WEBVTT
00:00:57.050 --> 00:00:58.170
Warriors fall in.
00:00:58.250 --> 00:00:59.609
It's time for formation.
00:00:59.770 --> 00:01:03.929
Today, folks, I have a guest who I actually used to work for once upon a time.
00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:09.770
And today he is running several different streams of income.
00:01:10.010 --> 00:01:11.290
He's a businessman.
00:01:11.450 --> 00:01:23.689
He's pivoted so much, 180 degrees, going from a federal law enforcement officer, government worker, to now running his own businesses and working with multiple CEOs.
00:01:23.849 --> 00:01:29.450
So I'd like to introduce you to none other than the great Floridian George Gammon.
00:01:29.530 --> 00:01:30.890
Thank you, sir, for joining me today.
00:01:31.370 --> 00:01:32.890
Nah, thanks for having me, brother.
00:01:33.609 --> 00:01:53.849
Oh man, honestly, the uh the honor is all mine because um I had the opportunity to work for you a few years ago and uh and work with you, and I gotta say, by far, you were definitely top three most motivated individuals I've ever worked with in my entire life.
00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:59.289
Um and I didn't know a lot of times what would drive you to get things done.
00:01:59.450 --> 00:02:21.610
Um I've been very blessed throughout my life to work with folks like you, and I'm not just kissing your ass because you're sitting in front of me right now, but the one thing that I really enjoyed about your leadership was you understood that each individual person needed different types of mentoring and supervision, and I really appreciated that about you the most.
00:02:21.769 --> 00:02:29.850
Um and I knew that when you made your career transition into the civilian sector that you were gonna pivot and you were gonna be real successful.
00:02:30.009 --> 00:02:35.050
So can you talk a little bit about your background and where you came from originally?
00:02:36.250 --> 00:02:47.449
Uh yeah, um grew up in Florida, born and raised, uh, Tampa, went to college, graduated from the University of South Florida, and then jumped pretty much right into the air marshal service.
00:02:47.689 --> 00:02:50.810
A lot of that came because of connections from my family.
00:02:50.969 --> 00:02:52.250
I grew up in a military family.
00:02:52.490 --> 00:02:59.610
Mom's military, dad's family, or military, my brother's military, Marine Corps, or uh Air Force, Coast Guard, you know, the whole works.
00:02:59.850 --> 00:03:11.689
And uh I had considered going in to the military um through like an ICS program or like uh the uh what do they call it, the uh officer Canada School programs or something while I was in college.
00:03:12.409 --> 00:03:17.289
But my mom had a reserve guy that worked for her who knew about the air marshals.
00:03:17.610 --> 00:03:21.689
And he was telling me all about the air marshals, and so I was like, that sounds like a great job.
00:03:21.849 --> 00:03:24.969
And the more I looked into what being an air marshal was, I was like, what is an air marshal?
00:03:25.129 --> 00:03:26.330
Like I can't find anything about it.
00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:31.530
It was kind of super secret, and so I knew that's what I wanted to do and made it happen.
00:03:31.689 --> 00:03:41.449
Um started in Miami and then just bounced all around DC from DC to LA where I worked with you and began my transition out.
00:03:41.770 --> 00:03:42.250
I come in.
00:03:42.569 --> 00:03:44.330
So that was your first job coming out of college?
00:03:44.729 --> 00:03:45.210
Your first job.
00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:47.610
That was my first my real yeah, that was it.
00:03:48.009 --> 00:03:48.250
Yep.
00:03:48.490 --> 00:03:50.569
So where did the work ethic come from?
00:03:52.170 --> 00:03:54.650
I I mean, I feel like I always kind of had it.
00:03:54.890 --> 00:03:58.330
So like I'll go back to as a kid, I guess.
00:03:58.650 --> 00:04:01.050
Like I was a kind of a bullied kid, right?
00:04:01.210 --> 00:04:14.409
And like I was always kind of a heavier kid, so people made fun of me, and like I had to work harder to overcome those like internal struggles, my own like feeling of self-worth and trying to overcompensate.
00:04:14.890 --> 00:04:20.649
So like I remember when I got into high school, I told myself I'll be captain of the football team.
00:04:21.289 --> 00:04:22.490
And nobody believed me.
00:04:22.810 --> 00:04:23.449
But I did it.
00:04:23.689 --> 00:04:24.889
I worked my ass off.
00:04:25.210 --> 00:04:30.009
I became the strongest, I became the best, I became one of the leaders, and I became captain of the football team.
00:04:30.250 --> 00:04:38.970
You know, got first team all conference, honorable mention, all like all these, you know, scholarship offers and stuff, and I think that's what really did it for me is this internal drive.
00:04:39.129 --> 00:04:41.930
And then my parents are hard-working, driven folks.
00:04:42.409 --> 00:04:46.090
I had good role models, but it's mostly for me.
00:04:46.250 --> 00:04:52.090
And uh and then I became to the point like I think it's more of like that's who I became.
00:04:52.409 --> 00:04:54.970
I just I thrived when I worked hard.
00:04:55.050 --> 00:04:56.250
I could see the results.
00:04:56.490 --> 00:05:00.730
If I just sit back and let things happen and just ask for it to be handed to me, it's not gonna be given to me.
00:05:00.810 --> 00:05:01.769
I had to take it.
00:05:02.250 --> 00:05:02.649
Right.
00:05:02.889 --> 00:05:12.810
So combination of being raised right and sports, and from my understanding from our past conversations, you also got an opportunity to play college football, right?
00:05:13.129 --> 00:05:14.970
I did play a little bit of college football, yeah, man.
00:05:15.129 --> 00:05:16.009
It was it was pretty cool.
00:05:16.089 --> 00:05:24.329
I started a small D D three school up in Wisconsin, got to start there, um, and then transitioned to USF later on, but that didn't work out for me.
00:05:24.490 --> 00:05:25.449
But it was still fun, man.
00:05:25.530 --> 00:05:29.850
It was a good opportunity, great, great opportunity to be able to play at the collegiate level.
00:05:30.170 --> 00:05:31.769
What was it like going to that new level?
00:05:32.170 --> 00:05:33.530
D3 to D1.
00:05:35.050 --> 00:05:35.290
Fast.
00:05:36.329 --> 00:05:39.530
So just even the tryout was faster.
00:05:39.689 --> 00:05:41.930
Everybody's faster, everybody's stronger.
00:05:42.089 --> 00:05:43.209
It's just different.
00:05:43.769 --> 00:05:45.689
And it just was a whole another level.
00:05:45.930 --> 00:05:50.970
Looking back, maybe I should have stayed at the JUCO level if I wanted to play football.
00:05:51.370 --> 00:05:53.129
Yeah, but who wants to live in Wisconsin?
00:05:53.530 --> 00:05:55.530
Who wants to live in Wisconsin though?
00:05:56.490 --> 00:05:56.970
Nah.
00:05:57.129 --> 00:06:00.329
It was it was cool the experience, but I I'll never go back there.
00:06:00.810 --> 00:06:02.490
It's too cold for me.
00:06:03.129 --> 00:06:16.490
Shoot, I remember on a smaller scale, my freshman year, when I got in on a couple of varsity plays, and they actually gave me the ball on one of the plays, and I remember it was over in like a blink of an eye, and I was like, wow, that was fast.
00:06:16.569 --> 00:06:17.530
And that's varsity.
00:06:17.610 --> 00:06:26.569
I can't even imagine D1, like you're working with all these guys that are like the top of the top and the cream of the crop of their own states and everything.
00:06:26.889 --> 00:06:29.769
I never got to do any game time at that level.
00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:32.250
I got game time at the D3 level.
00:06:32.490 --> 00:06:34.170
And even there it was faster.
00:06:34.490 --> 00:06:39.769
I mean, these kids, most of these college kids, like at the even to the D3 level, could be D1 athletes.
00:06:40.009 --> 00:06:48.009
And you see it today where some of these kids will go start a JUCO and now they're you know Heisman trophy candidates and they're getting their opportunities.
00:06:48.089 --> 00:06:51.449
It's just they hustled and they grinded and they didn't give up.
00:06:51.610 --> 00:06:58.329
I did slack a little bit when I transitioned to USF.
00:06:58.490 --> 00:07:09.290
I joined the Greek life, got kind of into the the Greek life a little bit, a little harder than I probably should have, and that was more fun than working my butt off.
00:07:09.610 --> 00:07:12.250
So I kinda I stopped.
00:07:12.410 --> 00:07:16.569
My work ethic kind of backed off for a little bit there for about two or three years in college.
00:07:17.290 --> 00:07:21.370
Well, what's to be expected when you're young and you're living in South Florida, you know?
00:07:22.170 --> 00:07:23.850
It was it was a great time.
00:07:24.089 --> 00:07:26.810
I'm not gonna go into those details, but Yeah.
00:07:27.209 --> 00:07:31.769
That's yeah, that's for another like another like R-rated or worse time.
00:07:31.930 --> 00:07:40.490
But um, I'm originally from Hawaii and I could never imagine putting myself in a tropical environment and thinking that I'm actually gonna attend class.
00:07:40.649 --> 00:07:48.649
So just for you to have the motivation and the mindset and the maturity to just show up and you eventually graduated from USF, right?
00:07:48.970 --> 00:07:49.449
I did.
00:07:49.530 --> 00:07:49.769
Yeah.
00:07:49.930 --> 00:07:50.250
Yeah.
00:07:50.490 --> 00:07:52.730
Graduated from USF in 09.
00:07:53.530 --> 00:07:53.930
Yeah.
00:07:54.170 --> 00:07:57.209
And your brother, you have a younger brother, right?
00:07:57.449 --> 00:07:57.850
I do.
00:07:57.930 --> 00:07:59.209
He's a couple years younger than me.
00:07:59.370 --> 00:08:01.290
And he took a different path, right?
00:08:02.009 --> 00:08:03.290
Completely different path.
00:08:03.449 --> 00:08:05.610
Um, he didn't like school at all.
00:08:05.850 --> 00:08:07.610
He was kind of a troubled kid.
00:08:07.850 --> 00:08:16.009
Um just met the wrong crowd early in life, uh, and then got in a little bit of trouble and decided he was going to become a Marine.
00:08:16.250 --> 00:08:18.250
Straight into the Marine Corps infantry.
00:08:18.569 --> 00:08:23.850
O311, right in and straight to combat as a young man.
00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:27.370
You know, did two tours, I believe, injured a couple times.
00:08:27.530 --> 00:08:30.410
Um they're working on his purple heart paperwork now, finally.
00:08:30.569 --> 00:08:33.370
He finally was able to track down a witness for that.
00:08:34.170 --> 00:08:36.569
So they're getting that finally taken care of.
00:08:36.889 --> 00:08:39.529
Is he uh Iraq or Afghanistan?
00:08:39.769 --> 00:08:40.889
He was Afghanistan.
00:08:41.129 --> 00:08:42.250
Afghanistan, yeah.
00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:44.649
Uh completely two different war fronts, man.
00:08:44.730 --> 00:08:57.450
And whenever I talked to people, because I was in Iraq, but whenever I talked to folks that were in Afghanistan, uh, there was really not a lot of hardballs, not a lot of, I mean, roads, black top roads, there wasn't a whole lot of uh buildings.
00:08:57.610 --> 00:09:01.930
It was a really kind of a third a real third world country in a sense.
00:09:02.009 --> 00:09:10.089
And uh the a lot of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are completely different as far as their experiences go and what they had to do when they were over there.
00:09:10.250 --> 00:09:18.490
So while he was in Iraq or Afghanistan Afghanistan, Afghanistan, you were probably in college around that time, right?
00:09:18.809 --> 00:09:19.049
Right.
00:09:19.129 --> 00:09:22.410
While he was getting shot at, I was partying with sorority girls.
00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:23.450
Two different worlds.
00:09:24.009 --> 00:09:30.329
Doing keg parties and you know, not even thinking about what he was going through at the same exact moments.
00:09:31.049 --> 00:09:32.250
How was that for you though?
00:09:32.490 --> 00:09:34.569
How was that for you when he was deployed?
00:09:34.970 --> 00:09:37.690
Um I always knew he was kind of a tough kid.
00:09:37.769 --> 00:09:47.210
Uh we we hit we bumped heads a lot early because I felt like he should have let led by like I should I was trying to lead by example and guide him and like show him the way and he didn't want to listen to it.
00:09:47.289 --> 00:09:48.569
He did everything the opposite of me.
00:09:48.730 --> 00:09:50.970
If I did football, he's like, no, I don't want nothing to do with that.
00:09:51.049 --> 00:09:54.490
Like completely just separated everything that I was.
00:09:54.730 --> 00:09:59.049
And we just didn't get along much um in our younger years when testosterone kicked in.
00:09:59.369 --> 00:10:04.569
And then uh later, though, we started to really re-come around after his injury.
00:10:04.730 --> 00:10:12.490
Um he got injured in Afghanistan, ejected from a turret, and I guess did three months or so in Germany for rehabilitation.
00:10:12.730 --> 00:10:22.890
And when they originally called, they just said, you know, you're you're well, they told my mother, your son's been injured, he's being medevaced out or something, he's gonna be in Germany, and that's all I told her.
00:10:23.130 --> 00:10:27.529
She had no idea how bad or what the circumstances were, and that's when it kind of hit me.
00:10:27.769 --> 00:10:29.609
I just lost my little brother, right?
00:10:29.849 --> 00:10:34.170
And I didn't get a chance to like tell him, you know, I'm proud of him.
00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:35.529
Because he he actually did it.
00:10:35.609 --> 00:10:36.410
He became a Marine.
00:10:36.490 --> 00:10:40.329
And when I saw him graduate from boot camp, I was like, wow, this he did it.
00:10:40.410 --> 00:10:41.289
I didn't think he would.
00:10:41.769 --> 00:10:42.809
He never finished anything.
00:10:43.130 --> 00:10:44.490
It's just not the kind of kid he was.
00:10:44.650 --> 00:10:48.410
Like he did everything, he was great at everything, but he half asked it.
00:10:49.210 --> 00:10:50.490
But he was a great Marine.
00:10:50.730 --> 00:10:51.930
He was an excellent Marine.
00:10:52.089 --> 00:10:52.650
Excellent.
00:10:52.809 --> 00:10:54.650
Um he he just changed.
00:10:54.730 --> 00:10:57.769
He the military changed him into a better person.
00:10:58.009 --> 00:11:01.930
There were a lot of hard lessons learned, but it turned him into a man.
00:11:02.170 --> 00:11:05.049
And that's when we became you know close again.
00:11:05.450 --> 00:11:06.410
Wow, and I'm blessed.
00:11:06.569 --> 00:11:07.849
I'm blessed that he didn't die, dude.
00:11:08.009 --> 00:11:10.809
It's yeah, that's the reality of it all.
00:11:10.970 --> 00:11:13.049
I mean, two two different realities, right?
00:11:13.130 --> 00:11:21.289
So when I came back from Iraq in 04, um, I would talk to just everyone that was sitting sitting back here, and they were talking about vacations, Cancun.
00:11:21.690 --> 00:11:29.369
I did this, I did that, and like for the last year, I was serving in Iraq, um, dodging bullets, IEDs, and everything like that.
00:11:29.529 --> 00:11:35.130
So it's you come back to a to a world that's literally has carried on without you in a sense.
00:11:35.450 --> 00:11:47.609
And it's kind of humbling in a in a way that he had that event happen to him and it drew you guys closer, even though your entire lives you kind of were at each other's throats like two brothers typically would be, right?
00:11:47.930 --> 00:11:50.730
You can't imagine what your parents went through having to deal with both of you.
00:11:50.809 --> 00:11:54.329
I'm sure there's a lot of uh belt whoopens that went around the house growing up.
00:11:54.890 --> 00:11:58.650
A lot of a lot of doors that had to be replaced, a lot of holes in walls.
00:11:59.450 --> 00:12:01.609
We learned how to patch drywall pretty quick.
00:12:01.930 --> 00:12:09.450
And you and you and your brother are probably about 6'1, 6'2, uh freaking you guys are monsters, man, so I can imagine the damage y'all did do.
00:12:09.690 --> 00:12:11.930
He's playing in about 240 solid.
00:12:12.490 --> 00:12:15.130
I'm I'm pushing like 270, 280.
00:12:15.450 --> 00:12:16.170
Dang, yeah.
00:12:16.250 --> 00:12:17.130
And you're a strong dude.
00:12:17.690 --> 00:12:18.809
There were some battles.
00:12:19.130 --> 00:12:20.730
I I yeah, I've seen you lift before.
00:12:20.809 --> 00:12:21.529
You're a pretty strong dude.
00:12:21.609 --> 00:12:22.970
I know your brother's the same way as well.
00:12:23.130 --> 00:12:34.410
So you had a pretty average upbringing, I would say uh, you know, you have one brother that's kind of the the sports athletic guy, and then you've got the other brother that's kind of the opposite.
00:12:34.490 --> 00:12:40.809
So you've got two different personalities more or less growing up under the same household, and then life just takes you.
00:12:41.289 --> 00:12:43.210
He was super athletic.
00:12:43.450 --> 00:12:44.650
He just didn't want to apply himself.
00:12:44.730 --> 00:12:46.730
The kid had a 90-mile-an-hour fastball.
00:12:47.049 --> 00:12:48.170
He just wouldn't apply himself.
00:12:48.250 --> 00:12:50.809
Like when he went to try out for the baseball team, he tried out jeans.
00:12:50.890 --> 00:12:51.769
Like, who does that, right?
00:12:51.849 --> 00:12:55.289
Like, just a lot of decisions that I question, like, what are you thinking, man?
00:12:55.450 --> 00:12:57.769
Like, are you really thinking through these decisions?
00:12:58.170 --> 00:12:59.609
Probably just a little bit of maturity.
00:12:59.769 --> 00:13:18.809
I mean, you know, that's the best thing about the military is you go in and it gives you time to kind of bake and mature a little bit and figure out what it is that you want to do in life and um exposes you to different cultures, different people, um, a diversity of people from all over the United States, and then leadership and organization, it gives you all that stuff as well.
00:13:18.970 --> 00:13:28.009
So for as much flack as the military gets, um, for the kids out there that don't know what they want to do with themselves, it gives you time to figure it out.
00:13:28.250 --> 00:13:44.809
Um, and it sounds like you were a little more mature in a sense at an early age to figure out that you wanted to go to college, you were playing sports, so that was enough to give you your um your base, your organization, uh, your organizational skills, leadership skills, and all that stuff.
00:13:44.970 --> 00:13:48.089
So going into working for the government, what was that like?
00:13:49.529 --> 00:13:51.849
Um, it was awesome.
00:13:52.009 --> 00:13:52.970
I'm not gonna lie.
00:13:53.049 --> 00:13:54.730
I I really enjoyed being an air marshal.
00:13:54.970 --> 00:14:06.009
I loved from the first day getting my butt kicked, it felt like football practicing in a little bit, you know, running and everybody's yelling at you, and it's just it felt I felt right into it, like doing two a days, and it was fine.
00:14:06.170 --> 00:14:08.250
You know, it it was great.
00:14:08.410 --> 00:14:15.849
Um learning a lot of the skills that we took later, like even though it was at a lower level, like going to the academy was fun for me.
00:14:16.009 --> 00:14:19.049
I didn't have a wife, I didn't have kids, I was 24 years old.
00:14:19.210 --> 00:14:22.650
Like I was young, I I was excited about it, I was ready for it.
00:14:22.890 --> 00:14:25.210
And uh it was an amazing experience.
00:14:25.450 --> 00:14:30.170
Seeing things I never would ever be able to see, you know, if I had not taken that position.
00:14:30.410 --> 00:14:33.849
I met my wife, you know, while doing that job down in Miami.
00:14:33.930 --> 00:14:35.289
I wouldn't have moved to Miami.
00:14:35.369 --> 00:14:35.930
You know what I mean?
00:14:36.009 --> 00:14:38.009
On my own, I probably would have never gone back there.
00:14:38.650 --> 00:14:40.410
So it's I don't know.
00:14:40.569 --> 00:14:41.930
It was a great experience.
00:14:42.809 --> 00:14:48.170
It it felt like what I wanted out of life because I knew I could get a guaranteed good salary.
00:14:48.329 --> 00:14:57.930
My parents always preached, you know, go into government, get a good job, do what you're supposed to do, work your way up the ladder, do your 401k, do your investments, and you'll be fine, right?
00:14:58.009 --> 00:15:04.009
You'll get a good retirement, you'll be solid, can retire in your 40s, and then do whatever you want after that.
00:15:04.569 --> 00:15:06.650
So I kind of like that's what I was gonna do.
00:15:06.809 --> 00:15:08.569
And I just want to be the best at what I did.
00:15:08.809 --> 00:15:11.289
To show up to work, but do the best job I can.
00:15:12.170 --> 00:15:13.049
Just have fun.
00:15:13.289 --> 00:15:17.210
Now, were either one of your parents military or in government work?
00:15:17.450 --> 00:15:18.569
Yeah, they both were.
00:15:18.809 --> 00:15:27.690
So my mom was um, she was a civilian IT supervisor for the Coast Guard, but she was also a uh reserve commander.
00:15:27.849 --> 00:15:30.410
She was an 05, I believe, in the Coast Guard.
00:15:31.049 --> 00:15:39.609
Um, and then around 9-11, after 9-11, she got actually promoted and called to active duty in Miami um to be the chief of maritime homeland security.
00:15:39.849 --> 00:15:42.970
So she did that for I don't know, three, four years.
00:15:43.210 --> 00:15:45.609
So she was separated from the family for a little while.
00:15:45.769 --> 00:15:52.490
Um, while I was in high school, so like uh she went down about 01-02, and she was down there until like 05, I think.
00:15:52.650 --> 00:15:53.289
04-05.
00:15:53.450 --> 00:15:55.049
I can't remember the exact time frame.
00:15:55.769 --> 00:16:00.730
And then uh my dad did 20 years Air Force, and then he got out and he ended up at uh U.S.
00:16:00.890 --> 00:16:01.369
customers.
00:16:02.009 --> 00:16:03.690
So he retired both.
00:16:03.930 --> 00:16:04.410
So yeah.
00:16:04.650 --> 00:16:05.930
Both military government.
00:16:06.250 --> 00:16:15.130
Yeah, you have a really uh deep government military leadership based family.
00:16:15.369 --> 00:16:28.569
I mean, right off the bat, you got a mom and dad that are that are really in there, and especially during a tumultuous time of September 11th, and and being sent down there to cover, you know, national security of our country.
00:16:28.730 --> 00:16:37.930
That's absolutely amazing that that you grew up with that type of leadership, and then you both, both of you boys kind of grew into your own, I guess you could say.
00:16:38.089 --> 00:16:44.089
So now you served your time in the government and then you decided to get out and transition into the civilian side.
00:16:44.250 --> 00:16:46.410
What was that like for you leading up to that?
00:16:47.130 --> 00:16:53.369
Um after the medical retirement, it was kind of nerve-wracking.
00:16:53.529 --> 00:16:55.130
I had no idea what I was gonna do now.
00:16:55.289 --> 00:17:02.329
I knew my my medical pension would not, you know, I had three little girls, I have a wife, I have a full family, young family.
00:17:02.490 --> 00:17:04.009
So I had to make income, right?
00:17:04.089 --> 00:17:08.569
And I didn't know what exactly I wanted to do or how to even get there.
00:17:09.210 --> 00:17:21.130
Um, but networking and making good friendships is where it really became beneficial because I had some people that I could call on that kind of led me to this is what I did, you know, try this.
00:17:21.529 --> 00:17:29.450
Um I did one year as the vice president of cybersecurity investigations for a company, and uh it just wasn't what I was looking for anymore.
00:17:29.690 --> 00:17:38.250
It was very corporate, you know, a lot of work hours, a lot of extra stress that, and I just wanted to do something a little bit differently.
00:17:38.569 --> 00:17:40.490
And it was very cold.
00:17:41.130 --> 00:17:42.410
It was everybody's after you.
00:17:42.569 --> 00:17:49.450
Everybody wanted to take your job, everybody wanted to make you look bad and make themselves look better, and it just it wasn't a very good environment.
00:17:49.849 --> 00:17:51.609
And I just didn't want to be in that anymore.
00:17:52.170 --> 00:17:54.809
So I started figuring out what am I gonna do.
00:17:55.450 --> 00:18:01.450
So I started looking into opening my own business or figuring out what is next.