About Me — Joshua J. Lyon, BSQP, CNP
A brief comprehensive story
Hi. I’m Josh. A few things that pop out about me wherever I go are that I am very courteous and respectful. And analytical — sometimes I lose people in conversation.
Actually, I lost talking to a girl with a master’s degree in counseling because of it. Crazy, right? And it was from a psychology conversation!
Comedy is a big part of my everyday existence, too, whether it is writing or talking with friends (I don’t really talk in public unless I’m getting paid for it). My hairstylist thinks I should start public speaking about the psychology of good relationships, though.
And I write about what you think I write about, too — I’m on Medium…
Let’s start from the beginning. In the beginning God created the Heav — fast forward to the year 0 AD to pay respects to baby Jesus. Salute. Then fast forward again 1,988 years. I was born in June 1988 — a great year if you didn’t already know, on the planet Krypton, but landed in Pennsylvania to grow as a human for no apparent reason aside from being a gift to all of you. You’re welcome.
In the real story, I actually lost all my powers coming to earth, not gaining them. There’s no proof, so you’ll have to take my word for it. Or go ahead and write to the CIA — then let me know what they say if you do actually do that.
Abbreviations
Since they were listed in the title, I’ll cover my titles and abbreviations. Scratch that, I like coconut mixed with chocolate, cookies, and walnuts — or is it pecans? I like kayaking. I like mountains. I like staying home just as much. I like movies of true stories (favorite movie is 13 Hours and 2nd favorite is Sicario). I like eating at new places (favorite food: non lime-based Indian. Pizza balls are gorgeous, too, but they need to make steak pizza balls). I like reading psychology, neuroscience, business, and theology. I love serving others in the soft sciences! Engineers, get over it.
The CNP designation behind the name = Certified Non-profit Professional. Not Certified Non-Professional.
The BSQP behind my name is for bachelor of science, qualified professional in mental health.
Liberty University Alumnus 2017: Criminal Psychology.
The following images are classes I completed with the accrediting links provided.
This is my future course plan:
Military
I will take a brief moment to share something personal. A story I’ve only shared with close friends and family. I still can’t remember all the details. My memory’s a little f**ked up.
In 2011 I went to Afghanistan with the 209th Military Police Company. In February 2012 we were at an Afghan Police compound when a suicide bomber drove up to the gate, targeting Afghans, and blew up half the compound with a couple hundred pounds of explosives in the back of his car. The bombing created a mushroom cloud, other soldiers told us, in the days and weeks to come. An explosion that the ground vibrated “a half mile away” said one soldier who felt it.
Another soldier said to us, “I heard the boom, seen the cloud, and I knew someone just got blown up. S*** was bad.”
There were 3 truck beds full of dead people that were hulled off. They were stacked on top of each other in the beds. In the victims, were a boy maybe 9 years old that I seen playing with a soccer ball just minutes before, many Afghan police and civilians, and blew off a dog’s leg (probably by shrapnel). I seen the dog limp off with 3 legs.
We were in a 3-truck convoy that had parked outside the compound, so we could train the Afghan Police a little. The members who were in the 1st truck, nearest the gate (maybe 20 meters away), were all knocked out from the concussion. After the explosion, obviously we could not get a hold of them for a few minutes. My team in the second truck were not knocked out, but my gunner up the turret almost lost his head by shrapnel (just a half a foot closer and it would’ve been). If I remember correctly, maybe 7 Purple Hearts were given out that day, out of just 16 of us soldiers. I may be mistaken on that.
However, for some reason it is mystery to this day. I have a whole neuropsychological clinical team at the Department of Veteran Affairs that brainstormed about it. No one can come up with why I lost my complete memory in March 2012, maybe 2 weeks after the bombing and a day or two after being dropped off at FOB Walton, solo, by the 209th Military Police Company. I woke up in a tent at FOB Walton, around the time I flew back to the US, solo. When I awoke I had to read “Lyon” on my body armor 3x before I remembered by first name. I knew some faces, but not ranks or names associated with them. Did not even know they were soldiers. So, I did not say much.
In the days and months that passed, I would forget things I did just 5 minutes prior due to overloading myself to remember who I was and my childhood. To this day, there are times when my brain cannot get a thought out in words. It’s like my brain just pauses every now and again. Even today, Sunday, when I talked with my RHA supervisor, I totally forgot I took PTO on Friday. All I remembered was, I was at the Department of Veteran Affairs doing tests and such all day for a TBI research study. Forgot the names of the people, too.
I say all that to showcase what I have fought day and night for since 2012. I did it all myself! I have not seen anyone “self-built” aside from me on this planet. I know of a lot of your Instagram influencers and veterans claim to be. But, they are not! They never were alone. They only thought they were, so they could “identify” with me. They can’t fool me.
The only people who were there for me were the financial assistance at Liberty University and the Department of Veteran Affairs. No friends cared enough and I had moved to NC when my whole family was still in PA. There is nothing in this story/article of which I did pre-memory loss. I graduated from Liberty in 2017 with not a soul I could say was a friend, by Webster’s Dictionary. Life Coach certified in 2017. All the rest in 2020.
I have professionally spoken into different fields and affected company policies. I have worked in different fields. I am a former member of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies and the American Psychological Association.
I guess I’m still in the Wall Street Journal Young Professional Network (which I think anyone in the “competitive” job market could apply anyways). 4x self-published on Amazon. With my books, in the beginning I did all my editing, all the formatting, and the covers.
I also went to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake (short story has pictures!):
Next. What do I do?
Not who am I, but how do I serve others?
I’m the founder and CEO of the non-profit Restore the Family: Military Transitions (RTFMT) and Coach Lyon, LLC. RTFMT assists with military entry and exists, to include widows and families. To learn more, read below. Coach Lyon, LLC is a small intuitive and luxurious PsychoNeuroBiological 1-on-1 coaching service, “psychosocial” for short, but we want to make sure that we still let people know that we will research and advocate in the biological field, too, if needed. To read more on that, read below, also.
I created the website (which is under construction again). I did all the paperwork/created all the company documents from scratch. I created the social medias. I created the covers to my books (even after I paid some people to create me a cover, I used mine because it was better). I created the emails and the Zoho workspace. I created our RTFMT Challenge Coin. I used to have an online clothing store for the nonprofit. I did my own book formatting. And everything on the backside of my life was me.
My last two companies I worked for gave me a 1-page Interview Preparation question list to use when helping clients with mock job interviews that had about 11 interview questions on it — I changed that to 156 interview questions with tips and professional breakdowns and slapped my nonprofit logo on it.
Restore the Family: Military Transitions
www.rtfmt.org | https://www.linkedin.com/company/rtfmt/
Military Entry:
RTFMT assists by providing client information to our volunteer coaches from Coach Lyon, LLC (a military, psychological, and life coaching company - also RTFMT volunteers) who will break down:
- Every military occupation and the standards of the selected MOS. Then see which branch of the military best suits them long-term.
- Possible educational routes (and schools) in the military and after military benefits during service and when to use them
- Where a recruit may end up without preparing for their career
- If anything would prevent military service for the individual
- Will work with the military recruiters who show an interest and them only
- Special Operation functions, jobs, standards, and a special operation training booklet that was provided to us by an undisclosed company
- The civilian equivalency of what they wish to do and later in their career and will strategize with the person to land them their civilian job.
Military Exit
Additionally, we help:
- Current military and military families
- Veterans, military-veteran families, and widows
- Federal employees affected by reduction in force (RIF)
- Unspecified government employees (UGE) (approved by the CEO on a case-by-case basis)
- And foreign military/families transitioning to the Triad region of NC
We service everyone in the immediate Thin Green Line Community. How we help in this program for all the aforementioned people:
- Transition coaching: life coaching and psychological coaching
- Partnerships: currently we have a realtor, a woman entrepreneur coach, a YouTuber, and some undisclosed financial advisors (to have a publicly disclosed financial advisor, RTFMT will need to partner with the whole branch)
- Community research: we complete an assessment of the family and veteran needs, then research everything from schools to staffing agencies, to nonprofits in the region to submit a referral to
- Professional Development: we teach them now to write cover letters, create top and attractive resumes, train in computer skills if needed, tons of interview preparation, civilian etiquette, create accounts for LinkedIn and Indeed/ZipRecruiter, and eventually have them do a 10-20 second video introduction of themselves. For current members leaving the military, we make a checklist of things they actually need and begin working with them during a 90-day transition period - their last 90 days in service; helping them navigate civilian professionalism
- Academic and School research for the parents and children Occupation & Career assessment and strategic planning. This includes military reclass
- Psychological assessment to let them know if and what mental health professional they should see. For example: Autism falls under Neuropsychology; civilian therapists will not say "no" to clients and $$ even if they are not best suited for the client
- VA advocacy: we can go with the veteran, spouse, or widow to the VA if requested. Also, can call the VA on their behalf if needed
- We personally translate the client's entire military into a list of skills and strengths for them to memorize. And teach them the difference between skills and strengths.
Contact:
Clients: [email protected]
Marketing and volunteering: [email protected]
Info: [email protected]
Currently we are starting a new GoFundMe and GiveSendGo, so if you would like to donate, please do so at the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/militarytransitions/ or send a check filled out to the nonprofit or to RTFMT and mailed to PO Box 8872, Greensboro, NC 27419.
We have a footprint in Google. We are beginning a Wikipedia page, as well. By “we”, I mean, me.
If I had known about a company like RTFMT I could have had someone beside me the whole time from the time I stepped foot off that plane back from Afghanistan to when I got my college degree and job. The Army gave me a 3-page “resume” and said “good to go”. In my first job interview I handed them my resume and they asked, “what’s this?” I even entered into a marriage right after the military. That happens to many servicemen and women.
We need some badass professional hand-selected coaches who can speak into any situation with wisdom and research! The Thin Green Line needs you! The widow who has been a stay-at-home mother, lost her husband in combat, and now needs a job, needs you!
I ask that you give me and the people I interview to come aboard the ability to assist the little 24-year old’s who lost their memory and no friend or family actually has been beneficial at all. I LOST MY MEMORY. Everything. Poof, gone. If you were to have asked me, “where does the president live?” I could not have told you. No joke. I was dropped off at the motor pool one day, just a few weeks after my spell and after lunch the same guy picked me up and I asked him what car he drove… As we walked across the road, he paused in the middle of the road and said, “you’re f***** up”. I had to live with myself 24/7, knowing I could not trust a single thought that came across my head. I had to write down on a piece of paper when to eat or I missed meals! I would cry from being so mad at myself for “being so stupid”. My brain was mush. I walked passed hundreds of soldiers who gave zero fucks. What was I to do when I had no rational thoughts, as much as I knew?
When I cleared the Army, I was told to go to “battalion”. I did not ask at that time, to not be scrutinized more, but I thought to myself, “what’s battalion and where is it?” I had to walk for hours to find it — and guess that it was the right one. If you want my whole story about my memory loss and all the stupid things I did, I’ll write a story on it. Ha-ha! It seriously is a miracle for me to be where I am. There are thousands of soldiers and widows who have succumbed to the issues. Many have killed themselves because they could not transition — not due to PTSD.
Everyone I came in contact with just thought, “Eh, he’s good, f*** him”. No job, no prospects, no degree — who thinks to themselves, “I have faith in his abilities”. Well, that’s my job now! I will talk with him or her for years, until they give me a hug and say, “thanks so much for the support, the careful evaluations, the research, the psychosocial training, the decision making training, and for never letting me walk off a cliff. I have it from here.”
Our Guide Star profile: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/37-1948018
Coach Lyon, LLC
In addition to what I said previously, part of Coach Lyon, LLC is your Celebrity & Influencer Dating Liaison office. Which is just a cover for protecting our clients from entering into bad relationships. Since no one wants to make anyone talking to our clients feel bad that we are in their business profiling them, we use the term Celebrity & Influencer Life Coaching Liaison.
Coach Lyon, LLC does not advertise, no “Instagram promotional BS”, or anything else to draw attention. We are classy. Just like military special operations, we don’t ask for clients. But, we DO NOT AND WILL NEVER PUT A CLIENT’S FEELINGS OVER THIER FUTURE WELLBEING. We are as honest and as raw as humans can be. You only have 1 future! And we will make it awesome!!
We are not a nonprofit as RTFMT is. Staff drop everything for our clients if we are not with RTFMT clients. We might even leave vacation for it — but you’re paying it and we are the best in the business. I hate using the term “coach”. But, sadly there is no other word for it, because I’m not licensed I can’t use something else. AND as a life, psychological, and military coach, I have no boundaries because the liability falls on the client. We are a mind, body, and spirit integration, life is my playground.
We do not have repeat customers for the same topic. Not that we don’t want to see you again, of course, but we have built your wings so now go and have a great life!
When I am gone, I want what I stood for and the stories of who I’ve helped continue to influence greatly 2,000 years from now.
Now, I am a Christian, but check out this review from a Muslim:
Second to Last Thing About Me
NOCA is a publication dedicated to the vastness of the city life of North Carolina, the spirit of our nature and ocean that we live in, and the relationships we have found and left here.
Join here: https://medium.com/noca-carolina
Last thing about me. I’m unfortunately single and have been for years. I would like that to officially change that.
Thank you for reading and learning about me!
If you have time, read one of my favorite stories I’ve written on Medium!
