Davis famously said, “This will remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave.” There are times when even brave people also need help and advocacy in matters of their mental health and wellness. Although resources are given to men and women in the military, they are far from adequate. Olivia J.M. Nunn is trying to change the narrative around military veterans’ mental health and wellness through her company, Olivia Nunn Communications.
Hailing from Puyallup, WA, Olivia was raised in an army household, and she idolized her father and joined the army just to be like him. She always wanted to be a part of the US military and had known it since she was four years old. She joined the army in 2001 after finishing her BBA from Radford University in Virginia. She went through her basic training and three tours in Iraq to join the Public Affairs department in the Army. She was part of a program that helped retiring officers exit the army and find bearing in the civilian world.
Having a successful career and helping veterans manage civilian life was what Olivia did best, and she knew what was coming for her when it was her time to retire. After 20 years of service in the army, it was tough for her to hang up her uniform and start her life as a civilian. She even had to go through a divorce along with that. That is when she realized that the army’s resources were insufficient for all those veterans who were in desperate need of help.
Looking at the suicide numbers in the army going up as no one does anything about its relentless progression, Olivia made it her mission to help stabilize the veteran community and help them better reintegrate into civilian life. She helps spread awareness by attending different events promoting recovery and responsibility for the mental health of military veterans. A recent event hosted by BRC Recovery in Austin, Texas, invited Olivia to talk about substance abuse and how civilians can provide military veterans with a safe recovery space for rehabilitation. Click here to watch the event’s live video reel on Olivia’s Instagram.
Work Play Obsession is a platform and a community for ex-military and veterans created by Olivia’s partner. She is an Executive Director at WPO and helps military veterans and ex-law enforcement officers to engage in healthy recreational activities and podcasts. They help motivate and educate people with invisible wounds and trauma to recover and live their best lives. At the non-profit, Olivia brings military personnel and the general public together to build a collaborative community to make the transition more manageable and less complex.
Promoting and sharing stories of herself and many of her peers is also something Olivia does through her PR company. She has a podcast, Never Stop Serving, produced through the Military Officers Association of America. In the podcast, retired army Lt. Col. Olivia shares her first-person accounts from the wars she experienced in Iraq. Many other podcast guests share their stories and motivate other military veterans like themselves to get help and live a good life after the military.
Click here to visit their website to learn more about Olivia and her company.
At the age of 22, Jennie made a name for herself worldwide as an entrepreneur. She is passionate about science, technology and human experiences and is always looking for initiatives to promote research and make it more accessible. Jennie Cruz completed her degree in Biotechnology from the University of Nottingham.
