← Going Big! with Kevin Gentry
Going Big! with Kevin Gentry
Going Big Through Service: Ryan Manion and the Legacy of “If Not Me, Then Who"
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- [00:01]
A
The vast majority of veterans, like, they appreciate it. Right. If you ask them, but they also don't think it's necessary. Right. They're not looking for that. Thank you for your service. Now, I think we should all tell them thank you for your service, because it's not offensive to say that. But our veteran population, the vast majority of them are very humble individuals, and they're not in it for the thank you. Right. And I think what comes along with thanking our men and women, Women for their service is also the obligation of understanding what their service means. And their service means that we are able to live in a free and prosperous country. Their service means that we are able to wake up every morning and feel safe and secure in our communities. Right. And I think if we don't understand that, we miss the whole point. And, you know, I grew up in a military family, so I always understood what service meant.
- [01:05]
B
Welcome to the Going Big Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry, and this is the place where we celebrate bold moves and big ideas. Each week, I sit down with inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and change makers who are making a significant impact in their careers and in their communities. Whether you're looking to level up your leadership and pursue your passion or just get inspired to take your next big leap, this is where those stories come to life. Now, if you're listening on iTunes, YouTube, or anywhere else you tune into podcasts, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you'll never miss an episode. Now let's dive in to what it means to truly go big. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of the Going Big podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry. You know, every year on November 11th in the United States, we mark Veterans Day. It is a time when our nation can show our gratitude to the brave servicemen and women who have served and sacrificed for our country as part of our armed forces. Well, appropriate for that is our guest today, Ryan Mannion. Ryan is the president of the Travis Mannion Foundation. She is. It's an organization she co founded to honor her brother, First Lieutenant Travis Mannion, who is a Marine who gave his life in service in Iraq. And out of that heartbreak, as we'll learn today, Ryan has built and helped lead one of the most inspiring organizations in the country today. And I have to say, there's so many fans out there of what you're doing at the Travis Manion Foundation. Ryan, this is exciting. You know, you're demonstrating. You're giving a lot of hope to folks who would otherwise. I think, obviously, given the sacrifices they face you're giving a lot of purpose and meaning again in ways that we can think about those who serve our country, especially among young people, too. And I'm just really gratified that you're willing to do this. I think it's also a great way to connect that, you know, Veterans Day shouldn't just be one day on the calendar. It should be a non stop effort to mark those who serve for our country. So, Ryan Mannion, it's a real pleasure to have you as our guest today on the Going Big podcast.
- [03:30]
A
Thanks so much for having me. Pleasure to be here.
- [03:33]
B
Well, you know, in addition to the Travis Manion foundation, you are a very inspiring public speaker. You're a book author. You have your book the Knock at the Door, you're the host of the Resilient Life podcast. And you also embody that message of if not me, then who? And we're going to dive into all of these things, but I just want to dive in immediately. And just who was, who is to you? Travis Manion. How did the Travis Manion foundation come about? Tell us the story and then we're going to go into a lot more after that.
- [04:10]
A
Absolutely. Well, Travis was my brother. We were born into a military family. My dad retired after 30 years in the Marine Corps as a Marine Corps colonel. And so we grew up, we were Irish twins, as they affectionately call it, just born about 15 months apart. And we were quintessential military children. So in the first 11 years of my life, we had already moved 13 times as a result of that. I'd like to say I think Travis and I would have been close no matter what, but we were exceptionally close as a result of changing where we were living so often and really having just each other to depend on as we entered new schools and tried to make new friends. And so but he was my best friend along with being my brother. Travis went to the United States Naval Academy. He graduated in 2004, and unsurprisingly, he followed my dad's footsteps and commissioned as a United States Marine officer.
- [05:15]
B
He.
- [05:17]
A
Entered into his first deployment just shy of a year after he graduated. So by 2005, he was already in Iraq. And you think about it, at the time when Travis entered into the Naval Academy, it was 1999. So it was pre 9 11. So what we thought his college experience was going to be. And the aftermath of his military service in terms of his payback for attending the Naval Academy was vastly different than what it became. But he did a successful first deployment in 2005 and then just six months later, was back in Iraq for a second deployment as part of a MIT team. He was part of a small group of Marines that were helping to train the Iraqi Army. On April 29, 2007, Travis was out on patrol, and his patrol was ambushed, and he was killed by enemy sniper while pulling to safety two of his wounded teammates. And for his actions that day, Travis was awarded the Silver Star. It's the nation's third highest medal for achievement. And, you know, the loss for us was the worst thing that ever could have happened. But as a family, we really committed to making sure that we lived lives and we continue to live lives worthy of his sacrifice. And that is why we started the Travis Manion foundation, because we wanted to make sure that we continued his legacy of service. And here we are today, 18 years later, and we are one of the nation's leading veterans service organizations.
- [06:58]
B
Well, Ryan, thank you to you and your family for the manner in which you addressed this and what you're doing today. And there's so much we want to get into. I do want to go into a little bit more, because my understanding is that your brother, I mean, not only did he pay the ultimate price in service to the country, but performed valiantly that day as he had before, but in trying to protect and rescue those that he was serving with, my understanding is that the Navy has actually named a ship after him. And just. I'm at least grateful that there is recognition of what he did, because it's my sense that there is not enough recognition of the service and sacrifice of those who serve in our armed forces in the United States today.
- [07:50]
A
You know, I think that every young man or woman that raises their right hand and volunteers to serve our country should be commended. Not all of them have the chance or the opportunity to find themselves in combat operations. But regardless, they all signed up and are willing and ready whenever our nation calls on them. So I agree with you. I think we owe a debt of gratitude to every man or woman that has ever put on our nation's uniform. I certainly feel an immense amount of pride in the way my brother acted on the last day of his life. He exposed himself to enemy fire three times to save his wounded teammates. And, you know, I have his citation that hangs in the. In my office right here. I'm looking at it right across. And, you know, the last line of that citation reads that his courageous and deliberate actions ultimately saved the lives of every member of his patrol. And so it's just. It's unsurprising for us as a family, when we learned about the circumstances around his death, we were not surprised. We knew that that's Travis always led from the front, and on the last day of his life, he was doing just that. And yes, in January, it was announced that our our Navy's newest ship in LPD 33, which is a transport ship. Transport ship that transports Marines. So very fitting. But it is the USS Travis Manion, so that starts construction this year. And gosh, what an honor to know that men and women for generations to come will be aboard a ship that bears my brother's name.
- [09:33]
B
Indeed. Yeah. You know, I still, I am glad that we celebrate Memorial Day. I'm glad we celebrate Veterans Day. I'm glad we recognize Armed Forces Day. But I still think that it's too easy for Americans in the course of their life to look at a three day weekend or another federal holiday and not take it seriously. I was a bit inspired just before we started this today, Ryan. I was just speaking with a friend who told me that on November 10th of every year, he goes out late at night and prepares flags all around his neighborhood to mark that in recognition of just the other neighbors of his who have served. So toward that end, what was Jules thinking? Obviously, I know what inspired you, but what was your thinking in starting the Travis Manning Foundation? What was your vision for it as well?
- [10:28]
A
Well, I think a lot of it is, you know, we run incredible programs that provide leadership opportunities to our nation's veterans and families of fallen service members. But at the end of the day, it gets back to, we wanted to create a community and we wanted to showcase that our veterans are civic assets whether they're in uniform or not. And a lot of what you talk about, it was like, how do we play a role in bridging the civilian military divide? You know, less than 1% of our population is serving in uniform, and that's okay. But I do think it comes with an obligation and responsibility from the 99% of us that don't to have an appreciation and understanding of what our men and women in uniform do. And so with that, through the Travis Manning foundation, we are putting veterans back in the community and showing how they show up as leaders and how essential they are to our communities and cities and towns across America. So that was really, at the end of the day, it was, how do we create this community to showcase all that is good about our service members?
- [11:43]
B
Well, when you started this, did you ever think it would grow into what it is? I mean, you are fostering a movement based on service and character, which is just awesome. I mean, this is more than just an organization. Did you ever think it would grow to this?
- [12:02]
A
Never. And it's funny because I often have nonprofit leaders or individuals that are looking to start a nonprofit, and they want, you know, what's the playbook? How did you do this? And a lot of it is like, I don't have the answers. It is, it really, like you said, it kind of took off. It became this movement that was bigger than any of us. And, you know, when the Travis Manning foundation started, we envisioned it as a small memorial fund that would operate locally in the Philadelphia area. That's really what I thought it would be. It was my mom who was leading the charge at that time. And little by little, we started to see it growing. And my mom passed away in 2012 of cancer. But before she did, she had a much bigger vision than my dad and I, and she would talk to us sometimes about that vision. And I think we were just kind of like, okay, you know, but not really fully accepting that it would be much more than what we had originally envisioned. And, you know, a lot of that gets back to those five words that my brother spoke before he left for his second and final deployment.
- [13:19]
B
If not me, then who? Yeah, well, I want to dive into that, but, you know, this. This is the Going Big podcast. My whole objective is to highlight stories like yours, your mom's, your brothers, your fathers, your families of people who want to go big in some way. They recognize their gift, their contribution. They can make and do something in service to others. And it's designed not only to inspire others to action, but to give them some tips along the way. And so I want to dive into that a little bit more as well. I will have to say, you know, I did not fully appreciate really the breadth and depth of what you have done built until even I mentioned that I would be interviewing you. And I had so many people immediately start telling me about how they themselves are already engaged in different activities with you. And as I mentioned to you before we got started, One of the 5K runs in recognition of September 11th is run here near my home in Oakton, Virginia, right down our street. And I have to confess, I'll just say right up front, I'll confess. It's on a Sunday morning, and there's. There's signs that go up that say, hey, you know, we're going to block off Your road from 7 to 9am Please honor and respect that. And I'm like, really? You know, that's a major inconvenience because I go to church. Like, come on. A major inconvenience. That's nothing compared to what you're all about. So a lot there. Here's my next question. Ryan. How. How did you all begin to build something like this? When you're dealing with the loss, how do you convert the loss into something that can bring hope to others? How did you all think about that? Tell us a little bit more about it. How it came together as an idea and then how it became into an organization. And then at some point, I want to get into how it became. It turned into a movement.
- [15:14]
A
You know, I think in the early days, it was really just this labor of love, right? It wasn't so much about what we were going to do and the impact we were going to have. It was how do we continue Travis's legacy, right? How do we continue with making sure that his name lives on? And so it was very. I don't want to say, I don't want to use the word selfish, but it was very personal to us at the beginning. It was. This is about how we honor my brother, my parents, son. And we had so many people that became a part of that, you know, friends that Travis served with, our extended family that wanted to be a part of that mission as well. And, you know, as the months and frankly years went on, because in the very beginning, we were a grant giving organization. We were raising money and we were going out and we were finding organizations that were doing good work with veterans and we were funding it. And then we started to get a little bit more savvy with the nonprofit space and what that is and what that means and how we can be beneficial to it. And we started to look for the gaps and what was missing within the veteran service space and how could we play a role in filling that gap. And so we really pulled back this idea that we would give money out to other groups. And we started to say, okay, we're going to bring it back inside and we're going to fill that role and fill that gap and those needs that that existed. And one of the biggest things at the time, and frankly still now, is how we talk about veterans. And there's a stigma in a lot of ways surrounding veterans. You know, the fact of the matter is, is that you can raise a lot of money if you show veterans that are struggling and broken. And we wanted to flip the narrative on that because that's just not the case a majority of the time. You know, our veterans are perhaps Some of the greatest, again I'll say it, civic assets that our country has to offer. And so we wanted to say, we wanted to find a way to showcase that. And so that's, that's where we really started to differentiate ourselves from other organizations and other groups within the veterans service world. And, and that's where we continue to stand today. And we've, we've been steadfast in sticking to that objective and making sure that we showcase veterans in places of power, where we can show all of the incredible things that they can do to have further impact when they take the uniform off. Because one of the things that we have found is that when a service member leaves active duty, their desire to serve does not go away, right? It's always there. It's part of them. And so a lot of times you find that veterans find themselves in a place of. When you talk about the mental health crisis that afflicts veterans, a lot of that is because their purpose and identity has been stripped away from them. Right? Everything that they knew, this idea of service being a part of something bigger than themselves, that's gone. And so through the Travis Manning foundation, we wanted to make sure that we were giving that back to them, that we. There was no lapse in that. Like, you took the uniform off, but our country still needs you to serve. It's just going to look a little differently now.
- [18:54]
B
So tell us a little bit more about what you all are doing today. I mean, again, it's quite significant, but that doesn't do our listeners any good. You got to give a little bit more meaning to it. My understanding of it is not nearly what yours is. Tell us a little bit more about what's going on today.
- [19:15]
A
I like to say that our organization is kind of for. For. As it pertains to veterans broken into two parts. Like, we're either investing in veterans and getting them to a place where they can build professionally and personally their leadership skills. And then from there, we're activating them out into communities. And so we do that in a bunch of different ways through leadership programs, through activations, both athletic. As you mentioned, we have over 105k runs across the country every year, and most importantly, through service initiatives. So we have close to 100 chapters across the country where veterans come together and they are serving the local communities through different service projects. And then our flagship program, which is Character Does Matter. And so our biggest initiative is that we actually train veterans to go out and deliver character education to our nation's youth. Because what better type of individual to teach our next generation about what it means to live a life of service and courage and integrity than the men and women who literally did that as a career. And so we have thousands of veterans who have gone through our character does matter education, training, and we are just hitting the mark for 1 million youth that have gone through the program to date.
- [20:43]
B
Well, that's outstanding. You know, I first want to say I. I love it when I see veterans recognized at different times. You know, I try to remember. I don't always, but if it comes up, you know, I thank you for your service. I like to see when boarding a flight that certain airlines will have military personnel board first. I've seen on occasion people who will, in an airport or anywhere else buy a meal because they see somebody in uniform say, hey, this is on me for your service, which is great. I also though, to what you were saying about, you know, the sense of service never goes away. How often we read about somebody stepped in at a, maybe it's a crime situation, maybe it's an accident, a car accident, or anything that has happened in. And then you see. And that person was a veteran, which is, again, further inspiring. Tell us a little bit more, though, because I think we desperately need better role models today. We, those in positions of leadership aren't such great role models. And I think that's why, in many ways, public opinion surveys show that people don't have much faith in a lot of our leaders, but they have tremendous admiration and respect for those men and women who serve. So tell us a little bit more about sort of your objective there and how that works out and how it's received among young people when they hear some of this character training.
- [22:13]
A
Yeah, well, you know, we. We recognized very quickly when we started our Character Does Matter program, it wasn't really about the youth, admittedly. It was about how do we put veterans back in communities. Right. And have them share their story.
- [22:30]
B
And.
- [22:30]
A
And we thought, wow. And it kind of started as like, you know, we bring veterans out for Veterans Day to speak at schools, to share their story. And then it grew from there.
- [22:41]
B
Right.
- [22:41]
A
And we have a whole training and education department, we have an entire curriculum dedicated to it. But one of the biggest things is that what we started to find and when we started to really see the change that was happening in the youth that we were working with, and we started to dial down a little bit more into our data and research around that, you know, one in three young adults do not have a positive mentor in their life. So you have these kids that are walking around and they don't have that kind of mentorship. And then, you know, veterans come in and they fill that gap and they fill that role. And frankly, when we talk about this civilian military divide and less than 1% serving our country, a lot of times when our veteran mentors are walking into schools and youth groups and sports teams, it's the first time that these kids have ever even had any sort of introduction with a veteran. Right. So they're by just nature learning about what the military is and what it means and what it represents. And I say that not because we are trying to put veterans in front of kids to indoctrinate them to join the military. It's actually quite the opposite. It's just making sure that our youth has a basic understanding at a young age of what the military is. I mean, you're in Oakton, so you're in a little bit of a military town, but you think about the vast majority of this country, they're not, they're nowhere near. And veterans that are, you know, back in Wichita, Kansas working a day job, they're not self identifying as a veteran for the most part. So the veterans may be walking among the youth, but they're not saying, hey, I'm a veteran, I served, this is what I did, this is what my story is. And so when we kind of found the impact that we were not just having for the veteran, but also for the kids, it was, it became a no brainer for us on how we wanted to really go full steam ahead. And, and I'll say that one of the biggest things that came out of this program and continues to get out, come out of this program is through research that we've done, cumulative research over a number of years. The veterans that are a part of this program have way higher mental health scores, number one, than when they began with, with our organization, and number two, than just the average veteran. And so that remains really important to us and it gives us a clear indication that it is bringing veterans continued purpose.
- [25:21]
B
Awesome. Yeah. You know, you could think, well, yeah, as mentors they're helping these young people, but it's a win, win situation. And you know, I'd like, if you could, to speak a little bit more about mentorship and mentoring. There are two things that I've discovered since launching the Going Big podcast. People talk about wanting to find their gift, their contribution, and what they can do in service to others. That is overwhelmingly what motivates people to go big. And once they find that and how they're Helping others succeed, they themselves succeed. Wow. It's amazing. The other big thing is everyone says I benefited from mentors. Mentors were so key in my life at every stage of my life. Not just in my youth, but at every stage. But people struggle, I've found, with how to find a mentor, how to ask someone to be a mentor, how to be a mentor. Any. Any insights from what the Travis Manion foundation has done in this space that you might share with the audience about how we might all think about mentors?
- [26:33]
A
Well, I think, you know, I'll share. I'll share a quick story. When we. When my mom was actually the one who applied for our 501C3 paperwork back in 2008. And, you know, when you apply to the IRS to become a nonprofit, you've got to put your mission statement in. And I'll never forget, the mission that she wrote down for the Travis Manion foundation was to provide support to our nation's veterans and families of the fallen and to play a role in helping to create the next generation of leaders. And I remember at the time saying to her, I don't get it. Number one, those two don't go together. You know, are we a vso? Are we helping veterans? What is the secondary part? And. And frankly, how are we going to achieve that mission? Right? It's easy to say, all right, we're going to provide support to veterans. That's easy. But how are we going to help in creating the next generation of leaders? And my mom didn't have the answer then, and she admittedly said, I don't know. But I know that the reason Travis was the person he was and the reason that he did what he did on the last day of his life was because of the incredible mentors that he had in his life growing up. And it wasn't so much about he had incredible leaders in. In the military. But my mom was really talking back to, like, the teachers, the coaches. And when you look over the course of Travis's life, like, we could pinpoint how Travis as a young adult was intentional about finding people that were going to help guide him. So I think, number one, it's like, we need to teach our kids to turn to other people. And I do it today with my own children. I'm always like, listen, you should be talking to that person. You should be asking them for guidance. If they. If they're telling me, I love Mr. Brown. He's a great English teacher. And I'm like, then make Mr. Brown more than just your English teacher. Right. If he's that great at teaching, you like, talk to him about what you aspire to do in college and, and build those relationships. And so I think we have to really talk to our youth about what that means. And then frankly, I think on the end of how you become a mentor and how you, you can provide mentorship to others, I think a lot of times we're doing it without even realizing it.
- [28:53]
B
Right, agreed.
- [28:54]
A
And you know, I have so many people that are like, you've been an incredible mentor to me. And, and I didn't realize along the way that that's what I was doing. Right. It was just building relationships with people. But I think in order to provide mentorship, you have to be invested in people's well being and what they want to do. And I think that authenticity comes through very easily when and in how you show up with other people. But I think it's important. I think each and every one of us have so much to offer to others. Right. We have so many different perspectives. And I know that every time I am able to talk in front of youth and talk to them about character and you know, I know I've got to get somewhere when I have to leave, but I don't care if there's one kid or 50 kids waiting to shake my hand and ask me a question, that's the most important interaction I'm going to have that day outside of me standing out on that stage. And so I'm going to make sure that I talk to every single one of them.
- [29:58]
B
That's great. You know, I still remember in first grade when Paul Galante, a prisoner of war from Vietnam, came back to our elementary school because he lived in our neighborhood and how meaningful that was. And you, these are such important moments. Well, Ryan, you've said that service is the antidote to despair, and that's a very powerful idea. Can you share a story of someone that you all have worked with that through their service has really helped turn them around and help them find greater meaning?
- [30:33]
A
Yeah. You know, I mean, I think for me, the work that I get to do every day through the Travis Manion foundation is my antidote. Right. It is the service that I'm able to give back. And so we wanted to make sure that we were providing that opportunity not just to veterans, but more importantly to families of fallen service members. And I have the opportunity every day to be surrounded by men and women who have lost their loved ones, their husbands, their wives, their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and to see what they go on to do is incredible. I just spent the weekend in D.C. i ran the Marine Corps Marathon last weekend.
- [31:20]
B
And aren't you still recovering?
- [31:22]
A
I'm still a little sore. Yep. Only. Only a few days out. So yes, I'm still a little sore. But. But I ran with a woman named Veronica Ortiz. And Veronica lost her husband in Afghanistan and I brought her in 2020. Her husband was Javier, was originally from Puerto Rico. And one of the things we do through the Travis Manning foundation is we do service expeditions for families of the fallen where we take them all over the country for a week long expedition to serve the local communities. And that's what I mean when I talk about service being the antidote to despair. Like if we can go out and we can serve others in honor of our loved ones, I promise you, and that doesn't have to be specific to the military in general for us to go out and do good and be good to others in honor of those who have gone before us. Like it works. I promise you it works. And so I took Veronica to Puerto Rico in 2020. She really didn't know anything about the Travis Manion foundation. And she will say today she was very trepidatious about coming. And in that week I watched a transformation in her that she was very in her shell when she first got there. She wasn't talking much. And I watched her transform in the span of seven days. And here today, that was 2020. We go back to Puerto Rico every year. Last January she was in Puerto Rico again. She now leads the expedition. She is not coming as a participant. She is coming as our lead volunteer that works with other families of the fallen. And one of the things that happened last January as we were sitting there after, you know, working, we were rebuilding a roof and we had spent eight hours that day just heavy manual labor. We were sitting around that night and I was talking about how I was going to run the Marine Corps Marathon. And she said, I've always wanted to do that. Javi would, you know, would not believe if I ever ran a marathon. And I said, you should do it. And that night in last January, she went online on our website and she signed up to run the Marine Corps Marathon. And I didn't know she was going to actually do it. And I would text her through every couple weeks and say, how's training going? And she'd give me a, eh, I don't know, I don't know. But she kept at it. And she showed up this past weekend and it took her close to seven hours but she finished that marathon. And she said every step she took, she was just thinking of Javi. And she said, I wanted to quit from the first step I took out there on that course. And she said, but all I could think of was Javi and all of these other men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. Right. And we. All I had to do was just put one foot in front of my, other in front of the other for 26 miles, and she did it. And so I think that sense of accomplishment that came for her, you know, started back in 2020 when she decided that she was going to not just live without Javi, but she was going to live for Javi.
- [34:40]
B
All right, that's a great story. Thank you for sharing that. I don't want to lose that moment, that point here, because you've worked, obviously, with a lot of gold star families who've lost loved ones. And again, I wanted to make sure we were talking about this, having this conversation, Ryan, around Veterans Day, because it's just so important we think about that. What do you think is important for our audience to just sort of reflect on in how you've worked with people? Just like that story you just had about how we should really think about service?
- [35:20]
A
I mean, I think. I love that. I love the way you talk about if, you know, if you see someone thanking them for their service, you know, making sure they get on first on the plane, buying them a meal, I could tell you that the vast majority of veterans, like, they appreciate it. Right. If you ask them, but they also don't think it's necessary. Right. They're not looking for that. Thank you for your service. Now, I think we should all tell them, thank you for your service, because it's not offensive to say that, but our veteran population, the vast majority of them are very humble individuals, and they're not. They're not in it for the thank you. Right. And I think what comes along with thanking our men and women for their service is also the obligation of understanding what their service means. And their service means that we are able to live in a free and prosperous country. Their service means that we are able to wake up every morning and feel safe and secure in our communities. Right. And I think if we don't understand that, we missed the whole point. And, you know, I. I grew up in a military family, so I always understood what service meant watching my dad. And. And guess what? I didn't always love what service meant, because what service meant to my family was that every year or two years, I had to be ripped Away from the friends that I loved. I had to be in a new place. I had to adapt and overcome in new environments. So maybe I was a little resentful of what military service meant as a child. And then I watched when my brother went on to serve, and that deep sense of pride that I held. And it wasn't until my brother was killed that I understood what sacrifice meant. And so, you know, what comes along with service is the understanding that there could be sacrifice involved. And so I think we need to understand that as a country, too, that service means that there could be sacrifice. And there's a lot of families that deal with that every single day. And now today, I've got a daughter that's a sophomore at the United States Military Academy or United States Naval Academy. And so I'm going to have. I now am not just the daughter of a service member and the sister of a service member. I'm now the mother of a service member. And so I check every little box there is, except serving myself. And.
- [37:56]
B
Well, you're serving. You're serving. No, no, no. Give yourself some credit. What you're doing is so leveraged as well. Well, here, here. This is. This is awesome. Well, Ryan, you touched on something, and I'm curious, and I have better audiences, too. So you talked about one of the big objectives is to reach out to young people and to build up and give them an understanding and sense for service. What about that gives you hope for the future? Please don't tell me that you're discouraged through this. What gives you some hope in this process?
- [38:33]
A
I can tell you when I hear people talk about kind of the apathetic nature of this generation, maybe it's the nature of what I do. I don't see it. I am inspired every day by our youth and by the determination and understanding and appreciation of our military through the work that they do with the Travis Manion Foundation. So maybe I'm in a little bubble because I'm seeing the best of the best, but I don't see it. I think that. I think one of the things we need to understand is that, you know, I find myself, even with my kids, and I'm sure you found yourself doing this at some point. Like, you know, ah, these kids, we had it so much harder in our day. Right? Like, we had to walk 10 miles in the snow to just to get to school and. Right, exactly. But the fact of the matter is, is that our youth hasn't changed that much. Our youth still. Still, they just need the tools. They just need to be given the tools and the opportunity to do more. And that's what I love about the work we do with the Travis Manning Foundation. And I love hearing the stories of the youth that were a little bit lost and didn't really know what their path was and maybe weren't involved in the right things. And all that they needed was that one person. That one person to come in and say, hey, I want you to be a part of this. And that person for us is our veterans that are entering into the schools. And I hear these stories every day of young adults that are being transformed, that are going out and they're starting to show up as civic assets in their community at 14, 15, 16 years old. So I'm always completely inspired by our nation's youth. And I don't subscribe to the idea that we've lost, lost this next generation. I don't see it at all.
- [40:31]
B
Well, thank you. And I'll give you a little bit of additional encouragement. If it's any indication, the young volunteers that you have working at your 5k, at least the ones here were just. It was pretty inspiring as well. And I think you're right. You give people a path to service and engagement and it just changes things. And so good, good for you for doing this. And by the way, I will tell you that among your many fans who reached out with excitement that I was doing this podcast, those who were already involved in different ways in the Travis Manion foundation told me that you really ascribe to a bottom up approach that, that it is not like, hey, do this. It is if people come up with their own project ideas and then they ultimately lead as volunteers and do different service projects. So kudos, in fact, if you would give us some ideas about how to do that. Because there is a tendency to just to want to say, hey, this is the way to do it. Go do. But we all know that it's bottom up empowerment that is really what drives the big gains.
- [41:41]
A
Yeah. And we were very intentional about that as we grew our organization that we were never going to be an organization that operated from the top down. That said, this is what you have to do. Go out and do it. And. And then, you know, it was always about. And that's a little bit how we differ from a traditional veteran service organization. So if you look at the model of a traditional vso, it is the organization providing resources to the veteran. Our organization, we like to say our organization doesn't exist if veterans aren't out there coming up with the opportunities and Leading the charge. If veterans go away, we don't have any programs to run because veterans are the one that are leading our programs and then they're the ones that are out there galvanizing what I'd like to call inspired civilians to be a part of the work that we do. So yeah, that was, that was not by accident that we operate that way. That I would say was very intentional from the very, very beginning.
- [42:53]
B
Do you think that's a reason that you all have grown so much?
- [42:56]
A
I think so. Because, you know, one of the things that we look at is like, my dad always says that we were this grassroots approach, right. And I know that's, you know, a very ambiguous word, but, but it's true. It was like it was these little pockets of a group doing this here and a group doing that there. And it started to spread and it became community by community, started to kind of adopt this model of how could they be better, how could they do more? And so, yeah, I think that played a really large role in our growth.
- [43:35]
B
All right, okay, we're going to begin to wrap this up. I've got a few, few closing questions. First, on a personal level, Ryan, I mean, you've handled this situation with amazing grace, in my judgment. And you mentioned the passing of your mom as well. Give us some advice. How do you keep yourself so centered and inspired through all of this?
- [44:03]
A
You know, I, I, I always think back to something my dad said the day of my brother's funeral and he called my mom and I into my parents bedroom and he said, you know, I don't know how we're going to move forward from this. Like this is, there's nothing worse that could have happened than what has happened. This was, you know, this is always your biggest fear as a military family. And our, our biggest fear and nightmare came true. And you know, my dad said something that day that, you know, he said, I don't know how we're going to move forward, but I do know that no matter what, we are going to live lives that are worthy of Travis's sacrifice and we're going to make him proud. And so we committed that day to do that. And my mom was the number one person who made that commitment. And she, she, the Travis Manion foundation would not be here today without her. So when she passed in 2012, I felt a deep obligation to continue with the work that she had started. You know, this was a, a military spouse that, and, and I will tell you that there is no harder job in America than being a military Spouse and I watched my mom support our family for so many years and put herself second. And, you know, when she lost her only son to war, she rolled up her sleeves and said, I'm going to keep giving back to others. And, and so for me, it's just about, you know, recommitting to that commitment we made that day for my brother of, of continuing on, of making them proud. And, you know, I do that not just for Travis, but for my mom as well.
- [45:53]
B
Well, I love that simple phrase. If not me, then who? Would you just elaborate a little bit more on that? He's to say that or that's what he said. Tell us a little bit more about the derivation of that.
- [46:05]
A
Oh, that. Travis said that he was actually in between his first and second deployment. He was home, he was stationed in California, but he was back here in the Philadelphia area. And he had gone to a Philadelphia Eagles game with some friends and his brother in law. And at the game, as they were leaving, his brother in law turned to him and said, hey, why don't you let me push you down the stairs? Maybe you'll break your ankle and you won't have to go back to Iraq. You know, said in a, in jest, joking. And he said that Travis got real serious and, and he turned to his brother in law and said, you know, if I don't go back to Iraq, then somebody, much less prepared is going to go in my place. If not me, then who? And so those were the. That was the first time that anyone heard him say those five words. But when we started to think back on the course of Travis's life, we recognized that those were the five words he lived by each and every day. And so we took those five words and we turned them into a movement and a mantra and a motto for every each and every one of us to live by. And so, I mean, listen, they're the five words I ask myself each and every day. How am I going to wake up and have an if not me, then who moment, no matter how small it is? And that's what we're trying to instill in the rest of society. You know, imagine if we all operated with that same mindset.
- [47:30]
B
Yep, indeed. All right, a little bit more about yourself, Ryan. Your book, your first book. Tell us a little bit about that. You've got a new book, you've got a podcast. And then I also want you to tell us how, if we want to get more involved with the Travis Manion foundation, what we can do.
- [47:50]
A
Absolutely. So in 2019, myself along with two other gold star widows, we wrote a book called the Knock at the Door. There it is right there.
- [47:59]
B
The knock at the door. All right.
- [48:01]
A
Yeah. And so really, just sharing the story, not just about getting a knock at the door from a military perspective, but each and every one of us are gonna get a knock at the door. It might not be a literal knock like we got, but we're all gonna have a moment that changes the trajectory of our life, and it's about how we respond to that. So wrote that book in 2019. It became a bestseller. And I now. And I don't have a copy of it because it's not even out yet, but I have a children's book called Things My Brother Used to Say. It's available right now for pre order, and it's a children's book with lessons on. And if not me, then who is one of those lessons, but with lessons on how to live a life of character. And that will be available on November 24th. Available for pre sale now. And five years ago, I started the Resilient Life podcast. And I, I love doing it. I love interviewing people that have overcome tragedy and adversity and showed up and showed how to move forward in a positive way and listen. Not without bumps along the way, but I think it's important for us to hear other people's stories and gain that perspective on how we can respond if we're faced with something. And so it's a. As you know, it's always exciting to interview new people and, and, and hear their stories and learn from the. From their wisdom, frankly.
- [49:34]
B
Well, I'm excited to have the opportunity to interview you today, Ryan, and toward that point, about the theme of your podcast and what you're doing. Tell us a little bit about, you know, a bold step in faith that you had to take when maybe you were a little frightened. I mean, what you've done, you obviously, you never planned to do something like this. Just give us a little lesson from that that might inspire and motivate all of us listening. Because fear is. Is probably the biggest thing that holds each of us back.
- [50:11]
A
Absolutely. You know, there's this idea that the biggest risk is not taking the risk at all. Right. And I think the biggest thing that I've had to overcome since the loss of my brother was believing that I could take this organization to the next level. You know, I was an English major in college. I had no business acumen. And beyond that, I had zero understanding of the nonprofit world. And so, you know, I talked to a lot of people about this idea of, you know, a little bit of, like, you've got to believe in yourself before others are going to believe in you. And I operated in the first couple years of running the Travis Manning Foundation. I had a little bit of imposter syndrome. I was running a large veteran service organization, which primarily, if you look at the makeup of veteran service organizations in this country, they have a very specific individual that runs them. It's a male, and it's a veteran. And I was neither of those things. And so I would show up at roundtable discussions and different consortiums, and I would feel like I didn't belong there. And in my head, I would feel like people didn't think I belonged there. And I don't know, maybe they did, maybe they didn't. But it was all, you know, me internalizing that I was not worthy of sitting in that seat. And I made a decision one day, and it was very specific. It was actually after a White House roundtable that I was at. That I was no longer going to doubt myself, that I was going to, like, step over that imaginary line in the sand, and I was going to believe in myself until I became who I wanted to be. And I was very intentional about that. And so I think that for me, because I very easily could have just said, hey, I can't do this. Like, find someone else. Find one of Travis's friends that he served with to run this. But that was. That was the scariest time in my life for me in, like, 2013, 2014, when I was first trying to take over and run this organization. And. And I felt like I had these tremendous shoes to fill because I was taking over this nonprofit that was started by my mom and that was named after my brother. And, like, what if it fails? And then it all rests on me. And so. But it does come down to how we think about ourselves, is how others will outwardly perceive us as well, right? Like, you can't think that. You can't. If you believe that you can't do it, others are going to believe you can't do it either. So it was a little bit of. And I know this is trite, but fake it till you make it. Right? And so I got out there, and I believed that I could take this organization the next place. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but guess what? Neither did my mom when she started a nonprofit after losing her son. And so I just kept that belief going that. That we could accomplish this. And thanks to having incredible People around me and I will say, incredible mentors that helped to guide me. You know, I now feel pretty secure in what we're doing and where we're going.
- [53:35]
B
Well, that's actually a great encouragement, I think, to anyone listening, so thank you. All right, Ryan, to close this out to anyone listening, not just in the United States, anywhere around the world. Based on what you've done with the Travis Mannion foundation, what advice would you give to anyone listening about how they should think about going big in their life?
- [54:01]
A
A great question. You know, I think that the idea of going big can mean a lot of different things, right. And when I think about where I am 18 years after the loss of my brother and, you know, and we've sat here and we've had a lot of conversations about, you know, being inspired and living a life worthy of Travis's sacrifice, I think it's very important to share that that did not come with bumps and bruises along the way, and not just a series of massive success like I failed a lot of times over the last 18 years. And one of the things that I've realized is that, you know, our lives are made up of successes and failures. And what I've come to find is that, you know, when you fail, that next success is not far off if you keep working towards it. And when I think about this idea of going big, you have to level set on, like, what. What do you want to be big in and how do you achieve that? And, you know, you're going to struggle along the way. You can't be big in anything without a little bit of struggle. But also the way I look at it is like, struggle is the antecedent of growth, right? Without struggle, without adversity in our lives, we're never going to grow. And so don't be afraid when that struggle comes up. And I think that's how you get to being big. You know, you take that struggle and you work through it, and each time, you're ticking a little bit up, right? So I don't know. I don't know if that was the answer you were looking for, but that's how I do it in my life.
- [55:54]
B
I wasn't looking for any answer in particular. I just wanted to learn from you about what you've done to go big. So thank you, Ryan Mannion. Thank you for an inspiring conversation and thank you for your service to our country. Really appreciate this time today.
- [56:12]
A
Thank you so much.
- [56:13]
B
Thanks for tuning in to the Going Big podcast. I hope today's conversation left you feeling energized and ready to tackle your biggest goals. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps spread the word and it gets these inspiring stories out to more people. You can also find more content, resources and updates at our website, goingbigpodcast.com com remember, the only limits are the ones you don't challenge, the limits that you impose on yourself. Keep pushing, keep growing, and above all, keep Going big. See you next time on the Going Big Podcast.