all the dads. Great, good, good for them. Yeah, and you were thanking dads too, because you have a dad. So yeah, it was one of those. But it changed over time. It changed. Then there was like cake. We had to, I mean, I I love any celebration on the ship of cakes. Yeah, I know you do. Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank all, thank all the moms doing this. So it's pretty impressive now.

SPEAKER_02 31:05

Let's talk about people who are preparing to retire from

Retiring Well By Making New Friends

SPEAKER_02 31:08

service. What advice would you give someone who feels maybe excited and terrified at the same time?

SPEAKER_00 31:14

Uh, you're not alone. There are lots of people in your community uh that are there to help. So get really good at making new friends. I'll say number one thing you guys gotta do when you're getting out, go make some friends where you're gonna be. So if you are gonna retire in an area, you need to be a part of that community. I don't care if it's because you want to join your local kickball team, you want to support the arts, you want to uh help with uh the leadership of the city, whatever it is, find a place in your city and make friends who are not in the service. Go find some normal friends because it's a skill that you're going to need. You want to make sure that you are engaged with people in your city in a natural, authentic way, and you'll be amazed at how that can start as a seed of your network and really blossom and help you find your path.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

If your younger self met you today, what do you think she would say? I think you need to start walking a lot more. There's no physical ones, you've been a civilian. There's no shooting, there's no nobody's in charge of anything.

SPEAKER_00 32:34

You could do whatever you want with your body. I think she would be really excited that I have become someone who has found roots. So younger me moved around a lot. I mean, my parents moved us around, and then I went into the Navy, which moved me around. And I never thought I would find anywhere where I'd want to stay. I don't even know that I really thought about husbands or kids. I just was like, I'm gonna get on planes all my life and just zoom out. I was like that, and just zoom around, right? Um, so I think she'd be really impressed that I found someplace with roots.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

Well, I'm glad that you're rooted here because it has definitely improved my life and the lives of so many people that I personally know. Is it

Lightning Round And Leadership Truths

SPEAKER_02 33:26

okay if we go into a lightning round? Okay, now lightning round, yes. Yes, you're gonna um say the first thing that comes to your mind. Sure. Leadership book or leadership podcast? Podcast. One quality every leader needs. Trust. Biggest myth about military life. It's too hard. Morning person or night owl? Morning person. The best advice you've ever received. Always ask what else can I do? Ooh, I love that. What instantly brings you peace? My son hugging me. Finish the sentence. My next chapter is still to be written. Thank you so much for being here today, Alexa. Oh, I love this so much. And I can't wait for the talk show to launch. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, who's that? We we need to make that happen. We're manifesting it right now. I've got a sounds person. Yeah. Today's conversation reminded me that reinvention isn't really about becoming someone new, it's about discovering what has been true all along. We spend so much of our life attaching ourselves to titles: executive director, commander, teacher, parent, entrepreneur. But titles are chapters. They're chapters of a story. And Alexa's journey reminds us that leadership, purpose, and passion don't retire. Sometimes the outfit changes. Thank God she's no longer in that jumpsuit with a 30-inch zipper. Maybe the office changes from sea to land, and perhaps the mission changes. But the things that matter most, service, courage, curiosity, and impact, those travel with us. Maybe recalibration isn't losing ourselves. Maybe it's finally giving ourselves permission to bring every version of who we've been into the room. And maybe the question isn't what's next. Maybe it's what have I been preparing for all along.

Honorable Mensch Mission United Spotlight

SPEAKER_02 35:17

And now it's time for our honorable mention. Mensch is the Yiddish word for someone who shows up with integrity, responsibility, and heart. Today's honorable mensch goes to Jonathan Richmond. There are some people whose work never really ends when they leave the uniform because service was never simply a job. It is who they are. Jonathan Richmond, director of Mission United at the United Way of Northeast Florida, leads efforts that support veterans and their families as they navigate everything from housing and employment to stability, connection, and opportunity. Mission United recognizes that supporting veterans is not a moment of gratitude once a year. It's an ongoing commitment to ensuring the people who served our country are also seen, supported, and empowered when they come home. And considering today's conversation about recalibration, transition, and building a new chapter after service, Jonathan's work feels especially fitting because sometimes the mission changes, but service doesn't. Jonathan and the team of United Way are making sure those who answered the call for our country continue to have someone answering the call for

Share Follow And Sign Off

SPEAKER_02 36:19

them. That will do it for us today. Thank you for joining me for another episode of Schmooz with Seuss. If this conversation made you think, feel, or see something a little differently, share it because these conversations matter. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for your daily dose of Chutzbah. I'm Suze, your well informed smart ass, reminding you what's an envelope if not for pushing. Stay inspired and inspiring.

Digital Dispatch Podcast Podcast Artwork Image

Schmooze with Suze

Suzie Becker

Hi, I’m Suze. Here with your weekly dose of culture, values and identity- and where we tackle those topics others may consider off-limits. A little about me, I’m a busy Gen X mom who, quite frankly, wanted to grow up like the Brady Bunch… but ended up being raised in the shadow of Schindler’s List. So this means I’ve spent a lifetime navigating these mixed messages we get hit with daily. You know those conversations- where we wonder if it’s safe to speak our minds? Can we share our experiences? Voice our fears and concerns, or should we just keep our mouths shut? Well, too bad. I need to know! But I’m no expert. So, I’m going to schmooze the experts and get their thoughts. Why? So, when we engage with our kids, colleagues, or the countless committees we interact with, we can do it with competence, kindness, confidence, and maybe a bit of humor. If this sounds like your cup of coffee- welcome to Schmooze with Suze.

Contact Show