Meet my brother, Lt. Joe Nickerson. He started in law enforcement as a side gig and discovered it was the perfect fit for his specific strengths and calling. Joe describes his first experiences in the police academy as "life-changing." Learning a new job within law enforcement became Joe's next aha moment. Now he had found not just a calling but a role comprising everything he cared about most. I loved this conversation with one of my favorite humans. His connection to his calling is inspiring. Listen for that and stay for the great advice about finding your own strengths and leveraging them.

Chapters
02:27 Early understanding of how work relates to identity
07:22 Joe’s 7-year-old self may have known
08:31 Planning a bivocational life (ministry + side gig)
11:48 Starting college
12:37 Law enforcement: the side gig
17:37 Law enforcement in rural America
20:41 Law enforcement: the calling (and how to get there)
33:06 Strengths finding: a new role in the department is a surprisingly perfect fit
35:45 Starting over in Omaha
40:44 Specializing again (negotiator training)
46:54 Naming AND aiming our strengths for success
53:56 Trusting the calling even when others doubt
1:00:11 Long-term goals, leaving a legacy, and never leaving the calling
1:06:13 Misconceptions about law enforcement
01:23:24 Feeling cohesion (what is cohesion?)
01:28:19 Come work for the Omaha PD! (the many possibilities of a job in law enforcement)
01:32:45 It worked for me

Links
Gallup strengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
JoinOPD.com https://www.joinopd.com/
Omaha 360: https://empoweromaha.com/violence-prevention-omaha-360/

Other references
Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Kevin M Gilmartin

I Do This For a Living is independently produced.

@serenitylive