Join us for an inspiring conversation with Ernie Wood, a Detroit-born sailor, veteran, author, and lifelong public servant who has lived a life of service in the truest sense.
Raised in the Motor City, Ernie left home at just 17 to join the U.S. Navy, where he would go on to serve 20 proud years before retiring. Twelve of those years were spent aboard three different destroyer ships, standing watch and keeping the seas safe during a pivotal era of American naval history. But Ernie’s service didn’t stop at sea. After his time on the water, he took on two deeply meaningful shore duties: working as an addiction counselor helping fellow sailors find their way back, and later serving as a Navy police officer, protecting the bases and the people who call them home.
Out of his own experiences and hard-won wisdom, Ernie penned the powerful book 12 Steps to Happiness – a heartfelt guide to finding joy and purpose no matter what life throws at you. Today, you’ll find Ernie keeping America’s skies safe as a radar technician with the Federal Aviation Administration, living among the Blue Ridge Mountains in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina – though he’s already counting the days until he returns home to Michigan in retirement.
In this episode, Ernie shares stories from the destroyer mess decks, lessons learned counseling those in need, what true happiness really looks like after two decades in uniform, and why – no matter how far he’s traveled – Michigan will always be home. If you love stories of resilience, service, second careers, and finding happiness on your own terms, you don’t want to miss this one.
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