Most people talk about veteran transition like it is a single leap.
One decision, one résumé, one magic network connection, then the new life locks in.
In the newest Project Vanguard episode, Kevin Doffing and John Broschak say the quiet part out loud: transition is a rough road, and the people who do best are the ones who stop waiting for perfect conditions and start building real momentum.
John’s path runs through the Navy nuclear pipeline, into the utility world, into leadership, and into coaching veterans who are trying to do the same kind of reinvention without losing their identity in the process.
The nuclear mindset is not just technical, it is trust
John’s early career has one of those lines that makes civilian life feel strangely soft around the edges.
You’re operating a nuclear reactor with 16 year olds, I think they’re all 18 year olds, but 18 year olds with their hands on.
That responsibility does something to you. It calibrates your standards. It also shows you what real systems look like when failure is not allowed.
And it comes with a lesson people forget when they argue about energy like it is a team sport: the job is to make the system work. Not to win a comment section.
That is the Project Vanguard lane. Less ideology. More execution.
Transition is not a vibe, it is a campaign
Kevin frames it in a way that every veteran immediately understands. You can’t run a mission on wishful thinking.
your happiness is equal to reality minus your perception of reality.
That is not motivational content. That is a warning label.
If your perception is “one phone call and someone places me,” reality is going to collect that debt fast.
John says it even more plainly:
Yeah, this is going to be a rough road.
So the question becomes: what do you do with that truth?
You plan like an operator, not like a tourist.
Your story is a tool, learn to carry it
John’s advice is not “network harder.” It starts with something more fundamental: own your value and be able to communicate it.
Number one is confidence that you have value to offer. And get comfortable with how you’re going to tell your story, how you’re going to project that value proposition.
This matters because hiring managers rarely get the “ideal candidate” on paper. They are making a bet on impact, speed to contribution, and whether you will actually stick around long enough to be worth the onboarding burn.
Your story is how you help them justify picking you.
And no, it does not have to be dramatic. It just has to be clear:
* what you did
* what that proves about how you operate
* how that transfers to their world
Growth often means letting go of status
One of the more underrated themes in the conversation is how easy it is to get trapped by the prestige of being “the person” on a niche program, even if it stops being the right fit.
John describes stepping into a new utility responsibility and learning fast, including the less glamorous parts of the nuclear world, like waste storage and the practical limits utilities face.
Underneath that is a bigger point: sometimes the next move looks like a lateral step or a “less shiny” title, but it is actually the route to broader capability.
That is how careers get built in the real world. Not in a straight line. More like switchbacks.
Coaching is not therapy, and it is not consulting
John also talks about coaching in a way that will resonate with vets who hate fuzzy language but still want to level up.
It’s different than consulting. It’s different than advising. It’s different than therapy. It’s its own unique skill set.
That distinction matters because a lot of veterans do not need inspiration. They need clarity, translation, and a plan they can execute without pretending everything feels great.
Final Thoughts
When that support exists, transition stops being an identity crisis and becomes a skill-building season.
If you take one thing from this episode, take this:
The energy industry does not need louder takes. It needs more adults in the room. Veterans are built for that, not because we are perfect, but because we know how to show up when the conditions are messy and the mission still matters.
So keep your expectations honest, keep your story sharp, and keep moving even when it feels slower than you wanted.
That is not a consolation prize. That is how real careers, and real national capability, get built.
