Double Middle Fingers and a Homecoming

Double Middle Fingers and a Homecoming

Author: Mission Ambition, LLC May 12, 2026 Duration: 1:02:04

Episode 47 — Adam Castillo: "Double Middle Fingers and a Homecoming"

Hardcore and At Ease | Mission Ambition, LLC

You gave everything to a country that claimed to want you back. So what do you do when it doesn't make room for you? You build something they can't take back. And then you come home.

Adam Castillo came home from Afghanistan ready to work. Corporate America hung the banners. Hire a hero. And then wouldn't get him through the door for a warehouse supervisor interview. So he gave it double middle fingers, packed up, and moved to one of the most dangerous places on earth. What he built there, and who he became, is the kind of story that reframes everything you thought you knew about rejection, reinvention, and what it means to finally come home.

In this episode, United States Marine and combat veteran Adam Castillo breaks down what happens when the system hands you something that was never actually meant for you, how anger becomes either your exit or your engine, and what a man carries back after twelve years of building in a war zone. This is leadership in crisis. This is the American spirit abroad. This is Hardcore and At Ease.

In This Episode

  • Why corporate America's "hire a hero" movement felt like a betrayal to returning veterans in 2012-2013
  • How Adam channeled post-service rejection into building a security company in Myanmar that employed thousands
  • What it means to lead a business community through a military takeover with no playbook
  • The VA claim he didn't file for over a decade, and the all-night sign-up in Bangkok that changed everything
  • Why faith and a fellow veteran's words became the turning point
  • What he is carrying back to Riverside, California, and why it fits this time

Featured Guest

Adam Castillo is a United States Marine, combat veteran of Afghanistan, author, and founder of a security company in Myanmar that employed thousands at its peak. He served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, leading the American business community through a military takeover and years of crisis. After more than twelve years abroad, he is returning home to California with a mission to invest in the community that raised him.

Next Episode

Episode 48 — Solo. Shelly gets into the process of tying up loose ends on the road to publishing a book: what the journey looks like from the inside, what she has learned, and what is coming next.

Resources Mentioned

  • Finding Our Voice: A Story of Leadership in Crisis and the American Spirit Abroad by Adam Castillo — Available now: https://a.co/d/05WGMqAe
  • Mission Wildflower on Substack — Women veteran stories and additional content: https://shellyrood.substack.com

Affiliate Disclaimer: I only recommend products I genuinely use. Full disclosure: https://othersoverself.com/affiliate-disclaimer/

Get the Gear: 📊 My Business Report: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/biz-report 🎯 StoryBrand.ai: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/storybrand-ai 📚 Business Made Simple: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/bms 🚀 Flight School: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/flight-school 📈 My Marketing Report: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/marketing-report

Listen & Connect

🎙️ Apple | Spotify | YouTube | https://othersoverself.com 📲 Instagram: @TheShellyRood 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/missionambition/ 📩 info@missionambition.org

Character count: ~3,100 | Under 5,000 limit ✓ Draft 1 | Ep47 | Mission Ambition, LLC | Others Over Self®


Hardcore and At Ease-powered by Others Over Self® explores the quiet tension between relentless drive and sustainable peace. This isn't another leadership podcast about hustle culture or empty platitudes for work-life balance. Instead, it digs into a very specific, often unspoken dilemma: what happens when your innate intensity-your hardcore commitment to exceptional results-feels at odds with your well-being and the health of your team? You might recognize the feeling of operating from a constant state of urgency, wondering why success feels so arduous while others seem to navigate their careers and lives with more grace and less friction. The conversations here are built on the premise that you are not broken or lacking; the problem is that most conventional advice fails to address the core conflict of being both highly driven and genuinely at ease. Through candid interviews and reflective commentary, the podcast examines this intersection of business, culture, and personal philosophy. Listeners will hear practical frameworks and stories that challenge the either/or mindset, suggesting that profound achievement and profound calm aren't mutually exclusive. It’s for managers, founders, and anyone in a position of influence who is tired of the burnout narrative and seeks a more integrated, sustainable approach to ambition. Each episode aims to provide not just insight, but a tangible shift in perspective, helping you channel your deep care for results without sacrificing your sense of self or compassion for others. The dialogue is rooted in the principle that putting others over self isn't about martyrdom, but about building a foundation of trust and collective efficacy that, ironically, allows for greater individual focus and resilience. Tune in for a nuanced take on what it means to lead and live with both ferocious intent and genuine composure.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 48

Hardcore and At Ease - powered by Others Over Self®
Podcast Episodes
How to Build a Defense Career Without Starting from Scratch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:53
EPISODE 15 SHOW NOTESEpisode Title: How to Build a Defense Career Without Starting from ScratchGuest: John Gutierrez, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), Executive Director, Office of Defense & Aerospace Innovation | M…
The Myth of Work-Life Balance for Mission-Driven Leaders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:02
"The Myth of Work-Life Balance for Mission-Driven Leaders"Episode 14 DescriptionIf you're frustrated by work-life balance advice that seems written for people who don't actually care about excellence, this episode is for…
Why High Achievers Can't See the Resources Right in Front of Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:14
Episode 13 Show Notes: "From Scarcity to Abundance: The Essential Foundation for Resourceful Action"Episode DescriptionIf you're tired of feeling like there's never enough—never enough time, resources, or support to achi…
What Makes Us Hardcore (And Why That's Not Your Problem to Fix) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:12
Episode 12 Show Notes: "What Makes Us Hardcore (And Why That's Not Your Problem to Fix)"Episode DescriptionIf you're tired of feeling like people just don't get why you jump in before you have it all figured out, this ep…
Ambition Alignment: When Personal Drive Meets Organizational Reality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:41
Episode 11: Ambition Alignment: When Personal Drive Meets Organizational RealityHow a rocking chair thrown into a wall taught one leader everything about maintaining your principles when trusted systems fail you.Episode…
Why Smart Leaders Keep Starting Over (And How to Stop) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:31
Episode 9: Why Smart Leaders Keep Starting Over (And How to Stop)Complete deep dive into the proven system for building excellence that transfers across any industry, opportunity, and venture.Episode DescriptionWhy do th…
From Constant Urgency to Strategic Calm: A CEO's Transformation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:12
Title: From Constant Urgency to Strategic Calm: A CEO's TransformationEpisode 8 (Aug 12) - Hardcore and At Ease Guest: Laverne SantangeloDescription: Join us as we explore a CEO's journey from constant urgency to strateg…