Dreams, Homeland Magazine, True North with Mike Miller and Linda Kreter
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Welcome to Wise Health for Women Radio with Linda Prater. Women are pressed daily to give more, learn more, and be more, often at the expense of mind, body, or spirit. Each week with intriguing guests and topics, we'll bring you fresh ways to view your limited time, encouraging a shift to new, healthier perspectives. Wise Health for Women Radio, helping women thrive. And now here's your host, Linda Prater.

Good morning and thank you for joining us. I'm Linda Crater and you're listening to Wise Health for Women Radio. We're going to be talking today about a variety of things that all lead to making us whole with wellness and emotional strength and resilience.

And we all have a story. I think we all have, if we take a look back, we have ups and downs and plateaus. And sometimes we fall into entropy where we're just at the lowest level. We don't know where we're going, but we do know that with determination and a lot of belief and

we can get back up again and become who we were supposed to be. Because we have a wonderful plan, but they always say when you plan, God laughs at you, because life happens. So I'm so happy to welcome a friend of mine, Mike Miller, and he runs Homeland Magazine in San Diego, California. And Mike and I have worked together for a while. I used to write for the magazine, probably will again. We're both in veteran advocacy positions.

And we are all interested in people. And so Mike's going to share today some of his journey, how he found his rightful place and what he felt he should be doing. And so we're going to talk about Mike's journey today. So Mike, without further ado, welcome to Wise Health for Women Radio. Hi, Linda, and thank you for having me. And I just wrote down in a Sharpie that you said you're going to do some more writing for me. So I'll just...

I'll make sure that we get back to that later. Oh, boy. Okay. I did say that. I did say that. And certainly advocacy never stops, right? It doesn't. And it found me. I didn't find it. And it's really interesting how I got to this situation in my professional life.

career now is about advocacy and it's an interesting journey that I've taken. We'll start at the beginning. I'll start at the beginning. Okay, well in June of 2022 was my 100th issue of Homeland Magazine. So for a hundred months I have had the magazine come out on the first of each month and

For over the years, people have asked me, you know, why did I start Homeland Magazine and what was the purpose behind it? And I never really answered it. And they interviewed me for the article in June. And it was kind of like talking about how it all started from living in Maryland in a small town and where I was a big fish in a small town. But it wasn't my true calling. And I always wanted to

move to California and pursue acting and pursue surfing. Those were my two biggest ambitions. They match up. It's very, very much a stereotype, but okay. Right. My family has a history being in the military. It was something that I never wanted any part of. It just wasn't who I was. I was more about

wanting to go live the college life and play football and play baseball and pursue that, which I did and was very successful in. And all that kind of gave me a lot of confidence, and I've always been very outgoing, but there was just something missing living in a small town. So I remember telling my mother,

that I was going to move to California and I wanted to pursue acting because I kind of got a taste of acting. When I was in New York, I did some off, off, off Broadway and the acting bug really hit me. So I decided to go for it. It was 3,000 miles to Hollywood. I probably had less than $2,000. I had a 77 Toyota Celica and

with bald tires, no spare tire, a full tank of gas. And I didn't know anyone there. And my mother was concerned. You know, she asked me if I knew anyone, did I have a place to stay? And

I said, no, I didn't. And I kind of liked that. I found it more exciting. So that was something that I wanted to pursue. And I thought that that's something that I really wanted to do in life. But my journey kind of took me in a different direction. And I found my true north for advocacy. And it's an interesting story. You know, I think we all start out with dreams of what we want to be when we grow up.

And, you know, I still do not consider myself grown up. So I'm constantly evolving and creating new versions. And I think that that's part of creativity and discovery. So I agree with you. You know, we start with some dreams and then life steps in. So as you started to write for Homeland, you were a small fish. You were a giveaway magazine in the grocery stores, correct? Yes.

That was how it turned out. You know what I mean? When I first got to Los Angeles, you know, being from a small town, I made some great strides. You know, I booked an agent, which was ironic about even getting an agent because the first thing I had to do was do a reading with her. And the material she picked was me playing the part of Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun.

where I was Maverick and she was Kelly McGillis. And what's funny about that is that that was a military, you know, type movie. Themed, right. You're right, theme. And that's something that I ended up being a publisher and editor of a military veteran magazine. So, you know, it was great. Like I said, I booked a bunch of gigs. From a small town, I found myself in places that

You know, small town people don't end up. I was in Hollywood parties. I met a lot of a lot of interesting people and people in the industry. And I really liked it. You know, it was exciting, but it it just really wasn't what I was looking for or I didn't know it wasn't what I was looking for.

So if you didn't know what it was looking for, what was the pivot point that changed your mind in terms of going in a fully different direction? Was it dramatic or were it a series of small steps? No, that's a good question. You know, I've always been really good at building relationships in business. And while I was doing the acting, I was working for a magazine, a cause magazine. And I just...

I never worried about rejection. You know, I don't know if I'm delusional, but it never bothered me. In fact, I always considered myself at my best when my back was against the wall. Mm-hmm.

So after living in L.A. and getting tired of the traffic and the rejections and just just not feeling right, I end up moving to San Diego. And when I did, I found a I found a military barracks newspaper.

And my forte at the time was, as starting my own business, was kind of being an efficiency expert and helping business with their sales and relationships and, you know, building, working on their business model. So when I went to go visit the military newspaper, I kind of saw some things in it that interested me because I didn't know a whole lot about the military background and military community there.

And he had mentioned that his, his newspaper was in trouble. It had been around for a long time and that they were losing pages and advertising. And I said, well, why don't you hire me for two months and let me see, let me kind of take a deep dive into what you guys are doing. And,

and doing some research on the industry and let me see if I can help. So I end up coming in with a business plan, which I didn't know was going to be my future. I told her we had a complete disconnect with veterans.

And, you know, veterans have a lot of issues and topics relating to mental health, fighting PTSD, transitioning. And they decided or they weren't really covering that. It was more of a barracks newspaper. So after about two months, they thanked me for coming up with this new business plan. And I told them, I said, you know, San Diego is like a homeland town because it's civilians and veterans and military working together.

And they decided they didn't want to go that way. They wanted to stick with doing what they were doing. So I said, okay. And I got my check and I left. And, you know, I kept thinking about it. You know, like when you hear a song, you can't get it out of your head. Musical worm. Right. Right. Well, I had this worm about this business plan that I came up with with Homeland Magazine.

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So I end up calling them and said, listen, I know you guys have a newspaper and I know I didn't sign anything, but I like my business plan and I think I'm going to start a magazine and I'm going to call it Homeland Magazine. And of course, he's like, oh, you know, go for it. Go right ahead. And, you know, I really focused on those type of things, the, you know, the topics that are really important to veterans.

And so I started that magazine. Now, the thing is, when I started it, not only was I the publisher, editor, I'm the graphic designer, I'm the salesperson, it was all me. But I kind of surrounded myself with a lot of veteran advocates and veteran organizations to kind of find out exactly what it is I wanted to create. So I ended up creating the magazine. It was pretty good for the first year. But then, you know, I kept asking myself, is this really what I want to do?

You know, am I really making a difference? And I just wasn't sure. I kept asking myself and over and over. And I think it was in June of 2016 because I started this in March of 2014. In 2016, I received a phone call and this changed everything. And it's just funny how something can can click.

But about 530 in the morning, I received a call and there was a lady on the phone and she sounded upset. And she had told me that she asked when she first asked for the publisher or the editor. So, of course, I thought I did something wrong. But, you know, I said, yes, this is Mike Miller. Can I help you? And she said, well, Mike, I went downstairs this morning because my husband wasn't in bed.

And I walked down to the dining room and he had his back toward me sitting at a table. And I noticed that he had his pistol, his gun to the left of him and he had his hand on it. Right. She says she was very scared. She wasn't sure what to do. And he turned around. His eyes were bloodshot. He stood up, grabbed his gun and he walked toward her and he turned the gun toward himself and he handed it to her.

And he said, you know, I'm going to be okay. And we're going to be okay. And I don't need this gun any longer. And I just want you to know that I love you. And she gave him a kiss, or he gave her a kiss, and then he walked upstairs.

Yikes. Well, then after that, she walked toward the table. She sat down, very upset and confused. And she looked down and she saw an article that he was reading about suicide prevention. Right. This was during June. So it was PTSD Awareness Month as well. And she turned to look at the article and she looked at the magazine and the magazine was Homeland Magazine.

And she just wanted to call me and say, thank you for what you do. I appreciate this. And she never told me her name or anything. She just hung up the phone. And after that, I never asked myself again if I'm doing the right thing and if this is what I should do.

That was a defining moment. It changed everything for me. And from then to now, I have three and a half million readers nationwide. It's the number one resource support magazine in the country. And I believe, I mean, this was my true north. I enjoy what I do and what I have achieved. And I've surrounded myself with the world, the greatest people in the world and greatest organizations worldwide.

And it's something that I never thought I wanted to do. You know, I was looking to win an Oscar as being an actor.

And my agent, when I left her, she told me that I was going to go win an Oscar in a different way. And I think I did. And I love the people that I work with. And this was my journey to advocacy. And, you know, I got much more than anything I could have ever wanted by doing this. The interesting part about that story is,

and it is a very powerful story, is that it happens over and over and over again, but often without the happy ending, without the good ending. And so, yes, your words matter. In fact, I think a lot of the time in the military space, words matter, tone matters, appreciation and respect matter.

And you show all of that in the magazine. When I wrote articles with you, I worked with the wounded, ill, and injured, and I wrote about caregiving, which is still today a large issue for that population. And I really find that we are all more alike than different, although the world seems to be very polarized these days. But you have covered a niche in a very sympathetic way and with a lot of

You've gained knowledge. Let's put it that way. You've gained enormous knowledge since your first business plan idea and where you're going. And the fact that you have this kind of influence is fantastic and well earned. So you did earn an Oscar in a different way.

Right, I did. And it's just so interesting how it turned out. And, you know, I was lucky. You know, I've always been the kind of person that wasn't afraid to taking risks and going after things. And I think a lot of people...

I'm not going to say they play it safe, but they play it smart. When they look about what they want to do, they look for security, they look for a plan, a support system. I just was one of those people that didn't... I won't say I went after things blindly, but I always had confidence in myself. I think anybody who...

really deciding what they want to do or how they're dealing with, you know, any type of things that can really bring them down. If you believe in yourself and you can find a way to turn that into positivity, then it's good. Now, I don't know if I'm, you know, delusional, but I was never worried about failing. You know, it's just something that I

I knew that no matter what, I would make something happen. And all that togetherness of thinking that way got me to where I am today and being able to collaborate with the people that feel the same way that I do and have taught me about empathy and about the things that I didn't know about. And for that, I'm very grateful. Well, I think that, again, words matter, but resilience matters.

is something that you can actually build upon. It's not something you're born with or you're not born with. It's something you can truly build upon. And so our learning experiences aren't always fun. Some things we wish we could skip.

But we are who we are today because of our experiences throughout our lives, from the childhood that you had as a big fish in a small town, all the way to your belief in yourself that your car would make it, all the way to California. And then moving from Hollywood and out of that realm towards San Diego, which is truly a military town. And it's

It's got a different ambience to it than many cities in California. And so you landed in a place where I'm not surprised you went in this direction because you were always headed there. You always had a heart for veterans and the military and you never gave up. I think one of the things that I'm sensing in all of this is that you had a very strong sense of self.

And part of that is you had a really remarkable childhood. And not everybody does. And especially in the military, there are some who had very troubled childhood and then found their true home and family in the military. So that camaraderie is throughout the military space and the veteran space. And the fact that it took a phone call like that

That is a dramatic moment. That is not a series of small steps. You're pacing yourself as you grew the magazine. Those were the small steps. But interestingly enough, your resilience comes because you kept going and you were successful from the beginning, but now you're so much more influential. As you say, you're not a barracks magazine anymore. So when you apply the efficiency expert approach,

in you with the resilience that you have and then the writing and the care you have for your population. Really, what is next for Mike Miller? That's a good question. And I think I have the answer. As far as what I'm doing professionally, you know, I want to make sure that my magazine is in the hands of every veteran in the United States. I want to make sure that my message is clear that they are not alone.

that there are amazing people, amazing organizations that want to help, you know, and I want to just bring that all together. I think that would be something great to do. You know, and I've done some other things. You know, I started a Best Self magazine, a health magazine, and it's just everything has kind of,

turned into this. And I just think in the future, I just want to keep building on that and maybe even come up with like a television show for veterans based on the stories and things I've done through Homeland Magazine. I think that would be very interesting to do. It does sound interesting like that. You know, part of what you're talking about is also familiar to people, and that's taking risks,

being fearless slash foolish. I think we have to learn from our experiences. Sometimes you have a dream and you jump before you have built your wings. You build your wings on the way down. And there is something marvelous about risk-taking. I found during the pandemic that people stopped wanting to risk anything because the world felt like a scary place.

And I think that everyone had a different experience going through the pandemic. But I think that when you talk to people now, those with inner resilience, those who have an inner strength, those who have a higher power, whether it's God or something else, realize that we're here for a reason. And so if you had to talk about your way of the resilience piece,

What's your advice? You know, taking advantage of something that seems like it's bad but turns out to be good. And what I mean by that is we're talking about the pandemic. The pandemic really turned my magazine around. When a lot of magazines and newspapers were going under, what happened is that –

people who are working from home, you know, they start really being online and doing things online. Well, every time they typed in something about veterans, about the issues, about topics that they really wanted to, to learn about and find out about, you know, Homeland Magazine coming up. And before I knew it, because of the pandemic,

I was doubling my distribution, my readership, I should say. And so I never want to say the pandemic was a good thing. It was horrible, you know, for a lot of people. But for the magazine, it just it opened up a floodgate of doors to people to find the magazine who were all over the country. And

That was something, another turning point as far as the readership of my magazine was because of the pandemic. I'm only bringing that up because you were... No, no, I think that's exactly why I asked. Because I believe that there are silver linings to these hard things we go through. We know we can do hard things. And, you know, we're standing here 100%.

Right about the fact that we can do hard things because we're here. But I think that I'm not at all surprised that it grew. What it says to me, too, is that your audience is one that seeks change.

answers and seeks information. And I would agree with that. And good for you, because I think several people discovered their priorities during the pandemic. It actually made it seem more meaningful. Family life was more important. Sitting down to dinner became more important. Chasing a dream was suddenly possible where it wasn't before.

So I think there are good and bad things for everything we go through. But if you seek the silver lining, you may find it or it may find you.

Right. And I know everyone's different. You know, I, you're talking about resilience, you know, I would feed off of being resilient. And like I said earlier about being my best when my back was against the wall, you know, I, you know, when I was, when I was working for the magazine and living in LA, you know, I was making really good money being, you know, the sales manager and doing things like that. And I found myself complacent. It's, I know we're all different inside, but,

you know, I would sometimes look for, or not say hope or wish for a disaster, but I needed something to happen to get me out of that complacent situation in my mindset, in my head for me to go out and do more. I mean, we all have our little crutches and mine is sometimes that, you know, I have a lot of ideas and I don't always go after it. But, and I would always need something bad to happen for me to go after it. But it's,

but you needed a roadblock. I did. You could surmount it. Absolutely. And, uh, and when I get a roadblock, you know, I go, I attack it and I'm in a better place than I ever was before. And, um, I know a lot of people when they get these roadblocks, you know, it gets them depressed or they get, uh, nervous and, uh, they're afraid of failure and I'm not sure what to do. And,

And, you know, I know that being optimistic is one thing and being positively being delusional in a positive way. I would call it being intentionally positive. You're not delusional. You just have an intentional positive mindset. And that is so valuable.

Right. And I think I think people can get that. I mean, I understand that people can be depressed and there's things that you have to do and there's lots of reasons. But, you know, yeah, I think you can really turn something around if you if you believe in it and take it as a, you know, not a crutch, but, you know, an opportunity to do something great. Well, I also think that people are seeking overnight success and there is no such thing.

There is always the steps you took to get to where you wish to go. And there will always be steps in most people's lives to be able to move forward. And I think your growth part of your story is really interesting because it's the small steps. It's the moments you found those moments when you needed them the most, right?

And that's kind of the path we follow. But you are also aware enough to recognize them. And sometimes people are not aware enough or not confident enough to recognize

look inward to figure out where to go next. But you did. And I think that's so important. So I want to make sure that we also help you increase your readership, because I know we have a lot of people who are connected to the military in our audience. And so they can find out more information at homelandmagazine.com. And you're written up there too, right?

Yes, in the June issue, if they go to homelandmagazine.com, the website is there.

On the right-hand side, you'll see where current issue, you can read the issue online. At the top, there's all the current and past issues. So you can, and again, that's probably like 150 issues now, but you can click onto any cover. You can read about the magazine. If you want to subscribe to it, you can. And the thing is that I don't make any money on veteran organizations or subscriptions, because I want people to have it. I want it to work for them.

Because the whole idea of the magazine is pay it forward. I have a lot of organizations that write stories and they may be an organization that's in Iowa, for example. And you might be writing about a veteran that has gone through certain things that

uh, and turn their life around or use their services. Now, somebody in Maryland might read that and they're not that operate that, that, uh, that organization is not there, but they can see the light. You know, that's the idea about paying it forward is that, you know, if they may, uh, identify with what someone else is going through and then that can, uh, that can actually, um, help them as well. So I think everyone could get something out of the magazine. Uh,

It's about resources and support. It's about transition, about mental health. And there's some amazing stories. And also Homeland's about keeping the history alive. There's been some amazing people that have done amazing things. I've just never really gotten the credit for it or,

You know, and the magazine shows gratitude to them and to their service and we like to share their story. And so we've done a lot of stuff on World War I, World War II veterans, you know, and make sure that their legacy is, you know, documented. And we do that with Homeland Magazine.

Well, I think it's important because so many veterans have been treated differently. Each conflict, each era, I mean, let's face it, returning Vietnam veterans were treated very, very differently than those coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan or even Desert Storm. And so it's nice that you add that historical outlook because our military history is often our nation's history.

And so it's not to be glossed over because those who, you know, we're the home of the free because of the brave. And I feel strongly that these people are very special. And the interesting part is over 45% of those in the military come from small towns. So it's not unusual. And

There's just so much richness in their history. So, Mike, thank you so much for sharing the time with us today. You want to go to homelandmagazine.com to find out more about Mike and about the magazine. And I assure you, it is genuinely veteran and military focused, which

which a lot of things say they are, but aren't really. But this particular thing is, this magazine definitely is. Mike, I knew you when, and now I know you more. And so I'm grateful for the time you've spent with us today and make it a wonderful week. Thank you very much, London. I love what you do as well. And I'll...

I'll be in touch with you soon as I still have that written down for the magazine. No, I'm not going to get away with it. Okay. Well, thank you so much, Mike. Thank you. Homelandmagazine.com. Make it a wonderful week ahead. Thank you for tuning in today. You can find more shows at wisehealthforwomenradio.com.