The Veteran (Semi) Professional
Honesty and advice to help veterans crush it at grad school, in entrepreneurship, and in professional careers. Humor and language often not as professional.Ep. 256: Working With Hollywood Stars, Growing Up with No TV, and Making Movies with Darrill Fannin
Published on: October 15, 2025Ep. 255: Leading an Education Company That Teaches Tech Skills to Veterans
Published on: October 15, 2025Ep. 254: How a Former Marine and Monk Wants You to Think about Money
Finance expert Doug Lynam offers a groundbreaking exploration of our complex relationship with money, budgeting, and finances through the transformative lens of the Enneagram. Confront financial fears, engage with money habits and behaviors, and develop a personal understanding of how the mind and personality affect money decisions. With compassion, wisdom, and humor, Lynam will guide readers on a journey to financial health and personal growth.
Published on: October 4, 2025Ep. 253: What Does a Clinical Psychiatrist Have to Say About Psychedelics for Veterans?
Will Van Derveer, MD is a leader in the adoption of integrative psychiatry practices globally. After discovering that his conventional psychiatric training was inadequate to answer many of the challenges facing his patients, Dr. Van Derveer began to learn how to resolve the root causes of common psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Published on: October 2, 2025Ep. 252: Working at Big Tech and Find Ways to Help Veterans with Dan Goldenberg
Published on: September 25, 2025Ep. 251: Fighter Pilot to Franchise Owner with Vivek Shah
Vivek took his kids to a Sharky's Hair Cuts and thought, "Wow, this place is awesome." So he bought a few with the help of some investors.
He learned a ton and made a bunch of mistakes, but glad he did it.
Published on: September 22, 2025Ep. 250: Law School and Ignoring the Noise to Do What Makes you Happy with Sharif Gray
Sharif is a good friend and I've enjoyed watching his career. He had a job at a prestigious law firm and was there 3 months before he looked around and realized that was not where he wanted to be.
So he quit and does his own legal work, taking on big corporations. And he loves it.
Published on: September 17, 2025Ep. 249: Gut Health, Veterans, and Creating Clean Protein that Doesn't Give You Gas
Published on: August 29, 2025Ep. 248: Creating a Safety Product from Scratch to a $30 Million Exit with Zach Greene
Published on: August 21, 2025Ep. 248: Military to Law Enforcement to Owning a Home Inspection Franchise with Shawn Degan
Published on: August 18, 2025Ep. 247: How Finds Can Find their Next Career with Bryan Dyer
Published on: August 15, 2025Ep. 246: Supporting the Military After Serving In It and Continued Leadership with Former Marine John Dailey
John is a former MARSOC operator and we talk about his new book and leadership after the military.
Published on: July 10, 2025Ep. 245: Writing, Editing and Serving In the Same Unit After Uniform with Dan Pace
Dan retired from Special Forces and went into working in support of his same unit, as a contractor
We also talk about his upcoming book.
Published on: July 3, 2025Ep. 244: The Startup NCO- Dancing Into Stanford and Why Startups Need Veterans with William Treseder
William is a former enlisted Marine who hustled his way into Stanford (danced, actually….it’s a whole story) and then started a business that is doing super well. He is a truly smart guy and very plugged into the veteran entrepreneurial community.
He took everything he has learned about startups and why he thinks prior enlisted are especially great in them into a new book, Startup NCO.
Ep. 243: Fleeing Iran to America, Serving in Special Operations, and IT Leadership After the Military with Nick Berg
Nick is a fascinating guy. He was born in Iran and had an American dad, then fled the country during the Islamic Revolution. He came to the US and had along career in Special Operations. Since then, he has worked in IT consulting.
Published on: June 12, 2025Ep. 242: Starting a VC-Backed Laundry Business and then Zillow for Franchises with Alex Smereczniak
Alex is one of the most impressive entrepreneurs I've had the chance to speak with.
Before launching Franzy, Alex co-founded 2ULaundry and LaundroLab, where he helped scale the business from a college side hustle into a multi-unit franchise brand with over 100 franchise licenses sold and a rapidly growing network of stores.
He then started Franzy, basically "Zillow for franchises". It's a super impressive product, much needed, and he is the guy to do it.
Tune in to learn more from this very smart entrepreneur.
Ep. 241: From Enlisted Marine to Corporate M&A with Robert Sterling
Robert is a former Marine who found his way into corporate M&A through grit and bit of luck.
He now runs a firm providing financial advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses.
Published on: May 22, 2025Ep. 240: How to Start a Business With Your Spouse and Modernize the Home Services Industry with Gabe and Lindsey Chrismon of Oply
Gabe and Lindsey are both Army veterans with impressive backgrounds, he an infantry officer and she was one of the first women in the 160th.
After leaving the Army, Gabe started a fire/water/mold remediation business, scaled it to $1 million in a few years and then sold it, while Lindsey is an MBA student at HBS.
Oh, and they are married. Power couple.
Right now, they are building Oply. Here is the pitch:
"Just like your car tells you when to change the oil, Oply uses intelligent technology to tell you what your home needs next. Your Oply Home Score tracks the health of every major system—giving you predictive insights and helping you fix issues early with vetted pros, all in a tap. Oply thinks, predicts, and acts for you—so you can enjoy your home with peace of mind."
Published on: May 9, 2025Ep. 239: SBA Loans and Why Banks Like Working with Veterans with Lisa Forrest from Live Oak Bank
Lisa is one of the few 2x guests on the show. She is the head of Search Fund lending at Live Oak Bank, one of the top SBA lenders in the country, and a premier expert on loans for buying small businesses.
She also loves to work with veterans and I had her on the show to talk about why.
Published on: April 24, 2025Ep. 238: High-Paying Careers for Veterans in Software Sales with Navy Veteran Matthew Dykes
Matthew talks about transitioning from the Navy to the VA and then ending up in software sales.
Published on: April 18, 2025Ep. 237: How To Leverage Your Network and Veteran Status to Buy Small Businesses with Rob Kirila
Rob retired from the Army as a Special Forces officer and then spent time working with a veteran transition nonprofit. He was often the one raising money and that put me in contact with a lot of high-net-worth individuals.
After a bit, they started to ask him "Do you think you can do what we did? Buy businesses?"
He said yes, got his first investors, and started getting to work.
Listen in to hear how.
Published on: March 23, 2025Ep. 236: Early Career Pivots After HBS and Being OK With Leadership with Jack Ambridge
Jack is an Air Force veteran who went to HBS.
He was told "everyone thinks of veterans as "leaders" but don't let that define you"
Turns out, Jack liked leading people. He liked being labeled a "leader." So he made some career pivots and ended up managing a $500 million business for a PE fund.
Listen in to hear his story.
Published on: March 19, 2025Ep. 198: Starting a Brand to Save Veteran Lives with Community Supporter Will Highland
Published on: March 17, 2025Ep. 235: Improving the Veteran Transition Experience through Data and Corporate Insights with Jason Anderson from PreVeteran
Jason Anderson is a former Air Force O-6 who retired from the military and started what looked like was his dream job.
- Business development in a sector of the Air Force he knew
- Got to live in Japan
- Making GREAT money
But he realized he didn't feel like he was really going to succeed in the role and was not getting the feeling he wanted from his work.
So he started looking into the veteran transition process and really started to appreciate the MASSIVE jump that someone needed to make to have a successful transition.
Through this journey, he founded PreVeteran. They run highly professional courses that help you go through the journey from military to civilian, backed by data and corporate learnings. It's the real deal.
Listen in to hear Jason's story and what makes PreVeteran unique.
Published on: March 13, 2025Ep. 234: Focused Career Prep For $100k+ Jobs for Veterans with Bobby Payne from Shift Group
Today's guest is Bobby Payne from Shift Group. He is an Air Force veteran and a really awesome guy who I've gotten to know a lot more recently.
Since starting The Veteran Professional in 2019, I have been contacted by a number of veteran-focused recruiting companies. I even worked for one for a bit.
The only one I have decided to partner with in a meaningful way is Shift Group.
Here is why:
- 1,000+ veterans and athletes placed
- 300+ hiring partners
- 9 months average time to promotion for new placements, compared to an average of 18 months
And the stat that sealed this for me, they have <5% attrition compared to an industry average of 35%.
They are just REALLY good at placing people in the right job.
Ep. 233: What Happens When You Buy a Business and It Fails? Real Talk on Failing with Air Force Veteran Jed Morris
I have had a lot of guests on the show to talk about buying a small business. From lenders, buyers, and investors- everyone seems to be saying, "Go buy a business! You will make a ton of money and can't go wrong!"
Well, today's guest is a story of what happens when it does go wrong.
Jed Morris is an Air Force veteran who bought a landscaping business and then quickly bought another. He did a lot of things right:
- Worked inside business #1 for 6 months before making an offer
- Built a great relationship with the owner
- Made a good deal that made financial sense
But after a few months, the wheels started to come off and Jed ended up going bankrupt on the deal.
Despite this, he is still optimistic on buying small businesses.
His is a great story of resilience, grit, and how to think about risk.
Ep. 232: Combat Games by Combat Veterans and Veterans of the Video Game Industry with Old Glory Studios
Gaming culture is huge in the military. Video games are a way to blow off steam on a deployment, stay connected with friends around the world, and just have fun.
So I'm really excited to bring this episode to you about two combat veterans who are starting their own video game studio, Old Glory Studios.
Lewis and Matt served early in the GMOT. Lewis was a combat engineer in the 82nd Airborne and Matt fought out of a Bradley in Iraq with 3rd ID.
They both went on to work on big-name games like Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy's The Division 1 & 2, Dying Light 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodhunt, Exoborne, and more.
Now they are working on their own studio, which you can even invest in here.
"Founded by combat veterans and seasoned game developers Lewis Manalo and Matt Patak, Old Glory Studios brings over 25 years of experience in the gaming industry. Our founders have worked on some of the most popular tactical shooters in the world, bringing their real-life experiences into game development.
Old Glory's goal is to make combat games that are easy to pick up, but hard to master. Backed by a talented network of developers, writers, and artists, our mission is to deliver games that are accessible to everyone while staying true to the authentic combat experiences of our founders. "
Note: I am not a registered investment broker and am offering this as information purposes only.
Published on: February 20, 2025Ep. 231: Using Military Experience and Veteran Status to Buy Logistics Companies with Donte McGaughy
Donte McGaughy is a seasoned entrepreneur, former government employee, and a United States Air Force service-disabled veteran. As the Founder and CEO of Selenius Holdings, an Atlanta-based freight forwarding and truck hauling company, Donte is dedicated to driving growth through strategic acquisitions. His vision is to establish the largest minority-certified logistics firm in the United States.
With a proven track record, Donte co-founded and served as the President of TDC Premier Trucking, where he played a pivotal role in building a robust infrastructure, managing 50 staff members, and expanding the fleet of box trucks to 35 for the Amazon box truck program. Under his leadership, the company expanded its 18-wheeler fleet to 27 trucks, operating nationwide and servicing major accounts such as Amazon, UPS, and Family Dollar.
Ep. 230: WeWork, Buying 2x HVAC Businesses, and Recruiting Veterans for Small Business Leadership Roles with Nathan Lenahan
I really like Nate. He's just...a good dude.
He's got some serious business chops, too.
He led $200 million in projects for WeWork and was a VP for a whole region.
Then he dove into the world of buying small businesses and acquired two HVAC companies.
AND he runs Smooth Operator, which places veterans in leadership positions in small businesses.
I like him a lot and I think you will also.
Ep. 229: Using AI to Get $100 million to Veterans at Vetclaims.ai with Lukas Simianer
Lukas is a previous guest and we talk about the VC-backed startup from our first episode that he shut down.
But his new project, Vetclaims.ai , is pretty awesome. They use AI to look over your records and find discrepancies in your VA claim. What is their impact?
- $694,962 Average Lifetime Earnings Increase
- $111M Overall Economic Impact
- 100% Veteran Feedback
Listen in to hear why and how Lukas started this and be sure to check out Vetclaims.ai for your own needs.
Ep 228: A Deep Dive on the VA Home Loan with Mortgage Expert Chris Wesson
Today we have a conversation going into all the ins and out of the VA home loan with former Marine and mortgage expert, Chris Wesson.
Published on: January 9, 2025Ep. 227: Rich Routines for Business, Family, and Wealth with Steve Houghton
I got connected with Steve from a guy on X (formerly, Twitter). Steve has been INCREDIBLY successful and was very gracious with his time to discuss his new book:
Rich Routines: Simple Habits That Enrich Every Area of Your Life
We get into business, fatherhood (I'm a new dad!), and making tough decisions in life. He was an absolute pleasure to speak with.
Steve's Bio:
Steve Houghton is Chairman and CEO of Houghton Capital, a privately owned investment boutique focused on special situations in oil & gas, self-storage and finance. He is the former co-founder and chairman of ProPay, a payment solutions and processing firm acquired in 2012 by Total System Services, Inc. (NYSE: TSS). Steve’s career began with the Trammell Crow Company after graduating with a BS degree from BYU. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Dallas, Texas and have five
Ep. 226: Living Abroad, Running Online Businesses, and Building a Great Life with Family with Alex Lisot
Alex went from flying fighter jets to running an e-commerce company, living abroad, and investing in real estate.
He is one of the coolest cats I've met-enjoy!
Ep. 225: Starting a CBD Company, Finding a Purposeful Career, and Enlisted to MBA with Alexander Mikhailovsky
Alex is a first-year MBA student and founder of Organic Grit, a CBD company.
We talk about founding a company on active duty, applying to MBA programs, and choosing a purposeful career.
Resources mentioned:
Veteran's Adventure Group (veteransadventuregroup.org)
Outdoor Education Adventures & Wilderness Programs | Outward Bound | Outward Bound
Leading Veteran CBD Company. One Farm | One Strain | Organic Grit
Team-Based MBA Admissions Consulting | Stratus Admissions (stratusadmissionscounseling.com)
Ep. 224: Running a $700 Million Company That Helps Business Owners Build Wealth with Mike Stone from CertaPro Painters
I've had a number of franchisees and business owners on the show, but Mike is the first from the side of a franchisor (think: corporate). He is the CEO of CertaPro Painting, where he gets to see how locations across the country perform inside their $700 million business.
Published on: August 30, 2024Ep. 223: Heading to Medical School After the Military with Air Force Veteran Austin Almand
First- Austin would be on my short list for Most Interesting Man in the World.
- Air Force SOF
- Casually mentions going to Ukraine (during the war)
- Tillman Scholar
- Researched medicine for NASA
Plus he's just a legit dude.
This is my first interview with a veteran pursuing medical school and there is a lot to learn here for any of you future MDs out there.
Ep. 222: Owning a Home Inspection Franchise after a Career in the Military and Law Enforcement with Shawn Degan
Shawn spent time in law enforcement and retired from the Navy and then decided he wanted to own his own business. He partnered with WIN Home Inspections and has been loving every bit of it.
Published on: August 1, 2024Ep. 221: Using Surfing To Heal Veterans with Stephanie Dasher from Warrior Surf
Today's guest is Stephanie Dasher, executive director of Warrior Surf Foundation (WSF), a Charleston nonprofit founded in May 2015. WSF works to provide free surf therapy, yoga, wellness classes and community to Veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health challenges. Stephanie is a Veteran herself, having served in the U.S. Navy for five years, and would love to speak to you about the unique challenges that Veterans face and why they need our support now more than ever.
WSF’s 12-week Surf Therapy program strives to enhance the psychological and physical well-being of Veterans, active duty service members and their families, and teaches resiliency, positive psychology and goal setting. Stephanie has also been instrumental in organizing countless community-building and fundraising events, including a Golf Classic that raised over $310k this past spring.
Last year, WSF provided over 2,545 hours of direct support. To date, WSF has served more than 700 Veterans.
Published on: May 30, 2024Ep. 220: Running a Financial Services Business to Connect with Your Community and Contribute to Veterans with Brian McCarver
Brian left the army and moved back home, eventually buying a small financial services firm and growing it. We talk about how that helps tie him into his local community and how he uses his network and business to give back to other veterans.
Brian McCarver, CFP®, CIMA® | Stonebridge Financial Group (stonebridgefg.com)
DOD SkillBridge Program (osd.mil)
Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania | Harrisburg PA (veteransoutreachofpa.org)
Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org)
Ep. 219: Using Military Experience to Consult with F500 Companies and Build in Private Equity with Afterburner, Inc. Founder and Chairman Jim Murphy
Afterburner Fighter Pilots - Motivational Keynote SpeakersDown Range: A Transitioning Veteran's Career Guide to Life's Next Phase: Murphy, James D., Duke, William M.: 9781118790151: Amazon.com: BooksGet Expert Advice Instantly - Minnect
Jim "Murph" Murphy, the Founder and Chariman of Afterburner, Inc., has a unique and powerful mix of leadership skills in both the military and business worlds. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Murph joined the U.S. Air Force where he learned to fly the F-15. He has logged over 1,200 hours as an instructor pilot in the F-15 and has accumulated over 3,200 hours of flight time in other high-performance jet aircraft. As the 116th Fighter Wing's Chief of Training for the Georgia Air National Guard, Murph's job was to keep 42 combat-trained Fighter Pilots ready to deploy worldwide within 72 hours. As a flight leader, he has flown missions to Central America, Asia, Central Europe and the Middle East.
After years in the military, Murph returned to his love of business. Prior to his service in the U.S. Air Force, Murph had a successful career in imaging equipment sales, where he helped increase his company's sales by 500%. Years later, Murph became Director of Sales for a small paint company. Realizing that the concepts of the Flawless Execution model could be applied to business, he engaged the proven model — "Plan. Brief. Execute. Debrief." — and increased his company's sales from $5 million to $52 million. Realizing that many companies could benefit from these same concepts, Murph started Afterburner in early 1996.
Through his leadership, Afterburner has landed on Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 500 List" twice. Murph has been regularly featured in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Inc. Magazine, Newsweek, Meetings & Conventions Magazine and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and Bloomberg news to name a few. He has also been named as one of Atlanta's top 50 entrepreneurs by Catalyst Magazine. To date, the Afterburner team of elite military professionals has led over 1 million executives, sales professionals, and business people from every industry through Afterburner's Flawless Execution Model, and its unique, high-energy programs. Afterburner notable clients include the Who's Who of the Global 1000 list of companies. Murph's groundbreaking book Business Is Combat, is now in its third printing, and his latest book Flawless Execution was released May 1st, 2005 by Harper Collins publishing. Murph has spoken at the world’s notable business schools to include Harvard, Wharton, Cornell, Emory, and Duke.
Published on: March 15, 2024Ep. 218: Former Marine to 22% Lifetime Returns Investing In Stocks with Erik Smolinski
Erik is the first stock trader I've had on the podcast and he talks about how he got started in investing and why he loves this path for building wealth.
CORE Leadership Program | Deloitte US
esInvests | Investing without the BS
Erik @esInvests (@esInvests) / X (twitter.com)
Ep. 217: Air Force Veteran Jon Stoddard on Buying Businesses
Jon is a prominent voice in the business acquisition community and got his start in buying businesses after leaving the Air Force.
Resources Mentioned:
Ep. 150: Enlisted Marine to Working at the VA, Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs, and Founding a Veteran-Focused Marketing Firm with Barrett Bogue (buzzsprout.com)
Ep. 120: Army NCO to Business Owner by Acquiring a Small Business with John Hubbard (buzzsprout.com)
Buy and Sell Online Businesses & Websites - Empire Flippers
Ep. 216: The Art of the Career Pivot with Kathy Borkoski (Ex- Stunt Performer, Big Tech, Gov, Con, and Navy EOD)
Kathy has QUITE a story. She's bounced around from industry and industry and mastered the art of changing careers. Listen how this Navy EOD veteran went from the military to being a stunt performer to names like Facebook and Crossfit.
Ep. 215: Navy SEAL to Private Equity and Launching a Search Fund with Jack Ogden of Island Search
I've had a lot of people on the show talk about buying businesses and have tangentially mentioned the traditional search fund model before, but Jack Ogden is the first guest on the show who is currently running a search fund.
Resources mentioned:
The COMMIT Foundation | Veteran Transition Assistance
With Your Shield: A McMorrow Veterans Initiative | USC Military & Veterans Initiative
FourBlock – Veteran Career Readiness
Ep. 214: Finding Common Ground through a Willingness to Learn and Investing in America with Jordan Blashek
Jordan is using his love for our country to work with high-profile investors to invest in the American economy and defense.
Union: A Democrat, a Republican, and a Search for Common Ground: Blashek, Jordan, Haugh,
Christopher: 9780316423793: Amazon.com: Books
Jordan Blashek — America’s Frontier Fund (americasfrontier.org)
Jordan Blashek (@JordanBlashek) / X (twitter.com)
Ep. 213: Writing, Crowdfunding, and How Being Cheeky Can Get a Dream Job with Caleb Naysmith
Caleb writes on equity crowdfunding. See how his side hustle turned into a dream job for him.
Caleb Naysmith (@ccnaysmith) / X (twitter.com)
Articles written by Caleb Naysmith - Benzinga
Democratizing.finance | Equity Crowdfunding News & Education
Ep. 212: Army Diver (Yes, it's a thing) to ATMs and Auto Parts E-Commerce with Charles Masters Rodriguez
Charles left the army and immediately launched himself into entrepreneurship. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but he found a way to his current niche and is finding a way to make it happen.
MK3 Industries | Your Automotive Equipment Supplier | MK3 Industries
Ep. 211: Enlisted Cav Scout to Software Developer and Building a Venture-Backed Software Company with Purpose with Luke Simianer
Luke's story of how he created Clusiv literally brought me to tears. You will want to hear it.
You will also laugh at his story of nervously pounding some red bulls before an investor pitch...and winning the competition.
Home-2023 - Clusiv
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark... by Napoleon Hill (amazon.com)
Amazon.com: The Compound Effect: 9781593157241: Hardy, Darren: Books
Homepage » Code Platoon | Code Camp for Veterans & Spouses
Warrior Rising | Charitable Organization Empowering Veterans in Business
Accelerate Your Success | Techstars Global Startup Network
Ep. 210: Building the Veteran Coffee Company That is Actually Different with Michael Klemmer of Aerial Resupply Coffee
A veteran with a t-shirt or coffee company?! How original.
In all seriousness, what Mike is building at ARC is different. He wants to be the antithesis to Black Rifle Coffee Company and isn't afraid to say it.
We get into very practical and tactical details about getting started of a new company and how he thinks about brand positioning (it's smart).
Aerial Resupply Coffee – Veteran Owned Coffee | Military Coffee
AerialResupplyCoffee (@aerialresupplycoffee) • Instagram photos and videos
The COMMIT Foundation | Veteran Transition Assistance
DOD SkillBridge Program (osd.mil)
Ep. 209: Building a Business off of Having with Backyard Game Designer and Air Force Veteran Matt Butler
Minnesota-native Matt Butler is the inventor of Rollors. The concept was first visualized on downtime between deployments overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting combat operations. Upon return, Matt developed a prototype in his garage that was a hit at BBQs, parties, and other outdoor get-togethers. Around the time of the recession; Matt saw many local veterans out of work that had the resident wood working skills that helped spark the light bulb onto a means to help them. He then decided he wanted to employ local veterans to help construct the wooden disks and wooden, cone-shaped targets used in the game in their home workshops.
After countless number of games were handcrafted, packaged and sold through the website, church, craft fairs, and other types of venues it was then distributed in brick and mortar retailers across American and has even started distribution outside of the United States. After helping numerous veterans get themselves back on their feet from the recession he has it developed outside of the United States to be able to get it to a price point so many more people and families can enjoy the fun.
Rollors has turned into an award-winning and unique game which is revolutionizing beach and backyard fun.
Rollors | The Next Great Outdoor Game – Rollors Outdoor Yard Game
DOD SkillBridge Program (osd.mil)
Ep. 208: Army Ranger To Life Coach: What the Struggle We Have Enables Us to Share, with Nick Devlin
https://www.nickdevlincoaching.com/about
Nick's bio:
"I am a transformational life coach, entrepreneur, father and former US Army Ranger. My mission is to empower you to live your life as an adventure - with peace, passion and intention. I do this by helping you embrace uncertainty and envision the life you want to live (your adventure). I guide you through first steps and hold you accountable for taking action. In addition to coaching sessions by phone and in person, I take you out in the wilderness for "adventure coaching sessions" to get you out of your head and into your heart. I listen, reflect, and support you to grow. I celebrate your successes and push you to be brave, go farther, and we do it together.
Throughout this bold and adventurous life, I have won and lost. I have played with the fear of the deep unknown. I have tasted the sweet victory resulting from dedicated effort and hard work. I have felt the pain of trying to control things beyond my control. As a recovering “control addict” and former corporate employee (asleep at the wheel of my life), I have felt the struggle of living disconnectedly – void of true purpose – a vassal to the grind and societal expectations. I’ve been stuck in the preservation zone, playing safe and playing small.
I got unstuck when a life coach, and friend, asked me one pivotal question. It was the question that cut deep and shook me to the core. It shook me awake - wide awake. I grabbed the wheel, and redirected my course towards passion and purpose. I chose to live with intention and explore the possibilities of my most adventurous life. With critical guidance from my coach – I now live my adventure. It's my turn to help you live yours! "
Published on: October 19, 2023Ep. 207: Leaving the Military at the 10-15 Year Period, Using Twitter, and Building a Real Estate Private Equity Firm with John Plumstead
John weighed the decision: is it worth it to stay until retirement? For many, the pension and benefits seem too good to pass up, but John decided it was worth the risk and left when he everyone said he was crazy. He then leveraged his grit (and Twitter) to build Gray Line Investments, a real estate private equity firm.
Published on: October 17, 2023Ep. 206: Army Medic to Software Developer, Living Abroad, and Building Impactful Products in Web3 with Patrick Skinner
Patrick did what a lot of people do after the military: he went into contracting. Then he ended up applying to Y Combinator with a Web3 technology (listen if you don't know what that is) that helps curb counterfeit products and child labor. This is not some new crypto, it's a way to track the authenticity of physical products. He is a guy with a lot of skills and using them to make a real impact.
You are going to enjoy this one.
Resources and Other Episodes:
AGAMI Is Making Counterfeit Products a Thing of the Past. Read More---> (agamico.com)
Ep. 114: Working in Tech as a Product Manager with Erik Huckle (buzzsprout.com)
Ep. 205: Writing, Travelling, and Being a Freelancer with former Green Beret Randy Surles
You can learn more about Randy here, but I am glad to share this interview with you. Randy has had a full life:
-25 years active duty
- Hiked El Camino (IYKYK)
- Freelance writer and editor
We talk about freelancing and how to make a great life out of it.
Randy is also eligible to work with through DoD Skillbridge, which is a super cool way to use that time. You can learn more about that here.
Ep. 204: Air Force to Small Business Strategy and Consulting with Susan Maly of Maly Strategies
Susan Maly runs a solo consulting business where she provides strategy and planning services to small businesses.
Maly Strategies
Here is Susan's official bio:
" I spent over a decade at a large Fortune 500 management consulting firm with leadership roles across government and commercial businesses, as well as corporate headquarters.
Prior to my business career, I served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. My life centers on my 5Fs - Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness, and Fun. I strive to maintain integrity in all I do and enjoy life while I'm at it.
I hold a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in German from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University.
I also hold Project Management Professional (PMP), Change Management Advanced Practitioner (CMAP), and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certifications, and earned an Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy certificate from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. "
Published on: September 13, 2023Ep. 203: Working with Companies to Make them Military Ready with former Marine Rob Arndt at BufferSprings
Rob is a great guy and we had a fantastic conversation about the veteran recruiting landscape and what companies need to work on to be more ready for veterans.
BufferSprings | Veteran Hiring, Retention, and Community Building
Ep. 202: Building a Real Estate Empire While on Active Duty with Ricardo Torres at Vectored Equity
Ricardo is crushing it and has a lot to share about real estate investing.
Published on: September 1, 2023Ep. 201: Funding Government Contracting Businesses and Donating 50% of Profits to Veteran Causes with Leonid Finance
Today I have a duo, Christopher Lay and James Parker, who have an amazing business.
They help gov con businesses get funding to grow and donate 50% of their profits to veteran causes.
Ep. 200: Owning Multiple Franchises of Different Brands, Without Industry Experience with Scott DeThomas
Scott is a retired Air Force officer who owns multiple franchises in Colorado.
Notes:
Ep. 129: Wharton MBA, Google, and Goldman Sachs to Improving Mental Performance with former SEAL Patrick Dossett (buzzsprout.com)
Ep. 199: Veteran-Focused Franchise with Army Veteran Paul Huszar at VetCor (buzzsprout.com)
Find Home Services Experts in Your Town, For Free | Neighborly
Ep. 199: Veteran-Focused Franchise with Army Veteran Paul Huszar at VetCor
Paul is a retired army officer who started a water and mold remediation franchise focused on getting veterans as franchisees. Listen in on why franchises are a great model for veterans and why Vet Cor may be a great one for you.
Paul Huszar, CFE, P.E. | LinkedIn
24/7 Water and Mold Damage Restoration Services - VetCor Services
Traction by Gino Wickman - Get a Grip on Your Business (eosworldwide.com)
Ep. 198: Starting a Brand to Save Veteran Lives with Community Supporter Will Highland
Will is a consultant who doesn't have a military background but wanted to do something about the veteran suicide problem. So he started Caritas Apparel, which makes GREAT socks, and 20% goes to veteran causes.
Show Notes:
Caritas Apparel
Caritas Apparel (@caritasapparel) • Instagram photos and videos
Ep. 197: Mental Fortitude and the Rigors of Combat: How Veterans Can Make it Out the Other Side with Brian Slade
Warning: This episode gets intense.
Brian's Book:
One in three will experience a significant trauma in their life. For Army Apache Pilot Brian Slade, his first was in Afghanistan. Offering a unique perspective on preparing one’s mind for trauma, Cleared Hot puts readers in the cockpit of the most lethal helicopter in the world as Slade learns on the job, flying over an unforgiving landscape.
Follow Slade as he navigates the ugliness of combat while working to preserve a difficult marriage to a wife suffering from mental illness. Witness the challenges that taught him universal lessons on resilience and coping—and how they equipped him to think fast under pressure and maneuver through a curtain of enemy fire that crippled his aircraft and wounded his co-pilot, ultimately earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Cleared Hot offers readers an exhilarating ride while giving them tools they can use to survive the traumas of their own lives.
Ep. 196: Networking with Billionaires, Figuring it Out, and Not Settling for Anything Less than What You Want with Navy Veteran Chris Petkas
Chris is a great guy. He's taking his time in the SEAL teams to build tech for the defense world and invest in great entrepreneurs.
Published on: July 19, 2023Ep. 195: SEAL to Wharton, Search Funds, and Betting it All to Keep Schools Safe with Mike Lahiff from ZeroEyes
Mike's official bio:
Michael (Mike) D. Lahiff serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ZeroEyes, an intelligent video analytics company that uses artificial intelligence with existing security cameras to detect weapons and send alerts to local staff and first responders. Prior to founding ZeroEyes, Mr. Lahiff served as Director of Digital Programs at Comcast NBC Universal where he oversaw the coordination between project management teams and software development teams in order to deliver multiple digital products. Prior to joining Comcast, Mr. Lahiff was the managing member of Horsemen Partners, a private fund focused on acquisitions of small and medium-sized businesses. Mr. Lahiff also spent ten years in the United States Navy as a Navy SEAL.
Ep. 194: How This US Air Force Veteran Made It: From Suicide to Psychedelics with Bob Taylor
I love sharing the powerful stories of veterans using psychedelics to recover and heal. Bob Taylor shares his experiences with these therapies to have a transformational and life-changing experience.
Home - Patriot Promise Foundation
Patriot's Promise (@patriots_promise) on Instagram
Ep. 193: Entrepreneurship and Bringing Manufacturing Back to the United states with Navy Veteran Peter Mann
Peter's bio:
A US navy veteran (gunnery officer on the USS McCandless) and former Dell executive, he founded Austin-based Alen Corp in 2002, a company that designs and manufactures indoor air purifiers. After bootstrapping from zero to $14M, Peter sold Alen Corp in 2009 and founded Radford, Virginia-based Oransi – an electric motor technology and indoor air purification manufacturing company with a clean energy mission.
Oransi recently bought a large manufacturing facility in Virginia and is hiring more than a hundred local workers to move the company’s entire manufacturing to the US from China. He is also the Chair of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ Air Cleaner Council.
Ep. 192: From Enlisted Cavalry Scout to 15th Secretary of The Department of Energy: Life and Leadership with Dan Brouillete
Here is my good thumb-in-the-wind technique to measure how much reach a guest has:
Do they have their own Wikipedia page: yes or no?
For Dan Brouillete, yes.
Here is his official bio:
Dan Brouillette is president of Sempra Infrastructure, a leading global energy transition company focused on three key growth platforms: clean power, energy networks and LNG and net-zero solutions.
Prior to joining Sempra, Brouillette served as the 15th United States Secretary of Energy. In this capacity, he led a workforce of 105,000 employees and federal contractors, with direct responsibility for the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal, coordination of federal energy policy, management of seventeen national research laboratories, and direction of the department’s $44 billion annual budget. He served as the President’s primary advisor on energy and nuclear weapons matters, and was a member of the President’s National Security Council as well as the Vice President’s National Space Council. Under his leadership, the Department unveiled the world’s fastest supercomputer, developed specialized transportation fuels and photographic equipment for the Mars Perseverance Rover, launched the nation’s first quantum internet system, established the country’s first scientific laboratory dedicated exclusively to the advancement of battery storage technologies, and initiated nearly $6 billion in research on issues related to carbon management, hydrogen development, and advanced materials and chemicals science.
Brouillette also served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, the chief operating officer of the department, managing nearly $38 billion of federal construction projects. Brouillette is the only person to ever be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve in both roles.
In the private sector, Brouillette was a senior vice president and corporate officer of USAA, the nation’s leading provider of financial services to the military community. Before joining USAA, Brouillette was a vice president of Ford Motor Company, where he served on its North American Operating Committee. At Ford and USAA, he was assigned to management teams that brought to market advanced consumer products related to remote deposit capture, a technology invented by USAA that allows for smartphone processing of financial documents, and the adaptive cruise control systems that were a precursor to fully autonomous vehicles.
Brouillette is a veteran and former tank commander with the U.S. Army’s highly decorated 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. He has been awarded Distinguished Public Service awards by both the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Secretary of State, the highest award an individual can receive by either department.
Brouillette holds a master’s degree in intelligence and national security from The Citadel and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland. For his leadership in both the private and public sectors, he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Maryland. He has attended numerous executive education programs in finance, management, and systems engineering, and has served as a guest lecturer at the National War College and the Army War College.
Published on: May 25, 2023Ep. 191: Leading Recon Marines in Vietnam, Business Success, and Finding the Meaningful Chapter Helping Veterans with Lynn Lowder
Lynn Lowder is an absolute legend who is now helping veterans buy businesses.
Here is his official bio:
" Not many people have led 24 long-range reconnaissance patrols deep within enemy-held territory and lived to tell about it. Lynn brings his hard-earned combat leadership, business, and life experience into organizations and peoples’ lives where he teaches, motivates, and inspires them on the value and importance of character and integrity for “360 Success” in life.
A Marine special operations team leader forged in the ultimate crucible of combat, Lynn received the Silver Star for valor, the Bronze Star with combat “v” and the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. After the Marines, he went on to succeed as a trial attorney and later as a general counsel and C-level operating officer in several companies, including Mail Boxes, Etc. and Colt Firearms. He has also served on the boards of several for-profit and not-for-profit companies. Lynn’s extensive, hands-on leadership and management experience in business, law, and the military make him a unique source of hard-earned, real-world wisdom and know-how.
Lynn has been an invited speaker in many settings for over 25 years. Corporate executives, public service organizations, military personnel, collegiate coaches and athletes, religious groups, school children, and parents have all benefited from his insightful, down-to-earth perspectives on success in leadership, business, relationships, and life. He works closely with his clients to ensure his messages address their specific needs and that his presentations are consistently uplifting and practical."
Published on: May 18, 2023Ep. 190: Working at Big Tech, Autonomous Cars, and Launching a Startup with Air Force Veteran Dennis Chim
Dennis left the Air Force and went to Harvard Business School before joining Google and then launching his own startup.
Published on: May 12, 2023Ep. 189: Life After Incarceration and Being a Returning Citizen with Jay McKinley
This is a unique episode. Jay McKinley was formerly incarcerated and has since made a great career in the manufacturing world. He came to one of my classes at Darden, which ended up being the classroom session I remember more than any others. We talk about the challenges returning citizens face and you might be surprised by the similarities with the veteran community.
Published on: May 4, 2023Ep. 188: Special Forces, Harvard Business School, Holding Companies, and Opening Doors with Mentors with A.W. Simmons
AW is a great guy. We talk about how he got to be an Operating Partner at a Holding Company (no worries if you don't know what that means) and why he loves working with small businesses.
Saturn Five
Ep. 187: Mentorship, Your Personal Board of Advisors, and Networking to get Where you Want with Eric Brew from American Corporate Partners
Eric Brew is a great guy. He's a retired Army 1SG who now helps veterans with American Corporate Partners (ACP).
ACP is a phenomenal organization that links transitioning veterans with civilian mentors who can help you navigate post-military career life.
Ep. 186: Enlisted Navy to Real Estate Investor and Opening Up Access for Veterans to Invest with Phil Capron
Phil is an awesome guy. He was enlisted in the Navy and got into real estate investing and now runs Mission First Capital, which opens up options for veterans to invest in real estate.
Norfolk VA Real Estate Investment Firm | Commercial Property Investment Fund | Military Passive Income Investing in Norfolk (missionfirstcapital.com)
Transition Assistance Program | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
Your VA Loan: and how it can make you a millionaire: Capron, Phil: 9781707402984: Amazon.com: Books
Ep. 185: Leave Packets, Hands in Pockets, and Gaining 100k+ Followers While Active Duty with Austin from MandatoryFunDay
Austin is currently on active duty and is a popular influencer in the veteran and military communities. He runs a page called @MandatoryFunDay and has hundreds of thousands of followers.
We walk about running such a prominent page while active and what that allows him to do as a leader.
Ep. 184: Similarities Between Leaving the NFL and the Military and Buying a Business with NFL QB Jeff Driskel
On the surface, it may not seem like there are many overlaps between leaving life as a pro athlete and leaving the military, but there are a lot of similarities.
Jeff Driskel is still happily enjoying playing in the NFL, but we talk about life after football and how he got started on the idea of buying businesses.
Ep. 183: Army and Elite Athlete to Searching for a Business while Working and Life After Search with Nick Vandam
Great interview with Nick Vandam who acquired a business through the self-funded model.
Published on: March 10, 2023Ep. 182: How to Buy a Business, Get Investors, and Start Building Your Empire with Ben Tiggelaar
If you have any interest in buying a business, I cannot recommend enough following Ben on Twitter. I have at least 5 of his threads saved and regularly refer to them as I look at deals myself. He drops straight knowledge on there and it is GREAT.
Here is Ben's Bio:
Ben Tiggelaar is the founder of Bardo Capital. Ben is a hands-on entrepreneur and investor. He is an adventure seeker and a constant learner.
In 2017, Ben acquired, led, and operated Enable Dental, a unique dental management empowering dental clinicians, such as dentists and hygienists, to provide at-home and in-community services for the geriatric population. He successfully scaled this company for over four years, transforming the acquired business of originally 15 employees to over 160 employees across 10+ metropolitan markets. This growth included raising millions in growth capital from both financial and strategic investors, and most importantly, unlocking care for tens of thousands of patient interactions who previously lacked access to basic dental care. He and his leadership team established Enable Dental as the largest at-home provider of dental services in the country.
Ben grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His Midwest upbringing gave him his entrepreneurial foundation while also teaching him to put others first.
Ben attended the University of Nebraska, and married his college sweetheart, Murphy Tiggelaar, in 2018. They live in Austin, Texas with their energetic English Cocker Spaniel, Lucy, and their cat, Dundee. Ben and Murphy are avid travelers having been to over 20 countries together so far with many more to come. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization Austin chapter.
Ben began his career at Tenaska Capital Management, $2.5B middle market energy investment firm. Looking to make a bigger impact on smaller companies ($15M to $100M of revenue), Ben joined CenterGate Capital, an investment firm based in Austin, Texas that raised $365 million to buy and grow companies in the lower middle market.
Ben is excited to work with business owners looking to transition to their next chapter.
Published on: March 2, 2023Ep. 181: Army Field Artillery Officer to Partnerships and Marketing in Professional Sports with Alain Monroy
Fun fact: Alain and I served in the same battalion in the 82nd. He now works for the Golden Knights, managing partnerships with key sponsors.
Published on: February 24, 2023Ep. 180: Corporate Life to #VanLife, Climbing Everest, and Being OK with Being the Black Sheep with Sophie Hilaire
Sophie is an absolute gem of a human.
We talk about "The" path she was on is one that will sound familiar to many of you.
Academy grad->SOF->MBA->MBB Consulting ->....realizing this isn't the path.
Sophie got off the flywheel of success, moved into a van, and started to travel around the country working remotely and just living.
Oh, she also found a way to climb Mt. Everest along the way (now the 2nd guest I've had who has made the top and a third is planning the trip).
Sophie's Instagram
YouTube
Also check out her new podcast:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Ep. 179: 12 Million+ YouTube Views, Apache Pilot to CIA, and Working for Big Tech in Trust and Safety with Ryan Fugit
Ryan is an incredibly awesome guy.
- 7 years as an Apache pilot
- 8 years in the CIA's Directorate of Operations
- Trust and Safety at Google and Netflix
Combat Story | Sharing Veteran Stories
https://twitter.com/combat_story?s=20
Combat Story w/ Ryan Fugit (@combatstory) • Instagram photos and videos
Trust & Safety Institute (trustsafetyinstitute.com)
Ep. 178: Building a Startup Inside of a Venture Studio with Army Veteran Matt Blanchard, CEO and Founder of Cedar Systems
I had never heard of a Venture Studio before this episode and am pumped to share it with you all.
The basic idea is that a group of investors come up with areas that they know about and then fund ideas and founding teams in those areas.
Matt worked with a group called Fractal. Once Matt got accepted, he got a salary while he learned their methods and then got matched with a CTO to start a tech company. Fractal then helps raise capital to get going.
Ep. 177: Flying for the Air Force, Managing Pain while Self-Advocating, and Coaching Human Potential with Chandra Beckman
Chandra's Bio:
"I am a Certified Human Potential Coach (CHPC) and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accredited through the International Coaching Federation. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Science, specializing in Management. I flew the T-37, T-38, F-15C, F-117A, and T-6A military aircraft as well as Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Cessna 172, and Beechcraft Sierra C-24-R civilian aircraft. During my time in the United States Air Force I flew combat missions, helped train others in multiple disciplines, served as Director of Staff for an organization with 3,000 employees, and was Director of Operations for the organization responsible for RED FLAG exercises. I did this initially as a mother of two young boys and later also as a stepmother to three beautiful girls"
https://chandrabeckman.com/
Resources Mentioned
https://lukeburgis.com/wanting/
https://frequenciesthatmend.com/
https://mendtechnology.com/
Ep. 176: From Cavalry Officer to C-Suite at J Crew, lululemon, Away, and Arc'teryx with Stuart Haselden
Stuart has quite the resume:
CEO, Arc'teryx (current)
CEO Away
CFO, J Crew
CFO and COO lululemon
Before that, we was a cavalry officer in the Army and credits much of his success to that foundational experience.
Ep. 175: HUGE Launch of McKinsey's DoD Skillbridge Program and Life in Consulting with Lewis Martin
MONSTER news. McKinsey launched a DoD Skillbridge program. Before you rush off to apply- it is currently closed. But don't let that hold you down. That means you get time to prep and apply.
Lewis Martin is a former pilot who joined the show to talk about the program and why veterans should consider consulting.
Lewis Martin | LinkedIn
Veterans@McKinsey | Careers | McKinsey & Company
Ep. 174: Junior Enlisted Navy, Finance, and Running a Veteran Podcast with Brock Briggs from the Scuttlebutt Podcast
We had a lot of fun with this one. Brock is a Navy veteran who runs a great podcast also. We talk about veteran issues and life in the military.
Scuttlebutt Podcast | Brock | Substack
Brock Briggs (@BrockHBriggs) / Twitter
Personally... (brockbriggs.com)
Ep. 173: Investing in Veteran-Led Startups and Defense Technology with Brad Harrison, Managing Partner at Scout VC
Official Bio:
Brad is an entrepreneur and seasoned business development executive with a passion for building companies and pushing the envelope of technological innovation. He has successfully helped incubate several companies out of the Scout office including Scout’s most successful investment to date, Unite US, as well as PortfolioWatch (exited) and Assurely. Brad also has deep experience developing concepts including co-authoring three patents in search, geo-tagging, and personalization.
Brad was a distinguished honor graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Airborne Ranger in the United States Army for five years before retiring as Captain. He also graduated from MIT Sloan School of Management where he studied New Product and Venture Development. While attending MIT, Brad was fortunate enough to work with Endeca Technologies and PureTech Ventures to help launch a joint MIT-Harvard incubator. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Angie and their son, Elvis, their daughter, Scout, and Team Harrison’s trusty bernedoodle, Ziggy.
Wikipedia
Scout VC
Ep. 171: From Fighter Pilot to Entrepreneur and Motivational Speaker: Tammy Barlette of Athena's Voice
Tammy Barlette is a former fighter pilot and founder of Athena's Voice, where she finds speaking opportunities for other high-performing women like herself.
Here is Tammy's official bio:
Tammy Barlette is a mindset and performance expert who specializes in the art of perseverance. As a retired Lieutenant Colonel and fighter pilot, who has faced many challenges herself, she takes lessons learned from the high performance cockpit and relates them to the challenges of life. As an entrepreneur, wife and mother of three, she shares powerful heartfelt stories of strength and grit.
Tammy served in the US Air Force for over 20 years, flying multiple aircraft, to include the T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon, A-10 Warthog, MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, accumulating more than 3000 total flying hours and over 1500 hours of combat support time assisting and protecting troops on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan. She is also a graduate of the prestigious US Air Force Weapons School and has a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry. Upon retiring she became a professional speaker and founded Athena’s Voice, a speaker referral business featuring female military pilots from around the United States.
Are you interested in running or buying a small business? Start HERE.
Ep. 170: Networking, Negotiating, Communicating, Leading, and Career Planning with Mark Herschberg of The Career Toolkit
Mark's Bio:
Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You and creator of the Brain Bump app. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia, with over a dozen patents to his name. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, currently serving on the board of Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.
Are you interested in running or buying a small business? Start HERE
Ep. 169: Reducing Employee Challenges and Attacking Veteran Suicide Through Data with Tom Miller from ClearForce
I first found out about Tom from this article.
Tom's Bio:
Tom is an entrepreneur with more than 25 years of analytic and risk management experience as a co-founder and CEO of ClearForce, a cyber and employee risk management company based in Vienna, VA. Prior to ClearForce, Tom was the CEO of ALI Solutions (aka, Austin Logistics). During his tenure at ALI, Tom served as the CFO and headed the Marketing, Product and Business Development functions at ALI, where he established global distribution channels and co-invented several patented systems including priority queuing algorithms.
Prior to ALI Solutions, Tom was a Vice President at JP Morgan Chase’s card risk management division where he developed and managed the credit risk policy for the card and unsecured credit portfolios. Tom also served as the Vice President of Analytics for Noble Systems Corporation.
Tom co-founded and served as a board member of Advanced Call Center Technologies, a contact center service business started in 1997 and sold in 2003. As an entrepreneur, Tom has raised over $35M in seed and venture capital. He has consulted for many of the top U.S. banks, published numerous articles and presented topics at industry events and conferences related to risk management, insider threats and the application of analytic technology and policy. In 2018, he won the AFCEA Small Business Innovation Shark Tank competition. Tom has an MBA in Finance from New York University and a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia.
Resources:
Transition Readiness - Marine Corps Community (usmc-mccs.org)
DoD Transition Assistance Program (dodtap.mil)
ClearForce Webinar | DSI Group | DEFENSE STRATEGIES INSTITUTE
VA Solid Start - Veterans Benefits Administration
Ep. 168: Working with Chaos, Lehman Brothers, and Investing in Blockchain and Web3 with Chris Perkins from Veterans in Digital Assets
Chris Perkins has A LOT to share.
He was an artillery officer in the Marines who left the Corps and wanted to get into finance. After convincing someone at Lehman Brothers that conducting artillery missions made him a good fit for stock trading, he got started int he world of finance.
His career was moving along the normal path of Wall Street until he started learning about this "internet money" and blockchain technology. He now invests in crypto projects with CoinFund and helped to start Veterans in Digital Assets to build access into the crypto world for the veteran community.
Veterans in Digital Assets (VIDA) | a podcast by Veterans in Digital Assets (VIDA) (podbean.com)
Veterans in Digital Assets Discord
Veterans in Digital Assets (@VIDABWF) / Twitter
Christopher Perkins | LinkedIn
Ep. 167: Teaching Veterans to Code and Enter the World of Software Development with Code Platoon
Code Platoon is an awesome organization that works with veterans to get them started in what can be an extremely lucrative and rewarding career: software development.
They also have a great story that involves the founder's son getting every Call of Duty game ever....for free.
Ep. 166: Junior Enlisted to 21 Years as a CEO, $2.169 Billion in Exits, and 2x #1 Bestselling Books with Adam Coffey
Adam has a heckuva story that I couldn't wait to share with you all:
He enlisted in the Army at 17 and got to work heavily in engineering, which was what he wanted. After the Army, he went to work at GE Healthcare and got to develop his inner engineer while learning more about the world of business, learning under the famous Jack Welch.
Then one day he got a call from a recruiter to see if he would be the president of Masterplan, Inc., a private-equity-backed service company. He then spent 21 years operating private-equity-backed companies in the service industry with a history of returning 5x MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital) to investors.
Adam now runs CEO Advisory Guru LLC where he worked with companies to grow and be ready to sell.
Ep. 165: Wharton MBA, Working in Finance, and Pursuing the American Dream of Owning a Business with Jordan Carter from Search Investment Group
Jordan has an interesting path. Here is his official bio:
"Jordan Carter is a Partner at Search Investment Group (SIG) where he advises entrepreneurs and independent sponsors on deal sourcing, due diligence, and capital raises.
Jordan is also the CEO of B&A Group, a government grant services and software company acquired through a self-funded search. Jordan previously worked with former Secretary of the U.S. Navy, John F. Lehman, to improve and grow aerospace, defense, government services, and technology companies. Prior roles include Advisor to the CEO, Private Equity Portfolio Company Operations at Centerbridge Partners, Private Equity Investor at J.F. Lehman & Company, and Mergers and Acquisitions Analyst at Centerview Partners.
Jordan received a Master of Business Administration from Wharton Business School and a BS in Economics from Southern Methodist University. He currently serves as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and on the Board of the SMU Cox Alternative Asset Management Center (AAMC) Advisory Board."
Ep. 164: PSYOP NCO, Dropping Out of College to be an Entrepreneur, Bitcoin, and Turning a passion for Crypto into a Business with Johnny Demaddalena
"I own two assets: my house and Bitcoin"
Johnny Demaddalena is awesome. He started in tech by building custom computers when he was in high school. Somewhere along the way, he heard about this "internet money" called Bitcoin and started his trip down the Rabbit Hole.
Johnny now runs DeMaddalena Capital where he helps large investors handle crypto.
Ep. 163: Flying in the Private Sector, Law School, and Running for Public Office with Greg Krino from The Greg Krino Show
The military has lots of aviators who may ask themselves at some point: should I continue to fly after the military?
Greg Krino is an airline pilot who shares some of his story of flying after the Air Force.
But we also have a lot to talk about from his time running for public office. Spoiler alert: it's a rough world out there.
Podcast | The Greg Krino Show
The Greg Krino Show on Apple Podcasts
Ep. 162: Raising Venture Capital, Mastering the use of Mentors, and Starting a Custom Jewelry Business with Brian Elliott
Reasons you should listen:
- Brian turns the tables on me and interviews me about my own entrepreneurial endeavors
- We learn about his MASTERFUL use of mentors to get started in business
- Brian has a GREAT product that got started from a problem he recognized a young officer in the 75th Ranger Regiment
Ep. 161: E-Commerce, Buying Businesses, and Helping Veteran Entrepreneurs Globally with Canadian SGM Greg Potapenko
Greg is a wonder. He's started e-commerce brands, built a digital marketing company, bought businesses, and helped countless of other veteran entrepreneurs, all while serving in the Canadian Reserves.
You can find out more about his company, H-Hour, here.
Resources mentioned: David Ogilvy
Ep. 160: Using Adversity to Train Corporate Clients with Navy EOD Veteran and Small Business Owner Robert Pizzini
You can learn more about Robert at his website here but here are a few of his highlights:
- Managing Partner and CEO, iFLY Va Beach Indoor skydiving
- Coach/Consultant, Speaker
- US Navy Lieutenant. 26 year military career in Special Operations. US Navy Diver, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician and EOD officer.
Bob came to me by way of former guest Marty Strong.
We talk about his unique way of using his indoor skydiving facility to train corporate teams and build cohesion.
Ep. 159: "Iron Mike" Steadman on Marching to Your Own Beat, Veteran Entrepreneurship, and Coaching Boxing
"IRON" Mike is a constant voice in the veteran entrepreneurship community and he's got some great lessons to share with you all.
Mike is a graduate of the Naval Academy and did his military time in the Marine Corps. He avoided the "typical" path after service and instead went to work at a school in the inner city. There he started coaching boxing and showing kids the potential they had within them.
We talk about his nonprofit work as well as his for-profit entrepreneurial endeavors. "IRON" Mike is a truly good human and you will not want to miss this show.
Building Champions In & Out of the Ring - IRONBOUND BOXING
Dog Whistle Branding- For Veterans By Veterans (ironboundmedia.com)
The Transition | "IRON" Mike Steadman | Substack
"IRON" Mike Steadman | LinkedIn
Third Shift Entrepreneur on Apple Podcasts
118 How to YOLO And Execute A “Personal IPO” - Christopher Lochhead
Ep. 158: Perspective from a Military Recruiting Firm with Dan McCall
At the time of this recording, Dan worked with Lucas Group, one of the military recruiting firms that a lot of transitioning veterans work with during their exit from the military. He now works with Cohen Partners doing much of the same work.
There can be a lot of bad images out there for these firms so I wanted to sit down with someone on the inside to talk about what they think from their point of view.
Ep. 157: 75th Ranger, MBA, McKinsey, and Private Equity to Psychedelics and Mindfulness with Neil Markey
Neil has a story a lot of people will be interested in hearing:
He was on THE path:
- 75th Ranger Regiment
- Columbia Business School
- Working on a family business
- McKinsey
- Private Equity
And then he realized he didn't like what he was doing anymore. That started him working on mindfulness and eventually using psychedelics to change his life. Neil is now the CEO and co-founder of Beckley Retreats which runs psychedelic-assisted healing events.
Ep.156: Founding Hydro Flask, Doing Business in China, and Enjoying the Ride of Entrepreneurship with Travis Rosbach
While this show mainly interviews veterans, when given the chance to interview someone like Travis, I'm going to take it.
First- he is one of the most interesting people I've met:
- Serial entrepreneur
- SCUBA dive Master/Instructor
- US Merchant Marine Boat Captain (50 Tons),
- Commercial Airline Pilot (ATP)
- Was/is a world explorer.
We talk about the various businesses that Travis founded, including Hydro Flask, his extensive travels and business dealings in China, and how we is working with new entrepreneurs in the Tumalo Group.
Ep. 155: Serving Others Through Health and Fitness, Fire Circles, and How Physicality Heals with Matt Hesse
Matt was referred to me by someone from the audience. I looked into the University of Health and Performance and FitOps and immediately was intrigued.
FitOps has the mission of "Empowering veterans to discover renewed purpose through the power of fitness and community.
UHP is a wellness-based educational organization. We provide students with an ideal environment and the training to identify and live their purpose as health and fitness coaches.
Matt and his team put together a deeply powerful experience for veterans. People who go through the program will sweat and work hard, for sure, but more importantly, they will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and mission.
This is a powerful episode. We talk about serving others in deep and meaningful ways. Tears are shed and deep laughs are had. I promise you are going to like this one.
Ep. 154: Working in Finance, Taking the Leap, and Connecting Veterans with Capital: Bill Militello from Localvest
Bill Militello had every reason to stay on the "normal" path. He had a great career going in finance when he decided that he wanted to branch out on his own. After a risk assessment and planning, he took the leap to branch out on his own.
But he didn't stop there.
Seeing that veterans had trouble accessing capital for their business, he started Localvest.
Localvest connects veterans with investors, most notably, other veterans. He's building a great community and if you are working on a deal- you should look up Localvest.
16 Places To Find Investor Money For Veterans
Related Podcasts:
Ep. 137: Equipping the Next Generation of Veteran Entrepreneurs with John Panaccione and VETtoCEO
Ep. 130: Investing in Business Acquisition and Veterans with Serial Entrepreneur Steve Ressler
Ep. 127: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Startups with Steve Kiser from Veteran Ventures Capital
Ep. 109: A Lender's Perspective on Investing in Veteran Entrepreneurs For Business Acquisition: Lisa Forrest
Ep. 153: From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership with William Toti
William Toti is a retired Navy CAPT with command at sea and experience as a CEO. We talk at length about the obstacles ALL veterans likely face in their transition and why we all need to recognize these obstacles.
You can learn more about his story at:
https://williamtoti.com/
And find his book here:
From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership
Ep. 152: Generating Wealth Through Real Estate, Building a Team, and Using Military Systems in Your Business with Shelby Osborne
Shelby is an army veteran who started acquiring properties while on active duty. She then moved into being an agent and leveraged her military skills to quickly stand out above everyone else. She now has her own company and real estate firm and has a TON of knowledge about getting started and the system you need.
Resources Mentioned:
Create & Build Wealth With Real Estate Investing | BiggerPockets
51 Units and $900/Month in Pure Cashflow on a “BRRRRnB” (biggerpockets.com)
Similar Episodes:
Ep. 144: Former Israeli Navy SEAL Roy Dekel on the Windy Path to Starting a Real Estate Tech Company
Ep. 135: Starting to Farm From Scratch and Generating Business From Land with Lauren Spencer
Ep. 116: Real Estate, Starting Businesses with Friends, and Working from an RV with Vic "Victorious" Thompson
Ep. 99: Going From a Side Hustle to 250+ Franchises with Jerry "JDOG" Flanagan
Ep. 43: Real estate investing with David Pere from Military to Millionaire
Ep.151: Learning Calculus from YouTube while Working the Night Shift, Astrophysics, and Pursuing a Dream with Army Veteran Josh Carroll
I first heard of Josh's story in a magazine ad for YouTube. The ad showed how this former grunt taught himself calculus from watching videos online and worked his way into being an astrophysicist.
Josh's is a story of the grind. Of the relentless pursuit of going after something you want when everything seems to be in your way.
This audience will love his story of putting in the work to make things happen. From late nights and lots of trials and errors- Josh just kept going.
An Army Veteran Learned Advanced Math on YouTube to Become a Physicist
from military.com
Joshua Carroll's Story: Reaching for the stars
4:13 YouTube video
Veteran To Janitor To Physicist, Via YouTube
from Forbes
Ep. 150: Enlisted Marine to Working at the VA, Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs, and Founding a Veteran-Focused Marketing Firm with Barrett Bogue
Barrett is a truly awesome person.
He started off as an enlisted Infantryman in the Marine Corps and has been deeply involved in supporting the veteran community since:
- Founder, Evocati, LLC: a public relations and consulting firm that partners with leading businesses around the country to grow their investment within the military-connected sector
- Close to a decade working at the VA where he focused on policies concerning the GI Bill, which we talk about heavily in the show.
- Vice President, Public Relations and Chapter Engagement for Student Veteran of America
- George W. Bush Foundation Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Fellow
- Co-Author of "Called to Lead" from the Center for a New American Security, which examined the connections between military service and higher education leadership roles
- Bunker Labs Veterans in Residence Program
- Executive Board Member: The Paradigm Switch, a leading nonprofit that helped military spouses work anywhere in the world
- Stanford Ignite Post-9/11 Veterans Program alumni
Resources mentioned:
Free ATS Resume Scanner | SkillSyncer
Veteran Opportunity Report | Social Impact (linkedin.com)
Ep. 71: Working In The Entertainment Industry after the Marines with Michael Broderick | The Veteran (Semi) Professional
Ep. 149: The Weekly SITREP (6/13/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Insightful Reddit Rant concerning Army aviators
- Casualties rising for Ukraine
- Gun legislation
- Mortgage and housing market
- Consulting world shakeup
- Wall Street Madness
- New McDonald's who dis??!!
Check out Field Seats and save 10% with code "VETPRO"
Ep. 148: Building Bulletproof Furniture for Schools and Starting a Business While Getting an MBA with Jacob Ahle and Tom Ankenbauer from ProtectED
Jacob and Tom spent a lot of time together in the military, serving in the same infantry unit and then together in the Asymmetric Warfare Group. They both even ended up going to business schools in Boston (Tom at MIT Sloan and Jacob at HBS).
While at AWG, they met their now business partner, Pete Facchini, a legend from the 75th Ranger Regiment. Pete was building bulletproof bookshelves for use in schools as a way to limit the threat of active shooters. Pete wanted to focus on the product and told them, "Hey, you guys are interested in business....you worry about that." And so they did.
This episode was originally scheduled to be released later but was bumped up based on the recent events in Uvalde.
Ep. 147: The Weekly SITREP (6/5/2022)
Commentary on business and politics to help you in post-military life.
Published on: June 5, 2022Ep. 146: Robotics, Venture Capital, and the Support Ecosystem Around Entrepreneurs with Former Marine Paul Claxton
Paul has a career going all over the place. He bounced around from job to job after the Marines until he found his niche.
- Founder, Empire Headhunters
- Founder, Reciprocity ROI
- Venture Partner, The Robotics Hub
- Board Advisor, Spine Nation
- CPO, Fornux Corporation
He's also got a great story of his time in the Marines when he hustled and a leader saw his potential and gave him a chance.
Ep. 145: The Weekly SITREP (5/27/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- 11th Airborne Division gets started in Alaska
- Forty McFort Face > Fort Liberty
- Stock market update
- Black Rifle Coffee gets sued by investor
- Elon shuffles new Twitter deal
- Buying refurbished tech (see also Tech for Troops)
Check out Google Vet Net Career Week where Mark will be talking!
Ep. 144: Former Israeli Navy SEAL Roy Dekel on the Windy Path to Starting a Real Estate Tech Company
Roy is a former Israeli Navy SEAL and founder of SetSchedule, which makes software for real estate professionals.
Here is his official bio:
"Roy Dekel is CEO and Co-Founder of SetSchedule. Preceding SetSchedule, Roy sold billions in financial products and prior to trends, institutionalized the buy and hold residential lifestyle model managing a lofty residential portfolio. Before moving to California, Dekel grew up in Israel, a child of Romanian refugees. He served as a first lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Forces of the Navy Seals. Inspired by his childhood, Roy helps charities that focus on the quality of life and education of children. Roy’s long-standing dedication as a donor, activist, and member of so many charitable organizations has earned Dekel the deserved reputation as a trusted and selfless community leader."
Ep. 143: The Weekly SITREP (5/20/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- You motorboating SOB
- Get pumped for the new Top Gun
- Crypto takes a dive
- Can Elon walk away from Twitter?
- PA GOP Senate race
- Offshore drilling leases
- Housing market cools
Check out fieldseats.com to purchase your Field Reviews and use VETPRO to get 10% off.
Fieldseats.com is an e-commerce federally licensed firearms dealer. They provide virtual reviews on brand new firearms and at the end of the review they give away the firearm being reviewed for free to an attendee.
Ep. 142: Health, Recovery, and Why You Should Think About Buying a Franchise with Joel Stewart
Joel is a Navy veteran who now helps connect people with the right franchise opportunity for them.
We also discuss some health challenges Joel had after the Navy and how he was able to overcome them and get himself back on his feet (literally).
You can find his books here:
Franchise Due Diligence: Navigating the Franchise Purchase Process
Franchising Unlocked: The 7 Secret Keys to Franchise Ownership
Ep. 141: How to Make The Most of Your Post-Military Time with Travel Expert Jared Kamrowski from Thrifty Traveler
This episode is a bit different as we don't talk many veteran topics.
Jared runs Thrifty Traveler and knows how to travel the world without breaking the budget.
I always try and encourage people to plan some serious time off after the military and Jared can give you the tools to do it.
Ep. 140: Former Marine and Darden MBA Barker Squire on Buying Your Own Business
This episode is unique in that I recorded it at Darden.
There have been a few episodes published about buying your own business and Barker is the first who talks about doing it without investors.
Ep. 139: The Weekly SITREP (5/6/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Training Ukrainians on Javelins
- New Air Force bomb sinks ship in seconds
- Interest rates go up
- Trump back former Marine J.D. Vance
- Downsides to an MBA
- How an overturn of Roe v. Wade might affect businesses
- Theories on the leaked SCOTUS opinion
Check out fieldseats.com to purchase your Field Reviews and use VETPRO to get 10% off.
Fieldseats.com is an e-commerce federally licensed firearms dealer. They provide virtual reviews on brand new firearms and at the end of the review they give away the firearm being reviewed for free to an attendee.
Ep. 138: Combat, Empathy, and the Power of Psychedelic Healing with Army Ranger and Harvard Undergrad Nick Ige
First- this episode is intense. It is easily the most powerful episode of the show.
Nick openly shares his intense combat experiences from his time in the 75th Ranger Regiment and how they shaped his ability to be empathetic.
Realizing he was sitting on a precipice, he sought help. A mentor pointed him in the direction of psychedelics, which started him down a path of healing. He shares what his experiences were like and to say that it is powerful is a dramatic understatement.
Nick is now working on a Neuroscience degree at Harvard to take his knowledge and experiences to help other veterans.
Fun fact: Nick and I served in 1-505th, 82nd ABN for a few years together before we moved onto our next assignments.
Resources mentioned:
Heroic Hearts Project (also check out Ep. 12 their founder Jesse Gould)
MAPS psychedelic research center
Live American Yogi (Nick brought LAY up without me prompting, but the founder, Phil, and I went through SERE together and were Team Leaders in the same company)
Hunter 7 Foundation
Next Step Inbound (Interview with their team on Ep. 17)
Warrior-Scholar Program (Hear my interview with CEO Ryan Pavel on Ep. 37)
Ep. 137: The Weekly SITREP (4/28/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Should cadets and midshipmen be planning their post-military careers already?
- SpaceX bringing the internet to Ukraine
- Russia guarding their ships with...dolphins?
- Apple doesn't want you to fix your phone
- The finances behind Elon and Twitter
- Big political moment in France
- Do you even tactical nuke bro?
Big thanks to our sponsor:
fieldseats.com
Fieldseats is an e-commerce federally licensed firearms dealer that provides reviews of new firearms. With your review, you get entered into a raffle to wi the very firearm they just reviewed. With a max of 40 people entering, your chances of winning are pretty dang good.
Use code VETPRO to save 10%
Ep. 136: The Weekly SITREP (4/24/22)
Topics Discussed:
- How NATO prepped Ukraine to win
- Using "good enough" defense tech to beat Russia
- DoD wants to be like Elon
- The disaster of CNN +
- New EU laws make big changes for big tech
- Carbon capture tech prizes
Ep. 137: Equipping the Next Generation of Veteran Entrepreneurs with John Panaccione and VETtoCEO
John has a great story. After leaving the army, he started working and eventually saw an opportunity to create a new business. That led him to founding LogicBay, which he ran for 18 years before a successful acquisition in 2020. He now helps small businesses raise capital through Folla Capital and helps veterans learn about entrepreneurship through VETtoCEO.
Resources mentioned:
Corporate Bro
The Veteran (Semi) Professional: Ep. 22 Sales Platoon: Raleigh Wilkins on Apple Podcasts
Sales Training | Sales Platoon (mysalesplatoon.com)
Ways to raise capital:
Ep. 135: Starting to Farm From Scratch and Generating Business From Land with Lauren Spencer
What I love about Lauren's story: She didn't grow up farming but decided that's what she wanted to do. We dig into how she got started and how their family runs a few businesses from their land.
Brownings Flower Truck
Ep. 134: Helping the Hard of Hearing and Not Taking No For An Answer with Janice Lintz
This episode is a little different. Janice was referred to me by former guest Dr. Ruth Gotian (Ep. 117). Janice is not a veteran, but oh my she has a lot of wisdom to share!
We walk international travel (she's been to well over 100 countries) and the massively important work she does for people who are hard of hearing. Janice shares how she got the Queen of England to act, why CEOs respond to her emails, and how we can all realize we have a lot more power than we think.
HAI – Hearing Access & Innovations
JaniceLintz (@JaniceLintz) / Twitter
Janice (Schacter) Lintz | LinkedIn
One Woman Who Helps Millions Of People She Will Never Meet (forbes.com)
Ep. 133: Balancing Family, Business, and Mission with Jake Servantes from Sangin Instruments
Jake's story is a great one.
He started piecing together the idea for making great watches while serving in MARSOC and then kept working on it after leaving the Marines and working in a few other places.
We talk about running a business with your significant other (his wife) and what he does to help others veterans thinking about entrepreneurship.
Sangin Instruments
Ep. 132: Being the Humble Alpha- From the Brink of Suicide to Global Partnerships and Deals with Steven Kuhn
I got to meet Steve at an event in Houston and can attest that he is a genuinely good dude.
His story is crazy and there's a TON to learn here.
A former enlisted grunt, we get into his own rocky path out of the army and how he went from being on the brink of taking his life to living in a monastery for months to 20+ business partnerships and deals with millions.
Steve is awesome and you will for sure learn something today.
Ep. 131: The Weekly SITREP (3/26/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Mark goes on a short rant about LinkedIn transition "gurus" as well as bad advice that's out there for veterans
- Ukraine v. Russia update
- Russia launches hypersonic missile
- Chemical facility in Ukraine and Russian propaganda
- People made more off their homes than their jobs last year
- RIP Madeline Albright
- The crazy world of Chinese nickel and international exchanges
Ep. 130: Investing in Business Acquisition and Veterans with Serial Entrepreneur Steve Ressler
Steve is an interesting case for this show because he himself is not a veteran.
After starting and exciting a few companies, Steve turned into an investor. Through that process, he teamed up with a Navy veteran who showed him the power of veterans as entrepreneurs. That led him down the path to start investing in startups and search funds, with a particular focus on investing in veterans.
Steve and his business partner also started Search and Acquire, a nonprofit focused on connecting veterans who want to acquire a business with sellers.
Resources mentioned:
HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business: Called "The Red Book" by those in the know, this is THE book you have to know if you are interested in business acquisition.
Buy Then Build: How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game
Follow Steve here:
@steveressler
These links lead to Amazon, where your purchase helps this site and podcast.
Ep. 129: Wharton MBA, Google, and Goldman Sachs to Improving Mental Performance with former SEAL Patrick Dossett
Patrick's story has a lot in it:
- Working at some mega-firms like Goldman Sachs and Google and how he said "no" to them
- Being OK with quitting
- Starting a company with world-class experts to increase human performance
Ep. 128: The Weekly SITREP (3/3/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Ukraine and Russia update
- How does this end?
- Sanctions
- Trouble for cargo flights
- Remote work
- Car prices through the roof
Ep. 127: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Startups with Steve Kiser from Veteran Ventures Capital
Steve has some great experience to learn from:
- Retired Air Force
- Government contracting and working in the defense industry
- Venture Capital and Angel Investing
- Innovation within DoD
Ep. 126: The Weekly SITREP (2/25/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Russia Invades
- Pros and cons of sanctions
- Canada unfreezes bank accounts of truck protestors
- Big Data is...well....big
- Truth Social is a disaster
Ep. 125: Worldwide Travels and Continuing to Support the Mission with Zack Bazzi from Spirit of America
Zack is seriously the man. He and I started our friendship while I was at the Civil Affairs Qualification Course. We then worked together in Syria and again when I was in Saudi Arabia.
Currently, Zack works for Spirit of America. Who exactly are they? They support warfighters and diplomats who need to get something down, but either they don't have the right kind of money or it will not come fast enough. SoA fills a need and truly supports our Nation's missions abroad.
Besides all that- Zack is just a funny guy and we swap some great stories in this episode.
Ep. 124: The Weekly SITREP (2/17/2022)
Topics Discussed:
- Army makes their own app to connect Guards/Reserves with active roles
- Changes in VA disability for hearing, sleep apnea, and mental health
- Russia/Ukraine update
- What the CPI doesn't catch with inflation
- Legislators and stocks
- Coinbase and the Super Bowl
- Off-site is the new in-office
Ep. 123: Getting Your Own Business Started as a Freight Broker with Jason Bauch
Jason runs Brokerz Edge, which trains people how to get started with being a freight broker. Here's Jason's thoughts on why you might want to think about this option:
"I have now moved countless tons of freight and made ridiculous amounts of money doing it. I always tell people that transportation is the only industry that I know of where high school graduates can consistently make a six-figure income and I’m going to show you how to start from scratch and grow your business into its own company."
PLUS: Inside the episode will be an exclusive discount code to save 25% on their training course, which can a MASSIVE ROI.
Ep. 122: The Weekly SITREP (2/11/2022)
Topics Covered
- Is Moscow the next Hollywood?
- German firms don't want war
- China and Russia: friendly, not friends
- Airlines mega-merger
- Will Meta end in Europe?
- Massive pay at Amazon
Ep. 121: Navy SEAL to Multi-time CEO, Fiction Writer and Public Speaker: Marty Strong
Marty has a wide-range of activities, which makes him a great guest to learn from:
- Current CEO of two different companies
- Founding partner of security consulting firm
- Sought-after keynote speaker
- Author of Be Nimble: How the Creative Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in Business
- Author of The Time Warrior Saga and SEAL Strike series
We talk about his early bumps in the financial industry after leaving the SEAL teams, and how those early failures helped him.
This description contains Amazon Affiliate links.
Ep. 120: Army NCO to Business Owner by Acquiring a Small Business with John Hubbard
If you listen to this show, I hope you've learned about the options available through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition. You may think you need to be a Harvard MBA with millions in the bank to make this happen, but today's guest is here to tell you why that is not the case.
After a few army buddies told John Hubbard that he should consider business acquisition, he thought he'd look into it. At the time, John was out of the army, working as a cop, and didn't have a fancy MBA. He went onto Searchfunder.com and posted something to the tune of "I'm a veteran and want to buy a business." He then got dozens of emails from investors looking to invest in him and within a few months, he acquired a business.
His first meeting with an investor they met at a bar and got wings and beer. They chatted about business for 20 minutes and then the guy said, "You sound cool. I'll give you $200k. Now I'd like to hear about Afghanistan because that's really interesting."
This strategy is way more approachable than you think.
Ep. 119: The Weekly SITREP (1/29/21)
Topics Discussed:
- National Guard Troops can form unions
- Russia shaking things up in the EU
- "New Supreme Court who dis?!"
- Interest rates
- Venture Capital in US and China
- Taxes in the UK
Ep. 118: Special Forces NCO to Starting a Hospitality Brand, Working with F500 CEOs, and Living a Meaningful Life with Larry Broughton
Larry Broughton is simply...awesome.
After leaving the Army where he served as Special Forces NCO, Larry has had a tremendous career.
- Founded broughtonHOTELS, a leader in the boutique hotel industry with close to 20 hospitality projects.
- Incredibly popular leadership speaker, he has been invited to talk to organizations like Wal-Mart, Wounded Warrior Project, Lexus, and the Pentagon.
- Invited to speak about business, entrepreneurship, and leadership on media sources such as CNBC and MSNBC.
- Regularly sought by startups, C-level executives, and nonprofit leaders to help them make the most of their organization.
- Numerous business awards, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year®, the National Veteran-Owned Business Association’s Vetrepreneur® of the Year, Passkeys Foundation’s National Business Leader of Integrity award, HSMAI’s 2018 Best of the Best Management Company of the Year; Coastline Foundation’s Visionary of the Year, and Entrepreneur Magazine included his firm on their Hot 500 List of Fastest Growing Private Companie.
On the surface, it looks like everything he touches turns to gold. But Larry and I get real and we talk about his own transition from the military, divorce, and the bumps along the way.
Ep. 118: The Weekly SITREP (1/21/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Ukraine and the Big Mish
- Computer-assisted target acquisition for SAW gunners
- Microsoft buys ActiVision to pursue the "Netflix of Gaming"
- 5G and airline concerns (plus some real technical talk from Kyle)
- Voting right bills
- Why investors are dumping Bitcoin
Ep. 117: The Success Factor: Dr. Ruth Gotian on Mentorship, Networking, and Finding Purpose
Dr. Ruth Gotian is a heavy-hitter. Here's some of her accomplishments:
- Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine
- Frequent contributor to Forbes, where she writes about optimizing for success
- Soon to publish The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance where she tackles the question, "What do astronauts, Olympic champions, and Nobel laureates do differently that allows them to achieve at such a high level?"
She was gracious enough to come onto the show and share her extensive knowledge and research, knowing that veterans can absolutely use it.
*This contains Amazon affiliate links. Your purchase continues to help veterans crush it after the military.
Ep. 116: Real Estate, Starting Businesses with Friends, and Working from an RV with Vic "Victorious" Thompson
Vic is the man. Seriously- he's just a cool guy.
He played football at the Air Force Academy, invests in real estate, and spent most of the last 18 months living out of an RV.
You all are going to love this episode.
Zero Gravity (zerogravityrei.com)
Vic Thompson (@victhompson_rei) • Instagram photos and videos
Ep. 115: Lawyer, Banking, Google, to Startup Founder at Berkeley Haas MBA with Olaseni Bello
Olaseni is a jack of all trades. He served in the Army as a lawyer, worked in the finance industry, interned at Google, got an MBA, started a healthcare startup, and is currently at Meta.
We talk about starting a company while getting an MBA and why veterans should take advantage of the timing to do this.
Ep. 114: Working in Tech as a Product Manager with Erik Huckle
You all asked for more on working in tech so here you go!
Erik is a former Marine who got his MBA at the University of Texas. After that, he entered a career in tech, going from Amazon to being a co-founder, to working at a startup.
Listen in to lear what a product manager actually does.
Visit the Job Board
Ep. 113: The Weekly SITREP (12/14/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Saudi Arabia would like more missiles, please
- Putin is just flexin' on Ukraine
- Virgin Atlantic makes moves
- Joe Manchin continues to hold out on BBB
- Top 10 tech changes of 2021
- Apple coming with AR glasses
Visit our job board.
Ep. 112: Combat To Classroom: Jon Anderson on Teaching and Coaching After the Military
We all know the "normal" academy grad path after the military. Go get an MBA and then work in corporate America. It's a tried and true path.
But Jon did something different. Instead, he went into teaching.
We walk about the challenges of the classroom, his podcast Teaching Unmasked, and why he tells his wrestlers to try and punch him in the face.
Ep. 111: The Weekly SITREP (12/2/21)
We have two teasers in this show about projects for our audience- you don't want to miss.
Topics Discussed:
- Oklahoma Governor says "No" to vaccines for OK National Guard
- Putin lays down the "red line"
- Economy, inflation, and interest rates
- Digital real estate in the metaverse
- Jack Dorsey steps down from Twitter
Ep. 110: Former Israeli Commando David Horesh on the Veteran Journey and Using Military Experience in Business
I'm super pumped to bring the first non-US veteran onto the show, David Horesh.
David is a former Israeli commando who now uses his problem-solving experience from the military to help companies with their problems. We walk about the similarities of being a veteran, regardless of country, and hear some stories of life in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Ep. 109: A Lender's Perspective on Investing in Veteran Entrepreneurs For Business Acquisition: Lisa Forrest
Lisa Forrest works with Live Oak Bank - a lender that specializes in funding entrepreneurs through the acquisition of a business. She has worked with a number of veterans and knows what makes veterans a special fit for entrepreneurship through acquisition.
Published on: November 23, 2021Ep. 108: What Does The Research Say About Transitioning Veterans? Kristin Saboe, Ph.D and Nathan Ainspan, Ph.D
Dr. Kristin Saboe and Dr. Nathan Ainspan wrote:
Military Veteran Employment: A Guide for the Data-Driven Leader
We dig into what the data says about the military transition journey.
Dr. Saboe works for Boeing in talent acquisition. She is a veteran herself and has worked extensively in veteran-related issues.
Dr. Ainspan is the Senior Research Psychologist on Veterans Transition and Disability Employment at the Department of Defense's Military to Civilian Transition Office.
This description contains Amazon affiliate links.
Ep. 107: The Weekly SITREP (11/11/21)
Happy Veterans Day!
Thank you for your service. You filthy degenerates.
Topics discussed today:
- China building mock US aircraft carriers
- Army cutting who gets an email
- Elon's tax maneuver
- Social work degrees with huge debt
- GE breaks up the band
- This podcast is now 6.2% higher...just like inflation
- How the new infrastructure bill affects crypto
Ep. 106: Starting a Nation-Wide Veteran Service Organization and Bringing Independent Thought to Media with Paul Rieckhoff
Paul Rieckhoff is a legend in the veteran community:
Host, Independent Americans podcast
Author, Chasing Ghosts
Founder and President, Righteous Media
Founder, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
We talk:
- Current problems facing the veteran community and what can be done
- Why we need more independent voices in media
- The importance of veterans continuing to lead and serve
- Starting a nonprofit and then a media company
Note: There are Amazon affiliate links in this description.
Ep. 105: Using Your Security For Your Next Career with Katie Keller from Clearance Jobs
Clearance Jobs is the premier way for people with a security clearance to connect with employers who need cleared individuals.
The best part about this market? There are way more jobs than candidates so it's a good place to be as a job seeker.
Katie joins us to talk about how Clearance Jobs can connect you with the right employer and their upcoming virtual career fair on Nov. 18 for veterans and military spouses.
Ep. 104: The Weekly SITREP (10/27/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Congress wants to know where that missing M9 is
- Fighter pilots have higher rates of cancer
- Carvana getting complaints
- Democrats' tax plan
- Why Dune is brilliant
- Truth Social
-3D houses are getting printed
- Why Hertz bought so many Teslas
Ep. 103: Green Beret -> Kellogg MBA -> Starting a Business to Recruit Veterans with Freddie Kim
Freddie spent over 10 years in the army, finishing his career as a Special Forces officer. He left and started working in manufacturing and eventually worked on his MBA from Northwestern along the way. After a failed attempt at a small business, he started another focused on recruiting top-level veteran talent.
This episode has a lot of great conversation about being honest with yourself about what works best for you.
Ep. 102: The Weekly SITREP (10/21/21)
The best news source for veterans thinking about their life after the military.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
- China's fancy new missile
- RIP Colin Powell
- Boozing on Air Force One
- PayPal to buy Pinterest?
- $1 mm bounty for info on Tether
- Bitcoin to the moon
- Select Senate Democrats blocking the bill of bills
- Tesla making $$$
- The artist formerly known as Facebook
Ep. 101: Brain Injuries, Being Your Own Best Advocate, and Exploring The Breadth of The World with Amanda Burrill
Amanda has done A LOT of fun stuff after the Navy. From being a sports writer to climbing mountains, and traveling like a pro. She's done a lot.
But underlying a lot of her experience was a brain injury she received in the military. We talk about how this affected her and how she's had to learn to be her best advocate in navigating the healthcare system.
Ep. 100: 10 Lessons Learned From 100 Episodes
Big thanks to all of you for listening to the show!
This is an overvoew of the top 10 lessons I've learned about the military transition from 100 episodes.
Ep. 99: Going From a Side Hustle to 250+ Franchises with Jerry "JDOG" Flanagan
Jerry left the army and worked a few odd jobs, noticing that the business owner was getting paid very well while he had to do a lot of the hard work. This started him down an entrepreneurial path with multiple businesses and lots of ups and downs.
He was in his 40s and none of the businesses had panned out. While searching for a job, he started hauling junk with his Jeep and a trailer. That turned into JDog Junk Removal and Hauling, a nationwide business with over 250 franchises and a new show on the Discovery Channel which follows a few veteran franchisees.
Ep. 98: The Weekly SITREP (10/7/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Chinese bombers buzz the tower in Taiwan
- Iran finds a way to build drones
- Why financial advisors are pitching Bitcoin to investors
- Inflation (and how it affects Mark's chicken wings)
- Natural gas shortage
- Seaweed instead of shrimp?
- Tesla pays out $137 million to an employee
Ep. 97: Inventing The Cheaper, Better, and More Sustainable Water Heater with John Hynds from Torii Industries
John Hynds found that he was always a tinkerer. From his time working on avionics in the military, he knew he liked to fiddle with things and learn how they work. So he started a path in engineering and now working on his own business and looking to disrupt how water heaters are used in the home.
Ep. 96: The Weekly SITREP (10/04/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Israeli A.I.-assisted sniper kills Iranian scientist
- Leaders owning up to Afghanistan
- Joe Manchin's Alamo
- School endowments make BILLIONS on VC investments
- The skinny on insider trading
- COVID treatment pill
- What's going to happen with stablecoins?
Ep. 95: Connecting Veteran Entrepreneurs With The Right Resources to Succeed with Grant Fox From The Veterans Future Lab
Grant left the Navy knowing that he wanted to go into the financial industry. He hustled his way into a boutique (yet prestigious) firm and built a career on hustle and providing results. After spending some time working with early-stage ventures, he found his way to the Veteran's Future Lab at NYU where he is helping military-affiliated entrepreneurs crush it.
Published on: September 28, 2021Ep. 94: The Weekly SITREP (9/23/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Who's got the better submarines? The US or France? Australia says America.
- Reporters backtrack on accusations against GEN Milley
- Turns out the Clinton campaign paid a lawyer to dig up dirt on Trump....to literally no one's surprise
- Fed tapering bond purchases
- Freshworks and Toast IPO this week
- Who is Evergrande and why do things that start with "ever" keep messing up the economy?
Ep. 93: Leveraging Previous Experience Into 2x Founding with Entrepreneur Eric Dean
Eric Dean is a Darden MBA who started his own digital marketing firm which was recently acquired by Blackrock.
What is digital marketing?
Advertising that is delivered through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email, and mobile apps. Using these online media channels, digital marketing is the method by which companies endorse goods, services, and brand.
Ep. 92: Working in Mergers and Acquisitions and Running an MS Nonprofit with Jeff Lax
Jeff Lax got his MBA from Darden then spent a career leading organizations while serving as GM, COO, President, and CEO. He's spent most of his career in mergers and acquisitions as well as corporate development. Additionally, he's the Board Chair for the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Published on: September 14, 2021Ep. 91: The Weekly SITREP (9/9/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Air Force Chief of Software
- Taliban is using our hardware to locate people
- Bitcoin and El Salvador
- Wallets are dead. Long live the wallet.
- Wall Street looking to fund house flips
- Top MBA employers
- LOTS less men going to college
- The Supreme Court making life hard in Oklahoma
https://gooseandwillow.com/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/steel-hearts-x-paintru
Ep. 90: Harvard Kennedy + Business Schools and Memorializing The Fallen with John Crowley From Steel Hearts Foundation
John Crowley is currently working on a Joint Degree from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. We talk about going after a power degree combo like this as well as his work with Steel Hearts- memorializing the fallen service academy graduates of the Global War on Terror.
Contribute to their current campaign to have all the fallen memorialized in a portrait here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/steel-hearts-x-paintru
Ep. 89: The Weekly SITREP (9/2/2021)
Topics Discussed:
- Last service member leaves Afghanistan
- Amazon to hire 55,000 corporate/tech jobs
- Gamestop going to the S&P 500?
- Theranos and the Elizabeth Holmes trial
- The biggest changes in college football in the last 10 years
Ep. 88: Starting a Custom Portrait Business While at Wharton and Remembering the Fallen with Brendan Aronson
First- hope you all like the new intro for the show.
Brendan is awesome. A former Marine, he went to Wharton (back to back Wharton episodes on this show...they should pay me for recruiting) and started Paintru- a service that delivers custom portraits.
We also have a special addendum to this episode where Brendan comes back on and discusses a collaboration with Steel Hearts Foundation to raise money for the service academy graduates killed in the GWOT.
Ep. 87: Service to School, Wharton MBA, Consulting, and Climbing Denali: Alec Emmert
Alec is a seeming wonder man. He's done so much it's astounding sometimes. USNA to industry to Wharton to a top consulting firm...that just scratches the surface. To top it off- he's massively supportive of helping his fellow veterans crush it.
Published on: August 25, 2021Ep. 86: The Weekly SITREP (8/24/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Afghanistan (duh), but focusing on what veterans are doing
- People starting to work two jobs
-Carvana and their real money maker
- Vaccine boosters
- The Taliban, international sanctions, and how will they have an economy?
Ep. 85: A Family-Owned and Operated Farm and Vineyard with James King from King Family Vineyards
James King did multiple tours overseas with the Marines before returning to his family farm in Crozet, VA to run King Family Vineyards. Fun fact: this was the first podcast recorded on location (spoiler alert: it's beautiful).
Published on: August 18, 2021Ep. 84: Enlisted to Running Businesses for Others to Starting A Marketing Firm: Paul Mackiewicz
Paul was an army artilleryman who spent a number of years after the military running businesses for other people. Problem was- he was good at it but wasn't getting much out of it. He found his way into digital marketing and now runs his own marketing firm, Hashtag Smart.
Ep. 83: The Weekly SITREP (8/9/21)
Topics Discussed:
- 101st Command Team makes it through strip club probe
- Taliban takes back Afghanistan *shocker*
- Why getting vaccinated is a good idea
- Cathie Wood and ARK Invest
- Eviction moratorium
- Unemployment
- Robot burger flippers
Ep. 82: Veterans in Investment Banking with Bret Lowry From Academy Securities
Bret works for Academy Securities, the first Post-9/11 veteran and disabled veteran-owned and operated investment bank.
Published on: August 6, 2021Ep. 81: Everything You Need to Know About Acquiring a Business (It's Easier Than You Think)
This episode is meant to accompany "16 Ways Veterans Can Buy a Small Business" from the website, theveteranpro.com
Business acquisition sounds like crazy talk, until you realize that it's way more approachable than you think and people are HUNGRY to have veterans run businesses. The show will cover financing deals, search funds, SBA loans, and where you can find deals to make it happen.
Ep. 80: The Importance of Mental Health, Accepting Your Low Spots, and Helping Those Behind You with JessicaRose Johnson
JessicaRose found herself sleeping in her car after leaving the Marines before moving back in with her parents. Feeling adrift, she learned to find strength in helping others and now runs her own consulting practice focused on mental health issues.
Published on: July 28, 2021Ep. 79: The Weekly SITREP (7/26/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Bipartisan Bill to support Taiwan against China
- SFC Alwyn Cashe receives MOH posthumously
- Jeff Bezos in space
- HOAs: Sound great, but they are a challenge
- Bitcoin...maybe not a hedge against inflation?
- Why banks are ignoring traditional credit scores
- Social media manager: real job
- Poor Tokyo Olympics
Ep. 78: How You Can Continue to Be a Leader After the Military with Fred Geoffrion
Fred is a Darden MBA grad who wanted to continue filling leadership roles after the military. He started a career in operations and has worked with some major firms since exiting the military.
Published on: July 21, 2021Ep. 77: The Weekly SITREP (7/19/21)
Topics Discussed:
- GEN Milley, Iran, and the last days of the Trump administration
- How do you lose 100 NVGs??!!
- What are stable coins and what might regulators do with them?
- Inflation
-How China is hurting US investors but also itself.
- Details on remote work
- In person > online for MBA
Published on: July 19, 2021Ep. 76: How Veterans Can Crush it In Trade Jobs with Perfect Technician Academy
College isn't for everyone-lots of veterans can have fulfilling (and financially rewarding) careers in trade jobs. Listen to this episode to hear how Perfect Technician Academy helps veterans crush it in HVAC.
Published on: July 14, 2021Ep. 75: The Weekly SITREP (7/12/21)
Topics Discussed:
- US leaving Bagram Airfield in the middle of the night
- Will we use rockets to ship supplies to war zones?
- Not all master's degrees are the same
- The devil is in the details with air taxis
- Why working for a company you like is better than a brand name
- #Unity22
- Joe Biden the trust buster
- Implications of the NYC mayoral race
Ep. 74: How Men Can Be Allies To Women In The Workplace with Dr. Brad Johnson and Dr. David Smith
Brad Johnson, PhD, worked in counseling with the Navy before heading to teach psychology at the Naval Academy where his research focused on mentorship. David Smith, PhD, is a former Naval aviator turned researcher into mentorship and military sociology. They are the co-authors of the books Athena Rising and Good Guys.
Published on: July 7, 2021Ep. 73: Psychology, running an Ironman, and delivering value with Matt Poepsel
Matt Poepsel is a true renaisance man. After the Marines, he got a PhD, worked in startups, run an Ironman and so much more. He's a fascinating cat and you'll definitely enjoy this talk.
Published on: June 30, 2021Ep. 72: The Weekly SITREP (6/28/21)
Topics Discussed:
- WSJ OpEd on Afghanistan
- App being used to collect intel across the globe
- Inflation and the Fed
- Apps that support Uber and Lyft
- People quitting jobs they hate
- How Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion
- MBA options for mid-career professionals
Ep. 71: Working In The Entertainment Industry after the Marines with Michael Broderick
Michael left the Marines and worked for a while as a voice actor, member of a punk rock band, and then film acting. He's had a wide and varied life after he left military and his story is absolutely worth hearing.
Published on: June 23, 2021Ep. 70: The Weekly SITREP (6/21/21)
Topics discussed:
-Refueling with drones
-Moving air defense batteries from the Middle East
-United to buy supersonic jets
-The unregulated world of space travel
-How equity works in pre-IPO companies
-Will crime kill crypto?
-"Don't end up on a Hindenburg report" - Draft Kings
-Re-thinking pay and perks post-pandemic
Ep. 69: Using Your Military Experience to Pivot Into Something New with Wayne Worthington, Executive Recruiter
Wayne left the Marines and started a career in executive search, not something he had been trained for but found success in because of skills built in the military.
Published on: June 14, 2021Ep. 68: Working in the Video Game Industry with Jerry Prochazka
Jerry ended up working at Riot Games after the Navy and is now working on his own startup, focused on gaming for working professionals.
Published on: June 9, 2021Ep. 67: The Weekly SITREP (6/7/21)
Topics Discussed:
-Afghan brain drain of bad-ass fighters
-Why is the Army using Zodiac signs for recruiting?
-Bond yields and inflation
-AMC CEO leaning into the WSB meme craze
-Wireless carriers bringing back free phones
-Why OnlyFans isn't an app
-AR training for pilots
Ep. 66: Venture Capital for Veterans and the Power of Shared Journeys with Paul Capon
Paul Capon was born in Mexico and adopted by American parents. After the Air Force, he went to Columbia for his MBA and started his career in investment banking. He then moved to venture capital and started a firm, LunaCap ventures, which provides debt financing for businesses started by veterans, women, and underrepresented minorities. Paul also uses his ability to fundraise to run the LunaCap Foundation, which provides scholarships to veterans and Mexican immigrants alike.
Published on: June 2, 2021Ep. 65: Making the Leap Into Entrepreneurship and Starting The Biggest E-Commerce Cannabis Brand with Socrates Rosenfeld
Socrates followed a typical path for an army officer: he went and got his MBA (MIT Sloan) and then went to work for an elite consulting firm (McKinsey). But during his time at McKinsey, he started working on an e-commerce platform for cannabis. It soon got to a point where he had to leave and since then, the company has doen well.
Published on: May 26, 2021Ep. 64: The Weekly SITREP (5/24/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Yes, the CIA still uses fax machines
- Army commercial controversy
- Snapchat makes AR acquisition
- Infrastructure stimulus
- How much money can an MBA get you??
- Hotel staffing problems
- Apple getting into the car game
- Gen Z doing career advice on TikTok
Ep. 63: Helping North Koreans Defect and Living Your Values with Chris Ahn
Chris is a former Marine who will soon go in front of a US federal magistrate who will likely extradite him to Spain, where he is wanted by the Spanish government for an incident involving the potential defection of North Korean diplomats.
Published on: May 21, 2021Ep. 62: The Weekly SITREP (5/17/21)
Topics Discussed:
- Current conflict in Israel
- Iron Dome System - What is it?
- Americans destroy military equipment as we leave Afghanistan
- Inflation fears pound the stock market
- Tesla stops accepting Bitcoin for purchases - Crypto civil war ensues
- The IRS is coming after people who are not paying taxes on their crypto tendies
- Only 49 bucks for ransomware software...time to get some!
- Bald eagles....are back for your pets
Ep. 61: Working at a Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Centric Investment Bank with Mercedes Elias
Mercedes tells her story of bouncing around a few careers after the military and then finding her niche in the financial services industry. Her bank, AmeriVet Securities, was founded by a veteran and is a veteran-centric organization.
https://amerivetsecurities.com/
Ep. 60: The Weekly SITREP 5/10
Topics Discussed:
- Can we shoot down a Chinese rocket?
-French Air Force going too far hazing new pilot
-What happens when the money machine stops?
-Elon on SNL
-SpaceX buying up a 20-home town
- Supply doesn't match demand....yikes
- New ways to diversify investments
-Restaurants post-COVID
Ep. 59: The Weekly SITREP 4/26
Topics discussed:
-How is the Air Force going to keep pilots??
-SECDEF moves carriers to cover Afghanistan retrograde
-UiPath: automation for corporate America
-Crazy week for crypto
-Learning about COVID in MBA programs
-Capital gains tax
-How to get people to drive EVs
Ep. 58: Using Military Experience in Your Startup with Jason Cavness
Jason spent 20+ years in the army in human resources. He's now using that experience to start a company focused on providing affordable HR solutions to small businesses.
Cavness HR
Indiegogo Campaign
Ep. 57: The Weekly SITREP 4/19
Topics discussed:
- Are we actually leaving Afghanistan?!
- DoD looking to help artillery pieces load faster
- Former Marine accused of invading North Korean embassy in Madrid awaiting extradition
- Dogecoin and Bitcoin
- Moon landings
- Inflation
Ep. 56: Starting a Company While Getting a Wharton MBA: Chase Hobby and VRB Labs
This was a GREAT episode.
Topics we discussed:
- Realizing that the journey will change, but new paths will form.
- Applying for and starting a top MBA program.
- Pursuing entrepreneurship while everyone around you isn't.
- How veterans can de-risk entrepreneurship while they get their MBA (we have some unfair advantages here).
- Thinking about what your ideal life looks like and how to create it.
- Why VRB labs has exceptional CBD products and how they continue to support the veteran community.
Check out VRB (pronounced "verb") Labs here. Use code "VETPRO" for 15% off your order and know that 10% of your order goes back to helping wounded warriors.
Published on: April 14, 2021Ep. 55: The Weekly SITREP 4/12
Topics discussed:
- Goldilocks can't decide if the proposed defense bill is too small, too big, or just right.
- Prince Phillip dies, a distinct moment of transition for British history
- Are we done with the pandemic? Not quite, but here are some signs things are looking good.
- Getting paid to take a vacation?
- Proctor and Gamble partner with China to defeat Apple...that's a storyline no one saw coming
- The markets are red hot
- Amazon and the union vote
Ep. 54: #Vanlife, Overlanding, and Avoiding the Rat Race with Kayla from "A Captain's Log"
Kayla left the army and decided to eschew the normal route of going to graduate school or getting a corporate job. Instead, she decided to wander around the country in a van, camping wherever her heart desires and exploring nature. If you feel like you were institutionalized by the military (we all were at least a little) or just want to learn about the road less traveled, you'll want to listen to this episode.
Published on: April 7, 2021Ep. 53: The Weekly SITREP 4/5
We say "lasers" a lot in this one so you know it's special.
Topics discussed:
- Russia v. Ukraine
- DoD dropping $22 billion on AR headsets from Microsoft
- Batteries and their importance in defense
- Autonomous helicopter on Mars
- Satellites and high-frequency trading
- Treasury yields....boring but they matter
- Why companies spin out a new company
Ep. 52: Investing in Veteran Ventures with Brandon Shelton from TFX Capital
Brandon Shelton is Managing Partner of TFX Capital, a Venture Capital firm that invests exclusively in veteran-founded companies.
Published on: March 31, 2021Ep. 51: The Weekly SITREP 3/29
Topics Discussed:
-Afghanistan...are we leaving?
-Budget for innovation at the Pentagon
-Boaty McBoatface at the Suez Canal
-Intel
-SPACS...one of our favorite subjects
-Real estate
Ep. 50: The Weekly SITREP 3/22
Mark running this show solo while Kyle is on vacation.
Topics discussed:
-Long talk about Goldman Sachs analyst survey, r/ army post, and lessons learned after 50 episodes
-What the hell are NFTs?
-Big time train deals
-Uber
March Madness
Ep. 49: Jake Edwards on remembering Fallujah and keeping schools safe
I spoke with a journalist and former Marine who told me I HAD to talk to Jake and I was not disappointed. We spoke about the amazing reunion he put together for those he fought in Fallujah with and the various ways he is living an inspired life.
Published on: March 17, 2021Ep.48: Aaron Newsome and cannabis access for veterans
Aaron is the Chief Operating Officer of the Santa Cruz Veterans' Alliance is seeking to bring cannabis to veterans in need.
Published on: March 10, 2021Ep. 47 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos 3/8
Topics discussed:
-DoD going after quadcopters
-Universities getting wise to China stealing their research
-Google stops using cookies
-What happens when Jeff Bezos and Robert Downey Jr. are investing in the same thing?
-Investor influencers
Ep. 46 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos 3/1
Topics discussed:
US Bombing in Syria
NATO's future
What is a SPAC?
Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger
Taxes for tech
GameStop
Fueling Electric Vehicles
Ep. 45: Opportunities for veterans at Amazon with Beau Higgins
Beau Higgins is the senior manager of military talent acquisition at Amazon, here to fill you in on all the ways that Amazon works to provide opportunities for veterans.
Published on: February 24, 2021Ep. 44 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos 2/22
Topics discussed:
-The Big Freeze in Texas
-Bitcoin
-Rebuilding the industrial base
-AI in commanders' decision making
-NATO and tech standardization
-Tesla: is it that valuable?
-The mind games of investing in the market
Ep. 43: Real estate investing with David Pere from Military to Millionaire
Published on: February 16, 2021Ep. 42: 1st MBA Semester recap with Brendan from Wharton
Find Brendan on Instagram at thelife_of_brendan
Published on: February 14, 2021Ep. 41 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos
Topics discussed:
-End of offensive operations in Yemen
-Global re-posturing
-Throwaway gear
-Why RobinHood had to pause trading
-Apple's partner....Kia?
-Bezos leaves Amazon
-Tesla recall
-Why doesn't Kraft Heinz like Mr. Peanut?
-MBA: Wharton vs. Columbia
Ep. 40 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos
Topics discussed:
-The craziness that was GameStop
-AI on U2 flights (the plane, not the band)
-Facebook v. Apple
-Section 230- why it matters for start-ups
Ep. 39: Anthony Palmoze
Interview with Anthony Palmoze about his experiences in the field of psychology and veteran entrepreneurship.
Published on: January 31, 2021Ep. 38: The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos
Topics discussed:
-Confirmation of Lloyd Austin as SECDEF
-The power plays at the top of the DoD
-COVID growth companies riding the wave into Super Bowl LV
-Why are we talking about American Eagle's accounting practices?
-Did Reddit break the stock market with Gamestop??
Ep. 37: Ivy League Prep for Veterans with Ryan at Warrior-Scholar Project
Time and time again I hear that Warrior-Scholar Project is one of the best resources around. They help prepare veterans entering undergrad to show up to the fist day of class ready to rock. Who helps? Ivy League professors. I've met former enlisted who used them to help prepare them for the likes of Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton to name a few.
Published on: January 22, 2021Ep. 37 Resource Highlight: Buy a franchise with VetFran
Published on: January 19, 2021Ep. 36 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos 1/16/2021
Topics discussed:
-Troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan
-DoD working to fund new tech for the future
-What the heck is a SPAC and how can it go STONKS?
- Batteries: why they matter
- Unions in big tech
-Commerical automated drone flights
-Are we going to hit a bunch of defaults soon?
-Elon says MBAs suck...we disagree (obviously)
Ep. 35: Crushing It as an Introvert: Nick Shelton
Nick Shelton left the Air Force and at one point had a gun in his hand ready to take his own life. Now he's a best-seller on Amazon. Taking his identity as an introvert, he helps other introverts live their best lives while staying true to who they are.
Published on: January 13, 2021Ep. 34 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos
Topics discussed:
-Events at the Capitol last week
-Potential Lockheed acquisition of Aerodyne
-Parler
-Tech trends for 2021
-Interviewing
Ep. 33 Resource Highlight: Outward Bound
Published on: January 12, 2021Ep. 32: HillVets: Veterans on Capitol Hill
Join this discussion with Betty Rhoades and Abigail Gage from HillVets- a way for veterans to enter the policy world in DC.
Published on: January 6, 2021Ep. 31 Resource Highlight: Boots to Business
Published on: January 5, 2021Ep. 30 Resource Highlight: Entrepreneurship for Women Veterans through VWISE
Published on: December 29, 2020Ep. 29 The Weekly SITREP with Sitreps2Steercos 12/27/2020
Topics discussed this week:
-Section 230 and the NDAA...what?
-What makes Amazon so amazoning
-Brexit: The gift that keeps on giving
-Trump vs. the GOP Senate
-The Christmas Price Index: How much does a partridge in a pear tree cost?
-MBA applications Round 1
Ep. 28 Resource Highlight: Bunker Labs
Published on: December 22, 2020Ep. 27: Weekly SITREP With Sitreps2Steercos
Back for the second episode, Kyle and Mark discuss:
-Missiles for Marines in the Pacific
-The Fed...what the hell is it?
-The Silicon Valley Rumble Royale: Facebook v. Apple
-Bitcoin going up, but why?
Stay tuned to the end to hear about cashing in points to vacation like a baller.
Ep. 26: Special Episode with Sitreps2Steercos
The curtain is being pulled back and the voice behind one of the most popular military meme pages out there is unveiling himself as we start a new episode format together.
Topics discussed:
-Army/Navy game
-President-Elect Biden's Nomination for SecDef
-Big IPO Week
-Antitrust lawsuit against Facebook
Ep. 25: Eric Gonzalez and working at a tech startup
Published on: November 23, 2020Ep. 24: Marine, MBA, Consultant, and Blogger: John McCarthy
John McCarthy is the founder of the Post Modern Patriot blog and the host of the same podcast. He is a former Marine Infantry Officer, Husband, father, and son. He is obsessed with individual performance in the realms of health, wealth, relationships, and the intersection of all three. He strives to share that with the world so that he can empower others to live boldly.
His motto:
"Let’s leave a legacy!!!"
https://postmodernpatriot.blog/
Ep. 23: Headstrong
The veteran community is rife with mental health issues. And while the VA is there to help, they aren't always the ones you want to visit. I spoke with Dustin from Headstrong about what they are doing to provide effective and massively beneficial therapeutic services to veterans at no cost.
Published on: November 10, 2020Ep. 22 Sales Platoon: Raleigh Wilkins
Raleigh left the Marines and eventually found himself in a sales career. He's now running Sales Platoon, a company that helps to transition service members into sales roles and succeed. Listen to hear why he think veterans can absolutely crush it in sales.
Published on: November 3, 2020Ep. 21: Real estate investing and stoicism: Chad Peyton
Chad is a USMA grad and former Army helicopter pilot who left the army to spend more time with family. He found his way into real estate investing and uses his wealth and time to spend life on his terms.
Published on: October 20, 2020Ep. 20 Sean Ambriz: Author of Ghosts of the Valley
Sean shares his story of writing a book while on active duty about his experiences in Afghanistan.
Published on: October 14, 2020Ep. 19 Building a tech company that builds military community: Adam Evans
Adam used to be a business professor. When his family moved to Luke Air Force Base and he struggled to find a teaching role, he decided to start practicing what he was taught. So he joined the team at InstaHandz that connects people needing small-time jobs done around the house with members of the military community looking to earn some side money.
Published on: October 6, 2020Ep. 18 Former SEAL Mike Donnelly, CEO of CBD Path
Learn how Mike got started on his entrepreneurial journey, why he started a CBD company, and how CBD can work for you.
Published on: September 29, 2020EP. 17 Next Step Inbound: Getting enlisted veterans to elite colleges
Jake, Marcus, and Brandon are three former enlisted Marines who are each attending an Ivy League University. They started Next Step Inbound to help other veterans reach their academic goals.
Published on: September 22, 2020Ep. 16: Jonathan Miller on MBA and Entrepreneurship
This was a great episode with Jonathan Miller, a current student at Yale School of Management. Instead of going into banking or consulting, he's deciding to start a company focused on veterans. And the story behind it will be one a lot of you can recognize with.
Published on: September 14, 2020Ep. 15 MBA Veterans Conference: Craig Griffin
Craig Griffin, a Partner at JMO recruiting firm Bradley Morris, talks about their upcoming event for veterans at the nation's top MBA programs: MBA Veterans.
Published on: September 7, 2020Ep. 14 How veterans can crush it in tech: Deven Ravel
Deven left the Marines and entered into the world of tech- without having a tech background.
Check this episode out if you think you may be interested in working in tech, but don't envision yourself programming or coding. Lost of good information in this episode!
Ep. 13 Dr. Erik Won on altering your brain frequencies for mental health improvement
Dr. Erik Won's company: Wave Neuro
Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F) and Tomahawk Charitable Solutions to Support Leader in Neurotherapeutics to Provide Breakthrough Treatment Technology for Special Operations Veterans
Zap: How Electric Therapy Is Curing Navy SEALs of PTSD
Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic-Stress, Depression, and Anxiety
Ep. 12 Jesse Gould helping veterans through psychedelics with the Heroic Hearts Project
You may not think that psychedelics are a viable option for veterans suffering from mental health issues, but Jesse Gould is here to change your mind and tell you about what his organization is doing to help veterans.
The Heroic Hearts Project raises money to help veterans attend psychedelic healing experiences. Unsure about the efficacy of this? Start by reading below and then listen to the episode.
Read the dramatic story of a veteran with dramatic results with psychedelics here.
Having trouble sleeping? Try Doc Parsley's Sleep Remedy
Doc Parsley's Sleep Remedy:
Use Code veteranpro10 for 10% off your order. Click HERE to order and subscribe to get an extra 10% off.
What is Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is an Amazon plant mixture generally consumed in a tea like brew. The ayahuasca tea is made from a combination of the ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and chacruna (Psychotria viridis). Along with other admixture plants to be included in the ayahuasca, the ayahuasca vine and chacruna are processed, mixed together, added to large pots and cooked over an open fire for 8+ hours.
The DMT in the brew induces altered states of consciousness, usually lasting between 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. These altered states often allows individuals to revisit and process issues associated with personal traumas and repressed memories in a safe, controlled setting. Many compare the experience to doing ten years of therapy in one week.
The tea has been used in the Amazon for millennia by shamans for spiritual and medicinal properties. Recent scientific studies have shown that it is potentially a very powerful tool for fighting anxiety, depression, addiction and numerous other mental and physical issues.
Media releases from Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS):
A Phase 3 Program of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Severe Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
DEA Approves First-Ever Trial of Medical Marijuana for PTSD in Veterans
PRESS RELEASE: MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Shows Promise for Veterans with Chronic, Treatment-Resistant PTSD
Affiliate links continue to make this site possible and are present in this post.
BONUS: Resume advice from the best-selling resume author on Amazon
Great episode with best-selling author Scott Vedder. Scott worked as a recruiter for a Fortune 100 company and interviewed over 5,000 candidates. He's seen the best and the rest of successful resumes and is here to drop some knowledge bombs on what you can do to write a successful resume for after the military.
www.authorscottvedder.com
Signs of a Great Résumé: Veterans Edition: How to Write a Résumé that Speaks for Itself by Scott Vedder.
Other Resources:
Jobscan for resume optimization
Resume Genius free resume builder
EF Legion Interview and Resume Prep
Related Articles:
ACP vs. Veterati: The Mentor Showdown
Extreme Ownership In The Job Hunt
Advice for veterans: No one Owes You Shit.
There are affiliate links in this post. Your support continues to make this site possible.
Ep. 11 Allen Sara: Dental Veterans and why you should think about healthcare
Allen Sara and I talk about the Commander of Easy Company (yes, from Band of Brothers) to going into dentistry. He lays out some great reasons why veterans should consider a career in healthcare.
Use the code veteranpro10 for 10% of your order of Doc Parsley's ® Sleep Remedy:
Click HERE
Related Articles:
Infantry to Army Veterinarian
Military to Medical School: Ralph Bogan
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EP. 10 Resource of the Week: Warrior-Scholar Project
In this short episode, I'll talk about Warrior-Scholar Project and what they are doing to help veterans succeed in higher education.
https://www.warrior-scholar.org/
EP. 09 Brian Conolly: Entrepreneurship, personal finance, and giving out free tents
Today's guest is Brian Conolly, a Navy veteran who founded Zero Mile Mark, which is a brand focused on delivering great quality outdoor gear, at affordable prices. In the episode, Brian talks about why they give you a FREE tent when you spend $30.
To learn about the art of the "Zag" you can find the book here.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book is a classic of shifting to a mindset for financial success. With over 20k+ ratings on Amazon, and 4.7-star average-it's massively popular. I also highly recommend another one of his books, Cashflow Quadrant to understand how business ownership can provide significant financial advantages.
Brian talks about reaching out to people he wanted to emulate. I highly recommend checking out this piece by Ramit Sethi with word-for-word scripts on how to reach out to busy people and get a response, found here.
We spoke about the power of personal financial freedom and how they can let you take opportunities you might miss otherwise.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich is a great read by Ramit Sethi with LOTS of actionable information you can use to set up your personal finances. Ramit is a big internet personality and successful entrepreneur. He gets into the psychology of automatic investing, gives scripts on how to call your bank to save on fees, and talks about his dad negotiating for cars when he was a kid.
To reach Brian, email him at [email protected]
Related articles
Veterans’ Outdoor Programs
3 Paths to Entrepreneurship For Veterans
ACP vs. Veterati: The Mentor Showdown
Some of these links are Amazon affiliate links. Your support continues to help make the show possible.
Ep. 08 Rule One Adventures Foundation- Helping vets and first responders through nature
Great conversation with the fellas over at Rule One Adventure Foundation. These three former infantry officers started ROAF to provide opportunities for veterans and first responders heal and grow in outdoor experiences.
Topics discussed:
-Their personal highs and lows in the military
-Being a law enforcement officer in the current climate
-How first responders deal with the mental stress of their job
-Great things that come from beer
Follow them on Instagram: @ruleoneadventures
Related articles:
Outward Bound for Veterans: Dogsledding
Use Your GI Bill For An Outdoor Education
Veterans’ Outdoor Programs
Ep. 07 Resource of the Week: NYU Tandon
Interested in entrepreneurship? Check out the Futures Lab at NYU Tandon with some seriously awesome programs for veterans.
Published on: July 1, 2020Ep. 06 Resource of the Week: Vet to CEO
I talk about Vet to CEO all the time because, well, they are awesome.
Published on: June 25, 2020Ep. 05 Getting an MBA In Barcelona: Steve Jewell at IESE
You may not be thinking about getting an MBA outside of the United States, but this is absolutely an option. And before you ask, yes, your GI Bill can cover it.
Steve is a former Army Special Forces Officer who recently graduated from IESE in Barcelona with his MBA and is now going into management consulting for Kearney in Dubai. That's a heckuva story you don't wan't to miss.
Related articles:
Military to MBA (Part 1/7): Is It for You?
Military to Consulting at MBB
Submarine Officer to London Business School
Ep. 04 Resource of the week: Team Rubicon
https://teamrubiconusa.org/
Clay Hunt Fellowship
Ep: 03: Resource of the week: American Corporate Partners
A short episode about what American Corporates Partners does and why you (or your spouse) should use them.
Published on: June 9, 2020EP 02- Mark and Brendan talk MBA applications
Now both firmly decided on their schools, Mark (Darden) and Brendan (Wharton) talk about the whole application process for graduate business schools.
Resources mentioned:
American Corporate Partners
Veterati
Service to School
Princeton Review GRE Study
Mark:
www.theveteranpro.com
Instagram: @markbdelaney, @theveteranprofessional
Facebook: @theveteranprofessional
Twitter: @thevetpro
LinkedIn: The Veteran Professional
Brendan:
YouTube: Life of Brendan
Instagram: @thelife_of_brendan
EP 01- Mark and Brendan
Contain your excitement- the first episode is launched!
Mark and Brendan discuss the following:
- Quarantine workouts
- Upcoming start of their MBA programs
- Travel
We also go in-depth on Brendan's new project:
Life Skills For Soldiers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to arm military officers with the instructional tools needed to serve their soldiers.
https://www.lifeskillsforsoldiers.org/
Mark
www.theveteranpro.com
Brendan
Life of Brendan