The Unarmored Talk podcast, hosted by Mario P. Fields, is a podcast for people to share their stories of overcoming adversity and breaking down their emotional barriers. In a recent episode, Mario interviews Eric Sandoval (U.S.M.C to Real Estate Agent) about facing unexpected challenges, losing multiple revenue streams, and moving from Southern California to North Carolina with a newborn baby.
Eric shares his personal experiences and offers valuable advice on how to navigate difficult times, emphasizing the importance of reaching out for help and not giving up hope. He emphasizes that transition is a continuous process, and it's never easy. The conversation progresses to Eric's current role as a real estate agent, where he finds his passion and utilizes his skill sets to the fullest. He talks about how he's always been good at dynamic engagement, building relationships, and how he leverages his skills to help his clients.
The conversation offers a unique perspective on resilience and navigating challenging times. It provides valuable insights and advice that will resonate with anyone going through a difficult transition or facing unexpected challenges.
Meet Our Guest: Eric Sandoval
Executive Director IgniteVet |Driven Veterans Advocate and supporter of humans |Transition resources| Veteran Business Support | Community Action
🔑 Key Takeaways:
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Eric Sandoval shares his journey of transitioning from a Marine veteran to a real estate agent and offers valuable advice on how to navigate difficult times, emphasizing the importance of reaching out for help and not giving up hope.
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Transition is a continuous process, and it's never easy. Eric had to leverage multiple resources to keep himself afloat, including various veteran support organizations, counseling from the Vet Center, and more.
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Eric's personal experiences and advice on resilience and navigating challenging times provide valuable insights and advice that will resonate with anyone going through a difficult transition or facing unexpected challenges.
👉🏾 Discussion Points
Role of Emotions in Decision-making: Mario mentions "thinking as a choice" and the impact of emotions on decision-making. Discuss the balance between thinking rationally and acting emotionally.
Leveraging Resources in Crisis: Eric discussed how he leveraged multiple resources when he faced adversity. Talk about the importance of seeking help and utilizing available resources during challenging times.
Transition Challenges: The challenges of transitioning out of the military and adapting to civilian life. Explore more stories or accounts of veterans facing similar challenges and how they navigated them.
Veteran Mental Health: Veterans dealing with personal demons and internalizing struggles. Discuss the significance of addressing mental health issues, especially among the veteran community.
Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Eric's story of moving from Southern California to North Carolina, dealing with a ruined home, and his physical challenges exemplify resilience. Discuss what qualities or mindsets help build resilience.
The Intersection of Passion and Profession: Eric's transition from a military recruiter to a real estate agent and the realization of using his innate skills in a different domain. Discuss how often people overlook their true calling and how they can identify it.
Economic Impacts: The changing market dynamics and the challenges of the real estate market. Discuss the broader economic implications and how individuals can navigate these waters.
Veteran Community Support: Eric mentioned organizations that support veterans. Explore how communities can better support veterans in their post-military careers and personal lives.
Life Beyond Tragedy: There's always life after every tragedy. Discuss the concept of post-traumatic growth and how people can find new meaning after experiencing significant adversities.
Personal Growth through Challenges: Eric's journey from a destabilized situation in California to establishing himself as a real estate agent in North Carolina is a tale of personal growth. Discuss the idea that often, our most significant growth comes from our most significant challenges.
The conversation highlights the importance of resilience during challenging times and the need to seek help when needed. Eric's personal experiences and advice on navigating difficult times offer valuable insights and advice that can help anyone going through a challenging time. It's a compelling episode that provides a unique perspective on navigating difficult situations and finding one's passion.
Watch full episode
Resources:
Unarmored Talk Guests: Eric Sandoval
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandovalericm/
Email: [email protected]
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Full Transcript by BuzzSprout
Mario P Fields: 0:00
Welcome back to Unarmored Talk podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue pleased to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is a awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck just looking at show notes, or you can put in the search engine Mario P Fields parade deck and get all access to my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people. What's going on? Everyone? Welcome back to unarmor talk podcast again. Another episode and another Amazing guest that's willing to remove their armor to help people gain a better understanding of how thinking changes the dynamics of living and emotions can change it too, and maybe in a bad way. I'm your host, mario P Fields, and today's guest is Eric Sandoval. What's going on, my friend? How's everyone doing?
Eric Sandoval: 1:04
Thank you very much, Mario.
Mario P Fields: 1:06
If you guys are watching, you can see this amazing gentleman, if you're listening, you can hear his voice. But before I introduce professionally and personally this amazing guest who now, again, professionally he's you know him and I had some amazing professional connections. And then personally, he's a marine, a Veteran, and I've gotten to know him. You know, I've had a chance to get to know him personally. Let's do the admin. Hey, here we go about. The close of the year, almost an armored talk is getting ready to go stronger to its Third year anniversary on October the 8th. And so you know, we're looking forward to doing that special episode. And don't forget, continue to download. Every time you download, it generates, generates charitable funds that's donated to, still serving, incorporated, and we're going into another school year Making a difference with you guys, your support, and every time you download, share, watch or Even leave a comment. Okay, I'm done with the admin. You guys know the deal. Let's jump right into it. Today we have a marine Veteran, united States Marine Corps, super Phi. Yes, yes, number two, he is a real estate agent. And more, eric Sandoval. You know, again, I, my budget, a budget can't get that clap thing. Oh.
Eric Sandoval: 2:28
My goodness. Thank you very much, Mario, I appreciate it. Yes, my name is Eric Sandoval. I'm an agent with Keller Williams out of Moorhead City. My nickname is Mr. America can't spell America without Eric, and I tell you what you shouldn't buy real estate without me either. But hey, I really appreciate you have me on because you know what it is a Trying time that we're dealing with out here, ain't that right, Mario?
Mario P Fields: 2:52
Yeah, sure is that market is different economies, it's like a roller coaster. And what a better person have a real estate agent here in North Carolina. What areas are you servicing, Eric? So the listeners of viewers, they want to reach out and have you represent them. They can find you.
Eric Sandoval: 3:07
Thank you very much. Well, mostly the Crystal Coast area, you know, on slow County, jones, carterette County, but pretty much anywhere in the Eastern North Carolina. I'm not here even to support you guys.
Mario P Fields: 3:21
So you guys heard it on slow County, jones, Carterette County and more Crystal Coast. You need someone to Provide you that world-class real estate need Service. You bring you a piece of mind, if you will. Hey, you guys got to get a hold of Eric. My friends get a hold of Eric, and how can they get it? How can they get in contact with you?
Eric Sandoval: 3:41
You know what, go ahead and reach out to me at [email protected]. I'll reach out to you quickly and find out whatever you need and help you fulfill it.
Mario P Fields: 3:53
So let's jump right into the topic. Right can actually today. You know, here here we got this, this, this Marine Corps veteran in his passion, doing great things as a real estate agent. But from my basic understanding, eric, the journey was like a runaway roller coaster.
Eric Sandoval: 4:16
Absolutely. You know I'll have to say that. You know a lot of individuals who are transitioning out of the military. You know they seem to think you know what if I find that dream job bang home run, I don't have to worry about anything again. But we both know from our experience and from hearing from others that 90% of service members Transition out their first job within the first year. And the truth of the matter is transition is continuous and understanding that it is going to be a roller coaster, it's never going to be ups and downs and we're not going to know. But as long as we hold true to who we are as individuals and we keep that good center of balance, we'll be able to deflect any blows but then also balance ourselves when there's that wobble and we can keep moving forward. That's what I think is really important.
Mario P Fields: 5:12
Yeah, now, you weren't always in North Carolina, you were in SoCal, right? Southern California, right? Yes, sir, that's correct.
Eric Sandoval: 5:20
I worked at one of the colleges in Southern California and during the COVID crisis, I lost four revenue streams and had to transition my family all the way from California to Northern Carolina. Two Northern Carolina, yes, sir.
Mario P Fields: 5:36
Four revenue streams.
Eric Sandoval: 5:38
Yes, sir.
Mario P Fields: 5:39
Wow, and of course, a lot of times we talk about external factors, those things that you can only imagine may happen, but it's hard to predict. Did you see that coming man?
Eric Sandoval: 5:53
And I'll be honest with you, I was gearing up to go higher on the ladder. I had several applications in to be a director of veterans affairs at three or four of the different colleges in Southern California and I was aspiring to go further and support veterans further in the academic world. And when that made gave us the call and said hey, listen, guys, we're going to have to let some of you go. It was 15 days after I came off maternity leave. Oh wow, yeah, it was a big, big jolt to the system. You know, it's like I've got a newborn and in the cost of living in Southern California at that time I was renting an apartment that cost $3,200 a month.
Mario P Fields: 6:41
Oh, wow.
Eric Sandoval: 6:42
I think right now I think I looked it up that same apartment is going for $4,300 a month, and to lose a large multiple revenue streams and to just totally destabilize my, my income was extremely challenging. So, yeah, right.
Mario P Fields: 6:59
So here you are, faced with this unexpected situation. At any time, you know, did you? Did you feel like, did you feel hopeless or did you go?
Eric Sandoval: 7:10
man what.
Mario P Fields: 7:11
What am I going to do now? I got a newborn.
Eric Sandoval: 7:14
Yeah.
Mario P Fields: 7:15
I'm going to go back to the beginning of the story and make this happen.
Eric Sandoval: 7:18
Hopeless is definitely a word I was familiar with over the last two and a half plus years of this. It's been a struggle, me to the core and I have applied as many resources as I possibly could find to keep me above water. A Simper FI, fun challenge, athletes, foundation, operation, rebound tons of other ones out there supporting veterans each and every single day, and I was able to leverage those keep myself afloat, reached out to the vet center for counseling, which was really really a huge benefit because you know a lot of us. We were dealing with some demons. We're dealing with things that we acquired through our journey in the military and perhaps we don't have the skill sets to work through what we're feeling and so we internalize it because we feel like no one else will understand us. So we hold it all in and it's very destructive. It was the worst thing I could have ever done was sit there and think I can do this on my own.
Mario P Fields: 8:38
So yeah, and I love, eric, how you chose. You know you made the choice to leverage multiple resources to help you get through this. You know this challenging time in your life and that's a choice. You know that's what I love about this podcast because I guess you know help hopefully help the listeners and viewers understand that. You know emotions are natural but to think is a choice and I love how you thought through that and leverage the resources. So now you get to North Carolina. Did the turbulence slow down a little bit or was it still about a 5.7 on a Richter scale?
Eric Sandoval: 9:23
You know, unfortunately my housing situation was in a little bit of a disarray. The tenants that were in my house on the East Coast trashed it to nearly unlivable. I mean, I had to put brand new flooring in, paint the walls, you know, debug it, because it was pretty bad. It was pretty difficult for the first few months. So I lived, I lived in an RV on our driveway until we were able to get the house to a livable status. Wow, yeah. And I'm a disabled veteran. I've got one working arm. So if you can imagine, you know, it's just. You know, I would say that the most biggest thing to struggle with as a service member who has a disability is that at one point in time this body and this mind was capable of almost anything, Right, and then now I'm a diminished version of myself. The challenges are just as intense, Right, you know what I mean. So one of the things, one of the pieces of advice I'd like to share is that know that there's always life after every tragedy. No-transcript. I like that Because a lot of people, you know they go through a tragic moment in their life and they're like, oh, I just want to end it right, you know, it'll all be over with by just ending. But the reality is is there's so much more to experience beyond that. You know, if I would have, you know, lost my life or taken my life prior to getting out of the military, I wouldn't have my newt, my son, you know. He's, you know, three years old and I got a whole universe to explore as a dad, and so for me to. If I would have quit, you know, I wouldn't be here now.
Mario P Fields: 11:21
So yeah, and you know, like everyone you guys heard it there's so much more to life than the current challenge you're in. Although it may seem like the current situation is overwhelming and there's nothing outside of it, like Eric said, there's a lot outside. I think last, last, uh, last global census census reports there's about 8.5 billion humans, which to me translate into a lot of land and opportunity. So now you're a real estate agent, you're a realtor. I mean, I've talked to you. It got wonderful advice. You've helped me a lot and I know you're going to continue to help a lot of people and it seems like you're in your passion now. So talk to me about it.
Eric Sandoval: 12:05
Well, you know, I think sometimes we we fight ourselves Right? Uh, I've always been one who could talk on his feet, dynamic and engage with individuals, build relationships very easily. Um, I was a extremely successful recruiter in the Marine Corps, new York City, during the height of the war, 2004 to 2007. I was ranked number one, number two in Eastern recruiting region. So I was able to go out there and hook and jab and and perform that in the same skill sets that were used for recruiting I use in real estate. Well, those were my God given talents. God blessed me with those talents and once I realized that I was really good at certain things in that real estate was where all those skill sets could be fully employed. I was like holy smokes, what? What took me so long getting here? But hey, you know, that's just. That's just our roller coaster, right? Sometimes we don't see our exit until it's already passed. Well, now we got to wait another whole rotation to come back around. Right Now I'm like, oh man, this is great, I get a chance to engage with people, help people, you know, protect people all those things that a military person you know misses about being in the Marine Corps. Right, that's exactly.
Mario P Fields: 13:38
And would you say, eric, you're like like hey, I was just trying to catch a fly from Raleigh to Charlotte. How did I end up in Cancun? I should have been here from day one.
Eric Sandoval: 13:47
Right, exactly.
Mario P Fields: 13:49
Yeah.
Eric Sandoval: 13:51
And I think you just sometimes you you tell yourself what you really want to be, but then it you know what you really should be is right over here. So I love it.
Mario P Fields: 14:00
I love it. And looking back now, looking back on that journey, you know again, you get out wonderful job, you know multiple funding streams, so Cal and boom. And then now you, just you just did this very, very, very challenging years of challenges, years, days, not months years, everyone. And now you're you've found that passion by science too. It ain't even your opinion and you're doing amazing things. Looking back on that entire journey and all those emotions you experienced and the way you thought for it, if you had to pick one thing that you would leave the listeners and viewers, what would you leave them?
Eric Sandoval: 14:42
You know I would. I would leave with you that you're not alone. We may feel like we're on these journeys that are just gonna beat us down and we're all fighting a journey. We're all out there in this wilderness together, and so, if nothing else, hey, bud, you doing okay, you know, just kind of keep checking in with each other. If there's a reason why a person was a friend on your friends list, then you know what? There are a reason to keep communicating with them. And when we stop communicating, you stop checking in, that's when we start to get into real trouble. You let those demons and those voices in your head that are telling you you're no good or you're never gonna be successful, or why didn't you do this? They're only gonna get louder and louder and louder unless you can fill that void with other positive conversation. Right, you just gotta have that positive. And I think one of the things is I've never been afraid to reach out and tell people I'm hurting. I've never been afraid to be honest about all the dumb things I've done. So I mean, I think those two things have saved my life.
Mario P Fields: 16:03
I love it. Everyone you guys heard it. Eric Sandoval's living that unarmored life and, like he said, you're not alone. Even if you feel like you're alone, you're not alone, and so don't choose to go on this journey of life Alone. Eric, I know you're still having fun, and so I'm not gonna hold you any longer, because we have some homes to sell and we have some homes to buy, some for some amazing clients and I hope after this episode, you get a lot more folks coming your way so you can make them happy buyers or sellers, my friend.
Eric Sandoval: 16:41
Well, I appreciate you, sir, and you always impress me with how you're always doing more for more. Keep up to great work and simplify.
Mario P Fields: 16:50
Hey, simplify, my friend. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Well, everyone you guys know the deal. In a couple of weeks I'll see you with another amazing episode, but until then, be safe and God bless you and your families. Thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and watch all of the previous episodes on my YouTube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media is follow me on the Parade Deck that is ParadeDeck.com, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon.
