My Story: As an Army veteran with 8 years of service and a deployment to Syria under my belt, transitioning to civilian life was a daunting prospect. I knew I wanted more than just a standard “Project Manager” or “Defense Contractor” position. I was looking for a career that allowed me to: 

• Work remotely (more family time) 

• Provided a tight-knit community of passionate people (belonging to a team again) 

• Offered the opportunity to earn (a lot) more based on my performance

That's when I connected with Andrew, the Navy (I promise I don't hold that against him) veteran behind The Arena. 

Andrew provided me with the tactics and insider knowledge to separate myself from the rest of the crowd. He literally gave me the answers to the test. I Should Have Reached Out Sooner. Thanks to his guidance and support, I landed my first role in tech sales. Saying I wouldn't be here without his help is an understatement. 

My only regret is not reaching out to him sooner because I thought it would be 'weird' to cold message someone on LinkedIn. Now, managers are actively seeking out Andrew to find veteran talent. That speaks volumes about the value he provides. The Arena's program offered invaluable guidance, resources, and a supportive community of like-minded veterans. Andrew's personal mentorship and the program's tailored curriculum equipped me with the skills and confidence to successfully navigate the tech sales landscape. 

The Best Thing, You Ask? The best thing about The Arena is the genuine commitment to each veteran's success. Andrew goes above and beyond to ensure that we not only gain technical knowledge but also develop the soft skills necessary to thrive in our new careers. The network of industry professionals and alumni that The Arena connects us with is unparalleled, opening doors to opportunities I never thought possible. Hiring managers are constantly asking Andrew for veteran talent. 

 Thanks to The Arena, I have successfully transitioned into a rewarding tech sales role where I can apply my military leadership experience and continue to grow both personally and professionally. I wholeheartedly recommend The Arena to any transitioning service member looking to break into tech sales. It's not just a program; it's a life-changing experience.

I'm in tech sales and was Andrew's neighbor from 2021 to 2024. I lived right next door to him. 

Andrew is the type of neighbor who actually returns borrowed tools, maintains a lawn you could nap on, and grills steaks worthy of awards. 

But, Andrew's secret talent? Christmas lights. His display is tasteful enough to make Martha Stewart nod approvingly, yet bright enough to confuse local pilots. 

Honestly, if neighborhoods had MVPs, he'd be ours every year.

I spent over 10 years as a Navy Helicopter Pilot and Staff Officer. When I was ready to take on my transition, I caught the tech sales bug. The Arena offered me the perfect avenue to catch up on knowledge and experiences that aren't obvious to find while you're in. With Andrew's lectures, The Arena cold call and discovery meeting practice sessions, meetings with various The Arena coaches, and The Arena alumni network, I was able to best prepare to interview and win a spot as a sales rep. While it's possible to make the transition on your own, The Arena enabled me to break into tech sales faster and at a more senior role than doing it on my own.

I was an Armor officer in the Army for almost 10 years. Upon getting out in 2021, I took job in a well know area for me, Operations and Team Leadership. I hadn’t done as much research as I should have and I picked a path of that I was comfortable with. I quickly realized I wanted more. This is when I was introduced to Andrew Garcia and The Arena. I immediately scheduled a coaching session and was part of the cohort less than a week later. Andrew’s passion for fellow veterans paired with his immense knowledge of mindset, sales, and the tech industry has made the process of hunting for a tech sales job much less daunting. Andrew, The Arena, and the team he is building are a tremendous asset to the veteran community. The straightforward but powerful lessons coupled with the sense of community has been a blast to work with. Best of all, Andrew and the team are always available - they are always around, whether it’s to answer questions, review a cover letter, or take part in a quick coaching session. I’m grateful for Andrew and The Arena community and look forward to what the future holds!

While in the last year of my time with the Army, I began looking for a career that would interest me following my transition. I did not need a lengthy self-analysis to understand the past 4 years spent in the Infantry had left me with few hard skills and technical experience. The great thing about being in the Infantry though is that you spend plenty of time in less than ideal conditions to practice your soft skills: teamwork, problem solving, communication, adaptability, leadership, etc. After researching more customer-facing careers, another veteran referred me to Andrew Garcia. Before I spoke with Andrew, the only thing that came to mind when I heard “sales” was a used car salesman. When Andrew and I first talked I realized my preconceived notion of tech sales was very far off from the truth. Andrew provided me with a plethora of resources to learn more about what a career in tech sales actually entails. Shortly after that discussion Andrew asked if I would be interested in joining the first cohort for The Arena, and without hesitation I said yes. Since then I have not once regretted my decision to join, it was a leap of faith but I knew Andrew was genuine and he would go above and beyond to help me prepare. Every week he’s putting out content that’s helping us to improve our sales methodologies, prepare for interviews, search for jobs, and never stop learning. Instead of feeling confident that I am mastering the world of sales I understand that I have only seen the tip of the iceberg and I am on the right path which requires me to constantly reasses and continue improving. The most valuable resource The Arena provides though is not Andrew Garcia, the recommended reading, the renowned guest speakers, or the software platforms at our disposal. No, the most valuable resource The Arena provides is its community of like minded veterans who are willing to go the extra mile to achieve success and they are eager to help those around them to experience that same success. For those struggling to decide if The Arena is worth it I would urge them to take a leap of faith.

My name is Caroline Locksmith and I am a logistics officer in the United States Marine transitioning to tech sales. I spoke with Andrew via a mutual connection when I discovered what Salesforce was looking at job descriptions. That led to a few calls with him of me picking his brain and ultimately joining The Arena. Andrew is a very humble individual and I learned over time his success at Salesforce as well as just sales over all. Andrew selflessly dedicates his time to anyone interested and by creating The Arena, has fostered a community of veterans who are also willing to help each other and build the community. Transition can be overwhelming, scary, exciting, you name it. Andrew and The Arena have helped ease those feeling by creating an intentional and safe place to develop the skills necessary to be successful in sales but specifically, tech sales.

My name is Nick Schebler I am currently a Captain in the US Army. I have been in the Army for the past six years as a Field Artillery Officer. I have been with the 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions and have lead soldiers in many different situations and scenarios. The Arena has helped me develop different skills and traits to allow me to be successful in the interview process, but also in the sales world. The knowledge gained, skills learned, and relationships built are all key aspects in the pursuit of a career in sales. The best thing about working with the Arena are the relationships built and community developed while helping veterans achieve success in a new chapter in our lives.

As a naval intelligence officer, the transition to the civilian world has its well-worn tracks and common destinations, few of which deeply interested me. Andrew helped me realize that my passion for problem-solving, analysis, and leadership have highly applicable and potentially lucrative application in tech sales. "Potentially" is not a scary word if you're willing to bet on yourself, especially when The Arena helps stack the deck in your favor. Andrew's thoughtfully structured program will prepare you to confidently pivot to the competitive world of tech sales and build an amazing network of like-minded peers in the process.

Leaving something that you know well to pursue something brand new is hard- I think most of us can agree on that. I truly enjoyed my time serving as an Active-Duty Signal Officer in the U.S. Army. From graduating Ranger School, to providing communication support all over the Indo-Pacific, I learned a lot through these experiences but was ready for a change. After evaluating which direction and career path I wanted to take, I made the decision to pursue Sales, which was an extremely difficult choice to make. Although many of my previous positions contained many qualities directly related to Sales, I quickly realized I was going to need help. I randomly stumbled upon the Arena Sales Training Program, thinking to myself that this was fate. On paper, it had everything I thought I needed to obtain the slight edge to successfully break into Tech Sales. After speaking with Andrew for the first time, it was clear that this program was what I needed, but there was one issue. The Arena was a “baby”, and my cohort would be the first ever initiated from start to finish. I was a bit skeptical because I couldn’t confirm with previous Arena members if this program was legit. Knowing I needed support, I decided to take a leap of faith, and enter the Arena. After a few months in this program, I can confidently say I made the right choice. After feeling timid about my transition, the Arena has given me confidence from learning from others who have gone before me. The transition out of the Military is already extremely complicated, so why make it more stressful. The mentorship I have been receiving in the Arena has completely changed my mindset from feeling anxious, to complete confidence that I will be able to perform in my next role.

I recently decided in January to transition out of the Army at the nine year mark and quickly learned from my peers who transitioned before me how rewarding (and challenging) a career in tech sales could be. As I was building my LinkedIn profile, I stumbled on Andrew Garcia and The Arena program and was pretty impressed. I read through his e-book in one night that was focused on the mindset, vision, and habits needed to be successful in this field as well as the detailed breakdown of different roles in the field (BDR/SDRs, Account Executive, Sales Engineers, Customer Success, etc.). Fast forward after only being in the program for a month, I'm blown away how much I've learned about how to nail interviews and the sales process in general. This program is worth the investment. I just passed my final round of interviews for the Cisco's competitive Military in Sales and Leadership (MISL) and I contribute a lot of my success to the prep work we've done in The Arena. Do it, you won't regret it.