In this episode, we are excited to join Dirk Smith, an executive leadership coach with Victory Strategies whose 32-year career in the U.S. Air Force took him from the cockpit of elite fighter aircraft to commanding complex combat operations and shaping strategy at the Pentagon. A retired Major General and accomplished fighter pilot, Dirk has led thousands through some of the most demanding environments imaginable. Yet behind the extraordinary career is a deeply personal story of love, loss, and sacrifice. In this powerful conversation, Dirk strips away the armor to share some of his most defining moments, exploring how personal hardship shaped his understanding of empathy and what it truly means to lead with humanity.

Learn more about Dirk at https://www.victory-strategies.com/smith

Watch the full conversation with video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/0sG-YT7789I

In this episode, we are excited to join Chad Vincelette, callsign "Vinny," a U.S. Navy TOPGUN fighter pilot with over 26 years of service who translated his combat-proven military experience into a dynamic career in industry as Senior Director at Victory Strategies. Vinny commanded Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, the Navy's East Coast Master Jet Base and home of the Atlantic Fleet's strike fighter community. In this episode, Vinny shares one of the most impactful moments of his life and career, when he ejected over enemy lines in Iraq in 2003. Today, Vinny lives to empower leaders, give back to his community, and inspire the next generation with vision, integrity, and selfless service. Learn more about Vinny at https://www.victory-strategies.com/vincelette.

Check out the full recording with video at https://youtu.be/Cd47HHmgPtc!

In this episode, we are excited to join Dr. Samantha "Combo" Weeks, a retired Air Force Colonel and combat-proven fighter pilot who translated her incredible experience in the military to a career in industry as a Vice President and Chief Transformation officer alongside numerous advisory roles. Combo was the first-female, solo pilot on the United States Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron, better known as the "Thunderbirds," and lives to inspire and empower the next generation with integrity, selfless service, excellence, and a bold indominable spirit. Learn more about Combo at drsamanthaweeks.com.

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Welcome to the Victory Podcast, and our limited series: Beyond the Labels. We are excited to share stories and insights from our teammates that go beyond the labels you see at the top of their bios. In our work together, we've discovered common threads to our experiences, and stories that many of us have never shared publicly about how we approach life and leadership. Our name, Victory Strategies, is all about achieving success against all the odds, facing the obstacles along the way and becoming stronger because of it.

Our host for this series is Angelina "Strike" Stephens, a keynote speaker and leadership coach with Victory Strategies. Learn more about Strike at www.strikestephens.com.