The Spotlight
The Spotlight: Highlighting Veteran Voices
AZVRC's podcast, hosted from the Defender's Den — conversations with veterans, families, and the partners who serve alongside them.
Sep 10, 2026
Caught in the Riptide: Finding Your Way Back
In this deeply personal episode, host and U.S. Navy veteran Nicole Pogue turns the mic on herself, opening up about a season of illness, grief, and emotional overwhelm — and how she began finding solid ground again through trusted battle buddies, practiced coping tools, rest, and rediscovering joy. She talks candidly about asking for help before hitting a crisis point and checking in on the friends who always seem to have it together, and shares an update on the new center's construction. Along the way she points listeners toward Arizona resources including Veterans 5-9, Project 24SEVEN, the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services, the VA, the Tempe Envision Center, ARIZONA@WORK, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, and the Valley of the Sun YMCA.
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May 21, 2026
Helping Veterans Write Their Resumes AND Life's Next Chapter
Nicole Pogue is joined by Army veteran and Aerotek account manager Derek Doughty for a conversation about veteran employment and the transition to civilian life. Derek draws on his own path out of the Army to talk through the challenge of translating military experience into resumes and interviews, and makes the case for why employers should value the discipline, adaptability, and leadership veterans bring to the workplace. The conversation goes beyond job-hunting mechanics into the deeper work of transition — rebuilding confidence, moving past old labels, and finding a new sense of purpose — with practical pointers on resume support, mock interviews, and where to find workforce resources in Arizona.
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Dec 29, 2025
The Spotlight EP 200 - New Location Tour!
Marking the show's 200th episode, this one is a walkthrough of AZVRC's new home at 1833 W Main Street in Mesa, with an announcement of when the doors would reopen to the community. Along the way there are shout-outs for Women Veterans Recognition Day, a preview of upcoming events at the Defender's Den, and a look at how music, medicine, and conversation fit into the center's approach to healing.
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