Jenna Carlton: How A Millennial Navy Veteran Turned Pain Into Purpose

What if the most courageous thing you can do after service is choose the unglamorous middle—the place where growth actually sticks? KP sits down with Navy veteran, author, and community builder Jenna Carleton to explore what it takes to rebuild identity, protect your peace, and find purpose that lasts. The conversation starts with burnout and impostor syndrome, then cuts to the hidden costs of clout culture: why extremes get clicks, how trolls can actually signal reach, and the quiet superpower of consistency. We talk honestly about standards, professionalism in uniform on social media, and how civilian misconceptions still shape hiring rooms that don’t speak the language of rank, roles, or reality.

From there, the journey turns local and tangible. Jenna busts myths about the VFW and shares what happens when a post embraces families, younger vets, and fresh ideas. We imagine posts with gyms instead of bigger bars, yoga and community events alongside service projects, and programming where health is the draw, not the afterthought. Women veterans take center stage as Jenna details the everyday hurdles—visibility, safety, and being believed—paired with practical tools like VA escorts, peer-vetted therapists who “get” veteran culture, and open conversations on women’s health that rarely make agendas but always matter.

The heartbeat of the episode is forward motion. Jenna’s new work as a housing navigator shows what service looks like in street-level change: educating landlords, leveraging federal funds, and bringing stability to veterans experiencing homelessness. Her book, The Veteran Workbook, invites vets to write their next chapter by literally writing it—journaling that turns memory into meaning and intention into action. If you feel stuck between identities, consider this your invitation: get excited for the space that opens after an ending. Choose the first small step toward community. Let the path widen.

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