Transition Story: A Drummer in The Old Guard to Brewery Owner and Vice President of Client Strategy

SSG Edward Krzysik — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:00:01 -0400

While I was a drummer in the Old Guard, If you told me I’d find a job as a Vice President of Client Strategy at a software company and become part owner in a brewery, I would’ve thought you were crazy. Now that has become my reality, I hope my story can help you transition into a career you love too.

Many of you probably know the Old Guard is the ceremonial unit and official escort to the President. This unit and training gave me a framework of discipline, honor, and excellence. During my military service, I had the opportunity to perform at the White House, Inaugural Ceremonies, and other locations across the country. Being a soldier-musician (drummer) for the United State Army is the honor of a lifetime. One of the greatest benefits I gained from this unit was finding trusted mentors who helped me harness my skills and build a transition roadmap to chart my post-military career. Today, in my leadership role at Help Lightning, I use many of the same principles from the military, but apply my skills through the lens of being customer obsessed .

By the way, if you’re interested in a high tech career within software development, we’re hiring. I’m eager to help more military community members join our ranks (regardless of how well you can play the drums): https://rly.pt/HelpLightningJobs

Another key piece of advice I received in transition is the importance of using my GI Bill benefits to earn education to better prepare myself for the civilian sector. As a veteran, I researched educational opportunities to pursue both an undergraduate and graduate degree. I needed something flexible to accommodate my work-life balance . My undergraduate degree (https://rly.pt/3RntyFk) is in History, which provided a great foundation to enhance my research and writing skills. Soon after completing my undergraduate degree, I began my MBA (https://rly.pt/3LNIZWp). I earned both of these degrees at AMU while working full-time at a Fortune 500 civilian company, which was another great way for me to apply my schoolwork to real world business situations that helped me rise the ranks to my current role.

I am grateful for the number of diverse programs I was able take advantage of as I pursued my degrees. In addition to the flexibility and level of instruction, I really appreciated the class schedules. I always felt that the finish line was achievable and with each incremental success I was closer to completing my degree.

My military experience, coupled with my education, made a huge impact on my career. In addition to a successful business career, my MBA is also a direct contributor to me being a part-owner of a successful brewery (Alewerks). Much of the research for this investment occurred while completing my MBA. My area of focus was entrepreneurial management, which provided a concentration on business planning, modeling, and execution.

My current role as Vice President of Client Strategy for Help Lightning involves team building, client focus and execution. Having been a leader for sales and operations teams provides additional insight into effective team building and accountability. By building strong partnerships with clients, we are able to drive business results through growth, innovation and service delivery.

Lastly, I have found that it’s critically important to network early and find mentors in both the private and public sectors. Being a military drummer isn’t the easiest skillset to translate on a resume, but if I can do it, I know you can too, regardless of what you did in uniform. I hope my journey can be helpful to you and other veterans who are looking for ways to take their career to the next level.

Help Lightning: Job openings (DM in RallyPoint if you submit an application):
https://rly.pt/HelpLightningJobs

GI Bill info: https://rly.pt/3eoa71T
My Bachelor’s program: https://rly.pt/3Mq1iRN
My MBA program: https://rly.pt/3Vl42DZ

The views and opinions expressed here are solely from the author and do not reflect the opinions of any organization in this piece

Help Lightning | RallyPoint

Help Lightning

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Oct 7 at 2022 2:11 PM

Cpl Vic Burk — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:11:48 -0400

SSG Edward Krzysik Thank you for your story and a great share to the Rally Point Community. Me and computers just barely get along! I'm very technologically impaired and only learn enough to do my job efficiently. When things get deep and I'm stuck I'm at the mercy of my colleagues and the tech support team. My son on the other hand is very much into computers and when I'm home if I need help, he comes to the call.

Response by SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM made Oct 7 at 2022 3:06 PM

SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 15:06:11 -0400

Thanks for sharing your story and your information.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Oct 7 at 2022 5:29 PM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 17:29:59 -0400

An inspiring testament of what we veterans can accomplish if we recognize the tools we gain through our service. We are ingrained with a sense of drive and the ability to recognize what we must do to reach our goals.
No disrespect to drummers, but just imagine what you would have accomplished had you had some of the training that is given to some of the more technical fields!
Well done SSG Krzysik, and thank you for passing on your story.

Response by SFC Dr. Jesus Garcia-Arce, Psy.D made Oct 7 at 2022 7:20 PM

SFC Dr. Jesus Garcia-Arce, Psy.D — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 19:20:26 -0400

Thank you for share your story.

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2022 10:13 PM

SN Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 22:13:02 -0400

Job well done.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2022 11:28 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 11:28:42 -0400

He done good for himself! Power to military peeps that ca do it! Great story!

Response by CPT David Gowel made Oct 10 at 2022 1:22 PM

CPT David Gowel — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 13:22:14 -0400

SSG Edward Krzysik We can never have enough veterans who are truly happy in civilian life sharing their path to a fulfilling career ... especially when their companies are actively hiring more vets to join their ranks. Lots of companies can say they are veteran friendly, but it's what the veterans say about their employers that matters most. Let us know the address to Alewerks and hopefully you'll see some of your fellow RallyPointers stop in your brewery for a pint!

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 23 at 2022 1:00 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 13:00:11 -0400

I don't think that many (if any) of us realized the value of the lessons we were learning while serving at the time. I don't think that all (but many) learned their value in the years that followed.

Response by SrA Jason McCauley made Oct 30 at 2022 3:52 AM

SrA Jason McCauley — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 03:52:23 -0400

Great share. I was thinking about posting my transition story. I think I will now. I worked a cybersecurity role for a Global 50 telecom giant and now for a Silicon Valley tech giant. I’d like to see more Vets get employed at global leading organizations after serving. The private sector is very competitive but it is not impossible to navigate!

Response by Tara Doridy made Jul 3 at 2023 10:47 AM

Tara Doridy — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 10:47:08 -0400

Your journey is truly inspiring, and it highlights the diverse opportunities available to veterans in their post-military careers. Your emphasis on finding trusted mentors and leveraging educational opportunities resonates deeply. The military provides us with a unique skill set, but it's crucial to bridge the gap between military and civilian careers by acquiring additional knowledge and expertise. Your mention of the importance of networking and finding mentors is spot on. These connections can provide invaluable guidance and support as we navigate the transition process. On a related note, I appreciate your suggestion of carefully selecting a software development partner. I came across an informative guide on choosing the right software development partner at https://qit.software/a-guide-on-choosing-the-right-software-development-partner/. The article emphasizes the importance of evaluating a partner's expertise, track record, communication skills, and cultural fit.

A Guide on Choosing the Right Software Development Partner — QIT

Looking to start a software project but don't know where to begin? Learn how to find the perfect software development partner for your business in this step-by-step guide.