We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Raivadus Gill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Raivadus, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Many years ago after I returned from war, I tried to get back to my old self but couldn’t, mentally… On the outside I was fine but there was plenty of nights I cried and wondered do I belong here? Do I fit in anymore? I Barricaded myself in my bedroom night after night because I felt that I was a threat to society.. Anything would set me off. I battled myself for years…. On one particular day I found myself in a dark place and I had a weapon pointed at my head…… I thought about ending it all… I was so frustrated and I didn’t why. I had a decent career, great friends and family but nothing was fulfilling and I felt hopeless:
I needed purpose
I was at the darkest point of my life.. It’s like being at absolute zero..
Thank God I put that weapon down. A lot of us have those days and it’s not ok! When I was in that dark moment my (happiness was Triggered). I saw a flyer from my entertainment company on the table so I thought about the next event I was putting on. I dropped the weapon and ran out of the house. I needed to as far as I could from my house…
We talk about what triggers PTSD which is ok but let’s trigger happiness. If my happiness wasn’t triggered, I wouldn’t be here today… Eventually, I created a non profit 501c3 Operation Battle Cry to help veterans like myself get the resources they deserve. I also created and coined the term Trigger Happiness, which is a mental health movement that encourages others to find their happiness daily.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Raivadus Gill, I’m a disabled War Veteran. I’m also the Executive Director of Operation Battle which is a 501c3 nonprofit that focuses on housing and resources for Veterans of all branches.
My family moved to MN in 1991 from the south side of Chicago, IL.. My parents bought a house over north Minneapolis where I attended school for just one year… Then my parents thought of this bizarre idea to send me to high school all the way out in the suburbs of HOPKINS… Oh boy, talking about a culture shock.. I was kinda like the Fresh Prince of Bell-air but with no money! Those were some of greatest years of my life. I still keep in touch with lots of my friends from Hopkins… After high school, I was kinda in limbo. Didn’t know what to do, so I decided to joined United States Military. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.. I cried on the third day in boot camp.. Not that I was scared, I wanted to fight all the drill sergeants in there because they sharked attack me.. yelling in my face and saying the most ungodly things you’ll ever hear… Not fighting them was a great decision.. They would’ve jumped me and I would’ve been kicked out the military.. The Military was no cake walk but I got through it. Actually, True story.. A big reason for me joining the Army was a steak dinner.
My old boss and now freind Bob Ramphel bet me a steak dinner that I couldn’t make it through boot camp .. I took him up on the challenge . He was soooo close to winning but I obviously won… Never got the steak dinner but he took me to Bubba Grumps (In the Mall of America) which I really appreciated! I served in the military for the total of 8 years.. But within those years I had a 18 month deployment to Iraq.
After my tour to Iraq I came back home, started a couple of businesses, ladies clothing boutique (Diva’s Ave) it was located in Brooklyn Park and a entertainment company (So Classy Ent).. Weekly parties at night clubs, bought in comedians for comedy shows and Artist for big concerts. Having two business wasn’t enough of a challenge for me so I became an Iron Worker.. I helped build history right here in MN. Two of the Major projects I worked on are the twins baseball stadium and The football stadium for the Vikings. I’ve had a wanderlust spirit my whole life, so in 2016 I left MN.. I Relocated to TX for two years, that didn’t go so well so I packed up and moved to Las Vegas.
Now, I am currently focused on running Operation Battle Cry which is a 501c3 nonprofit that helps veterans get the resources they are entitled to. As well as Trigger Happiness LLC which is a mental health movement that promotes others to find what makes them happy on a daily. We also have merch coming soon; workout apparel, water bottles, hats, etc. We also go out on the strip and other events and interview people by asking them what triggers their happiness.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Navigating the VA: Through my trials and tribulations of navigating the VA to obtain my compensation and resources, it was a frustrating process. Now, I am able to assist other veterans and make the process less complex
Discernment: My ability to connect with my intuition and make decision based on an inner knowing. Having the gift to know who to trust and making decisions that are aligned with me.
Patience: Trusting the process and knowing everything will work out because I have given 110% on whatever it is I have done.
Advice I would give others is to slow down, trust the process, trust your instinct, follow your heart.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Yes, we are lacking funding for the organization.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.obattlecry.org
- Instagram: operationbattlecry/triggerhappiness
- Facebook: Operation Battle Cry
- Linkedin: Raivadus Gill
