Sean O’Sullivan is a private security professional, and former Army Captain with multiple combat deployments in 75th Ranger Regiment. Following his departure from the Rangers, he found a job in the medical device sales sector for several years, before finding his way to the private security industry, where he still works. He has grappled with the military transition, as many of us have, and his insights surrounding identity, tribe, and purpose are a phenomenal exploration of what it means to build a life beyond service for many of us.

Like all great war heroes, I thought I’d get out and become either an Operations Manager, a Consultant, or a Project Manager, because those are the only three jobs that exist. I didn’t really have any ideas beyond that point.

In reality, I was lost.

Conviction.

When you leave the military, you’re not just walking away from a job. You’re stepping out of a belief system. What nobody tells you is how long it takes to build a new one.

At first, everything feels up for grabs. Every suggestion feels like a command. Every job offer feels like salvation or a trap. You listen to every podcast, every mentor, every blog post, and every dude who “found success” and wants to reverse-engineer it for you.

I had the privilege of working with Wyatt for several years in the first job that I found outside the military. He and I quickly connected with similar values, intrinsic motivations, and the gallows humor that only comes from service. In the time since he left the military, he has gone from government contractor, to program manager, to director of operations, and now COO of a group of companies.