Austin von Letkemann: From Soldier to “Mandatory Funday” and Serving Beyond the Uniform

Would not be operating the way that we do when America goes somewhere you can argue

With our methods, but at the end of the day, we're there to to help help everybody We're there to make the world better for everybody when our Navy goes places It's creating an environment of free trade and prosperity and travel for everything You know I don't know that Russia, China, Iran if they could do the same thing that we do Which they can't or they even want to for it. Yeah, I don't know that they would have the same outlook that we do

“But where do we go from now? Well, I think we we just keep doing what we're doing”

We keep making the world a better place You know, America's the greatest country that's ever existed. We have the greatest Constitution. We have the greatest minds I truly do believe that and I think we just keep going up Americans are capable of achieving extraordinary things when they have the freedom Men-dopportunity to do so this is American potential

Welcome to the American potential podcast. I'm your host David from So we're coming to your live from Jacksonville, Florida on location in front of the USS or like Which is going to be the site of our another of the America's who in the 50th birthday celebrations with Americans prosperity and concerned veterans for America So we've been proud to be at most of these and featuring some of the great stories and the great content and the founding principles

That really undergird our nation and and celebrating so many of the people who have Participated in that are making difference in their communities. I'm particularly excited for our guest right now Who's a who blends online content creation kind of what podcast doesn't work when we're doing with a career in in military service Surveying as an active duty member in the army right now So some of you know man's mandatory fun day

We know Mousso's Austin von Lettcomen who is currently like I said remember the army and And just developed a following of millions on Online and so I'm so excited to have you here Austin and for joining us and looking for their conversation Yeah, I really appreciate you guys having me out. Yeah, well, we were super excited I was telling some of my friends and in some of my colleagues

I was like, oh wow, I follow him. I follow him. I was like huh, so do I that's great. So

“Set up for Nick. We're you know, how'd you get in the military? What interested you in serving in the military?”

Yes, it's so funny. You know when I was 18 I had a business that I thought I was gonna start and everything fell through and I was like I gotta do something I went to the recruiting station and I joined I wish I had a better story of why I joined But that that's the story I've got and you know after I was in it just I don't know it was it was fun being part of a team It was fun feeling like I was doing something that was much bigger than anything I would have done other wise and so I

You know, I've stuck it out and I've done 14 years 14 years. Wow. That's fabulous. Well, and how much longer do you do anticipate serving the military?

So active duty. I've got you know until August first and then I'll probably do the reserves after that

Just to finish out nice really coming up on it. That's fabulous. Yeah, kind of a historic summer for your life Yes, seriously honestly and you and you have kids at home. Yeah, I've got my four daughters. Oh wonderful I have four daughters as well. I do now kidding. I do. Yeah, I also have seven boys But the four daughters. I do have two or you guys are busy. Yeah, yeah, I people call me mandatory fun day Anyway, the

So what so why you're serving in the army?

“It's such an interesting turn because that's how you find your voice as a content creator and and you know”

Ventures mandatory fun day. Yep. How'd you come to that? Yeah, it's so funny. I I waited about two years or well I didn't start posting videos for about two years and then you know I started it I worked through a lot of step in therapy specifically like a you know my self-consciousness Or or low self-esteem whatever you want to call it and after you know

I had made some progress. I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna do this. You know, and I didn't want to Initially I don't have you know I've got a pretty lackluster Resume as far as the army goes. I'm and then he cool schools or you know anything like that I don't have any tabs and so for a long time I thought you know nobody's gonna care what I have to say

I'm not a I'm not a combat guy

But I started making jokes because I've always loved making people laugh. Yeah, and so I started making jokes online

Specifically about the military and everybody loved it from you know the brand-new private all the way to I've had general officers Really, you know contact me and just tell me that like what I'm doing That's wonderful. I kind of actually if I was in the army and as an officer, even I'd love that there's a guy here showing that it's I don't know if we have some personality. Yeah, like it's like hey, these are normal fun people

You know, am I right for the army? You know, am I too old and I'm not you know physically fit enough?

Whatever and I tell everybody the same thing just just go to the recruiter if you have a if you have a desire to serve Go to the recruiter the recruiter is gonna tell you yes or no and then you can make the decision from there and you know I encourage everybody to do do a contract do one contract Mm-hmm. You know you may not like it. It's a couple years of your life You come out with some benefits. You can go to school stuff like that

But if you love it who knows you might be the next general pattern. We don't know you know

“I mean you might be the next guy that does something incredible. Well, I mean how many people have you run it?”

That I'm and I've run into post military service where they credit that as you know They were on a bad track or just a mediocre track or just kind of middleing and then I'll sudden clicked in Gave them the discipline or the self confidence that you needed to move ahead and do some great stuff Yeah, the military is what has made me successful as a content creator You know most people don't see the back end stuff the the admin stuff so to speak and

The discipline and the structure and the ability to be self motivated and a self-starter Yeah, it has made me so Successful as a content creator and a business owner because now I'm a business owner We've got a brand associated with me and and it's just been incredible the military community has blessed me far beyond anything I deserve and I could not appreciate it more

So when you start making your content and you're in the military because a lot of people probably think like yeah, that's not okay You can do that You know as you give me my secrets. Well, you know, what was that dynamic like did you?

Yeah, you know, I never had any problems. I feel like I do a really good job of walking the line of

Professionalism, you know and humor and I you know I think people tell that I have a love for the institution or they can tell that I have a love for the institution And that's where it comes from I want to make things better and I also want to make light of the things that we simply can't change But they're kind of sucky you know I mean like nobody wants to stand out in the sun in a four-hour formation and you don't know why you're there

And so why not joke about it?

“I think that's kind of one the only way is even out to have the military when you're in situations that you can't get out of it”

It's just sucks. You're just kind of embracing your idea, right? So How have it has your well number one? I want to know how have you come up with your ideas for content and then secondly like has that evolved while you've been doing it? Yeah, that's a I love that question

So first how did I come up with the ideas?

Every content creator has their strengths some guys a really good at videography some guys a really good at audio and sound I you know I and really good at the creative aspect coming up with ideas and scripting them and and figuring out how to Communicate a concept in a way that resonates with the audience That is for sure my strength. That's why I hire out everything else obviously

“Hey, that's what I've got a video editor. I've got what we call a leveraging your comparative advantage. Sir. Yeah, well, yeah”

I just I recognize my strengths I recognize my weaknesses and the military has been part of that because your leadership will tell you what you suck at They have no issue doing that So job but you know, it is it is their job and we expect a lot out of the American military So greatest military in the world and I truly do believe that but how has the content evolved well? I've started transitioning to

Primarily geopolitics and then I also incorporate my my partners in You know into the content as well. I work with the American Legion. I work with a you know an organization called veteran lending group And you know, I meet all of these teams and so I I you know I pretty heavily vet them but that's kind of how it's shifted You know, I really love geopolitics and I love adding humor to it

Because I'd feel like you don't see that anywhere Is there anything that you've done? When you look back over your your content creation time that you were particularly proud of or you just found Crack to self up or was really great sure. Yeah, you know Really the only reason I look through

Direct messages primarily is is to find people in crisis and so you know and occasionally I do talk to those people people that are just having a really hard time But what I find more frequently is people tell me hey your videos are the only reason that I have laughed in the last couple months I've been having a really hard couple months lost my job whatever it is, you know, parent died and so people will contact me And just tell me hey, you make you make me laugh and then the other

The other thing that's really impactful for me is when somebody has a relative that is a veteran or a service member That they haven't talked to in a long time and they'll send one of my videos to try and like rekindle something and

Incredible I

“You when some when a daughter tells me they've reconnected with their father because of the content. It's very powerful for me”

How was your your oldest daughter my oldest daughter is actually about to turn 12 she'll turn 12 a week So at least a few of them know of and kind of can understand what you're doing Yes, yeah, what do they think of that their dad's man to four minute to every fun day Do you do you do they can call you MFD? No

MFD it doesn't come up that often

But what one time my all four of my daughters were sitting on the couch with me and we were watching a movie and my second oldest Graceland

Looked over me and she said She said dad are you famous and I was I didn't know how to respond. I was like Kind of yeah, you know, I'm very well known in the military and veteran community Would say I wouldn't say I've any notoriety anywhere else Definitely have a lot of situations that follow me, but you know, it's primarily the military community um and then you know

There was another time when Oh gosh, we were going through the gate and somebody recognized me and Graceland that same daughter that asked me that question she's like oh dad so famous It's people you know, he was kind of teasing me about it. It was great. That's so cool It's better than than her turn to do and being like dad or you fun. Yes, you're like I've been saying that

That's that's so cool by my kids, you know having a podcast which some people watch you know my kids are like Hey, one of my friends saw your thing online and asked like as your dad famous and I was like, well I'm really not like you have a much much bigger father I appreciate I appreciate you asking the question podcast or the medium now, you know, we used to have legacy media and yeah

“That's still there for sure, but podcasts are how people get information and what you're doing is important”

Well, I appreciate that. We're trying to tell good stories. Yeah, particularly about folks

You know, I always think of it as like ordinary folks who

Step up on making a difference in their community of their state or their nation and you know That's really a story of America. We know we're celebrating America soon to 50th anniversary and that's the story of America It's regular folks. Yes, I mean the in a weird way. Maybe there was some dude in the continental army Who's sitting around freezing his butt off. Yep, and kind of making Joe. He's the funny guy He's making jokes with all the other other other guys and they're writing an apartment and sending another guys and that was your original mandatory fund

They just colonial mandatory fund day. Yeah, you know it The origin of our nation is incredible it was you know a bunch of ordinary people led by some extraordinary people They saw something that they didn't agree with and they said we can't deal with this We can't do this. We're gonna we're gonna fight this literally and I cannot imagine how terrified they work They're going up against a professional military the greatest military that at that time

I think it ever existed

“Certainly at that time the greatest military that existed and I mean it just I love our story. Oh, I think I I've a really been blessed by”

This America's 250th yeah work that we've been doing because it's caused me to continually reflect and talk about You know that the values to sacrifice the challenges and that You know the founding fathers and then

You know up to now the folks of you know that the shoulders that we're standing on it. It's really incredible and the courage

That these folks were traders you know that they were gonna be killed Yes, what they were doing if they were unsuccessful they were all in from the start all in and a lot of them had a lot of State, but particularly founding fathers a lot of them were very successful. Yeah, they were very successful in British society Little in America and so I just think it's one of what do you think you know Celebrating you know kind of honoring that spirit celebrating 25th anniversary you know

Where do you think the nation goes from here? What do you what do you think we can take from those lessons and apply in America now? Yeah, you know We are going through you know I don't even know how to word it, but a trying time maybe. Yeah, you know, there's there's a you know friction with in the nation There's multiple conflicts going on around the world potential conflicts that exist and I

The one the first thing I want to say is I'm really glad that we're at the top Because our adversaries would not would not be operating the way that we do when America goes somewhere you can argue With our methods, but at the end of the day, we're there to to help everybody We're there to make the world better for everybody when we when our you know when our navy goes places and we've got thousands of sailors deployed When our navy goes places, it's creating an environment of free trade and prosperity and travel for everybody

You know, I don't know that Russia China Iran if they could do the same thing that we do which they can't

But where do we go from now? Well, I think we we just keep doing what we're doing. We keep making the world a better place You know, America's the greatest country that's ever existed. We have the greatest constitution

“We have the greatest minds. I truly do believe that and I think we just keep going up honestly”

Well, I think we have some of the best men and women

Never put on a uniform in any country. I mean, I'm showing plenty of brave people serve the military all over the world

Yeah, you look back over the history of the US military and they've achieved extraordinary things Yep, you know, and it's certainly in recent decades It's been all volunteer. It's people who sign up to go and you know be part of the most effective fighting forces probably have existed Yep, and I think it's amazing. I applaud you for review being part of that

So looking ahead past August, you know Is it you know online content creation and kind of finding new ways to do that like what what's the future hold for you? So I make you know a Reasonable income now from what I do and that's part of the reason why I'm transitioning out But the biggest reason why I'm transitioning out is I've been trying to do more things for veterans and more things for service members in general

Yeah, and I've just found that there's a lot of roadblocks being active duty, you know

The first one is time, you know, it requires a ton of time and it should you know

There's there's nothing inherently wrong with that But I want to do more for the community. I want to give back to the community because it's given so much to me So that's the biggest reason The next reason for sure and it's probably of equal importance is by kids I want to spend more time with the kids and I already have gotten to you know, I'm on skill bridge now

So I'm working for a civilian company for you know, it's three months total after I'm done and so that's been a lot a lot of fun And you know, I want to have more time. I want to have more time with the kids and even more time for myself to selfishly Sure, well, I mean you went to your service Yeah, but 14 years a lot of time to serve our nation. It's not easy Just finally if there's kids out there listening to this or see you

You know, what would you tell them if they're interested in what you're doing like how can they Start on that road or get that interest going or even their capability going that way. Yeah, the first thing I would say for the youth Listen to your parents your parents or the people that want nothing but good things for you They love you and you know, there's no old tear your motives with your parents But the next thing I would say is don't dismiss it out of hand

You know, a lot of people I think they think they they think they need to be Steve Rogers captain America to join the military. You don't You know, I'm a very normal person. I think when I'm medicated primarily

“But you know, I'm a relatively average person and and that's what the military's made of. It's made of relatively average people”

You know, I think it's reflective of America. Yes. Yeah. It's made of normal people that want to do something great

And you know, the battle of bunker Hill. I love talking about history. Yeah, the first battle of the Revolutionary War

bunch of normal people on that hill The only reason we lost that battles because we ran out of ammo was the logistics issue But they repelled the British a bunch of normal people repelled the British multiple types. Yep They had great leadership they had good leadership for sure and they had regular folks who cared about what they were doing and they did they repelled that you know The best army in the world. Yeah

That's great. Well, us. I really appreciate you joining us here front of it with a great great backdrop A great day in Jacksonville. So I really appreciate you and best of luck surely with mandatory fun day, but whatever you do in the future too Thank you so much Well folks, hey, if you liked this episode and we want to stay connected to the podcast please like and subscribe and follow us on

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Don't take it for granted. Who out there defend liberty and freedom? Thanks for joining us And we'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to American potential You may listen to more stories from Americans working every day to expand freedom and opportunity in their communities My visiting americanpotential dot com