by Karin Childress-Wiley, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at FourBlock

Introduction: Why Purpose Matters More Than Ever

Across America, purpose is in short supply. According to Gallup’s national research on the Power of Purpose, only 17% of employed Americans strongly agree they have a strong sense of life purpose, representing a profound deficit in clarity, motivation, and long-term well-being. This lack of purpose has far-reaching implications: individuals with low purpose are more likely to be disengaged and burned out, and to be actively seeking new jobs. At the same time, organizations collectively lose billions in productivity. In 2025 alone, Gallup found that a 21% decline in workplace engagement cost the global economy $438 billion.

At the same time, individuals with a strong sense of purpose are:

• 3.8x more likely to be engaged at work
• 3.2x more likely to be thriving in life overall
• Far less likely to watch for new job opportunities
• Significantly less likely to experience burnout or chronic workplace stress

Purpose, in other words, is not simply an emotional driver; it is one of the most powerful predictors of performance, productivity, well-being, and long-term career success.

FourBlock’s Mission: Closing the Purpose Gap for the Military-Connected Community

FourBlock exists to help veterans bridge the distance between military service and post-service purpose. Our mission is to ensure that every veteran transitions with purpose, stability, and opportunity, reclaiming their identity and contributing their best to the communities and industries they will lead next.

Veterans arrive at transition with deep leadership experience, a commitment to service, and a profound sense of mission. Yet, after leaving the structure and clarity of military life, many face an unexpected challenge: the purpose gap.

While veterans are highly skilled, highly educated, and deeply motivated, many struggle to translate their strengths into high-opportunity civilian careers or to reconnect with the sense of direction that defined their military service.

This is not a gap of talent; it is a gap of translation, connection, and confidence. FourBlock’s work is built to close this gap.

Veterans as a Solution to the National Purpose Gap

This is where FourBlock’s work becomes a national imperative.  While the American workforce faces declining engagement, rising turnover, and a historic deficit of purpose, the veteran community represents one of the most potent reservoirs of resilience, mission-orientation, adaptability, and service-minded leadership.  Yet their gifts often go untapped when they cannot see how their purpose aligns with the civilian workforce, or when employers struggle to translate military experience into corporate opportunities.

FourBlock serves as the bridge between these two realities: For veterans, we restore clarity, confidence, and career direction. For employers, we provide a pipeline of purpose-driven, leadership-ready talent. For communities, we unlock economic mobility and long-term contributions.

“There isn't another transition program that can match FourBlock. Every time I see a veteran, I know they want to live a life of significance. FourBlock is helping them do that. How does it get any better than that?” – FourBlock Honorary Chairman General Charles Krulak

Purpose as the Foundation for Veteran Talent Mobility

Gallup’s research makes one point unmistakably clear: Purpose predicts engagement, performance, and retention.

FourBlock’s program model operationalizes this insight into a talent mobility system with proven results. By aligning veterans’ lived purpose with meaningful career pathways, we achieve measurable mobility outcomes:

• Movement out of underemployment
• Placement in high-growth sectors
• Faster time-to-employment
• Stronger retention and advancement
• Higher lifetime earning potential

Veterans are not simply placed in jobs; they are positioned for long-term, purpose-driven leadership that benefits organizations and communities alike.

A National Blueprint for Purpose at Scale

Gallup’s research confirms what FourBlock has known for 15 years: Purpose is the most power predictor of thriving careers, engaged employees, and strong communities. Veterans arrive at transition already rich in purpose but often uncertain how to translate it into civilian life. FourBlock restores that sense of direction by helping them discover where their identity, strengths, and aspirations meet opportunity.

When veterans thrive, families stabilize.

When they find purpose-filled careers, communities strengthen. And when their leadership is activated across industries, America’s workforce grows more resilient, innovative, and cohesive.

FourBlock is not simply preparing veterans for jobs.   We are preparing them for lives of renewed purpose, contribution, and significance.

This is service after service, and it is the future of America’s workforce.

Are you ready to find your purpose? You can register for an information session to learn more about our Career Readiness Programs. Looking to support a veteran in their journey to clarity, confidence, and purpose? Visit our Talent Solutions page to learn how to become a Taskforce Member or join an Industry Pathway.

Thank you to our partners PwC USAA The Coca-Cola Company News Corp Wells Fargo RTX Bank of America ADP Boeing Vehicles for Veterans and so many more.

#FourBlock #TransitionBetter #AchieveMore #VeteranEmployment #CareerReadiness #Purpose