Let us know what you think of the show and what we can do better!

A combat veteran can plan operations under pressure and still feel completely unprepared for the moment the uniform comes off. That tension sits at the center of my conversation with Trey McMullen, a U.S. Army combat veteran, former counterintelligence agent with 7th Special Forces Group support elements, entrepreneur, and candidate for the Florida House of Representatives in the Pensacola area.

We start with Trey’s roots outside Cleveland and the way September 11 reshaped his sense of duty, then move into what military leadership really teaches you: how bad leaders warn you, how good leaders stretch you, and how great leaders push you past what you thought you could do. Trey also shares the reality of a service-related medical crisis and what it means to be medically retired when you still feel ready to serve.

From there, the conversation turns practical and personal: the brutal “door shut” feeling during military transition, the scramble to find work, and why he chose contracting and veteran entrepreneurship to keep a mission and build jobs. Trey explains what campaigning is actually like in a grassroots race, why fundraising can distort priorities, and how dark money and constant financial pressure can steer politics away from voters.

We also dig into the issues he hears every day in his district: child safety and school security, underemployment, water quality and agriculture, plus strong support for veterans and first responders. Trey closes with blunt advice on the VA, accountability, and why veterans have to share benefits and transition knowledge instead of guarding it.

If you care about veterans in politics, civic leadership, Florida elections, or building safer local communities, you’ll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe, share this with a friend who should run for office, and leave us a review with the local issue you want leaders to tackle next.

Support the show

Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76