Episode 90

full
Published on:

24th Jun 2026

Air Force Veteran Behati Hart on Survival, Neurodivergence, Unmasking, and Learning to Just Be

Summary:

What happens when the life you built to survive no longer fits the woman you are becoming?

In this powerful episode of Dog Tag Diaries, Captain Kim sits down with Air Force veteran, author, intuitive guide, artist, and life architect Behati Hart. Behati shares her journey from growing up on the South Side of Chicago in a strict and chaotic home, to joining the Air Force for freedom and stability. She opens up about being a creative, multicultural, neurodivergent woman in systems that often felt too small for her spirit. Through her memoir, Just Be: Unmasking and Becoming Human Again, Behati talks about anxiety, ADHD, body wisdom, spiritual awakening, identity loss, and the brave choice to stop performing. Her story reminds women veterans that survival is not the end. Coming home to yourself matters too.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Behati Hart’s childhood on the South Side of Chicago
  • Using dance and laughter as early forms of healing
  • Joining the Air Force out of necessity
  • Adjusting to military structure after a restrictive childhood
  • Serving as a creative woman in uniform
  • Speaking up about integrity and unfair treatment
  • Anxiety, ADHD, neurodivergence, and body signals
  • The story behind Just Be
  • Identity loss, ego death, and spiritual awakening
  • Behati's free five-week identity reclamation experience

Notable Quotes & Moments:

  • “The math wasn’t mathing.” Behati Hart on realizing the military was not the freedom she expected [00:07:16]
  • “I know who I am now.” Behati on choosing not to work under people who try to define her [00:14:48]
  • “I will never lose myself again, never.” Behati on reclaiming her identity [00:43:50]

Episode highlights:

  • 00:01:25 - Meet Behati Hart, Air Force veteran and author of Just Be
  • 00:03:07 - Behati's childhood, culture, dance, and laughter
  • 00:05:43 - Joining the Air Force for survival, freedom, and stability
  • 00:06:43 - Moving from a strict home into a strict military system
  • 00:09:23 - Serving as a woman and speaking up about integrity
  • 00:15:14 - Anxiety, ADHD, body signals, and nervous system healing
  • 00:24:20 - How Just Be came to life
  • 00:25:57 - Behati's spiritual awakening and call to tell her story
  • 00:36:39 - Behati's free five-week identity reclamation experience
  • 00:44:25 - Why women veterans need spaces like Dog Tag Diaries

About Behati:

Behati Hart is an Air Force veteran, Life Architect, author, and multimedia artist who believes the most revolutionary act a person can commit is giving themselves permission to just be. She served in the U.S. Air Force from 1993 to 2003, joining out of survival and necessity, and learning early how to navigate systems not designed for women, people of color, or neurodivergent thinkers.

Following three decades of public service across military, federal, state, and local government, Behati stepped away from institutional systems to reclaim her creativity, intuition, and humanity. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Behavior and is certified through the Association for Coaching, with training in neuroscience, AI, and design thinking.

Behati is the creator of The BETi Method™, a framework that helps people unmask, reprogram limiting beliefs, and redesign life from the inside out. She is the author of Just BE: Unmasking and Becoming Human Againand lives in Chicago with her husband, two daughters, and a house full of plants.

Connect with Behati Hart:

Website: https://behatihart.com

Book: Just BE: Unmasking and Becoming Human Again

https://a.co/d/gnIZSMA

Social Media:

Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Facebook

@BehatiHart

There is still room at the table for Just BE: Unmasking Experience

Hosted by Veteran, Author and Life Architect, Behati Hart

Sundays at 6PM CST - May 31 - June 28

Be sure to follow or subscribe to Dog Tag Diaries wherever you listen to podcasts.

Learn more about the Reveille and Retreat Project:

reveilleandretreatproject.org

Instagram: @reveilleandretreatproject

Facebook: Reveille and Retreat Project

You aren’t alone.

If you’re thinking about hurting yourself or having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veteran crisis line: Dial 988 then press 1, chat online, or text 838255.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Dog Tag Diaries

About the Podcast

Dog Tag Diaries
Sharing True Stories from Women in the Military
Dog Tag Diaries provides a platform for military women to tell their stories and speak their truths. We are not only raising awareness about military trauma, and mental health but fostering a supportive community where women can find strength and inspiration in each other's stories. It's an informative way to reduce stigma and promote healing through open dialogue and exploration of therapeutic modalities. Our goal is to increase connections among women to offer empowerment, encouragement, and a sense of belonging as we each navigate the unique challenges and experiences faced by women in the military.
Each week we’ll invite a woman who has served in the military to share her experience and how it has impacted her, or we will bring in a guest who can speak about the healing abilities of specific therapeutic methods. This is a podcast you don’t want to miss.

About your hosts

kimberly Liszka

Profile picture for kimberly Liszka
Kim served in the United States Army/Reserves as a Combat Medic, Combat Nurse, Flight Nurse Instructor and one of the Top Female athletes in the Army.

Kim worked 20+ years as an ER nurse and decided to explore the world as a travel nurse. She's an Advanced Wilderness Expedition Provider and Chief Medical Officer for numerous endurance/survival expeditions in different countries.

Kim has a son, Jace and a daughter in law, Sammy and 2 grand animals, Joey & Bear. Her dog Camo is her best buddy. Camo is the sweetest yellow Labrador Retriever to walk this earth. He loves licking snow, riding the ocean waves, visiting carnivore food trucks and loves belly rubs and treats.

Fun Facts: Kim's lived in the Reality TV World! Fear Factor, American Ninja Warrior-Military Edition, American Tarzan, Spartan Namibia and more to come!

Dakota Olson-Harris

Profile picture for Dakota Olson-Harris
Dakota is currently serving in the Army National Guard and has been for the past 15 years. She enlisted as a tank mechanic then earned her commission as a Combat Engineer Officer. She has two deployments, Iraq and United Arab Emirates.

On the civilian side Dakota works as a counselor providing readjustment counseling for Veterans, current service members, and their families.

Dakota is a wife and a bonus mom to four kiddos. They have recently added to their family with a baby girl, totaling five kids. They also have two dogs, Paco and Elsa.

Her family loves to go on adventures whether it's walks, hiking, camping, or just going on a road trip to visit family.