The Standard: Riley Gruppo on Leadership in the Infantry, Entrepreneurship, and Raising the Bar
Connect with Riley Gruppo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileygruppo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileygruppo/]
https://www.instagram.com/rileygruppo/ [https://www.instagram.com/rileygruppo/]
Personal Website: https://rileygruppo.com/ [https://rileygruppo.com/]
Coaching Application Form: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widge [https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widge]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDlaWmxBVG9YV0U4cmJJdVd2VXd1Vkw4VEhTZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuMmwyT19oTnlBTzh4YV9CaG04eUUtWUhScjRhSm5ZNHZxMm9YajZ2NkxaSmZNcTBuUm43cFZfcWVlRXEtb0I5RWdBdGNvN3Q1ajRncVgzRF9yampUbG1yZUVsTXVjclJ3Z25qaGZuX0t2QUdqczBlVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.leadconnectorhq.com%2Fwidget%2Fform%2FnvZiygWtwC1DZ4wfkcvK%3Futm_source%3Dig%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_content%3Dlink_in_bio&v=If2zqyEzJHc]
In this episode of The Vector Podcast, Christian sits down with Riley Gruppo, a U.S. Army veteran, trauma-informed leadership coach, and founder of The Standard. Riley was one of the first women to serve as an infantry platoon leader in the Army, navigating an environment where female leaders were not just uncommon but actively unwelcome. She shares what that experience was like from day one, including the cultural resistance she faced, the leadership failures she witnessed, and the senior NCO who told her at 18 years old that her men would never respect her because of how she looked.
Riley opens up about the realities of being the only woman in her unit, the misogyny and harassment she endured, and why she believes the friction around women in combat arms has more to do with insecurity than capability. She and Christian dig into some of the toughest questions surrounding gender integration in the military, from physical standards and whether they should differ by gender, to social dynamics in deployed environments, to whether women should be eligible for the draft. Riley does not hold back, and her answers are grounded in lived experience rather than theory.
The conversation shifts to Riley's transition out of the military, a process she describes as fast, and bittersweet. She talks honestly about losing herself after leaving service, the failures of the Transition Assistance Program, and what she wishes someone had told her before day one as a civilian. Her advice to transitioning service members is direct: you are the mission now, and nobody is coming to save you.
Riley then walks through her time in the corporate world, where she encountered many of the same toxic dynamics she thought she left behind in uniform. After quitting two jobs, she went full-time entrepreneur just four months before recording this episode. She talks about how her faith, intensive therapy, and a deep sense of calling led her to build The Standard, a coaching brand centered on helping veterans, founders, and high-performing professionals close the gap between where they are and what they are truly capable of.
Christian and Riley also explore the power of personal branding, networking, and building an online presence, particularly for veterans who were conditioned not to put themselves out there. Riley shares how LinkedIn opened nearly every major opportunity in her post-military career and why she believes your network is your net worth.
This episode is for veterans navigating transition, entrepreneurs building something from scratch, leaders who care about culture, and anyone who has ever been told they do not belong.
Connect with Riley Gruppo on Instagram and LinkedIn.
