
Becoming a Warrior: Jenn Donahue on Turning Military Lessons into a Path Forward for Life
From Dog Tag Diaries by Captain Kim
April 15, 2026 · 42 min · Season 8 · Episode 81
About this episode
Captain Kim interviews Jenn Donahue about her new book and the lessons learned from her military experience.
Summary: In this episode of Dog Tag Diaries , host Captain Kim welcomes back Navy veteran, leader, speaker, and now author Jenn Donahue . Jenn first appeared on the podcast sharing her military journey and leadership story. Since then, she has turned some of her hardest lessons into a new book, Becoming a Warrior: Harnessing the Power of Self-Doubt . In this conversation, Jenn opens up about the real reason she wrote the book. It was not to talk about her career, but to help people move forward when fear, pain, and self-doubt try to hold them back. She reflects on the emotional process of writing, the dark season that followed her deployment to Afghanistan, and the system she built to pull herself back. This episode is about more than a book launch. It is about being seen, owning your story, and learning that taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is necessary. In this episode, we cover: Why this book is about helping people move forward, not just telling a military story How lessons from military service translate into everyday life and personal growth The reality of self-doubt at every level of leadership The emotional process of writing and releasing something deeply…
People in this episode
Host: Captain Kim
Guest: Jenn Donahue
Topics covered
- military lessons
- personal growth
- self-doubt
- emotional process
- community support
- story ownership
Keywords
- military
- self-doubt
- personal growth
- leadership
- emotional process
- community
- book launch
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Becoming a Warrior: Harnessing the Power of Self-Doubt
Places: Afghanistan
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