The man behind the message
JEFF "GUNNY" SHILANSKI
Retired U.S. Marine. Leader. Mentor. Survivor. Still serving, just in a different uniform.
NOT A RÉSUMÉ. A ROAD MAP.
Jeff Shilanski didn't come to this work through a graduate program or a certification course. He came through the Marine Corps, through failure, through rock bottom, and through the long, unglamorous work of putting his life back together — one right decision at a time.
That's what makes him different. He's not translating someone else's research into a keynote. He's reporting from the field — and the field includes places most speakers have never been.
THE ROAD
The Corps
United States Marine Corps
Jeff served in the United States Marine Corps, where he learned the foundational principles that still shape everything he does: discipline over motivation, mission before comfort, and the non-negotiable importance of the person to your left and right. He earned the rank of Gunnery Sergeant — "Gunny" — a title that followed him out of uniform and into every room he's walked into since.
The Fall
Addiction & Rock Bottom
After leaving the Corps, Jeff struggled. The discipline that had defined him didn't protect him from addiction. He lost things. He made choices he's not proud of. He hit a bottom that most people don't come back from. He talks about this not to shock, but because the people he serves need to know that the person in front of them has actually been there — not just studied it.
The Work
Recovery & Peer Support
Recovery wasn't a moment. It was a decision made over and over again, every day, for years. Jeff found that the same principles that made him effective as a Marine — structure, accountability, brotherhood, the next right action — were the same ones that made recovery possible. He started sharing that framework with others. It worked.
Today
FOB Rasor & Speaking
Jeff now serves as Executive Director of FOB Rasor, a peer-support nonprofit dedicated to veterans and first responders. He speaks nationally to veteran organizations, recovery communities, nonprofits, and leadership conferences. He's working on his first book. And he still makes the next right decision — one day at a time.
WHAT HE BELIEVES
Discipline beats motivation every time.
Motivation is a feeling. Discipline is a practice. One shows up when things are going well. The other shows up when they aren't.
Nobody should fight alone.
The Marine Corps understood this. Recovery communities understand this. Leadership teams need to understand this. Isolation is the enemy.
The next right thing is always available.
No matter how far off course you are, the next right decision is always in front of you. That's where the work starts.
Consistency beats intensity.
One great day doesn't build a life. Showing up — imperfectly, repeatedly, without fanfare — does.
FOB RASOR
FOB Rasor is a peer-support nonprofit for veterans and first responders. Jeff serves as its Executive Director. The organization's work — connecting people who've been there with people who are going through it — is the living proof of everything Jeff talks about from the stage.
Learn about FOB Rasor →BRING GUNNY TO YOUR EVENT
If your audience needs to hear from someone who's actually lived the lessons — not just studied them — Jeff is available for keynotes, workshops, and peer-support training.