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This week's episode is a conversation with Cary Goldberg... a retired LEO, a veteran, and now the Director of Business Management with Starchase.

Cary walks us through his journey of growing up in Northern Virginia, realizing a four year university was not for him, joining the Marine Corps and going to the West coast, then transitioning into Law Enforcement and working for both municipal and county departments, and eventually retiring.

The turning point in Cary's career hit in 2020, for many reasons...which he talks about and deciding to retire, he had no plan other than he didn't want to work and did not want to stay in California. He and his wife sold everything and decided to RV across the country.

Like with so many retirees...that lasted six months. With no "home base" and structure, it was difficult, so they decided on a home base and he found a career that is adjacent to Law Enforcement.

Cary talks about how he once had work over family as the priority and how FAMILY is the priority. He also encourages others to work on becoming the best version of yourself. He also gave advice for those looking to transition..."don't pigeon hole yourself."

Make sure you follow and connect with Cary on LinkedIn, here.

If you haven't already...make sure you follow me on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @_nextshift_ AND @the_jessflores

If this podcast resonates with you or you feel like it could help someone else, please feel free to share it with them and/or on your social media platforms...but be sure to tag me so I can personally say THANK YOU!

Be sure to subscribe by clicking the + sign at the top and if you feel called to do so, I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review.

You can NOW wear the mission of The Next Shift Podcast, with merch! Check out our current designs, here.

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This week's episode is an incredible conversation with Dr. Erica Birkley, who was actually recommended by a prior guest and friend, Chris Perry. He credits Dr. Birkley with helping him heal and get to where he is. You can check out his episode, here.

There were sooo many notes from this episode that there is NO WAY to include them all, so I will suggest getting out a notebook while listening.

Dr. Birkley is a Psychologist in Cincinnati, who owns her own private group practice and specializes in working with first responders. Some of the things she does through her practice are outpatient PTSD treatment, clinical depression, critical incident response, psych testing for departments, and training.

Dr. Birkley trained at the VA and credits that training as a great training ground for first responders, she then worked at the University of Cincinnati Hospital treating first responders, where she realized a true passion for working with them. Treating PTSD, especially working with couples is her favorite modality. When she was confronted with the reality of not only being able to work with first responders through the hospital, she CHOSE to leave (without a plan, but a lot of faith) and start her own practice, so she could serve our community.

We discussed her "welcome to the field" moment, what patterns she sees in our law enforcement community, how important accountability is, the importance of different perspectives, and how a diagnosis (like PTSD) is NOT a life sentence.

Dr. Birkley shared stats and science that helped provide so much hope! She gives red flags for PTSD (listen to these!), realistic expectations for treatment, and gives tips for those moving into the transition to life after law enforcement.

You can connect with Dr. Birkley through her website, here.

If you haven't already...make sure you follow me on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @_nextshift_ AND @the_jessflores

If this podcast resonates with you or you feel like it could help someone else, please feel free to share it with them and/or on your social media platforms...but be sure to tag me so I can personally say THANK YOU!

Be sure to subscribe by clicking the + sign at the top and if you feel called to do so, I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review.

You can NOW wear the mission of The Next Shift Podcast, with merch! Check out our current designs, here.

See you Next Shift

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If you're looking to transition out of law enforcement in 2026...this episode is for YOU.

This week's episode is a chat with Courtney Lesiak, a former recruiter turned cop...and now former LEO, who's also a mom and wife to a now former cop, and embarking on a new career journey.

Courtney talks about being a recruiter and enjoying it, but not enjoying sitting at a cubicle all day...so she became a cop. She met her husband on the job and served 6.5 years before transitioning out in 2021, after having a child, child-care in a post-covid era, and getting turned down for a position.

She also talks about being a female on the job and how you are NOT the same cop you were before children, and the initial feeling of relief during the transition. She was able to land a job after leaving, due to running into an old co-worker who offered her a position. A reminder to NEVER burn bridges.

Courtney provides "insider info" and tips for job seeker... including things like being seen as a serious professional, looking outside of the traditional corporate security roles, and being more detailed on your resume. She also touches on the short term sacrifices often necessary for long term gains...something SOOO many in this profession NEED to hear and understand.

Make sure you connect with Courtney on LinkedIn, here.

If you haven't already...make sure you follow me on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @_nextshift_ AND @the_jessflores

If this podcast resonates with you or you feel like it could help someone else, please feel free to share it with them and/or on your social media platforms...but be sure to tag me so I can personally say THANK YOU!

Be sure to subscribe by clicking the + sign at the top and if you feel called to do so, I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review.

You can NOW wear the mission of The Next Shift Podcast, with merch! Check out our current designs, here.

See you Next Shift