Ep 59: The New Mission: Turning Military Skills into Civilian Success

Guest Bio:

Zac grew up in Boise, Idaho, where sports and service shaped much of his early life. After playing football and serving an LDS mission, he graduated from Utah State University and was commissioned as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer in the U.S. Army. The experience taught him how to stay calm under pressure, lead through uncertainty, and solve complex problems quickly.

When his time in uniform ended, Zac chose to focus on his family and establish roots back in beautiful Cache Valley. His love of people and problem-solving naturally led him into SaaS sales, where he discovered a new passion for helping organizations address real challenges with simple and meaningful solutions. And he’s only one semester away from completing his MBA at Utah State University.

Follow Zac Crane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharycrane

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE:

Zac Crane, Mobrium’s new Head of Sales, shares his journey from a successful career in tech sales to serving as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer in the U.S. Army. With Veterans Day approaching, the episode focuses on Zac’s unusual decision to join the military after graduating college and having a stable job—a path less traveled than enlisting right out of high school. Zac shared that despite having a comfortable life, an "itch" or an internal call to serve drove him to enlist. His dedicated wife, who knew the stability of civilian life, was surprisingly supportive, affirming, "I've been feeling that you're going to do this for a long time. So, now that you've committed to it, you better do it before I change my mind."

Zac's military experience was anything but conventional. After enlisting as a "normal soldier" at age 26—a unique dynamic where his drill sergeants were his own age—he was quickly funneled into Officer Candidate School (OCS). This intense training, which he described as redoing basic training with a focus on leadership, prepared him to become an officer. The challenge escalated dramatically during his specialized EOD training, which demanded high academic standards and took place around the same time his second child was born in February 2020, just as COVID-19 was hitting. He transparently shared a moment where he almost failed a test, leading to a stressful academic review board, but ultimately his honesty and self-awareness earned him a second chance, demonstrating the intense pressure and rigor of the military environment.

Amidst the demanding training and eventual deployment to Iraq, Zac’s family—specifically his wife—was the unheralded hero. He highlights the profound sacrifice of military spouses, especially his wife, who had known the comfort of civilian life before their journey began. Zac acknowledged that while he was gone, she was "quite literally doing everything"—paying bills, grocery shopping, and maintaining their life at home. She was essentially a "single mom for the better portion of five and a half years," underscoring the vital, often unseen role that family support plays in a soldier’s ability to serve. "I think sometimes we're out of touch with how much sacrifice is made to maintain and preserve our freedoms in the US." -Matt Vance

Transitioning back to civilian life and his choice of SaaS sales was deliberate, not a fallback. He enjoys the challenge of sales, seeing "little micro successes" in closing deals and solving problems for organizations. Though he avoids overstating his experience with trauma, he admitted the hardest habit to shake is the military-conditioned need to "always be on the lookout" for the worst-case scenario. He noted a key difference in the workplace: a shift from the military's concrete, direct leadership style ("you will do this and it will be perfect") to the civilian world's more flexible, "figure it out" approach. To help others, Zac founded a local veterans' group for camaraderie, providing a vital connection to the shared experiences and "lingo" that only fellow service members understand.

For veterans re-entering the labor market, Zac says, "nobody cares about your service"—not to disparage their sacrifice, but to drive the point that most military-learned skills aren't directly transferable to civilian job requirements. He strongly encouraged service members to "always keep maintaining your education" and take concurrent college or professional courses while enlisted. For companies, he emphasized that veterans are highly goal-driven and task-oriented hires, often having been given leadership roles "20 levels above their expertise" at a young age. “You're going to figure it out. Someone's going to want to hire you and you're going to find a way to crush it. So, go get it." -Zac Crane

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