Business
Tim K. is the founder of The Veterans Project which is an online journal that profiles the experiences of veterans. He is the host of The Veterans Project podcast and he also started The Caregiver Project. Tim shares how he grew up with a proud military tradition. His father suggested he do the honorable thing when Tim was looking for ways to pay for college. Tim decided to enlist and be a cook. He finished high school, went to basic training, and started college. Tim was in for the surprise of his life when he ended up being deployed in Iraq in a mostly infantry mixed unit. In retrospect, this turned out to be one of the best experiences of his life and what enabled him to embark on his meaningful and impactful passion of sharing stories of other veterans. Tim shares his journey and a very touching story from one of his first interviews. He also shares why it was so important to evolve from just focusing on the stories of veterans and start The Caregiver Project. Tim also shares the surprising impact of his podcast and how it has enabled him to reach a new audience. This is the perfect story of passion and work creating a real impact. Highlights from Episode 24 [01:08] Tim is from South Texas. They have a proud military tradition there. His dad was in the Air Force for about 10 years. [02:01] He grew up in San Antonio with a respect for military tradition. [04:15] In 2005, Tim needed college funds, so he became a cook in the military. [05:48] He went to basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Basic training was rough. [08:01] He became a cook, then halfway through his college career he was deployed to Iraq. [09:04] Tim was called into a mixed unit with mostly infantry. It became one of the best experiences of his life. [10:39] Without having gone to combat, Tim wouldn't have The Veterans Project. [10:53] His deployment taught him a lot about himself and the rigors of deployment overseas. [11:39] After returning from Iraq, Tim went into a Master's program. He began learning photography. [14:53] His teacher suggested that he tell veteran's stories for his capstone project. He was so impacted by the process, that he couldn't imagine not doing this. [18:28] The Veterans Project is a comprehensive black and white essay where Tim follows veterans around and tells their stories. He also talks about reintegration and their lives before the military. [18:55] He began with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. He then expanded into World War II. His first interview was so amazing that it was almost unbelievable. [25:10] He did a project that included all of the prescriptions and struggles of a vet after the military. This story has such an impact on students he shared it with. Unfortunately, this vet took his own life a year later. [27:12] Tim wanted to share the family stories too. This began The Caregiver Project. He began with a white star family and then moved immediately to a gold star family. [30:58] Many of these families have made the ultimate sacrifice, and it never goes away. Even after they've moved on with their lives. [32:13] Tim has to tell the stories of ultimate sacrifices made. [33:07] Tim would love for his work to one day be a permanent Smithsonian exhibit. [33:39] His goal is to constantly keep the project funded, so he can continue to tell the stories. [34:56] Civilians also make sacrifices at home. The podcast focuses on some of the support provided by the civilian community. It bridges the gap and shares stories of veterans, civilians, and caregivers. [37:21] He had some fear and trepidation about starting the podcast. It's been going for about 6 months now. [37:49] Tim realized by starting the podcast, he was reaching a whole new demographic of people. It's another way to tell stories, and he's making every effort to share those stories. Links and Resources The Veterans Project The Veterans Project Podcast The Veterans Project on Facebook The Veterans Project on Twitter The Veterans Project on Instagram The Caregiver Project The Caregiver Project on Facebook The Caregiver Project on Instagram