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Marc Andersen, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller, helps oversee roughly $200 billion in U.S. Army resources with one overriding mission: making sure America’s warfighters have what they need to fight and win.

In this episode of the Not Special Show, Marc takes us inside the Pentagon and the enormous responsibility behind managing the U.S. Army budget, funding military readiness, navigating Congress, supporting defense innovation, and preparing soldiers for both today's threats and the future fight.

But this conversation goes far beyond defense spending.

Marc shares the unlikely path that took him from growing up in small towns and a log cabin in Idaho to senior leadership in business and ultimately one of the most consequential civilian positions in the U.S. Army.

He also opens up about growing up with hearing loss and a speech impediment and the teacher who challenged him to stop hiding what he was capable of. That lesson became part of a larger philosophy Marc has carried throughout his career: get comfortable being uncomfortable, do good work, treat people well, and don't assume your path will be linear.

Marc's career certainly wasn't.

Before joining the Army, he co-founded a software company, became a senior leader at EY, helped build its government business, and worked in venture capital. He once thought he might become U.S. Ambassador to Denmark. Instead, a call from Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll ultimately led him to the Pentagon.

Marc also talks candidly about leadership, marriage, raising grounded kids, faith, friendship, public service, political division, and why relationships built on trust matter more than transactions.

We get into:
*What managing a roughly $200 billion Army budget actually means
*How Army funding affects the individual soldier
*The Pentagon, Congress, budgets, audits, and defense spending
Military readiness, lethality, technology, and the future fight
*Why Marc believes America's military should always have overwhelming advantage
*His unexpected path from the private sector to public service
*Growing up with hearing loss and a speech impediment
*Why discomfort can be one of life's greatest opportunities for growth
*Building relationships based on trust instead of transactions
*His 35-year marriage and the importance of family and faith
*Raising successful but grounded children
*Why Marc believes Americans agree on far more than our politics suggest
*The responsibility each generation carries to preserve American liberty

⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Why Marc is Special
04:01 Growing Up in Rural Idaho
10:48 Marriage, Family & 35 Years Together
13:44 Raising Grounded Kids in a Successful Family
23:38 Blessed to Live in America
25:10 Overcoming Hearing Loss & a Speech Impediment
26:12 The Teacher Who Changed Marc’s Life
27:54 GOVX
31:00 From EY & Venture Capital to the Pentagon
34:58 It’s About People, Relationships and Trust
37:30 The Long Road to a Presidential Appointment
39:56 Managing the U.S. Army’s $200 Billion Budget
41:30 How the U.S. Army Decides Where the Money Goes
47:11 Will the U.S. Army Pass Its Audit?
51:01 America’s Adversaries & Peace Through Strength
54:01 Why America’s Political Division Worries Marc
01:01:25 Faith, Family, Friendship & Freedom

Marc describes these government roles as temporary projects rather than lifetime appointments. His question is simple: What can we get done with the time we have?

That idea runs through this entire conversation.

Do good work. Treat people well. Serve something bigger than yourself. And don't be surprised when life takes you somewhere you never planned to go.

Connect with Liberty Speaks:
🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com
🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_

Checkout www.govx.com for great discounts and they give back to the community every month, the August GOVX Give Back supports the Travis Manion Foundation.

👉 Don’t forget to follow, like, and share if you found this conversation valuable. Your support helps us bring more stories of resilience, leadership, and freedom to light.

Send us Fan Mail

What does it mean to become a Gold Star Family? How do you move forward after losing a Navy SEAL son in combat?

In this powerful episode of The Not Special Show, former Navy pilot Tom Feeks and registered nurse Ginny Feeks share the story of their son, Navy SEAL Patrick "Pat" Feeks, their daughter Regina Feeks, a Navy officer and physician assistant, and the journey of faith, family, military service, and resilience after unimaginable loss.

This conversation explores life in a military family, deployments, raising children while serving, the realities of combat, and what it means to honor a fallen warrior while continuing to live with purpose. If you're interested in Navy SEAL stories, Gold Star families, military life, veteran stories, Special Operations, leadership, and overcoming grief, this is a conversation you won't forget.

Tom and Ginny don't consider themselves special. After listening, you will.

In this episode:
* The life and legacy of Navy SEAL Patrick Feeks
* Becoming Gold Star parents
* Tom's 28-year career as a U.S. Navy pilot
* Ginny's career as a registered nurse and military spouse
* Raising children through military moves and deployments
* What families experience while loved ones are deployed
* The phone call that changed everything
* Faith, resilience, and finding purpose after loss
* Lessons every parent can learn from
* Why service continues long after the uniform comes off

⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:24 Why Tom & Ginny Feeks Are Special
02:38 Tom's Journey to Becoming a Navy Pilot
05:59 Ginny's Nursing Career & Military Life
10:46 Navigating a Career as a Military Spouse
14:08 GOVX
15:45 Courtship Before the Internet at the Naval Academy
25:28 Going Home to a Controlling Dad
29:24 Raising Kids and Balancing Careers Around the World
33:54 Signs of a Navy SEAL as a Child
39:51 GI Joe in Real Life
42:48 Two Kids Deployed
47:16 Having a Daughter Deployed to Combat
49:26 OPSEC
52:12 Funny Navy Story Drinking at a Brothel
53:50 The Phone Call No Parent Wants, Outside of Protocol
1:00:57 Becoming Gold Star Parents
1:07:12 Humor in the Worst Moments of Grief
1:11:40 Overloaded With Admin Tasks
1:16:17 A Moment of Clarity in the Loss
1:18:15 Leadership is Showing You Care
1:20:39 What Helped Them Get Through the Tragedy
1:25:50 Navy SEAL Saves Green Beret’s Life
1:30:46 When She Knew It Would Be OK
1:35:26 Questioning Himself Teaching Military Officers
1:38:59 Lessons on Grief, Family & Purpose
1:53:07 Honoring the Pat Feeks Legacy
2:08:04 Impact of Kids Reading Young
2:11:42 Top Secret Story
2:15:15 What they value most in life

Links mentioned in this episode:
Fundraiser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-frogs-wine-tasting-to-benefit-the-navy-seal-foundation-tickets-1990181159422
Fields of Athenry: https://fieldsofathenryfarm.com


Connect with Liberty Speaks:
🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com
🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_

Checkout www.govx.com for great discounts and they give back to the community every month, the August GOVX Give Back supports the Travis Manion Foundation.

👉 Don’t forget to follow, like, and share if you found this conversation valuable. Your support helps us bring more stories of resilience, leadership, and freedom to light.

Send us Fan Mail

How does a Green Beret become a private equity executive, business leader, and president of a multimillion-dollar company?

In this episode of The Not Special Show, former Green Beret Prescott Engle shares the incredible journey from getting kicked out of college to earning the Green Beret, serving during the Cold War in Central America, walking away from the CIA, building a successful career in insurance, private equity, and business leadership, and ultimately leading Alliance Nationwide Exposition.

Prescott opens up about the lessons that shaped him: resilience, leadership under pressure, overcoming failure, raising eight children, making difficult career transitions, and why success starts with serving others. Whether you're a veteran, entrepreneur, business leader, or someone navigating life's next chapter, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and unforgettable stories.

In this episode, we discuss:
* Getting kicked out of college—and the conversation that changed his life
* Earning the Green Beret and surviving Special Forces training
* The instructor who tried to make him quit
* Cold War missions in Central America
* Why he turned down a career with the CIA
* Building a successful career in insurance and private equity
* Leadership lessons from the military that apply to business
* The importance of mentorship and earning confidence
* Raising eight children and building a lasting marriage
* Why education and intelligence are not the same thing

⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Why Prescott is Special
01:43 Growing Up Wild & Burning Down a Cornfield
05:03 Getting Kicked Out of College
07:53 What He Told Himself on the Way to Boot Camp
10:08 The Green Beret Recruiting Pitch
12:42 Special Forces Selection Begins
18:22 "I'm Going to Make You Quit"
26:46 Earning the Green Beret
28:02 GOVX
28:36 Life in 7th Special Forces Group
31:03 Cold War Missions in Central America
35:17 Leadership Lessons from Special Forces
36:57 Education is Not a Relative Indicator of Intelligence
40:22 Why He Turned Down the CIA
42:55 Starting Over in Insurance
46:25 The Sales Lesson That Changed Everything
48:20 Meeting His Wife & Building a Family
51:03 Liberty Speaks
52:06 From Business Consultant to Company President
57:55 A Lesson From Desert Storm
01:01:40 Surprises in the Industry
01:05:47 Changes in the Events Industry
01:07:27 Business Need to Read the Room
01:09:16 Balancing Business and Family
01:10:29 “I Was a Shit Father”
01:15:09 Finding Your Tribe
01:17:39 Getting From and Giving to the Army
01:19:17 What he Would Tell his Younger Self
01:25:24 What He Values Most in Life

Prescott's story is a reminder that your biggest setback doesn't have to define you. The discipline, humility, and perseverance that carried him through Special Forces became the same principles that helped him succeed in business and life.


Connect with Liberty Speaks:
🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com
🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_

Checkout www.govx.com for great discounts and they give back to the community every month, the July GOVX Give Back supports Mission 22.