Casey Wallace: Lessons Learned From the U.S. Air Force Academy, D1 Tennis, Start Ups, and Exits

In this episode, I sit down with Casey Wallace, COO of Stoked Plastics, to explore the power of resilience, relationships, and what he calls "maximum effort." Casey shares his journey from the U.S. Air Force Academy and military service to entrepreneurship, leading sustainability-driven operations, and helping to build a game-changing company that transforms ocean-bound plastics into high-performance materials. Learn why success isn’t linear, why your network matters more than your resume, and why having a "short-term memory" might just be your best career strategy. Key Themes: Career pivots Entrepreneurship Leadership Innovation Resilience Finding Purpose Leading with integrity Listen to this if you are: A career explorer looking for real-world inspiration An aspiring entrepreneur or startup founder Navigating career pivots and wondering what’s next Interested in sustainability, innovation, and building companies with purpose A leader (or aspiring leader) curious about building resilience and operational excellence Links to Know: Follow Casey Wallace on LinkedIn  See how Casey delivers as an operator at his website  Learn more about StokedPlastics  Support Opolis Eyewear’s Kickstarter campaign (launching June!) #careeradvice #careerstories #careerjourney #militaryservice #entrepreneur #startups #operations #strategy #theunderswell #stokedplastics #sustainabilitycareer