US Army veteran, Darren Whiddon, served in active duty with the 3rd Armor Cavalry Regiment and the reserves as an Armor Officer. His military career included a tour in Iraq, where he was an advisor with the Iraqi Army.
In this episode, Gene and Darren cover issues that may be helpful to people who are considering a new career after leaving the service and embracing the change and learning opportunities that come with transition.
Summary
Darren Whiddon was commissioned as an Armor Officer and served with the 3rd Armor Cavalry Regiment for four years. He then transitioned out of active duty service and joined the reserves while working in the pulp and paper industry as a scheduler and project manager.
The events following 9/11 saw Darren return to service with the 108th Training Battalion, where he was later tasked with advising the Iraqi Army for a period of one year. Darren returned to the US to train his home unit before transitioning out of military service.
Darren shares his experience with headhunters looking for veterans with combat experience to fill entry and mid-level management positions with fortune 500 companies and his initial start in the consulting industry before joining a company as a program manager in the defense industry.
Later promoted to Vice President of programs and overseeing three business units, Darren explains how the acquisition of the company had him move into a business development role until 2015 when he went on to operate his own consulting firm, DKW Consulting. Gene and Darren review the learning points around operating a consulting firm and why one should embrace the learning opportunities in front in order to leverage that knowledge on any post-military career path.
Episode Highlights
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00:02:10– 00:06:40: US Army veteran Darren Whiddon shares his military career both in active duty and with the reserves, including being an advisor with the Iraqi Army.
00:06:41 – 00:18:00 Darren discusses how he had little to no guidance with transitioning out of the service due to operational requirements and how he entered the corporate world working at various companies in a project and program management role. He later became the VP of programs overseeing three business units servicing the defense industry before running and operating his own consulting firm.
00:18:01 – 00:31:01 Gene and Darren review the key lessons learned in business acquisition and operating a consulting firm.
Your Move
Show Resources:
100% of the proceeds of Make Your Move go to Freedom Fighter Outdoors.
Freedom Fighter Outdoors started as an awareness of the physical, mental, and emotional suffering of the men and women who served our country in the military.
Vinnie LaSorsa decided to do something about it in 2009.
Since that time, Freedom Fighter Outdoors has been raising awareness and seeking public aid for needs, services, and activities for injured veterans.
Their events facilitate injured veterans in assisting each other through teamwork by providing unique, once-in-a-lifetime outdoor activities.
genemoran.com/make-your-move/genemoran.com/make-your-move/
Connect with Gene on LinkedIn for more useful tips and proven strategies to maximize your post-military career success.
Connect with Darren on LinkedIn.
Learn about DKW Consulting here
What is IDIQ? Learn all about it here.
Order your copy of Million Dollar Influence: How to Drive Powerful Decisions through Language, Leverage, and Leadership at milliondollarinfluence.net
