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A kid from Staten Island walks three miles to a Navy recruiter after a jobsite blowup and ends up a warrant officer, a chief engineer, and finally a financial advisor. That’s not luck—it’s discipline, mentorship, and a lot of deckplate reps. Gary sits down with his shipmate Jody Schilling to trace the full arc: boot camp in Orlando, Treasure Island A School, meeting a destroyer in Bahrain, and learning damage control fast under real pressure. Along the way, Jody owns his missteps, turns NJPs into fuel, teaches DC indoc, and earns ESWS by treating standards like a sport.

The conversation digs into the gear and the grit: OBA to SCBA transitions, Halon decisions when the heat won’t quit, and the night a “Bravo fire” turned out to be a frozen fan. You’ll hear why recruiting after 9/11 worked when it focused on follow-up and results, not overtime and waivers. We get gator life with Marines aboard, ballasting math, and a SWO(L) pin earned on watch, not in theory. As a warrant DCA, Jody pushes for recognition systems that surface more talent and moves the crew from compliance to readiness.

Then it widens: a small-ship chief engineer tour under COVID, geobaching, and writing evals that actually move sailors—EL letters, real quals, faster promotions. In Bahrain, he fixes broken ranges for $13 instead of $40K, builds qualification boards, and helps sailors stack degrees while the mission rolls. The thread through it all is simple and powerful: take average and make it good; take good and make it great; take great and make it lead. That same mindset powers his post-Navy pivot to Edward Jones, where helping families plan feels like one more watch worth standing.

If you value honest sea stories, practical leadership, and the mechanics of reinvention, you’ll find a lot to take with you—whether you’re chasing ESWS, running a shop, or planning your next career. Listen, share it with someone who needs a push, and drop a review so more vets and leaders can find the show.

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