Going Big Through Service: Ryan Manion and the Legacy of “If Not Me, Then Who”

Podcast: Going Big! with Kevin Gentry
Host: Kevin Gentry
Guest: Ryan Manion (President, Travis Manion Foundation)
Date: November 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Going Big! with Kevin Gentry centers on service, sacrifice, and creating impactful movements, told through the lens of Ryan Manion and the legacy of her brother, 1st Lt. Travis Manion. Through a conversation marked by candor and inspiration, Ryan shares the origins of the Travis Manion Foundation, the “If Not Me, Then Who” mantra, how the organization grew from personal grief to a national movement, and the importance of service and character. The episode is a masterclass in transforming loss into action and charts a roadmap for anyone who wants to “go big” in their own life or community.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Meaning of Service and Honoring Veterans

• Veterans are humble and aren't seeking thanks, but their service underpins the freedoms Americans enjoy. (00:00–01:05)

  • Quote:
    “Our veteran population... they’re not in it for the thank you. What comes along with thanking our men and women for their service is the obligation of understanding what their service means.”
    —Ryan Manion [00:00]

• Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and other holidays are important but often overlooked as mere days off rather than opportunities for gratitude and reflection. (09:33)

2. The Story of Travis Manion and the Foundation’s Origins

• Ryan and Travis grew up in a military family, moving 13 times in 11 years, fostering a unique sibling bond. Travis attended the Naval Academy pre-9/11, later serving two deployments in Iraq. (04:10–05:14)

• Travis was killed while leading from the front, rescuing teammates and posthumously awarded the Silver Star. (07:49)

  • Memorable Moment:
    “He exposed himself to enemy fire three times to save his wounded teammates... his courageous and deliberate actions ultimately saved the lives of every member of his patrol.”
    —Ryan Manion [07:49]

• The Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) began as a small local memorial and, under the vision of Ryan’s late mother, grew into a national organization. (12:02–13:19)

3. Building a Movement: From Grief to National Impact

• Early days focused on honoring Travis’s name; it was a labor of love. (15:13)

• TMF initially operated as a grant-giving org, then pivoted to fill gaps in veteran support, especially regarding the narrative around veterans. The foundation sought to showcase veterans as "civic assets" rather than objects of pity.

  • Quote:
    “You can raise a lot of money if you show veterans that are struggling and broken. We wanted to flip the narrative... our veterans are perhaps some of the greatest civic assets our country has to offer.”
    —Ryan Manion [15:13]

• TMF focuses on two pillars:

  1. Investing in veterans’ personal and professional leadership.
  2. Activating veterans in local communities through leadership, athletics, and service projects. (19:15)
  • Notable Milestone:
    Over 1 million youth have participated in TMF’s “Character Does Matter” program, which trains veterans to mentor and teach character to youth. (19:15–20:43)

4. Bridging the Civilian-Military Divide

• Only 1% of Americans serve in uniform, making the civilian-military divide wide. TMF’s approach: integrate veterans back into daily life, especially in mentorship roles for youth. (10:28, 22:13)

• Many youths lack positive mentors; veterans fill this critical gap and their involvement improves both youth outcomes and veterans’ mental health. (22:41–25:21)

  • Quote:
    “One in three young adults do not have a positive mentor in their life... veterans come in and they fill that gap and they fill that role.”
    —Ryan Manion [22:41]

• Veterans find ongoing purpose through service, which is linked to better mental health. (25:21)

5. The Power and Practice of Mentorship

• Mentorship was key in Travis’s life and is central to TMF’s mission. (26:32)

  • Quote:
    “We need to teach our kids to turn to other people... If [your teacher’s] that great at teaching, you like, talk to him about what you aspire to do in college and build those relationships.”
    —Ryan Manion [27:50]

• Being a mentor often happens organically; it’s about investing authentically in others. (28:54)

6. Service as the Antidote to Despair: Personal Stories

• Service helps Gold Star families (those who lost a loved one in military service) heal and find purpose. (30:32)
  • Memorable Story:
    Veronica Ortiz, initially hesitant, transforms through a TMF service expedition in Puerto Rico and later leads that trip herself. She goes on to finish the Marine Corps Marathon in her husband’s honor—a poignant illustration of how service restores hope. (31:22–34:39)

7. Rethinking Service, Gratitude, and Sacrifice

• True gratitude for veterans means understanding their commitment and sacrifice, not just offering thanks or gestures. (35:19)

  • Quote:
    “Their service means that we are able to live in a free and prosperous country... If we don’t understand that, we miss the whole point.”
    —Ryan Manion [35:19]

• Every family touched by the military also faces its own sacrifices; for Ryan, the meaning of service evolved with experience and loss. (35:19–37:56)

8. Inspiring and Empowering the Next Generation

• Ryan challenges the narrative of apathetic youth, stating TMF’s work exposes her to inspiring, service-oriented young people every day. (38:33)
  • Quote:
    “Our youth hasn’t changed that much... They just need to be given the tools and the opportunity to do more.”
    —Ryan Manion [38:33]

9. Leadership Approach: Bottom-Up Empowerment

• TMF’s growth is driven by empowering veterans and volunteers at the grassroots—bottom-up, not top-down. Volunteers initiate and lead projects in communities. (41:41)
  • Quote:
    “Our organization doesn’t exist if veterans aren’t out there coming up with the opportunities and leading the charge.”
    —Ryan Manion [41:41]

10. Overcoming Loss, Self-Doubt, and Going Big

• Ryan credits her father and late mother’s commitment to honoring Travis with helping her persevere through grief and leadership challenges. (44:02)

  • Personal Reflection:
    “We are going to live lives that are worthy of Travis’s sacrifice and we’re going to make him proud.”
    —Ryan Manion [44:07]

• The “If Not Me, Then Who?” mantra originated with Travis before his final deployment and became a guiding principle for the Foundation and for Ryan's own decision-making. (46:05–47:29)

• Ryan addresses impostor syndrome as a young, non-veteran female leading a major veteran service organization, and how believing in herself made all the difference. (50:11)

  • Quote:
    “You’ve got to believe in yourself before others are going to believe in you.”
    —Ryan Manion [50:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Veterans’ Humility:
  “They’re not in it for the thank you. What comes along with thanking our men and women for their service is the obligation of understanding what their service means.”
  — Ryan Manion [00:00]

• On Service and Mentorship:
  “Mentors were so key in my life at every stage... but people struggle with how to find a mentor, how to ask someone to be a mentor, how to be a mentor.”
  — Kevin Gentry [25:21]

• On Overcoming Fear:
  “There’s this idea that the biggest risk is not taking the risk at all... You’ve got to believe in yourself before others are going to believe in you.”
  — Ryan Manion [50:11]

• On Youth and Hope:
  “I am inspired every day by our youth and by the determination and understanding and appreciation of our military...”
  — Ryan Manion [38:33]

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 | Ryan on Veterans’ humility and meaning of service
• 04:10 | The Manion family story & Travis’s path to the Marines
• 07:49 | The circumstances of Travis’s death and the Silver Star
• 12:02 | TMF’s unexpected growth
• 15:13 | Shifting TMF from giving grants to creating programs; changing the veteran narrative
• 19:15 | TMF’s present impact: leadership, chapters, and “Character Does Matter” program
• 22:41 | The crisis of youth mentorship and veterans as role models
• 30:32 | Service as the antidote to despair: the story of Veronica Ortiz
• 35:19 | How to understand, not just honor, veterans’ sacrifice
• 38:33 | Ryan’s view on inspiring youth
• 41:41 | TMF’s bottom-up, empowered leadership model
• 44:02 | Resilience after loss: Ryan’s father’s guidance
• 46:05 | Travis’s “If Not Me, Then Who?” moment
• 50:11 | Overcoming impostor syndrome and leading boldly
• 54:00 | Ryan’s advice for anyone wanting to “go big”

Resources Mentioned

• Books:

  • The Knock at the Door (2019, by Ryan Manion et al.) [47:49]
  • Upcoming: Things My Brother Used to Say (children’s book, Nov 2025) [48:01]

• Podcasts:

  • Resilient Life podcast, hosted by Ryan Manion [48:21]

• Travis Manion Foundation:

  • Programs, events, and opportunities to get involved: www.travismanion.org

How to Go Big: Ryan’s Closing Advice

• The journey is filled with bumps and failures. Success and struggle go hand-in-hand, but struggle is the “antecedent of growth.”
• Know what “big” means for you and don’t be afraid to take risks or fail—keep working through adversity.
  • Quote:
    “When you fail, that next success is not far off if you keep working toward it... Struggle is the antecedent of growth.”
    —Ryan Manion [54:00]

For Action & Further Inspiration

• Discover TMF events such as the 9/11 Heroes Run and local service projects.
• Consider mentorship—whether finding or becoming a mentor.
• Remember and apply “If not me, then who?” in your daily life, no matter the size of the task.

Subscribe to Going Big! and learn more at goingbigpodcast.com or travismanion.org