Episode 3
🎙️ From Battle to Business: Navigating Depths & Decisions with William Spears
Episode Show Notes
In this no-fluff episode of From Battle to Business, Dean sits down with active duty submariner William Spears for a raw, often hilarious, and powerfully reflective conversation about identity, transition, and the myths veterans (and leaders) tell themselves.
From poking fun at Nickelback to unpacking the “permission trap” many veterans fall into post-service, William brings clarity and candor that hits different. You’ll hear what it’s like navigating career decisions under pressure, how a simple journaling habit helped him discover deeper purpose, and why leaders often confuse confusion for a strategy problem—when it’s really a clarity one.
This episode is for the high performers who feel like they’ve “checked all the boxes,” but something still feels off. It’s for the veterans wondering “what’s next?”—and the business owners who haven’t realized they’re still waiting for orders.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- “You don’t need permission. You need clarity.”
- Leadership isn’t rank—it’s responsibility without rescue.
- Most veterans don’t fear business. They fear undefined missions.
- Journaling was William’s way to “debug his brain.”
- Being decisive doesn’t mean you don’t feel doubt.
- Confusion is a tool—until it becomes a cage.
- Not all uncertainty is a red flag. Some of it means you’re finally steering your own ship.
🧠 Quotes to Remember
“You’re not confused. You’re just trying to get permission without admitting it.”
“If you’ve never made a mistake, you’ve never made a decision.”
“Sometimes you have to suck at something before it starts to make sense.”
🛠️ Resources Mentioned
- Daily Journaling: William shares how consistently writing helped him clarify what mattered—without performance pressure.
- Books on Philosophy: Stoicism and thought leadership play a role in how he frames problems and decisions.
- The Navy Submarine Force (Unofficially): While never speaking on behalf of the military, William gives insight into decision-making and communication under extreme pressure.
📌 Step-by-Step: Creating Clarity Through Reflection
- Stop outsourcing your decisions.
- William challenges the idea that someone else will tell you when you’re “ready.”
- Start journaling daily.
- Not to perform—just to process. He calls it “debugging the brain.”
- Let go of needing certainty.
- You don’t need perfect clarity to make a move—you need momentum.
- Make a decision, even if it’s small.
- Because “action is the antidote to ambiguity.”
- Get comfortable being bad at something.
- This is how confidence is built: not by being perfect, but by pushing through imperfection.
💡My Best Advice: If you’re navigating your own pivot, don’t wait until you’re sure—clarity comes after the commitment, not before it. Journal your thoughts. Speak out loud. Do the small thing that scares you. That’s where forward lives. You’re not meant to coast—you’re meant to command.
Connect with William Spears at
Connect with Dean Van Dyke at The Breakthrough Blueprint
https://www.instagram.com/dhvandyke27/
https://www.facebook.com/thepillarsgroup/
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