You can have a roadmap and still end up lost. Here’s why.

Most junior Sailors think the Navy will track their career for them — their quals, their schools, their opportunities. But the truth is simple:

LaDR shows the lane. You still have to drive the vehicle.

In this episode, Jessica breaks down the mindset shift that changed her entire career after missing a critical opportunity early on — and the four tools every Sailor needs to take ownership now, not “someday.”

You’ll learn:

• Why waiting for “Big Navy” keeps you stuck
• The real purpose of LaDR (and what it doesn’t do)
• How to stop hoping for opportunity and start creating it
• The four tools that build a career:
  Clear goals, qualifications, mentors, and self-assessment
• What weekly habits separate the average from the undeniable
• How to write goals that actually move your future forward
• Why one qualification can change your reputation overnight
• The mindset that turns potential into performance

This isn’t theory. This is the playbook.

⚓ Mentioned in This Episode

FREE RESOURCE: Junior Sailor Leadership Starter Kit
— Your first four tools to build a credible, confident career
👉 JUNIOR SAILOR LEADERSHIP STARTER KIT

🧭 CultureKeeper Challenge

Identify one step you’ve been waiting for someone else to hand you — and take it yourself this week.

🫡 If no one has told you today:

Thank you for all that you’ve done,
All that you do,
And all that you will do.