Diminishing the Stigma of Trauma with Army Veteran John Krotec

Published: Aug. 27, 2018, 7 a.m.

b'John Krotec is the founder of GreenZone Hero, an innovative company that changes the way that American businesses view veteran-commerce. Additionally, his Task Force Zen project (currently in the planning stage) will help those who suffer from traumatic events find programs that will help them recover without the stigma often associated with trauma. Furthermore, he is the host of the Straight Out Of Combat Podcast.\\n\\nJohn Krotec \\u2013 Foundational Path\\n\\nJohn went about things differently than most.\\xa0 He went to college first and although his dad was in the service for 28 years John had no intent to go into the military.\\xa0 For that reason, John earned a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Florida State University.\\n\\nAt the age of 27, John made the decision to make a change and enlisted in the Army.\\xa0 He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson in a nuclear biological chemical company serving as decon for the 3rd brigade.\\xa0 John served for 3 years.\\n\\nHe did not have a real plan once he got out of the Army.\\xa0 John was painting houses on the beach and contemplating starting his own business.\\xa0 He was asked to come back but the Army was not taking anyone with prior service.\\xa0 John re-enlisted in the Army Reserve.\\xa0 The transition fell into place with no real plan.\\n\\n\\u201cWe say you gotta have a plan.\\xa0 Sometimes you do, sometimes you don\\u2019t.\\xa0 If your heart is in the right place sometimes things just fall into the right place.\\u201d \\u2013 John Krotec\\nHealing the Pain\\nAt 11 years old while on a neighborhood sleepover, John was assaulted by an older boy. Blaming himself and frightened by physical threats, John hid the traumatic event for over 40 years never talking about it with anyone.\\n\\nPeriodically over that time, he used alcohol to soothe his pain and to numb himself from the sickening memory. An automobile accident in 2012 caused the trauma to resurface. Immediately after the accident, John\\u2019s life began to spiral out of control.\\n\\nEpisodes of anger and resentment led to the selling of his small business and to the disintegration of his 20-year marriage. John was out of control. His overspending and anger led his wife Ann to begin divorce proceedings.\\xa0 Consequently, by Christmas of 2015, John was in a crisis situation.\\n\\nOne particularly bad evening, he sought help from a suicide prevention hotline which led him to individual counseling and 41-weeks of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. He also visited a neurologist who was able to treat his medical condition, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with CBD\\u2019s, hemp-based prescription drugs.\\n\\n\\u201cTo hear the human side of what these men and women did and where they came from and how they were able to overcome the things that they witnessed, the things they took part in and the traumas they escaped and make that transition is the most inspirational thing I have ever done in my life.\\u201d \\u2013 John Krotec\\nPodcasting is Storytelling\\nJohn believes that podcasting is an amazing platform to connect people and impart wisdom.\\xa0 Sharing traumatic stories to help each other.\\xa0 Using technology through an incredible venue to tell their story and as a result shows our combat veterans that they are not alone.\\n\\n\\u201cStory telling is the human connection.\\u201d- John Krotec\\n\\nTo hear the rest of John Krotec\\u2019s transition from the Army to starting his own business and becoming an entrepreneur, download and listen to the rest of the episode.\\n\\nDon\\u2019t forget to leave us a 5-star rating and review if you enjoyed the show. We would love to hear from you!\\n\\nCheck out these links for John Kortec\\n\\n \\thttps://www.greenzonehero.com/\\n \\tLinkedIn\\n \\tEmail: john@greenzonehero.com\\n \\tPodcast: Straight Outta Combat\\n\\nDownload Joe Crane\\u2019s\\xa0Top 7 Paths to Freedom\\xa0or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470.\\nJoin the Veteran on the Move on Facebook!\\nCheck out\\xa0Veteran on the Move on Facebook\\xa0to connect with our guests! It\\u2019s a great place where you can stay in touch with other veterans who are transitioning to entrepre...'