Beyond The Badge

Beyond the Badge is a podcast for cleared professionals navigating career growth in the GovCon world. Hosted by Tony Martinez, each episode explores recruiting, leadership, mindset, and what it really takes to build a career that lasts in the cleared space.

Beyond The Badge is a business podcast hosted by Tony Martinez, with 13 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Tony Martinez hosts Beyond The Badge, a business show with 13 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #12

  The Interview Battlefield: What Cleared Hiring Managers Are Actually Evaluating

  Aug 10, 202627 min

  Have you ever walked out of an interview thinking you nailed it... only to get rejected? Most candidates think they're being evaluated on their technical skills alone. They're not. In this episode of Beyond the Badge , I'm pulling back the curtain on what hiring managers are really looking for during a cleared interview—from the first impression to behavioral questions, technical screens, salary conversations, and even the follow-up after you leave the room. If you've got an interview coming up, or you simply want to understand how hiring managers make decisions, you won't want to miss this one.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #11

  Job Hopping in the Cleared World: Strategic Move or Career Killer?

  Aug 3, 202619 min

  Is changing jobs every few years helping your career—or quietly hurting it? In this episode of Beyond the Badge , we're tackling one of the biggest questions I hear from cleared professionals: "Am I job hopping?" We'll talk about the difference between strategic career moves and reactive ones, how hiring managers actually view multiple short stints, when loyalty pays off (and when it doesn't), and how to know if it's really time to leave your current role. If you've ever wondered whether staying too long—or leaving too often—is costing you opportunities, this episode is for you. FOR CONTEXT: I recently announced I am searching for a new job. And the beginning of this episode addresses my thoughts on the new change.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #10

  How to Find Out What You’re Actually Worth in the Cleared Market

  Jul 23, 202626 minS1

  How do you know if you’re being paid what you’re actually worth? In this episode, I break down how cleared professionals can evaluate their market value, understand what drives compensation, and confidently navigate salary conversations using real market data and recruiter insight.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #9

  Why Cleared Professionals Feel Stuck Mid-Career and How to Move Forward

  Jul 16, 202623 min

  You've done everything "right." You gained your security clearance. Built the experience. Supported the mission. Established a career most people would be proud of. So why does it suddenly feel like you're standing at a crossroads? In this episode of Beyond the Badge , Tony dives into a conversation that doesn't happen nearly enough in the cleared community—the uncertainty that often shows up in the middle of a successful career. You'll learn: • Why mid-career confusion is normal (and what it actually means) • The tradeoffs between large primes and small businesses • Why having more options can actually make decision-making harder • How to stop comparing your career to everyone else's • A simple framework to gain clarity before making your next move This isn't an episode about changing jobs. It's about building a career that's aligned with the life you're trying to create. If you've ever found yourself wondering, "What's next?"... This episode is for you.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Beyond The Badge

  How to Know When It's Actually Time to Leave

  Jul 10, 20269 min

  Many cleared professionals stay in roles far longer than they should—not because they're trapped, but because they haven't given themselves permission to leave. In this episode, we break down a practical framework for determining when it's truly time to move on, how to exhaust every reasonable option before making the decision, and why staying after nothing has changed may be costing you more than leaving ever will.

  ListenShow Notes

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.