Ideas in the Wild: How Brian Reese Aims To Give Veterans a Step-By-Step Guide to Getting the Benefits They Deserve

Brian Reese was good at masking his PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. He even told himself he did not “deserve” benefits, which he later discovered was complete bullshit. As an air force officer deployed to Afghanistan, he embodied the motto of “service before self.”

Unfortunately, like many veterans, his service came at his own expense, and abusing alcohol and drugs to cope with mental health issues nearly ended his life. But by the grace of God and the power of pure vulnerability, Brian began a transformational journey of overcoming social stigmas and persevering through adversity. This journey has become a global movement of Veterans Helping Veterans Worldwide™. In You Deserve It, Brian provides veterans with a step-by-step blueprint to help them obtain virtually unknown federal and state benefits.

I recently caught up with Brian to learn more about his journey writing the book, his favorite lesson he shares with readers, and how he applies that lesson to his daily life.

What happened that made you decide to write the book? What was the exact moment when you realized these ideas needed to get out there?

My own personal frustrations with trying to navigate the VA benefits process on my own. It took me seven years of fighting the VA, and thousands of hours of time in the trenches to figure out exactly what I needed to do to obtain the benefits I deserved by law.

And I consider myself lucky. Many millions of veterans have it far worse: 75% of veterans alive today do not have any VA benefits at all. In fact, according to the most recent Veteran Benefits Administration annual report to Congress, just one in four veterans alive today receive anything from the VA. This is shameful and must change now. In my experience, this is due primarily to the lack of basic education and training on the subject. It should not take an advanced degree and thousands of hours of effort to obtain VA benefits.

I remember the exact moment I knew a book was needed. We had just conducted a survey of over 1,000 Veterans in the VA Claims Insider Elite Membership program. I needed to know why Veterans didn’t have the benefits they’ve earned for their honorable service.

What was holding them back and standing in their way? The results were shocking. The #1 reported reason was, “I told myself I didn’t deserve VA benefits because other Veterans are worse off than me (the lies we tell ourselves).” The #2 reported reason was “I wasn’t educated about the VA disability claim process and didn’t know HOW to get benefits.” The #3 reported reason was, “I tried before and got denied so I quit until I found VA Claims Insider.”

It was at this moment when I realized I needed to give Veteran’s permission to get the benefits they deserve, hence the title of the book: You Deserve It. In addition, Veterans need a “how-to” guide with specific tips, strategies, and lessons learned to get the benefits they’ve earned. This is the only book that’s a detailed resource guide so veterans can get the federal benefits, state benefits, nonprofit and for-profit discounts, and bonus resources available to them.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned going through the journey you share in the book?

The biggest lesson I learned through the journey is that “It’s okay not to be okay.” Stop faking you’re okay when you’re not. We’re all struggling with things other people know nothing about. It’s a sign of strength to admit you’re not okay and to ask for help. It’s okay to be open, honest, and uncomfortably vulnerable about the severity of your mental and physical conditions.

The truth will set you free. Your path to celebrate life change starts by looking in the mirror, admitting you’re not okay and need help, and taking action to get connected with resources at the VA for care and treatment. This book will help you do that. You were created for a purpose. You are here for a reason. You are not alone. You are enough. Your life matters.

I lived to tell you that.

How will you apply this lesson in your life moving forward?

Here’s a great example that just happened the other day and it perfectly highlights the lesson of “It’s okay not to be okay.” I woke up with shooting pain in my lower back, a migraine headache, and pretty severe depression, anxiety, and anger. I started one morning call and realized I needed to tap-out. This was a bad day and I had to be honest with my team.

So, I told my Executive Leadership Team that I needed a mental health day to focus on my breathing, mindfulness, and well-being. They were very supportive, encouraged me, and took care of things at work that day so I could focus on my mental and physical health.