3 Effective Strategies for Military Career Transitioning Veterans with Dr. Nicole Dhanraj

🎙This week, we’re joined with one of the Act Now Education's Board Members‼️

📍Dr. Nicole Dhranraj is currently the Director of Education for Act Now Education and amongst all her career accomplishments, she is an US Army Veteran.

📚Today, Dr. Dhanraj going to talk with us about her own transition experiences, her role with Act Now, leadership, and important concepts within the career transition space.

Connect with Dr. Dhanraj on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoledhanraj

Transcript

KP: 0:30

This episode is powered by Act Now Education, go to www.actnoweducation.com For free comprehensive educational resources and opportunities for active duty, veterans, military spouses, and children.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 0:46

And definitely over the years that has remained ingrained to me because one of my mottos is perseverance or excellence through perseverance. And that's exactly, and I look back at the last 20 years of my life, and definitely it's through perseverance that I can be where I'm at today.

KP: 1:11

Warriors fall in, it's time for formation. Today, we're joined with an act now Education Board members. She's described as the overall educational Queen for academic education. She is the Director of webinars, and she's also the Director of Education for acne education. Now, today's guest started out from the bottom, she started out in the Army enlisted. And then she transitioned out of the army got her PhD. And today, she has served as a systems director for Northern Arizona Health Care. And we're very fortunate to have her on the acne education team, because she is such an inspiration for everyone out there. Today, I'd like to, I'd like to welcome Dr. Nicole Dawn Raj to the morning formation. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you so much, KP appreciate it. And it is an immense honor to be here. The honor is all mine, to be honest with you, you know, Nicole, or Dr. Don Rogers should say because you definitely earned it. It's very rare that somebody joins the military enlisted, and then eventually sees themselves through to getting a PhD. So would you mind talking about how this journey started for you? Where did it all start out for you in the beginning? Where are you from originally? And how did you get into the army?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 2:31

Well, I'm from a small island in the Caribbean called Trinidad. It's a twin Island, Trinidad and Tobago. And ever since I knew myself, you know, definitely maybe eight nine that I can recall, my parents had the dream for me to come to the US. My dad used to live here previously, and had some businesses so once he came back to Trinidad, it's like, okay, when you're done with your education, we're gonna go to America. So it was like in a waiting for that time period that was supposed to be right around when I was 12. But it took almost eight years or so to get my green card. So from the time that we applied, which I really recall being right about 10, to when I moved when I was 18 years old. So it took a long time for us to move, more so for the application process. And then once I came to America, I settled in Florida, I got a job as a waitress, I knew nothing about the wide world of what being an adult is. So started as a waitress, and I was lucky. I started as an IHOP. And the owner there was from Trinidad. So it was an easy transition. Because even though I spoke English, I could not understand the American accent. So you can imagine being a waitress and having no clue of what people were ordering. But anyways, so fast forward, maybe about a year or so into that, of course, I was going to college, then I enrolled in FIU. And then I knew I wanted to be a vet ever since a little girl. And I started along that journey, going to University of Florida. However, once I got there, recognizing that I was working two to three jobs, I was going to school full time, you know, on my own, and I just didn't have the time to get a lot of large animal experience. So when I went for the interview to enter a vet school, I just needed more large animal and there was no way that I can stick that into my schedule. So a friend suggested because I got really down about it. And a friend suggested Well, why don't you look at the military, they're offering some bonuses and KP Well, looking into it meant that I went into recruiters office, and lo and behold, I guess I signed the dotted line. So that's how I ended up in the army.

KP: 4:52

Now, why the army though? Did you was that the first place you walked into pretty much because like I said, I had no clue my friend had just mentioned Hey, go check this out. So the first recruiters office that I came into, I can't even remember how I selected it. I went there and the guy was like, Okay, you're gonna take your, your exam, I had no clue what that was. So I took that on the spot. And based on my scores, says that, gosh, you know, you you're going to be doing pretty well. However, I can't remember exactly what happened, but I ended up being a dietitian. And that was what was selected for me.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 5:30

And when I came back to my recruiter, he was like what? dietitian? And I said, yeah, they told me that I would be a cook that I would be at Walter Reed, you know, doing the nutritional whatever for these big wigs at the White House. So it sounded pretty good. He was like, No, Nicole, you're going to be a cook. Your scores deserve that you're supposed to go into the medical field, so I don't know what he did. And next thing I knew I was signing up as a 91 pop up.

KP: 5:59

dietician. That's the first I've ever heard of a cook in the army being described as a as a dietician. That is hilarious what, what great salesmen we have in the United States military, for recruiting. So thankfully, somebody jumped in and guided you in at least it sounds like towards a better direction with the medical field. It's absolutely amazing that so English is a second language for you

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 6:28

know, it's a first language but more so you know, when you come from Trinidad it I had a thicker accent by then, but it's the Queen's English, but still just coming and hearing a completely different accent. My ears took a while to adjust to that. Most people thought I was Hispanic and believe it or not, I spoke fluent Spanish then. So I would Converse mostly in Spanish for me to get my way around. That's how bad was.

KP: 6:54

Yeah, no, I understand. I grew up in Hawaii. And they speak pidgin. pidgin English there. And so listening to someone speak proper English, or someone hearing me talk back when I lived in Hawaii was quite different. So the accent is so thick that it sounds like another language, but it's not so. Exactly, exactly. So you transition from a whole nother country to the United States. And how old were you when all this was going on?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 7:21

Oh, 18. And then I had lived a very sheltered life and coming to the US, my parents came, settled me down and went Baba, I they went back home. But again, like I said, you know, fortunately, I met somebody from Trinidad and they really took me under their wings. When my parents left, I stayed with a Puerto Rican family who had had met through the church that we were going to so you know, between them both, I had a at least you know, some family or people around that I can call family. Until eventually even when I went to Gainesville, those people remain close to me. So at least I had somebody to call if I needed any immediate help them.

KP: 7:58

So Nicole, what was it like when you went to basic training as an 18 year old girl from Trinidad? New to the United States, you barely even knew what you were signing up for? What was that like?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 8:13

Oh, talk about a deer in the headlights? Look, KP you know, I tell this story all the time. I cannot begin to describe how naive I was like, I really had no clue. What is the military? What do you do, I had even no clue that I would be holding a weapon. So getting into basic training, being on that capital bus holding, you know, and I was tiny, I was probably barely 100 pounds then, and holding my 50 pound duffel bag in front of you because you couldn't hold it any other way. So you can imagine as soon as I got to basic training at the bus, I tumbled out, I couldn't see where I was going. And this thing was so darn heavy for me. And since then, you know, having the drill sergeants bark at me. We were running around the compound there, I can remember vividly throwing up in my mouth just because I'd never really been exposed to any type of physical activity. And I struggled I struggled significantly. I was in remedial PT. What kept me going was that I had no clue of what was going to come next. You know, I was relying on the people around me. So for example, everybody knew, Okay, they're going to smoke you between breakfast and lunch. So my saving grace was there's only four hours still lunch or four hours still dinner. So you know, I was using that as points to kind of keep going. And I didn't know I even though I was such a weakling. Something just kept me going that I saw a lot of people around me, you know, do silly things to get out or really lost their hope. But for whatever reason, you know, I dug really deep and I survived and I made it through and I actually I use that story with Avi, my son. Because when you know he's talking about physical fitness, I'm like, Listen, if your mom can make it, you know, I started running my two miles and like 45 minutes, and by the time I left the army for four and a half, five years later, I was running my two miles in 16 minutes. So you know, there's definitely opportunities for you to progress.

KP: 10:16

When you don't have when you don't have a choice to quit. There's a big difference right? As far as clearing the bar.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 10:23

And I think to you know, you make a good point there. I think recognizing that if I quit, the option is you stay back you get three recycled, or people that injured themselves, they had no choice but to stay. So I knew that okay, I just wanted to get out here at the end of it. And as I look back, I wouldn't say it's something I wouldn't go through again, I think it was definitely a defining experience, but maybe not having expectations and just going with it and pushing yourself. And I guess maybe just believing in yourself that you know, what I can get through this was was key for me graduating? Yeah,

KP: 10:59

I honestly went into the military similar to you. I mean, my dad was enlisted for 20 years. And you would have thought that I would have understood what basic training was going to be like, you'd have thought that I understood what a drill sergeant was. But I didn't, I was clueless. And I went into basic training, thinking it was going to be like summer camp. And just like you, I was standing on a cattle truck holding that, literally, a 50 pound duffel bag in front of me and one behind me getting yelled at in my ear. And I'm thinking, why did I sign up for this? Like, what, like, what is going on right now. And so I was better off going into it blindly. And not knowing versus psyching myself out, I know, some of my buddies watched Full Metal Jacket, and they watched all these military movies prior to going into the military. And they, it kind of knew, like, this is gonna be what it's like, and I'm glad that I didn't, I'm glad that I did not know. And I found myself in the middle of literally, an ocean of drill sergeants just screaming at me, and for those nine weeks, but it's an amazing story, Nicole, you and I haven't had a chance to sit and talk about you know where you're from originally. And I know that early on in life, do you feel like you were pushed to overcome all these obstacles, because you grew up with the idea that nothing comes free and nothing comes easy.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 12:23

You know, I definitely was pushed, especially but by my dad, I think my mom was more lenient. But my dad definitely didn't accept anything less than excellence. And, you know, they say everything that you do in your adult life is a reflection of your younger years. And one thing that really stood out was my parents, I would come home with 99.9%. And the key would be like, Okay, what happened to the other point zero 1%. So there was always that drive to get the 100%. And there was always that being the best. So there was always competition to be number one in class or really do well, it wasn't I think negative, but just a driver to make sure that I always Excel. And definitely over the years that has remained ingrained to me because one of my mottos is perseverance or excellence through perseverance. And that's exactly. And I look back at the last 20 years of my life, and definitely it's through perseverance that I can be where I'm at today.

KP: 13:23

You just don't you over the last year or so you are severely a go getter, you set yourself up with so many different things. At the same time. I don't know how you manage to multitask the way that you do, Nicole, it's absolutely amazing. And not only that, but you're very humble to the point where you're always willing to learn and you're always willing to accept challenges. And I can appreciate that about you very much. So you're a very involved member for the active education team. And you're very passionate about what you do. Now talk to us about your transition out of the military, and when did you decide to start going to college and start onto your civilian career path.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 14:04

So gosh, when you know, once I joined the military, I can't remember exactly how I got exposed to it. But I knew that the military was going to pay for college. So I started immediately. And like I said, you know, I grew up in an environment where education was pushed. So I came to the US to further my education. So even though I joined the military, I was still looking for options to further my education. So I started with some college. And as soon as I joined, I was already trying to finish my associates. So within that short space of time, within three years, KP I got my Associates, my bachelor's and my master's. And the goal there was, you know, to really use the tuition assistance that I was getting. I participated in the top up from my GI Bill, but I still really didn't understand the true importance of education and all the benefits that the military had to offer. I was fortunate that the leaders around me they would always be pushing me You know, I they pushed me to go to do soldier of the year soldier of the month, so anything that was academic, they felt I was good at so I not only knew that education was the route that I wanted to take, but I had people around me vouching just because they thought you know, I had some smarts in me. So as I found the opportunity to go to school On and I was fortunate in all my duty stations, I worked in the hospital. So I had regular shifts, I wasn't going out to the field as much. So I can go to school on the evenings, so you know, weekends and so forth. So I really tried to maximize as much as I can. Just getting all my classes done. And it was one after the other. And just like you said, you know, even I got into 91 Papa, as soon as I graduated X ray school, I'm like, what next, I got into CTE. And again, fortunate that I had leaders around me that looked out and supported me. Now, as far as transitioning again, when I transitioned, I still I did not have any clue of the civilian world. And I often wonder if I had all the resources that x now has in supports, members, where would I be not to say that I'm disappointed of where I would been. But it just seems like, gosh, you know, I figured out everything along the way, as opposed to truly having resources, I went to tap, but I don't think I really internalized anything. When I left, I sought some help into getting my resume done. And Job hunted myself, I'm sure made a ton of mistakes as I interviewed and, you know, with my own resume and stuff, but I was just really clueless out there figuring out my way as I go as I went along.

KP: 16:53

You know, that's one thing that a lot of folks I hear in the military, when they join, or when they make decisions or when they pivot. A lot of times those decisions are not the most informed decision. So for example, you when you join the military, it's not like you went to all the recruiters and you laid out all the information on the table, and you figured out which military service is going to give me the best, the best, I guess, path to where I want to go. And it was the same thing, even when you transition out of the military. And that was one of the most frustrating things for me even today, to hear folks just doing things that are not efficient or effective. And so it's great to have folks like you in act now, education to help those out there who want to efficiently and effectively move in the right direction. Now, you mentioned CT, what exactly is that?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 17:51

Oh, that's CAT scan. So I work in radiology, that's, you know, 91 Papa, so I was x ray first, then I got trained into a CAT scan, got my certification. And then once I left in the civilian world, I learned MRI, interventional radiology, I got my certification and Mr, but not an IR.

KP: 18:09

So just by chance, you kind of lined yourself up just by haphazardly and by chance you kind of lined yourself up for your journey while you were enlisted. Just based off the folks that you're stationed with your leaders and such, right?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 18:23

Yes, exactly. And again, you know, knowing that education was the way to go, but even so another good example is like when I was in, again, I wanted to be a vet, I couldn't do that. Well, I wanted actually to go into medicine, but I did not hold citizenship. So I could not be an officer, I wanted to learn Arabic and be an M, I couldn't do that. So all of these things that I wanted to do while in I did not have those options. So even as I looked at educational pathways, there wasn't a whole lot that I wanted to do based on what was offered on base. I was in Washington state and then Germany. So I decided, You know what, I don't want to waste time, I know, I want to get an education. And to your point, again, I really didn't have a plan other than I knew I just wanted to get an education. So I ended up choosing my bachelor's in psychology and my master's in international relations, I had a little bit of an inkling that you know, I love languages. My dream was that I would be an ambassador to my country, or I'd go work with this multinational company and be an ambassador there, you know, go global. So my Masters in International Relations would have at least given me that opportunity. But those things I would have never selected. It was only selected because that was the choices I had been.

KP: 19:53

Right, right. So in a sense you chose like, what was in front of you, you chose from what was in front of you. Now, since being part of act now education and talking to so many folks who are in the military, a lot of folks don't realize early on that they need help. They need the assistance to lay out all that critical information on the table so they can properly set their career, their career path and your career journey in front of them. Why do you think so many folks in the military can be why do you think so many folks in military can be rather stubborn when it comes to accepting the help, and talking to someone who has already been there and done that before?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 20:36

Yeah, you know, I think there are multiple reasons to it. First of all, we may not be in that mindset, most of us are not strategically planning our career, right? That's a term I love to use. Most of us aren't looking at three years out five years out, we're very reactive, oh, gosh, it's three months, I'm ready to make this decision. And then we just kind of figure it out. And then I think we get so overwhelmed that we don't recognize that there are resources out there that we can go use. Or then there's a percentage of us that are just too embarrassed to ask for help. I mean, over the years, every single little thing I asked for help, you know, because why invest the energy in trying to figure this out where there are other people who are probably like me, been there and done that. So I'm definitely not humble when it comes to asking for help. And I think, just overall, in the military, we have that I don't know that strong persona, that hero heroine type of Persona, that maybe asking for help just, you know, just makes us look bad. And I think to a lot of times, people don't realize how many people out there are willing to be helpful. And that's another phrase that I usually use with people I said, you never know where a conversation will take you. Just say hi, how do you you know, what do you do? Do you like that? And you can get some information there. And again, through that networking. So, you know, I do wish that more people would come forward and say, Hey, I need help looking at, I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. Tell me what do you think, you know, where do you see the industry going? And just starting with those types of questions.

KP: 22:16

I've spoken to so many folks back in the clubhouse days, when I used to host the military mix up, I will hear spouses talk about their significant others being in the military, and how they were trying to get them to prepare for that transition, getting out of the military and starting their new career. And it's quite frustrating sometimes that we can be our own worst enemy. But what's amazing is is like you just said, sometimes it's just that one person that you have a conversation with, that can change the trajectory of your entire life. And I was just talking to a friend of mine the other day, I spoke to their son when he was a freshman in high school, and talked to him about all the great things that wrestling could do for his entire high school, his entire high school experience, you know, surrounding yourself with scholar athletes, well, here we are four years later, and he's getting ready to graduate high school, getting the best grades that he's ever gotten before. he wrestled all four years. And it's all because of the conversation that I had with them. And it's something that I explained to his parents, it's all about that one person that can push you in the right direction and changed your entire trajectory. So we can certainly be our own worst enemy. When it comes to, you know, I guess creating our own pattern, creating your own path. But what is currently right now, you're heavily involved with act now education, as well as many other things. But would you mind talking to us about what is about your role with acne education specifically.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 23:48

So I'm considered to be the civilian guru, more so because of my years in the civilian sector. And then, like an octopus, you know, one arm in various industries, education, project management, HR health care. So having a good understanding of the civilian world and negotiating HR practices have been in a leadership role in the last 15 plus years. So have a good understanding of that aspect. So really bringing that knowledge to help those transitioning members make the most out of their opportunities, really strategically planning their career, recognizing some of the do's and don'ts in the interview, process, and negotiating and so forth. So that's one aspect. So I conduct a lot of the webinars on those topics, then by chance, so several years ago, I fell into writing and writing has become a love of mine. So I do quite a bit of the blog articles or I work alongside the team and edit those accordingly. And hopefully in the future when we get our magazine going, to be the editor in chief. But you know, have an active role in multiple aspects. So not just on the education webinars side, but on the business development. I'm working closely with Jay and the rest of the team so he could strategically planning where x now education is going. We have lots of things in the works and just being able to be heavily involved in that especially on the training and recruitment side.

KP: 25:14

The CO what is your story though? How did you become part of that? No education. How'd you find it?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 25:19

Oh, goodness, you know, I was really trying to remember what, how I stumbled upon this, but I remember it I think it was like in 2019 I had just transitioned out of My job in Guam and again, looking for opportunity came across the either the website or the Facebook group, and I messaged somebody, and lo and behold, I got an answer. And I didn't just get an answer, I got somebody on the phone who can talk through, you know, just helping me, again, find my focus. So after I left that job, I knew I wanted to do go more on the business route, but still unsure of myself. And again, you never know where that conversation can lead you. So that text message that led into a conversation that was like, wow, people would actually just pick up the phone, and help guide you with no payment with nothing but a thank you. And anyway, so that conversation, of course, led to one thing, and then pretty soon I was part of the group. And I don't think it was not even a month or so that I was working closely on the team, you know, just a being invited on the team not really having a role. And we went from, I think four members to a large team that we have now. So it's it's just been, again, one of those things where you never know where our conversation would start to get you to.

KP: 26:44

That's what you know, that's what absolutely drives me nuts. When I mentioned act now education is when folks automatically think that act, no education involves tapping into your veteran education benefits. Not at all, like you don't have to touch your veteran education benefits to get educated to get certified. Right. Have you ran across that quite a bit where folks automatically kind of think, oh, no, this has to do with my GI Bill, or this has to do with something that that this this, this organization is trying to get into my pocket somehow, some way? Have you ran into that a lot with folks out there that you try to talk to about active education?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 27:23

Yes. And again, I think it's our psyche, right, just as I felt, gosh, somebody was willing to just give up their time, that who does that, you know, and then you realize, gosh, there's still good people in the world. And that's really what we try to promote is that it's not just on your education, it's not just on your benefits. And as Jay says, this is to personally and professionally enrich you, how much further Are you going to be in this life, when you have the resources, you're not going to struggle or like me figuring it out on your own. And we know what the statistics show, right? When you're trying to figure this out on your own. And I actually experienced this early on my career, though, I had people within the military that were very supportive. When I left, and I was a tech at an outpatient center, as I was trying to grow myself, I didn't have people that I can turn to and ask for help. So you know, we were talking about help earlier on, it's not just the fear of asking for help. But I think at some point, people do ask for help, and they get shut down, I cannot begin to tell you, maybe 90% of the time that I went to somebody and I say, Hey, can you give me some guidance of how I can be like XY and Z? Or I'd like to be like you in this role? Tell me, what do I need to do? And many times I get shut down, or I get diverted somewhere? For most people, you know, once twice, you're just not going to want to face that again. So you know, you really have to continue moving on. But with act now, I think sometimes it's it sounds too good to be true. That, you know, we're all volunteers were all dedicating this time to collect these resources and share it for the sole benefit of enriching the service member on their family. Yeah, that's

KP: 29:16

the one thing that brought me to the table was the fact that the one thing that I missed about being in the military was being infront of formation, and having the positive effect on someone's life and someone's career, you know, that's what I miss. And I feel like a weirdo in the civilian world. When I'm out here, just giving my time and energy to someone trying to explain to them, I guess, the importance of, of education or just trying to give them free information. And people are like, Why do you care? Like, why? Why are you spinning your wheels? And why are you Why do you care so much. It's like, Well, why don't you care? That's what I don't understand. Ask yourself that question. So there's those of us out there who still have, I guess, that inherent trait where we just want to simply help others out. And, you know, being in the military, you always feel like around every corner, someone's trying to take advantage of you, whether it's the used car salesman that's just off base or it's an investment company that wants to make sure you invest your money properly and kind of become like this hardened shell of like, gotta watch out because every No one knows how much you make your your entire your entire PayScale is online, they know, based off your rank that you make X amount of dollars. So you're very guarded, I guess, at a certain stage and Nicole, from the time that you enlisted in the United States Army to where you are now with your PhD and having been a director, which is, you know, an extremely high level. What are some of the things about leadership? Do you think that you've learned that's very vital for folks out there to understand?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 31:02

Oh, gosh, you know, I never thought myself to be a leader, I was put into this position by others having that faith and confidence. So once I got into the position, recognizing, oh, my gosh, people are looking up to me. So you know, as I go through the last 15 years or so, the key for me is really setting the example. You need your team to do something, you know, you walking the talk too many times, that's what we hear, right? People don't walk the talk. And that has been like an absolute lesson with every team that I have LED is really making sure that I walk the talk, that I'm there to support them guiding the way, what is leadership, getting everybody looking in the same direction, and being able to go achieve that mission, the only way you can really get people to follow that direction, is when they have that faith and confidence in you. So I would say maybe, you know, what I recognize the most is walking the talk, being competent. And that's why I'm always seeking education, I want to be the best version of myself, I want my team to have the confidence in me that if I had to make a decision in crisis, that there would be confident in what I do. And then also that I understand my operation. I know I have my team that I can delegate work to. But it really matters to me to make sure I have full competency because too many times do we hear people talk about Yeah, about leader has no clue. I certainly don't want to be that person. I don't need to know 100% of it. But I want to have enough knowledge that I can help support through understanding what my team is facing.

KP: 32:51

Yeah, no doubt about it. The term leadership gets in leader it gets thrown around way too loosely, I was talking to a hire manager and executive manager for a company that you know, the person I was talking to had never been in the military before. But just during our conversation, he mentioned Oh, well, you know how it is. Whenever it's raining out, the soldiers will be sleeping out out in the field while you know, the NCOs and the officers are under the cover? And I'm like, No, that's actually not how it works at all. If everyone else is getting rained on, I'm getting rained on too. And that's just how it is. That's leadership. All right. And this guy was an executive, I'm like, how did you make it? How did you make it this far being who you are. And like I said, this guy was not prior military? So I think he had it all backwards? I don't? I don't know. I think it really took that whole rank has his privileged thing to an extreme. But overall, Nicole, if you were to talk about just three modern day strategies for veterans, military spouses and service members, specifically for career transitioning, what would you think would be a good top three modern day strategy for the folks within our military community?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 34:07

UI? Let's start with the end in mind, where do you see yourself and this end doesn't need to be 10 years down the road, right? What do you want in the next maybe one to three years after leaving? Is it money is it location is a job title. So that way, when you start with the end in mind, you can plan accordingly. So for example, if I start with, hey, I want to be a director in radiology, then I need to go figure out all that it takes to be a director in radiology and start working on those. Maybe it's my degree if certification is experience, so that way, I am prepared. So really, it's if I had to sum up all three strategies, it would be all about preparation. And why is preparation important? Well think about the space shuttle. We spend how many years with research and development for that 10 Second successful liftoff. So similarly with us, we got to put the time and effort and I know, for me, I The other thing too, is really just taking the time. A strategy is taking some time out and We're actually looking at did not necessarily do that. I was figuring it out along the developing a blog article on this. Because we often feel like I gotta jump in from one pot into the next, take the time way. But once I learned that lesson, and I started out, you got leave, you got that opportunity, maybe you have another paycheck coming in, there is no reason to rush into it. So take the time to figure out what are you going to do strategically planning, what is my next step? What is the next next, or just take the time to recoup and enjoy some downtime before you move on to the next. And then lastly, get the two to three years look like? For me, I am not a long term support, ask the questions. All of those informational webinars that we conduct, you know, you're really absorbing all of planner, but we really need to start with the end in mind. that knowledge. And you said it earlier on KP to make an informed decision, as opposed to a reactive decision.

KP: 36:18

Yeah, that's, that's great advice. I couldn't have put it any better. Nicole, I mean, you know, we're very fortunate to have folks out there, like yourself, reaching back and helping out our veterans just for free on your own time. Having been where you came from, to where you are now, Nicole, I should say Dr. Don Raj, because you certainly earned that title. What piece of advice before we wrap up the episode today, what piece of advice, or anything I didn't mention that you'd like to talk about, to our audience out there to provide either advice or knowledge or just something you want to mention before we wrap things up.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 36:56

Oh, goodness, I, you know, I have so many pieces of advice. But I think just having that firm belief in yourself. You know, I work for a couple of different universities. And I see really good talent, and people get paralyzed for taking that leap. So just having the faith that you can do it, whether it is starting your business, going to school, taking a you know, doing a career transition, whatever it is that you want, really, the only thing that holds you back are your thoughts. And thoughts are just like balloons, they But as I recognize that, gosh, you know, I did that meet, I've come in, if they serve, you know, purpose, I hear you, I see got through basic training, I got through corporate America, as a minority female, I got through this I got through that, you pop, there you go, let me continue to move off the way So, then, you know, those things help uplift you and really give you those that confidence. And that confidence also comes with and granted, I did not start with this level of confidence. I the people around you. So you know, just finding that tribe so that you can truly believe that you could accomplish anything just had maybe perseverance more than confidence. that you put your mind to.

KP: 38:19

You're 100% right. 100% right on that. Dr. Dhanraj, you've certainly come a long way. And early on, you definitely challenged yourself overcome so many obstacles, and you're such a genuine person with selfless service. And certainly active education very fortunate to have you as a board member, if folks out there would like to follow up with you on anything that you mentioned today, or would just like to simply contact you, what's the best way for them to do so what social media platforms are you on?

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 38:49

I definitely use LinkedIn. So that's my main platform that I use, but my email is my first and last name@gmail.com My cold and ratchet@gmail.com always willing to have that conversation because you never know where that can take you. But even if it's just to be an air, you know, I think too many times people feel that they're alone and just to be a sounding board. Now, granted, sometimes I can be a little bit hard because you know, I want the best for everybody. So I can be that listening ear or I can be that sounding board of advice, or I can be the mentor with the leash on you. So it really depends on what you're looking for.

KP: 39:31

Definitely, so I will make sure I put all that down in the show notes as well. So your email will be down there and as well as the link for your LinkedIn. So make sure you connect with Dr. Dawn Raj. If you have any questions regarding act education or anything in her background, or experience, she's certainly a great person to network with, based off her You know, having a PhD, having been a director for a large healthcare facility like all these things, you know, folks can really have a very difficult time seeing beyond their rank or knowledge or experiences and any pieces of advice that if you're beyond their neighborhood or beyond the horizon. US have certainly come a very long way and it's an honor have interested in moving forward, and you know, I love interviewed you today to hear about your amazing journey so far. And I'm looking forward to continuing going down this road highlighting folks like you, Nicole, because at the end of with you being part of acne education as well. And if there's any piece of advice that I would like to provide anyone out there is to join acne education. If you're not part of the day, I want people who are enlisted in the United States our community, if you're not part of our group, go on Facebook, join us there. Read up on some of Nicole's awesome military to see themselves at your level where you're at right blogs that she has, as well. You'll learn really quick that she's super involved. And Dr. Don Raj, I just want to say thank you for your time today. now.

Dr. Nicole Dhanraj: 41:03

Yes, thank you so much, KP and it's been an honor truly and I appreciate you highlighting what we do with act now. And to everybody out there listening. It is genuine. We are here to help you. We are definitely looking forward to your own personal and professional growth and enrichment. So thanks again to for what you do KP. I appreciate it.

KP: 41:25

I couldn't do it without without great folks surrounding me. So thank you. And for folks out there. As always make sure you connect with Dr. Dhanraj. And as always, I want you to stay tuned, stay focused, and stay motivated. Warriors fall out.