By Justin Constantine
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November 8, 2021
Building Resilience to Stay Motivated When Times Are Hard I recently had the honor of sitting down with my friend (and former Navy Admiral) Hal Pittman, who is the CEO of the Defense Media Activity. The Defense Media Activity is the agency of the Department of Defense that provides a broad range of high-quality multimedia products and services to inform, educate, and entertain Department of Defense audiences around the world. So, this was a big deal for me. Over 30 minutes, we discussed a range of topics including my recovery after being shot in Iraq, what corporate America can learn about leadership in a remote environment from the military, resilience, staying motivated during challenging times, and how I am staying positive despite a Stage IV cancer diagnosis. Below is a quick (and unofficial!) guide to the 30-minute interview. I hope you enjoy it! 1:00 – Introduction with Defense Media Activity CEO Hal Pittman 2:00 – Details of gunshot wound to the head 5:00 – Details of recovery 7:30 – Advice for people dealing with hardships 10:00 – Resiliency 11:00 – Military lessons for corporate America 15:00 – My two mentors and leadership figures: Col Todd Desgrosseilliers and Marc Andersen 18:00 – Details around my Stage IV Cancer Diagnosis 20:00 – My health and wellness routine 22:00 – Health and wellness in a corporate environment 25:00 – The power of a positive mindset 27:00 – Stress around the withdrawal of the war in Afghanistan 30:00 – Workforce development in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Community