Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Jones.
Hi Lee, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I usually tell people my story is really about transition and translation—learning to turn hard moments into fuel.
I started my adult life in the U.S. Army as a combat soldier. Basic Training stripped me down to the lowest common denominator. In that environment, titles, backgrounds, and egos didn’t matter. What mattered was discipline, teamwork, and figuring out who you really are when things get uncomfortable. That experience taught me authenticity, resilience, and how to lead people when the stakes are high and the path forward isn’t clear.
When I transitioned out of the military, I stepped into the supply chain and electrical distribution world. I didn’t grow up dreaming about inventory and data, but I did care about structure, service, and solving problems that actually impact people’s lives. Over the last 6+ years, I’ve worked my way up to managing the Supply Chain Services department for a California based Electrical Distribution company. My team runs a Vendor Managed Inventory program that helps customers get the right material, in the right place, at the right time—so their people can do their best work without worrying about whether the shelf is stocked.
Along the way, I kept meeting people—coworkers, customers, other leaders—who were stuck at some crossroads in life: career transitions, identity shifts, burnout, big decisions. That’s what led me to launch Hindsight the Podcast in 2020. The podcast became a place where high-achieving professionals could be honest about the moments they’d rather forget, and the lessons they’d never trade. My first book, From Here to There, and the projects I’m working on now all come from the same place: helping people understand who they are today, so they can intentionally build who they want to become.
Today, I wear a few hats—supply chain executive, podcast host, author, and community leader—but they’re all connected by one mission: to help people “be more.” More aware. More intentional. More confident. More purposeful about the actions they take today, knowing those actions are shaping their future self.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
I was born in Baltimore, MD and later moved to Prince George’s County, and that environment shaped a lot of how I saw myself and the world. Going from there straight into the U.S. Army was a shock to the system. The physical demands were intense, but honestly, the mental shift was even harder. I had to go from thinking like an individual to thinking like a teammate. In that world, it wasn’t about how tough you thought you were—it was about whether people could depend on you when it counted.
I had to unlearn some habits, drop my ego, and accept being “stripped down” so I could be built back up with discipline, humility, and real resilience. The Army pushed me to my limits, but it also gave me structure, focus, and a new standard for what I expect from myself.
Then came a different kind of challenge—transitioning back to civilian life.
That’s where the mental game really kicked in. You go from having a clear mission and tight structure to a world where everything feels wide open and uncertain. The thought of failure was loud in my mind: What if I don’t make it out here? What if I can’t translate who I was in the military into something valuable on the outside?
I had to lean hard on the lessons I learned in the Army—controlling what I can control, managing my mindset, and taking things one step at a time. I also had to do something that isn’t always easy for veterans: ask for help. I trusted the process, leaned on people who believed in me, and took advantage of organizations and resources that supported my transition.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But every stretch of road—Baltimore, PG County, basic training, combat, corporate life—taught me something. Those struggles are exactly what shaped how I lead, how I show up for my team, and why I care so much about helping other people navigate their own transitions.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Today, most people know me as the host of Hindsight the Podcast.
Hindsight is an interview-based show where I sit down with high-achieving professionals—entrepreneurs, authors, executives, creators—and we talk about the moments they don’t usually lead with on their LinkedIn profiles. The show lives at the intersection of transition, resilience, mindset, and self-discovery. My job is to help guests unpack the story behind their success: the bad decisions, the pivots, the wake-up calls, and the mindset shifts that got them from “here” to “there.”
What I specialize in is creating a space where people feel safe enough to be real, but supported enough to go deep. I’m known for asking simple, direct questions that somehow pull out very layered answers. I’m not trying to catch anyone off guard—I’m trying to help them connect the dots between who they were, who they are now, and who they’re becoming. A lot of guests tell me, “This felt more like a coaching session or a therapy session than an interview,” and I take that as a compliment.
I’m most proud of the impact the conversations have on people who listen in silence. I get messages from listeners saying an episode helped them finally leave a job, start a business, set a boundary, go to therapy, or simply give themselves permission to want more. I’ve had veterans, corporate leaders, and everyday professionals tell me, “I saw myself in that story.” That’s the win for me.
What sets me apart is the combination of combat veteran, corporate leader, and storyteller. I’m not speaking as a distant “expert”; I’m someone who’s had to reinvent himself more than once. I bring that perspective into every conversation. My goal is always the same: to use hindsight not as a reason for regret, but as a tool for clarity—so that every listener walks away ready to be more: more honest with themselves, more intentional with their choices, and more purposeful about the future they’re building.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Yeah—one more thing that’s really close to my heart is my book, From Here to There.
I wrote it because I kept meeting people who were stuck in the “in-between.” They knew they didn’t want to stay where they were in life—career-wise, emotionally, financially, spiritually—but they couldn’t quite see the path forward. That tension between who you are today and who you know you could be is something I’ve lived through multiple times. The book came out of my own journey of navigating transitions, managing my mindset, and learning how to take intentional steps instead of just hoping life would change on its own.
From Here to There is designed to be a practical guide, not a lecture. I wanted readers to walk away with three things:
Clarity about where they really are right now—without judgment, just honesty.
Language for the kind of future they want to create, in their own words.
A plan made up of simple, doable steps they can start taking today.
You’ll find stories, reflections, and questions that help you slow down long enough to think, “What do I actually want?” and “What’s the next right move for me?” My hope is that when someone finishes the book, they don’t just feel inspired—they feel equipped. If it helps even one person shift from being stuck in “here” to moving intentionally toward their “there,” then it’s done its job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imleejones.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imleejones1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hindsightthepodcast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-jones/
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/@hindsightthepodcast?sub_confirmation=1
Image Credits
Matt Ellis Photography for the Profile Photo in Grey Jacket
Michael Cairns (www.michaelcairns.com) for the main photo
