In this episode of Lead with Bubba Scott, Bubba sits down with Shane Mitchell, a Navy veteran and Northeast Regional Customer Support Manager at Makino.
Shane shares his journey from growing up in a military family to serving as an enlisted aviation maintainer in the Navy, where he worked on helicopters and F/A-18s. He reflects on the importance of reputation, technical competence, mentorship, and making the most of every assignment.
Bubba and Shane also discuss rugby, the lessons of teamwork and accountability, and how those lessons carried into Shane’s military service and civilian career. The conversation closes with Shane’s advice for veterans transitioning out of the military: understand your value, stay humble, and find work that gives you a sense of purpose.
This episode is about service, humility, mentorship, and finding your next team after the military.
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Chapter list:
00:00 Welcome, Sponsor Announcement, and Episode Preview
02:01 Growing Up in a Military Family
04:57 A Father’s Service and the Call to Serve
07:25 From College to the Navy
10:43 Starting Out in Navy Aviation Maintenance
13:05 Earning the Opportunity to Work on F/A-18s
18:01 Bloom Where You’re Planted
19:38 Reputation Is All You Have
22:15 Rugby, Teamwork, and the Next-Man-Up Mentality
31:33 Leaving the Navy and Finding the Next Team
36:15 Building a Civilian Career at Makino
42:18 Advice for Veterans Entering Industry
45:00 Confidence, Humility, and Starting Over
48:57 Be Trainable: The Leadership Trait That Matters
51:02 American Manufacturing and Veteran Opportunity
53:38 Final Reflections and Closing
