We recently had the chance to connect with Lisa Carrington Firmin and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Lisa, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I have been walking an intentional path for about 5 years now.
In the past, I thought I was following my destiny as I’ve always had a purpose or a mission. My professional path had me serving in the military and then serving in higher education. I know about sacrifice and service.
Although I have been quite successful in my endeavors, it wasn’t until 5 years ago when I really woke up and started being intentional about what my mission is. I often spoke and wrote about leadership in the military and in higher ed, and as an entrepreneur and author. However, my focus shifted when I decided to go public with a previous sexual assault in the military and about how deeply my combat experiences changed me. I finally spoke up about my own PTSD and struggles. I began to use my writing to help me heal. Little did I know that this would change the trajectory of my life.
What changed the most for me was that I no longer just putting one foot in front of the other, I was following the path that the Lord had forged for me. I needed to be vulnerable and authentic to heal and to launch a career that helped others do the same. The path has been extremely hard but equally rewarding. I would encourage readers to lean into your true destiny, to help others, to make a difference in the world.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lisa Carrington Firmin, I am a Latina, Bronze Star decorated combat veteran, award-winning author, best-selling international co-author, poet, founder, entrepreneur, and former higher ed professional. My company, Carrington Firmin LLC, provides writing and consulting services in Leadership, Veteran Culture, Transitions, Military Sexual Trauma, PTSD, Authorship and Intersectionality. I am a sought-after speaker due to the leadership success I’ve enjoyed in the military (to include combat), in higher education as a founder of a department and various programming and as an entrepreneur and author. I’m really proud of the work I do to help bring fellow veteran stories to life in books and the impact my work does to assist others live more fulfilling lives. My books have opened many doors to educate others in MST, PTSD and to destigmatize getting mental health support.
I’ve done many sessions conveying the power of using the arts to heal. Many people have endured trauma; how does one heal from that and move beyond? My personal story demonstrates the power of resilience and overcoming adversity. My first book, Stories from the Front: Pain, Betrayal, and Resilience on the MST Battlefield, features 14 stories of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination. It spans 50 years from the Vietnam era to present day and is a brutally honest reflection of both positive and negative experiences while serving. I’ve created training materials based on the experiences in the book and have conducted sessions to educate others.
In addition to the books, articles I’ve published, I trademarked “Latina Warrior,” the title of my second book. I sell merchandise related to that trademark. It gives me great pride to see my brand on others in the form of t-shirts, socks, notecards, and art.
Latina Warrior is my autobiography told through poems, prose and art. I partnered with another woman combat veteran who created original art for the book. Together, we do sessions on using the arts to heal and move beyond trauma. Latina Warrior is a deeply personal, intense, explicit and sometimes humorous expression. This book helped me finally reconcile the juxtaposition of my Latina heritage with the warrior who served.
Am currently working on a new book about veterans who founded, started their own businesses. Essentially, it will be 20 stories of the entrepreneurial journeys of a diverse group of veteran business owners. I am super excited to share these stories with the world.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
I was blessed with great parents and grew up in a loving Latino household. I learned early on about service, helping others and doing the right thing even when no one was looking. I was raised in the church with solid role models in my parents, who taught me and my siblings a solid foundation of both personal and professional skills. I heard them say what was needed and more importantly saw that their actions matched what they said and how they lived.
They demonstrated day in and day out what hard work really is and the satisfaction of achieving a good day’s work.
I learned many life lessons growing up that have stead me well. I have had other individuals that I respected and looked up to in the military and higher ed, but none were as impactful as the example set by my parents.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I have had several defining wounds in my life; first up would be my father’s stroke, then a sexual assault that occurred in initial military training, serving in combat and dealing with adversity, death and destruction as a leader, and finally going through a divorce after a lengthy marriage. I’ve experienced other defining moments, but these four are the deepest wounds that I have been through.
My father had a massive stroke and nearly died when I was a freshman in high school. My pleasant family life changed forever. My mother stepped up and became his care giver and frankly was such a great nurse, that my father was able to live much longer than expected. Just not the same as he remained a paraplegic, but he was alive and got to see his kids graduate from college, get married and meet some of his grandchildren. As a young teenager, I did not handle it well and it took several years for me to get right with God again. I simply didn’t have the tools back then to really heal.
The next wounds I mentioned occurred in my adult life and I kept everything inside, buried, I became the queen of compartmentalization. I never shared or revealed the deep pain I had experienced. It wasn’t until 10 years after I left the military that I was able to finally take those experiences out and confront them. Finally, I was ready, I spoke up, went through therapy and found my calling, writing. Getting my trauma out on paper saved my life. I was able to write about my experiences in prose and poetry. This was the most difficult thing I have ever done. I was trained to lead in combat, but on one ever trained me on dealing with trauma or getting help. For me, writing became my salvation. The fact that it has helped countless other people astounded me at first, then I realized that this was my new mission, sharing deeply to let others know there is life after trauma, an abundant and powerful life. I turned my trauma into fuel for my new mission; it has been empowering and liberating. I write from both my scars and wounds. With every word written of my trauma, the scar tissue around my wounds thicken, providing more and more distance between the scars and the invisible wounds I carry.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I have worked extremely hard to finally live an authentic life. After years of burying trauma deeply and compartmentalizing to be successful, I finally did the work to confront the demons I carried. I went through EMDR therapy, spoke with other combat veterans and sexual assault survivors and wrote about it all, then published my stories. Little did I know that showing my vulnerability could be so powerful. I was taught in the military to never show weakness and asking for mental health support was weakness. It took a long time for me to understand that asking for help is never a sign of weakness, but strength. All the fractured pieces of my life are now reconciled, and I can say that yes, the public version of me is indeed the real me. It is so liberating to combat the demons one carries and then whip them into shape.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I think that once I am gone, that all the people I’ve touched will carry on the many lessons I taught them. I’ve been blessed as many people contact me and share just how I’ve impacted them.
What I have done that many others haven’t is I have captured my journey in the many articles, books and publications I’ve written. My work will live on way after I have left this earth. I think about my legacy and of course, I’ve written about it. 🙂
For example, first up is my family, my son and grandkids, I will live on in them, as they continue the culture, customs, and foods of my family heritage. This will outlast me as they carry on with family gatherings, and enjoy the foods of my Latina culture, such as homemade tortillas, tamales, carne guisada, and salsa and so much more.
All those I’ve mentored or sponsored will carry on my leadership lessons and share some of my stories with others.
I am the founder of the Veteran and Military Affairs department at The University of Texas at San Antonio and the UTSA Top Scholar program. My legacy lives on in all those that are impacted by this.
In fact, earlier this year, the university named a student veteran lounge after me. When military affiliated students engage in that lounge they may come to know about my work.
I know that the scholarship I created at my alma mater for military affiliated first-gen students, Texas A&M University-Kingsville will benefit many students. I hope that they talk about the opportunity I have left them.
Shield of Sisters is an organization that advocates, supports, and provides programming for military sexual assault survivors. I was humbled beyond words when I was honored with a legacy Pioneer award in my name at their inaugural MST conference in 2025. The Shield of Sisters Lisa Carrington Firmin Pioneer Award will be presented annually to others who are making a difference and leading the way in the prevention of MST.
I hope that people will benefit from the work I’ve done in my life, I didn’t start out to leave a legacy. I just did the work I thought could make a difference in the lives of others. So, how does one intentionally leave a legacy that impacts others in positive ways? By living a life that puts others first both personally and professionally, by doing the right thing even when no one else is around, by taking the tough road not the easy one, by mentoring the generations that follow, by never giving up, by believing in yourself even when others don’t and by your words and actions.
I hope that people say that I was someone who cared, acted and made a difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lisacarringtonfirmin.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-firmin-97584a12
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ColonelLisa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarringtonfirmin
Image Credits
credits to me only.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
