In this solo podcast episode, Rob Anderson, founder of Stand Sure Coaching and Neptune Warrior, makes a case for providing executive‑level professional coaching to U.S. veterans transitioning to civilian life. He begins by pre‑framing the conversation as a fundraising appeal, emphasizing that the support sought is for certified, credentialed coaching—not therapy or volunteer counseling. Anderson outlines strict coach qualifications (ICF membership, ≥60 hours of ICF‑approved training, ≥300 paid coaching hours, trauma‑informed awareness) to differentiate from hobbyist or self‑declared coaches. He describes the unique challenges veterans face—identity loss, loss of tribe, abrupt life changes, and the risk of “failure to thrive” that can lead to crisis—arguing that coaching, as used in corporate America for high‑potential leaders, can serve as a preventative, purpose‑building lifeline. He contrasts the corporate model (thousands of dollars per executive) with the current lack of professional coaching for veterans, noting that VA services typically provide counseling rather than coaching. Anderson explains how his program uses tools like CliftonStrengthsFinder and trauma‑informed techniques to help veterans clarify purpose, rebuild identity, and regain momentum. He introduces the Cordy Gator Rice Coaching Scholarship, citing observed breakthroughs in confidence, communication, stress management, and overall thriving. The episode concludes with multiple calls to action: direct donations via the Stand Sure website, a “buy‑one‑get‑one” coaching package with a special code, Patreon memberships, and other sponsorship options, all aimed at pairing veterans with high‑quality coaches. The overarching message is that veterans deserve the same caliber of coaching afforded to executives, and donor support can make that a reality now.
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Hey, before I begin, I want to make sure I pre-frame today's conversation because at the end of the episode, I'm going to invite you to sponsor or financially support coaching for veterans. Not therapy, not counseling, but professional coaching. The same kind of coaching that companies invest thousands of dollars in for their executives and high potential leaders. Now, obviously, we're not asking you to support them at the same, you know, what, what is spent on a, on an executive coach. But at the same time, professional coaching that's not done by hobby coaches or self-proclaimed coaches, but folks that are actually certified. Good morning. My name is Rob Anderson and I am the founder of Stand Sure Coaching. I'm also the founder of Neptune Warrior where a lot of this is spinning off of, of where we were helping veterans through diving, through community, through coaching. This is a spinoff. This is really so we can have a much larger reach for veterans because with diving, we could only do that locally. With community, we could only do that locally. In the sense that we're doing it, but this really reaches out. And I'll tell you firsthand why this is so important to me. Number one, I have battled my own demons and I know the difference that coaching can make, that counseling and therapy couldn't. It just couldn't do for me. I needed something different. Coaching is not counseling and it's not therapy. And I wanted to have a reach that was much, much more than just me, but actually bring in a team of professional coaches. By the way, all the coaches in this program, there's very strict criteria. Number 1, must have an ICF accreditation or ICF membership. Must have received at least 60 hours of ICF-approved coaching, and they have to have a minimum of 300 hours of paid coaching time. I don't want hobby coaches. I don't want people who go to a 1-week coaching course. No offense against those people. They— there are some things that they're doing that help, but I wanted folks that were aligned with the ethics and the markers of ICF. So today you're going to hear why coaching is one of the most impactful and overlooked tools helping veterans thrive and why your support directly changes their lives. If you've ever wondered how to make a tangible difference in a veteran's life, again, that invitation is going to come at the end. You know, one thing that we don't talk about enough is this, that, you know, many veterans— now, this is not to take away from veterans who are in crisis, but a lot of veterans are not in crisis. Now, that can change. And I honestly believe that with proper coaching, we can prevent someone having to go into counseling or therapy. And again, coaching is not a replacement for that. But we don't talk about that a lot of veterans are not in crisis, but they're not thriving. And that's really where this is hitting. And that failure to thrive can lead you back into a crisis. So this is still preventative, but it's much more than that. What's happening is that veterans— and I've been in this boat as well— they're navigating identity loss, loss of tribe, transitions that feel Bigger than anything they've ever faced in uniform. And the pressure to figure it out alone is just immense. They're strong, they're capable, and they're showing up every day. But sometimes you just need that person there to help discover clarity, to help discover purpose. Because oftentimes on the inside, they're disconnected. They're stuck, they're numb, they're broken. Actually, I'm gonna take that back. They're not broken. Disconnected, stuck, numb. And while there's some brokenness there, there's also a lot of resilience. We wanna help them maintain or even regain That sense of purpose so it's not hopeless. And oftentimes they're just lacking the structured support that helps them grow and move forward with purpose. We do this already in corporate America with high potential team members, whether they're leaders or someone we want to move into management. If it's an executive, thousands of dollars are spent on executives. Thousands of dollars are spent on high potentials. Our veterans are high potential people. And this is where coaching enters the picture. It's not to fix them, but to walk beside them. Not to— we're not trying to treat trauma, but to reinforce strength, clarity, direction. Veterans need a safe, confidential space to think, to breathe, to plan, to rebuild momentum. And that's what executives and high-potential team members, high-potential leaders get on a regular basis. Corporate America has understood the value of coaching for years. If you're an executive or if you're a high-potential performer, coaching is a standard. Your company gives you confidential space to think, process, and grow, and puts a professional alongside you. They give you a partner to help you navigate pressure, to navigate change, complexity. They invest because coaching improves performance. Coaching improves confidence, emotional regulation, resilience. Now we take that and let's compare it to veterans. What do veterans get stuck with? Guys, we get stuck with VA counselors. And nothing against counselors, but we get put— instead of getting coached, being seen as a high performer and getting coached, we get stuck with counselors. Veterans deal with more change than most executives will ever experience. Their identity shifts overnight. One day you're on post, you know where to shop, you know what clothes to put on, what uniform of the day is, most of the time where you're going to eat, what the structure, what the social structure is, and then boom, the next day it's like being teleported into a completely different life. Veterans deal with more change than most executives and high potentials will ever experience. Their sense of community, it all disappears. Their mission evaporates. Executives, they get coaching as a strategic advantage. Veterans need it as a lifeline to purpose. And yet veterans are least— they're the least likely group to have access to coaching. Professional coaching. Coaching from people who are credentialed. People who have experience coaching others more than just a couple of breakout sessions or a couple hours a week. Veterans are the least likely group to have access to professional coaching. You know, it, it's important to understand, and I say this a lot, and I want to drill it in: coaching is not therapy. Coaching is not counseling. Professional coaches do not pretend to be counselors or therapists or social workers. We're not running a clinic. We're not running a counseling practice. We're not even consulting. Therapy treats wounds from the past. Coaching builds direction for the future. Now, I'm not saying that there's not scars. You know, if it's an open wound, that's counseling, that's therapy. If it's a scab that opens back up to a wound, well, when we open it back up, that goes back into counseling and therapy. So, As long as it stays a scab, we're cool in the coaching world. But a scar, hey, it happened. It's in the past. We're not going to open up anything new. We're not going to open up some stuff from the past. That's coaching and that's moving veterans forward. Coaching helps veterans clarify purpose, rebuild identity, understand their strengths. In a lot of my sessions, I use CliftonStrengthsFinder and we Coach on those top 10 strengths, helps them navigate transitions, and it creates a meaningful path forward. It creates accountability, structure, momentum. It's about that next chapter, not the painful chapters behind them. Veterans deserve access to both. But right now, coaching is the gap. VA doesn't offer coaching. And to go out and find a real professional coach, not someone who watched 3 YouTube videos and self-declares as a coach, to get real coaches— most vets can't afford that. There's a reason why we're only using professional coaches. And why the standards are so high. It's not feel-good coaching. It's not volunteer coaching. It's not self-ordained life gurus. It's not hobbyists. It's not people playing therapist or playing counselor. Veterans deserve the same caliber of coaching that executives receive. Veterans deserve the same level of coaching that high-potential employees receive. And that's why I have strict criteria for this. Minimum 300 hours of paid coaching experience, at least 60 hours of ICF accredited training, active membership and signing the ethics and abiding by the ethics as a member of ICF. Having training in trauma-informed awareness, experience with transition identity development, resilience coaching. In this program, these are trained professionals who are fully vested in the process. They bring structure, ethics, safety, and proven coaching techniques. No shortcuts, no guesswork. And I'm holding strong to that standard because veterans deserve excellence. They've earned it. When veterans enter coaching, things begin to shift, not because someone fixes them, but because they get space to breathe, to be honest, to think out loud without judgment. What we're seeing with our veterans that are in our— so we've established a scholarship specifically for veterans, the Cordy Gator Rice Coaching Scholarship. I'll put information on it down in the show notes. But where we are seeing breakthroughs, rebuilding purpose, strengthening relationships, improving communication, Managing stress, increasing confidence— that's been a big one— reducing the isolation, regaining the momentum, living with intention again. All the things that you— that they had in the service, we're just moving over into civilian life. And don't think of it as just a program. A program comes in, takes care of business, and moves on. It's much more than that. It's transformation. It's a veteran reclaiming their life, and they're not doing it alone. They're doing it with a partner. It's giving them a guide who's invested, who's financially invested in their success. A part— a hobbyist coach, a volunteer coach is not always going to give that. And it's that transformation. That's what we want for every veteran, to go from surviving to thriving. So here's where you come in. While coaching for executives and high potentials costs thousands of dollars, like $5,000, to $15,000 for a full engagement. I personally know executive coaches that get $2,500 per session. That's not what we're doing here. All right? That's not what we're asking for. But what we are asking for is to put a veteran with someone who has ICF accreditation. That's the gold standard. Matter of fact, once coaching moves into being regulated, 99% chance it's going to be the ICF standards. It's the most recognized. You don't become an executive coach, you don't become a coach in a Fortune 500 company unless you've got ICF accreditation. That is the gold standard. That's the high standard. That's an international standard. What we're looking to do is Put veterans with coaches who have paid practices. They're not going to charge the premium, but it does put them where a coach has a vested interest in that veteran, both extrinsic as well as intrinsic. Well, when you sponsor a veteran, you give them the same level of support that a high-potential team member is, is getting. You give them structure, clarity, accountability, purpose, a lifeline. You give them momentum. You give them hope. Over on the website, StanShererCoaching.com, at the very, very bottom of the offerings, you can, you can purchase a donation. It's one of the options that's out there. Also, if you feel like you want to get coaching between now and December, If you go out and you buy a coaching package, put in a special code at checkout, I'll put that down in the show notes. Not only do you get coaching, but we're going to donate the same number of sessions or the same type of sessions that you get over into our veteran pool. That's our way of being vested in it. We get you as a client and then you actually sponsor a client. It's a 2-for-1 deal. If you just want to get something on a monthly basis, I got 2 other offerings. One is that you can go over to our Patreon page. First of all, I want you to go to our Patreon page and just see what we're doing as far as positivity on a daily basis. But if you become a, a $7 a month member, That $7 goes directly to helping out veterans. If you want to be part of it, join our monthly coaching club. You know, whatever level of contribution you make directly impacts veteran lives, and you're helping them thrive. Not later, not someday, but right now. So again, go check out StanshureCoaching.com at the very bottom of the offerings. You can donate there. We— if you're on Facebook, we do have a Cordy Gator Rice Scholarship that you can donate to, or just come along and be a coach, join a Patreon page, whatever it is. Hey, that's all I've got. Let's go help these veterans. That's all I've got. Thank you so much. And my music ran out on me. I was talking so much. Hey, thanks again.
