Shows
Mission Oriented193 - Nick Smith - Navy Veteran & Partner, 37th & MossNick Smith - Navy Veteran & Partner, 37th & Moss From a young age, Nick had a desire to take to the skies, inspired by his Great Uncle's job of flying F-86s during the Korean War and his Grandfather's service in the Air Force. Opting for the Navy, he fulfilled his passion for flying as an F-18 test pilot during his active duty service. Post-military life, Nick set his sights on entrepreneurship, gaining valuable experience in small businesses at a bank. This journey led him to join forces with a business school colleague, giving birth to 37th and...
2024-03-0126 min
Mission Oriented192 - Sherman Williams - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates InvestSherman Williams & Emily McMahan - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates Invest in Venture-backed Startups Sherman Williams is a Naval Academy graduate. After serving as a Naval Intelligence Officer, he headed to Chicago’s Booth School to study finance and landed himself in investment banking. While in banking he started investing and advising startups. This was a perfect segue to co-founding Academy Investor Network. Emily McMahan is a WestPoint Academy graduate. After her time in the Army as a Military Police Officer, she has always been focused around community and working with entrepreneurs. She ha...
2024-02-0223 min
Mission Oriented191 - David Jones - Co-Founder & General Partner at Bull City Venture Partners David Jones - Co-Founder & General Partner at Bull City Venture Partners After attending the United States Naval Academy and graduating with a BS in Electrical Engineering, David Jones served as a Naval Aviator and a Weapons and Operations Officer. It was his military background and experience in technology that laid the groundwork to co-found Bull City Venture Partners in 2012. Bull City Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in $250K to $2M in bold founders building software and tech-enabled companies. Serving mostly the East coast, they value the power of teamwork in identifying and investing in high-potential f...
2024-01-2616 min
Mission Oriented190 - Brandon Shelton - TFX Capital Update, Removing the Barriers to Capital for VeteransBrandon Shelton - Removing the Barriers to Capital for Veterans, TFX Capital Brandon grew up in rural Virginia. He was part of a long line of military service. This led him to utilize the ROTC program and attend the University of Richmond. After being commissioned as an Airborne Infantry Officer in the U.S Army. and serving for eight years he landed himself on Wall Street. This was the beginning of Brandon’s experience in the financial realm. He worked hard and received his MBA from Duke University. It was through these years that Brandon beg...
2024-01-2321 min
Mission Oriented189 - Brendan Aronson - USMC Veteran, Co-Founder & CEO The Military VeteranBrendan Aronson - USMC Veteran, Co-Founder & CEO The Military Veteran Brendan attended the United States Naval Academy for his undergraduate degree and commissioned as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. He served for six years before starting his entrepreneurial journey. He is the co-founder and CEO of The Military Veteran and has a passion to help transitioning veterans. He is a big proponent of in person events and the compound effect that networking can have on the business builder and the job seeker. The Military Veteran The Military Veteran works w...
2024-01-1914 min
Mission Oriented188 - Ryan Micheletti - The Veteran Fund & Founder InstituteRyan Micheletti - The Veteran Fund & Founder Institute Ryan Micheletti served in the California State Military Reserve for six years. He would tell you that he learned leadership, resilience and the value of a team during his time in service. This laid the foundation for his journey as an entrepreneur. He began by starting a security company with his brother. This grew from just the two of them working overtime to now being the 2nd largest veteran owned business in the San Francisco bay area. They focus on hiring veterans. Ryan has also helped to found Vet-Tech, wh...
2024-01-1616 min
Mission Oriented186 -Matthew Carter - Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.), Chairman of NOVA Vets Matthew Carter - Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.), Chairman of NOVA Vets Matthew Carter a retired Navy Rear Admiral, who spent 34 years serving in the military continues his service as the recently elected chair of the board for the Northern Virginia Veterans Association (NOVA Veterans). Carter previously served as a board member. While he served in the Navy, Carter flew the P-3C Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. After retiring in 2019, Carter joined Booz Allen Hamilton and assumed a leadership role overseeing operations in the western Pacific for a three-year tenure. In addition to his...
2023-09-2925 min
Mission Oriented185 - Gregg F. Martin - Army Major General (Ret.), Author, Bipolar Survivor & ThriverGregg F. Martin - Army Major General (Ret.), Author, Bipolar Survivor & Thriver Gregg Martin is a retired major general and a distinguished 36-year Army combat veteran who has left an indelible mark on the military. Throughout his illustrious career, he commanded various military units, including an engineer company, battalion, and the 130th Engineer Brigade in combat. Beyond the battlefield, he held esteemed positions such as the president of the National Defense University, commander of Ft. Leonard Wood, and commandant of the Army War College. What makes Gregg's journey truly remarkable is his unwavering resilience in...
2023-09-1553 min
Mission Oriented184 - Brendan Duebner - Army Veteran, Founder & CEO of Life Skills for SoldiersBrendan Duebner - Army Veteran, Founder & CEO of Life Skills for Soldiers "We know that when service members are more financially secure, there's less issues at home, there's less issues with food insecurity, stress, there's less security clearance revocations, less missed work time. There's more productivity, there's more retention, there's just more readiness." This is the driving force for Life Skills for Soldiers. Brendan Duebner, founder and CEO, served on active duty as an Army Artillery Officer before continuing his service in the Army Reserves. During his active duty time, he realized that the majority of problems were g...
2023-08-2528 min
Mission Oriented183- Brent Bowers - Teaching Real Estate Investors How to Buy & Sell Vacant LandBrent Bowers - Teaching Real Estate Investors How to Buy & Sell Vacant Land With over 8 years of service as an Army Officer, Brent Bowers realized he needed a change to spend more time with his family. His interest in real estate, sparked by his first home purchase in 2007, led him to explore real estate investing as a way to support his family and be present for them. Quickly expanding his business, Brent now focuses on buying and selling vacant land, finding great success in this strategy. He shares his expertise through his online coaching course, The Land...
2023-08-1133 min
Mission Oriented182 - David Cain - President & CEO of Heroes Home AdvantageDavid Cain - President & CEO of Heroes Home Advantage David Cain, an individual with a passion for giving back and empowering our everyday heroes. As the President and CEO of Heroes Home Advantage, David leads a network of realtors, lenders, attorneys, and more who are dedicated to supporting those who protect, serve, and care for our communities. For over 12 years, Heroes Home Advantage has provided military personnel, law enforcement officers, firefighters, healthcare professionals, emergency personnel, and teachers with substantial discounts or rebates when purchasing real estate, giving back over $20 million to our heroes. Beyond his role with...
2023-08-0432 min
Mission Oriented181 (Republished episode 54) - Recon Marine and Navy Seal – Mike Sarraille talks Leadership and the Talent War Originally episode 43 Recon Marine and Navy Seal Mike Sarraille talks Leadership and The Talent War on today's podcast. Mike Sarraille is co-author of The Talent War and founder of Talent War Group. "Talent War Group is a leadership development and executive search firm focused on helping our clients optimize the people side of their businesses." Mike Sarraille is a talented speaker and author whose life lessons and leadership training draw upon the best leadership training in the world, that offered in the US Military. Sarraille says, "The military taught yo...
2023-06-0943 min
Mission Oriented180 - Brandon Shelton - Removing the Barrier to Capital for Veterans, TFX CapitalBrandon Shelton - Removing the Barrier to Capital for Veterans, TFX Capital Brandon grew up in rural Virginia. He was part of a long line of military service. This led him to utilize the ROTC program and attend the University of Richmond. After being commissioned as an Airborne Infantry Officer in the U.S Army. and serving for eight years he landed himself on Wall Street. This was the beginning of Brandon’s experience in the financial realm. He worked hard and received his MBA from Duke University. It was through these years that Brandon beg...
2023-06-0139 min
Mission Oriented179 - France Hoang - Army Veteran & Entrepreneur, Helping Afghan AlliesFrance Hoang - Army Veteran & Entrepreneur, Helping Afghan Allies France and his family were evacuated from Vietnam when he was just a child. That experience has impacted every area of his life. He wanted to payback the opportunities he was given. He chose to go to West Point and serve in the United States Army. His service continued as he worked in the White House and was eventually called to go back on active duty in the Army. It was this latter service where he deployed to Afghanistan and laid the foundation for his work on helping...
2023-05-2636 min
Mission Oriented178 - Robert Williscroft, Navy Veteran & Author of "Operation White Out"Robert Williscroft, Navy Veteran & Author of "Operation White Out" Robert has been a guest on the podcast before, but this time is talking about his latest book, Operation White Out. Tom Clancy might have said; “The only way to do all the things you'd like to do is to read” but he never met Robert Williscroft. Robert has spent a lifetime taking adventures most to us only read about. Have you spent 22 months underwater or a year at the South Pole? Robert has and so much more. His love for adventures has led him to author over 17 book...
2023-05-1931 min
Mission Oriented177 - Daniel Gade - Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services Daniel Gade - Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services Daniel Gade, a veteran and retired Army lieutenant colonel, currently serves as the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services for the state of Virginia. Gade dedicates his career to serving his country, both in the military and in his civilian life. He advocates for veterans' rights and works to ensure that all veterans have access to the services and resources they need to thrive. Gade grew up in a family with a long line of military service. After attending West Point, Gade spent o...
2023-05-1234 min
Mission Oriented176 - Flawless Acceleration: Black Veteran Entrepreneur “Iron” Mike Steadman is Empowering the Next Generation of Business LeadersFlawless Acceleration: Black Veteran Entrepreneur “Iron” Mike Steadman is Empowering the Next Generation of Business Leaders As a black veteran entrepreneur, Steadman has made it his mission to empower others to achieve their highest potential in the business arena. Steadman's journey to entrepreneurship began at the Naval Academy, where he discovered his love for boxing and leadership. He went on to become a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion. He then commissioned as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and serving until 2015. After leaving the military, Steadman turned his attention to serving inner-city youth through teaching boxing and...
2023-05-0535 min
Mission Oriented175 -Kit Lisle - Former Army Intelligence Officer & Founder of TheOperators.pe Kit Lisle - Former Military Intelligence Officer & Founder of TheOperators.pe An influential history teacher and a retired Colonel for a dad, paved the way for Kit to join the Army. Kit was an Army intelligence officer. After spending years reading battlefield maps he translated that skill to reading marketing maps and carved out a niche for himself in the private equity arena. He is the founder of Acclaro Growth Partners, a growth strategy consulting firm for the Middle Market M&A Ecosystem, and of TheOperators.pe, a community for PE-backed executives. Lyle is a seasoned strategist, re...
2023-04-2839 min
Mission Oriented174 - Phil Dana - LinkedIn Expert, Helping Veterans Network & TransitionPhil Dana - LinkedIn Expert, Helping Veterans Network & Transition Phil Dana grew up in a long line of veterans and when Desert Shield came around he knew he was ready to get in the fight. He enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. He later attended the United States Naval Academy and commissioned as a Surface Warfare officer. After the military he landed in Human Resources all across various industries. Along the way he has spent a lot of time becoming an expert at LinkedIn. Perfecting how to best utilize it effectively and efficiently. He lov...
2023-04-1429 min
Mission Oriented173 - Ryan Micheletti - Co-Founder & General Partner of The Veteran FundRyan Micheletti - Co-Founder & General Partner of The Veteran Fund Ryan Micheletti served in the California State Military Reserve for six years. He would tell you that he learned leadership, resilience and the value of a team during his time in service. This laid the foundation for his journey as an entrepreneur. He began by starting a security company with his brother. This grew from just the two of them working overtime to now being the 2nd largest veteran owned business in the San Francisco bay area. They focus on hiring veterans. Ryan has also helped to f...
2023-03-3132 min
Mission Oriented172 - Mike Hutchings - Army Veteran & CEO of Combined ArmsMike Hutchings - Army Veteran & CEO of Combined Arms Mike’s dad was class of 1977 at Virginia Military Institute. It was a natural path for Mike to follow his legacy both at VMI and in his military service. Upon graduation Mike commissioned as Parachute Infantry Officer with the 82nd Airborne Division. He served 5 years before transitioning into civilian life. His first landing spot was at General Electric. He would tell you it was a great job but while working there and being selected as a Veteran Presidential Scholar with the Bush Institute he wanted to do more, esp...
2023-03-2438 min
Mission Oriented171 - John Glen Weaver - Air Force Veteran Running for U.S. Senate in NebraskaJohn Glen Weaver - Air Force Veteran Running for U.S. Senate John Glen Weaver grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Nebraska. He didn’t know anything other than hard work and discipline. After graduating high school he went to study animal science and Russian. A wild combination but he had a passion for both. He joined the Air Force in1999 and served for over 22 years. He was deployed 11 times across the world and served through the entire Afghanistan war. It was the United State’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 that propelled Weaver to cont...
2023-03-1726 min
Mission Oriented170 - Charlie Eadie - West Point Graduate, Founder, General Partner, CMD Capital (Part 2 of 2)Charlie Eadie - West Point Graduate, Founder, General Partner, CMD Capital Some trouble in high school ultimately led Charlie to join the military. It ended up being exactly what he needed. It changed the trajectory of his life. This highly regimented lifestyle was a perfect fit and soon Charlie was awarded the “Engineer Solider of the Year.” He continued his training at Ranger school and then decided to attend West Point. He took an unconventional route, attending West Point Prep to improve his grades and eventually landed at West Point, class of 2007. After commissioning as an infantry offi...
2023-03-1033 min
Mission Oriented169 - Derren Burrell - Air Force Veteran, Founder Veteran Ventures CapitalDerren Burrell - Air Force Veteran, Founder Veteran Ventures Capital Derren Burrell’s father was a Citadel graduate of 1964. It was an indoctrination that began young but led Derren to graduate from The Military College of South Carolina, class of 1994. He hadn’t planned on commissioning but upon graduation did in the Air Force. He served 21 years as a financial management officer. This laid the ground work for his work in the civilian sector. Immediately upon retirement from the Air Force he went to work for TAG Resources, a financial services company. He would attribute his success at T...
2023-03-0327 min
Mission Oriented168 - Lawrence Land - Lawyer, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Suit ExpertLawrence Land - Lawyer, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Suit Expert Lawrence Land, is a personal injury and wrongful death attorney out of Norfolk, Virginia. He has over 35 years of experience practicing injury law. He has a passion to help people and their families. It's people’s stories and personal experiences that have motivated him to keep fighting for justice. He currently helps Marines and families that have been affected by the Camp Lejeune water contamination from over 35 years ago. Camp Lejeune “What happened at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 is a travesty.”; says Lawrence. He has sp...
2023-03-0129 min
Mission Oriented167 - Charlie Eadie - West Point Graduate & Founder, General Partner, CMD Capital (1 of 2)Charlie Eadie - West Point Graduate, Founder, General Partner, CMD Capital Some trouble in high school ultimately led Charlie to join the military. It ended up being exactly what he needed. It changed the trajectory of his life. This highly regimented lifestyle was a perfect fit and soon Charlie was awarded the “Engineer Solider of the Year.” He continued his training at Ranger school and then decided to attend West Point. He took an unconventional route, attending West Point Prep to improve his grades and eventually landed at West Point, class of 2007. After commissioning as an infantry offi...
2023-02-2421 min
Mission Oriented166 - Randal Wimmer - Navy Veteran, Government Contracting Academy FounderRandal Wimmer - Navy Veteran, Government Contracting Academy Founder Randal Wimmer is a Naval Academy graduate. It was his father’s service in the Navy and influence that led to that decision. He didn’t know the impact that decision would have on his life. It truly set Randal on a new trajectory. He served 10 years as a surface warfare officer. Little did he know the training that the military provided, set him up for a successful path of entrepreneurship. He originally began as an entrepreneur to help support his growing family. His first attempt to la...
2023-02-1728 min
Mission Oriented165 - Joe Swider - Navy Veteran, VP & Chief Operating Officer, TerraviveJoe Swider - Navy Veteran, VP & Chief Operating Officer Terravive Joe didn’t grow up in a family of entrepreneurs, but watching his dad get laid off left a lasting impression on him. He knew one day that he wanted to take the path of entrepreneurship. Joe was ready to enlist out of high school but his Mom’s persistence landed him at the Virginia Military Institute as a compromise. After graduation he joined the Navy as a surface warfare officer serving his four year commitment. Since Joe has spent over 25 years in a variety of markets incl...
2023-02-0221 min
Mission Oriented164 -Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, US Army (Ret.) - Former U.S. National Security AdvisorLieutenant General H.R. McMaster, US Army (Ret.) - Former U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster is a West Point graduate. After 34 years of service, he retired as a Lieutenant General in 2018. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His experience as a former U.S. National Security Advisor, assistant professor of history at West Point, multiple deployments and PhD in military history has led him to become an expert on foreign policy. He showcases his knowledge as the host of Battlegrounds, each episode is “a one-on-one conversation wit...
2022-11-1017 min
Mission Oriented163 -Eli Crane - Navy Veteran Running for U.S. CongressEli Crane - Navy Veteran Running for U.S. Congress Eli has five war time deployments, three of them to the Middle East with SEAL Team 3 and served our country for 13 years. Many of the lessons he learned in the service set him up for success in the entrepreneurial world and now for his journey running as a congressional candidate. Congress Eli wants to take his veteran and entrepreneurial experience to capitol hill. He’s frustrated with the direction of this country and lack of leadership. He wants his kids to grow up with...
2022-11-0713 min
Mission Oriented162 - Todd Connor- Navy Veteran, Leading Veterans in Political Reform Part 2 of 2Todd Connor, is a Navy Veteran, small business owner and cofounder of Veterans for Political Innovation. Todd has a passion for entrepreneurs, especially veterans. He founded Bunker Labs in 2014. Bunker Labs helps veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Along with his passion for entrepreneurs he desires political reform and knows veterans are primed to lead the charge. Veterans for Political Innovation Todd has a passion to help change the political playing field. He found most people are dissatisfied with the current political system but are unsure of the solution. His experience as a business...
2022-11-0418 min
Mission Oriented161 - Todd Connor- Navy Veteran, Leading Veterans in Political Reform Part 1 of 2 Todd Connor, is a Navy Veteran, small business owner and cofounder of Veterans for Political Innovation. Todd has a passion for entrepreneurs, especially veterans. He founded Bunker Labs in 2014. Bunker Labs helps veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Along with his passion for entrepreneurs he desires political reform and knows veterans are primed to lead the charge. Veterans for Political Innovation Todd has a passion to help change the political playing field. He found most people are dissatisfied with the current political system but are unsure of the solution. His experience as a business o...
2022-11-0310 min
Mission Oriented160 - Mike Cantwell - Navy Veteran & Political ReformistMike Cantwell is a United States Naval Academy graduate. After serving in the Navy, he has continued his career of service as a federal government employee at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It was the presidential elections of 2016 that led Mike to dive into politics and ultimately begin his journey as a political reformist. He knows that our political system is broken and the way to fix it is at the state level. Two key components he feels are vital; Rank Choice Voting and Final Five Voting. These issues are multi-partisan and can help create better elections across...
2022-11-0112 min
Mission Oriented159 - Eric Bronner - Navy Veteran, Founder of Veterans for Political Innovation Eric graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997. He served eight years as a Naval Flight Officer. After service he practiced law and had a successful real estate business. In early 2019 Eric served as board president for “Show Me Integrity”, a political reform organization. It was this experience and his own desire to get involved in politics as an independent that led his desire to find a platform for nonpartisan reform. He founded the nonprofit, Veterans for Political Innovation in 2021 to start this work. Veterans for Political Innovation Their mission is to “make ou...
2022-10-2714 min
Mission Oriented158 - Monica Fullerton - Creating an Online Market Place for Military & First Responder Families Monica Fullerton - Creating an Online Market Place for Military & First Responder Families Monica Fullerton got her Masters and planned to pursue a job as a news anchor, but as an Air Force spouse that was not an easy career path to navigate. Instead Monica found work with a logistics company. It provided the ground work for her entrepreneurial journey. Monica has had an entrepreneurial spirit her whole life, but was waiting for the right business idea that provided purpose. She had an epiphany while riding in a car with some fellow spouses about the amount of...
2022-06-1723 min
Mission Oriented157 - Matt Butler – Air Force Veteran, Inventor of Rollors, an Award Winning Outdoor Yard Game Matt Butler - Air Force Veteran, Inventor of Rollors, an Award Winning Outdoor Yard Game Matt didn’t plan to spend a career in the Air Force, but after 9-11, he felt called to continue serving past his initial 4 year commitment. He spent his career flying surveillance aircraft all over the world. It was during one of his many deployments that the idea for Rollors was sparked. Often during deployments you think of home, family and friends. Matt was thinking of Minnesota and his desire for friends and family to hang out and socialize. When he got bac...
2022-06-1025 min
Mission Oriented156 - Cameron Cruse - Cofounder of R. Riveter, Making Handbags to Hire Military SpousesCameron Cruse - Cofounder of R. Riveter, Making Handbags to Hire Military Spouses Due to her husband's military orders, Cameron Cruse landed herself in the middle of nowhere Georgia in 2011. She had just graduated with her Master’s in architecture but the hopes of building that career slowly faded. Soon after, Cameron met Lisa Bradley, her now business partner. Together they realized the challenge that they faced, finding meaningful employment as a military spouse. They knew this challenge was not unique to them. They set out to build a company that would first provide some kind of inc...
2022-06-0325 min
Mission Oriented155 - Don Bentley - New Book Release...Former Apache Helicopter Pilot, Now New York Times Best Selling AuthorDon Bentley - New Book Release...Former Apache Helicopter Pilot, Now New York Times Best Selling Author Don Bentley was previously a guest on the VeteranCrowd spotlight, but is back to share the releases of two new books. Don Bentley has loved writing since he was a little kid. He started working on his first book in 3rd grade. In high school, his English teacher told him he had talent, but he wasn’t quite ready to pursue writing full-time. Instead he landed himself at Ohio State working on an Electrical Engineering degree. Winning an Army ROTC sch...
2022-05-2726 min
Mission Oriented154 - Emily Miller & Keith Alaniz, Army Veterans, Co-Founders of Rumi SpiceEmily Miller and Kim Jung went to the West Point Military Academy, they were eventually connected to Keith Alaniz, a Texas A&M graduate while stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood. They served in Afghanistan together as Combat Engineers and eventually their friendships led to to founding Rumi Spice. Their time in Afghanistan and working with the Afghan people, gave them an idea for creating “sustainable rural economic development in Afghanistan and providing countless jobs to Afghan farmers and women who harvest and process the spice.” Rumi Spice Founded in 2014, Rumi Spice hit the ground running with...
2022-05-1325 min
Mission Oriented153 - Daniel & Priscilla Schrubb, Marine Corps Veteran, Founders & Owners Popcorn FridayDaniel started his military service in the Army. After over 28 years serving he retired from the United States Marine Corps. During the transition into the civilian world, he knew he wanted to “chart his own course”. He utilized the program boots to business, an entrepreneurial education program for transitioning service members. At the time popcorn wasn’t on the horizon. He was looking to use his experience as a combat cameraman to launch a real estate photographer business, but as he pursued this he knew it wasn’t the right path. In the meantime some close friends encouraged...
2022-05-0630 min
Mission Oriented152 - Lynn Seldon, Army Veteran, Travel Writer & Author, Seldon InkLynn was serving overseas, in the Army when he first began writing. He had travelled to Greece for fun and decided to write an article about his time there. He submitted it to the military newspaper, Stars and Stripes. They decided to publish it. He continued to write about his travels while overseas but decided he didn’t want to stop as he was transitioning out of active duty. Now over 40 years later, Lynn continues to travel with his wife, Cele. Together they have now co-authored two books. Lynn began to delve into writing fiction not too long ago and...
2022-04-2923 min
Mission Oriented151 -Robert Garland - NYPD Detective, Founder & CEO Fund the First, Verified CrowdfundingRobert Garland grew up listening to his dad tell stories and knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps serving as a police officer and then detective. Robert spent 14 years in the NYPD retiring as a decorated detective. He started Fund the First in 2020 when he wanted to help a close friend with medical expenses from his daughter’s rare illness. This experience showed him there were problems with the current crowdfunding sites and Robert wanted to build a better one. Fund the First Fund the First has a unique partnership with ID.Me. This al...
2022-04-2228 min
Mission Oriented150 - Mike Cantwell- USNA Graduate, Challenging Veterans to Get Involved in PoliticsMike Cantwell is a United States Naval Academy graduate. After serving in the Navy, he has continued his career of service as a federal government employee at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It was the presidential elections of 2016 that led Mike to dive into politics and ultimately begin his journey as a political reformist. He has even thrown his hat in the ring of candidates and ran for the Arlington County Board. He knows that our political system is broken and the way to fix it is at the state level. Two key components he feels are vital; Ra...
2022-04-1533 min
Mission Oriented149 - Owen Waits - West Point Graduate, J.P. Morgan Associate Banker & Veteran AdvocateOwen Waits has a long family history of military service. It was a natural choice to attend West Point. Upon graduating he was commissioned and served for more than eight years in the Army before joining J.P. Morgan. He is currently an Associate Banker in the Atlanta, Georgia office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he serves high net worth individuals across their entire balance sheets and provide “boutique white glove” service. He especially likes working with veterans who have transitioned into business leadership. Veteran Advocate When transitioning from the Army to a the...
2022-04-0824 min
Mission Oriented148 - Joshua Hood - 82nd Airborne Combat Veteran & Best-Selling Author of The Treadstone Series HoodJoshua Hood grew up loving books. Some of his earliest memories were listening to his dad read, “The Hobbit”. He remembers the pictures he would paint in his head as the words were read. Joshua graduated college with an English degree, but didn’t immediately put that degree to use. He decided to serve in the 82nd Airborne Division. It was during a deployment that the ideas for a book were beginning to form, but he pushed the idea of becoming an author away. It took a former fellow solider he served with publishing his own book that c...
2022-04-0127 min
Mission Oriented147 - Carl & Lori Churchill- Founders of Alpha Coffee, Awesome Coffee that Gives BackCarl and Lori met while Carl was serving in the U.S. Army. He enlisted at the age of 17 and retired in 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving 21 years. Not long after retirement, Lori was running a successful corporate massage therapy business and Carl was a partner in the tech world. They both already had an entrepreneurial spirit and they wanted to do something different. Carl was driven to build a company that could give back specifically to the veteran community but also beyond. They were inspired by their brother-in-law. At the time he had recently won “roaster of th...
2022-03-2526 min
Mission Oriented146 - Ryan Bodenheimer - Thunderbird Pilot, Air Force Veteran & Co-Founder Be Jet Clean Ryan grew up watching his dad fly fighter jets. At the time he didn’t know that he’d end up following in his footsteps, but the events of 9-11 solidified his desire to serve. Ryan flew the F-15E, but also spent a tour flying the Thunderbirds. He traveled the world to showcase the Air Force’s “pride, precision and professionalism” through air shows and flyovers. Even during his active duty career Ryan was pursuing entrepreneurship. Originally he helped found, Flying Scarfs, a nonprofit offering an online market for Afghan products to help women in Afghanistan create an i...
2022-03-1831 min
Mission Oriented145 - Eric Bronner - Navy Veteran, Founder of Veterans for Political InnovationEric graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997. He served eight years as a Naval Flight Officer. After service he built a successful real estate business. But, in early 2019 Eric served as board president for “Show Me Integrity”, a political reform organization. This became the springboard to combine his interest in politics and military service to found the nonprofit, Veterans for Political Innovation in 2021. Veterans for Political Innovation Their mission is to “make our political system less toxic and more competitive by mobilizing military veterans to fight to preserve democracy through election innovations.” To accompli...
2022-03-1124 min
Mission Oriented144 -Billy Hurley III - Veteran, PGA Tour Golfer, Supporting Active Duty Military Families Billy’s earliest memory as a kid was tagging along with his dad while golfing. He really doesn’t ever remember not loving the game. His dad taught him how to play and it became a passion growing up. He remembers getting his first par at the age of 11. He doesn’t remember what triggered the decision, but he decided to he wanted to attend the United States Naval Academy. In 2004 he graduated and continued serving for five years as a Surface Warfare Officer. After leaving the Navy, Billy has played golf as a professional career. He is currently the onl...
2022-03-0427 min
Mission Oriented143 - Nicole Amelio-Casper & LTC Nate Brookshire Sharing Veterans' Journey After Combat in the Hidden Wounds DocumentaryNicole began her work in broadcasting and film almost 20 years ago, volunteering with the local National Public Radio. She has a passion for it and received her Master’s Degree in Journalism and Public Relations in 2013. It was her experience as a military spouse that brought her the desire to highlight the struggles that the service members go through. Finishing up in 2018, she filmed, directed and produced the documentary, “The Journey Back to Normal - A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD”. This was her second documentary but first sharing about the military experience. She is continuing this journey...
2022-02-2524 min
Mission OrientedSean Lanier - Founder of Resolve Solutions, Improving Student Opportunities with ROTC ScholarshipsSean Lanier is a veteran Army helicopter pilot. About 8 years ago he realized there was a problem. ROTC scholarships were seeing just over half of their recipients graduate and commission. How can the armed services find the right candidates, get them matched with a college that fits them and have their success rate improve? Sean found building relationships with high school guidance and career counselings was the perfect place to start. Helping graduating high schoolers find a school that fits their personality and still offers an ROTC program has allowed the success rate to improve dramatically. This co...
2022-02-1825 min
Mission Oriented141 - Todd Connor, Navy Veteran & CEO of Veterans for Political InnovationTodd Connor, is a Navy Veteran, small business owner and cofounder of Veterans for Political Innovation. Todd has a passion for entrepreneurs, especially veterans. He founded Bunker Labs in 2014. Bunker Labs helps veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Todd owns his own business, the Emerson House and recently set his sights on political office. Veterans for Political Innovation Todd has a passion to help change the political playing field. He found most people are dissatisfied with the current political system but are unsure of the solution. His experience as a business owner and veteran...
2022-02-1132 min
Mission Oriented140 -Will Huff - Army Veteran with Soldiers to Sidelines, Helping Veterans Find Purpose in CoachingSports have been a major part of Will Huff’s life. Growing up playing football and lacrosse, he was recruited to play for West Point Military Academy. After graduation Will served for over 23 years as an Army Officer. He learned life long lessons from serving in the military but also from his coaches. After his Army career, Will returned to athletics working in the Towson University Athletic Department and then also for the Chesapeake Bayhawks, a Major League lacrosse team. With his background and experience he decided to join Soldiers to Sidelines in June 2020. He felt it was the perf...
2022-02-0427 min
Get 2 VetVeteranCrowd with Bob LouthanHow much do you know about the other veteran-owned businesses in your local area?This week, Mike and Trevor talk with Bob Louthan about VeteranCrowd, an organization he created to help veteran-owned business owners find each other, and Veterans for Political Innovation, a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing veterans to affect innovations in our elections.Connect with Bob on LinkedIn, and don't forget to check out the VeteranCrowd and Veterans for Political Innovation websites.Want to come on the show? We would love to learn from you!Connect with Mike and Trevor...
2022-01-3154 min
Mission OrientedMike Morgan - Founder, Flags of the Fallen, Remembering Fallen Military & First Responders Mike Morgan launched Flags of the Fallen on Veterans Day this past year. After the tragic losses of 13 military members in the Afghan withdrawal of August 2021, Mike had an idea. Mike made a connection with 13 service members lost and the 13 stripes on the American flag that these brave men and women were defending. He thought, “How can I show my gratitude?” Not being a veteran himself, Mike consulted several veteran friends to make sure he created these 13 flags with proper protocols and insignia. During those conversations it was impressed on Mike to create these for others too. He found that...
2022-01-2827 min
Mission OrientedDrew Everett- Army Veteran, Cofounder Apex Gear Co., Creating a Veteran Made MarketplaceDrew Everett and Nick Wyatt have known each other since grade school. As they got older they knew they wanted to go into business as a team. Nick headed to the Marine Corps and Drew went to the Army. After both serving in their respective branches it was time to take the next step toward entrepreneurship. Nick’s dad was about to retire and had a shoe insole business. It seemed like a natural handoff. That is where Apex Gear Co. started. As they learned about e-commerce and web development there came a time when someone approached th...
2022-01-2131 min
Mission OrientedJay Jackson- Air Force Veteran, Serial Entrepreneur & InvestorJay Jackson spent 15 year serving in the Air Force. He started out in security forces and ended up in air traffic control. His transition out was not what he planned, but took the challenge head on harnessing his entrepreneurial spirit. He first started, Serve, Impact and Prosper, a consulting agency and later was introduced to buying businesses. This led to the launch of Galaxy Group. He would tell you he’s always had entrepreneurship in his bones. Even while on active duty he had a food truck and a lawn care business. Once hanging up the uniform it was a...
2022-01-1424 min
Mission OrientedMarjorie K. Eastman, Army Veteran, Running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina Marjorie K. Eastman, Army Veteran, Running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina Marjorie, compelled by the events of 9-11 enlisted in the Army Reserves. After just two years she received a direct commission and continued her service as an intelligence officer and commander. She had two combat tours. Her 10 years of military service laid the ground work for her desire to serve this country. It was recent events this past August, the fall and withdrawal out of Afghanistan that made her decide to run for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat. Marjorie shares, “We’r...
2022-01-0725 min
Mission OrientedT.C. Beckett & Kenny Smith with Veterans Produce Working to Feed to Homeless VeteransT.C. Beckett, a retired Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, met a homeless veteran. It was this encounter that wouldn’t let T.C. rest knowing there were others like this gentleman out there. Estimates of anywhere from 40-80 thousand veterans are homeless not knowing where their next meal is coming from. T.C. had to do something. He didn’t just want to feed homeless veterans, he wanted to empower them. Veterans Produce was founded in 2018. Since they have built a team to help them fulfill their mission. Kenny Smith joined the team as the, Marketing Executive. He i...
2021-12-1724 min
Mission OrientedAndrews & Wilson- Navy Veterans & Best-Selling Co-Authors of Action-Adventure Thriller Series Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are a coauthor team of multiple action-adventure thriller series. They met up the year they both debuted as authors and found the common ground of being veterans in an organization called International Thriller Writers. Both Navy veterans, but coming from very different career paths. Brian was a submarine officer with a psychology degree. Jeffrey on the other hand was a combat surgeon in the US Navy. Each of them continued to add to their resume with a variety of careers before making author a full-time gig. They love to share th...
2021-12-1032 min
Mission OrientedAaron Hale- Wounded Veteran Overcame All Odds & Founded E.O.D Fudge CompanyWhen Aaron decided to enlist in the Navy he knew he wanted to become a chef. After just a few years he had found success and enjoyed a four year stint in Italy, cooking for many senior leaders. It was during this time he wanted to do more to fight the war that was waging in the Middle East. He soon realized the EOD techs had the coolest gear and were often the first to the fight. He transferred to the Army to become an expert Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technician. During his second deployment his life changed as...
2021-12-0336 min
Mission OrientedZach & Tricia Tift - Owners of TFTWood Share Their Entrepreneurial Journey Zach and Tricia were high school sweethearts. Little did they know when they started dating where life would take them. Zach joined the Air Force and that dictated their lives for 20 years before retiring, just this past year. The military not only let them experience the world, but taught them perseverance. About 5 years before retirement they decided they wanted to start a business. Already handy, Zach had started dabbling in woodworking, matched with Tricia's accounting and business background TFTWood was born. TFTWood TFTWood, which stands for "The Family Tree Woodworking" is an online retailer that s...
2021-11-1226 min
Mission OrientedVice Admiral Cutler Dawson, USN, Retired, Author & Former President of Navy FederalRaised by two Navy veterans, Cutler was destined for the Navy. Their influence led him to the Naval Academy. He thought that he’d go to make his parents happy but could get out if he didn’t like it. Thirty eight years later and he finally retired as a Vice Admiral. Immediately after retirement he worked as the president for Navy Federal Credit Union. Fourteen years he spent transforming Navy Federal into one of the most successful financial institutions in the country, quadrupling its size and making it an industry leader in customer service. It was ranked by Fortu...
2021-11-0526 min
Mission OrientedDana Spain - Providing Affordable Housing for Veterans, VBC Giving Foundation Dana Spain describes herself as a serial entrepreneur. She gets bored easily and every five years or so is looking for a new endeavor, but the past 10 years she’s loved what she’s been doing. Volumetric Building Companies was started over 10 years ago, focused on the construction of residential modular construction. Dana and her family originally started with retail chains before progressing into real estate and development. Dana is currently the director of community relations for Volumetric Building Company. VBC is the “largest and most experienced multifamily modular company in the industry”. Philanthropy is close to Dana’s heart, so th...
2021-10-2927 min
Mission OrientedPhil Capron- Navy Veteran, Founder of Mission First Capital, Providing Investment Opportunities for VeteransPhil Capron, served as a Naval Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman. Upon getting out of the military, Phil found his passion for real estate. It was during this venture he noticed that he couldn’t include his veteran and military brothers and sisters due to regulations surrounding net worth or income. He decided he was going to level the playing field and fix that. Mission First Capital was born. His next mission, is to create 1000 veteran-owned small businesses in the next 10 years. He continues to share his real estate knowledge through his book “Your VA Loan and How it Can...
2021-10-2224 min
Mission OrientedJulie Waters - Voice Actor & JAG Officer in the Army ReservesJulie Waters - Voice Actor & JAG Officer in the Army Reserves Julie Waters started her time serving as a military police officer in the Army. An opportunity to go to law school came and she couldn’t pass it up. She continues serving in the Army Reserves now as a JAG officer. Julie will tell you that her time in the Army taught her the attributes needed to be a small business owner. She took her love of acting and drama coupled with her work ethic and discipline to become a voice actor. Voice Actor...
2021-10-1524 min
Mission OrientedMark Delaney- Founder of The Veteran Professional, Helping You Crush it After the Military Mark Delaney- Founder of The Veteran Professional, Helping You Crush it After the Military Mark joined the Army in 2011. He spent 8 years serving and then decided to get out. It was this transition into the civilian world that laid the groundwork for founding The Veteran Professional. There were an overabundance of resources, all resources focused on just getting a job, and little information about applying to graduate schools. These three frustrations led him to create his website and start his podcast to continue his service to others. The Veteran Professional “While veteran unemployment is...
2021-10-0827 min
Mission OrientedLIVE: Jerry & Tracy Flanagan, Founders, JDog Brands, New Reality Show "Operation Hidden Treasures"LIVE: Jerry & Tracy Flanagan, Founders, JDog Brands, New Reality Show "Operation Hidden Treasures" Jerry and Tracy Flanagan join Bob Louthan LIVE to chat about the debut of Operation Hidden Treasures. Jerry and Tracy are the founders of JDog Brands, the largest veteran franchise in the nation. Learn the beginnings of the reality show and the details of where to watch. Imagine American Pickers meets Storage Wars. You won't want to miss it.
2021-10-0710 min
Mission OrientedCharlie Moyer - Coast Guard Veteran, Founder & CEO of Badass Beard CareCharlie Moyer - Coast Guard Veteran, Founder & CEO of Badass Beard Care Charlie Moyer went into the Coast Guard straight out of high school. It was an experience that ultimately helped him become an entrepreneur. He learned discipline and how to adapt to whatever job was put before him. This set the groundwork for, Badass Beard Care, founded in 2014 after being medically discharged from the Coast Guard. Charlie started growing his own beard and making beard products for himself. Soon he shared them with his friends while going to school and they quickly wanted more. A website...
2021-10-0127 min
Mission OrientedMatt "Griff" Griffin - West Point Graduate, Army Ranger & Co-Founder of Combat Flip FlopsMatt “Griff” Griffin was a 2001 West Point graduate. Like many, his life quickly transformed after September 11th of that year. Little did he know it was that day that would give him the opportunity to later co-found Combat Flip Flops. Griff became an Army Ranger and spent four deployments in the Middle East. His time in Afghanistan really shaped his world-view. Eventually he wanted to take his lessons of teamwork and leadership to the entrepreneurial world. Combat Flip Flops A trip to a combat boot factory in Kabul is what compelled Griff to start Combat Flip...
2021-09-2427 min
Mission OrientedGretchen Pace - Former Army Intelligence Officer & Founder of Goose & WillowGretchen Pace - Former Army Intelligence Officer & Founder of Goose & Willow Gretchen Pace graduated from the University of Virginia and knew she wanted to serve. She joined the Army as an intelligence officer. She shares “The military changed the trajectory of my life. It was the most incredible thing I've ever done. I'm so glad that it just occurred to me that I needed to serve and, and pursue that for eight and a half”After her service Gretchen wanted to have more ownership in what she was spending her time on. Growing up in a family of e...
2021-09-1731 min
Mission OrientedJason Williscroft - Navy Veteran, Founder of Tribify & RingKnockerJason Williscroft - Navy Veteran, Founder of Tribify & RingKnocker Jason Williscroft enlisted in the Marine Corps, but eventually attended the Naval Academy and served in the Navy for five years. His love of engineering developed over that time and set the trajectory for his career. Jason successfully began developing software for data management for global financial institutions. He used these skills to launch Tribify and Ringknocker. Tribify & Ringknocker Jason started a Facebook group to offer a place to mentor active duty Naval Officers transitioning out of the service. There was such overwhelming support...
2021-09-1031 min
Mission OrientedEli Crane - Navy Seal Veteran, Bottle Breacher CEO & Congressional CandidateEli Crane - Navy Seal Veteran, Bottle Breacher CEO & Congressional Candidate Eli has five war time deployments, three of them to the Middle East with SEAL Team 3 and served our country for 13 years. Many of the lessons he learned in the service set him up for success in the entrepreneurial world. It all started when he decided to make a bottle opener out of a 50-caliber shell. As it gained popularity, Eli turned his garage into his studio. After making 500 of them in the garage the company was gaining traction and at a pivotal point. Eli and...
2021-09-0728 min
Mission OrientedJay Collins - Army Special Forces Combat Veteran & Congressional CandidateJay Collins - Army Special Forces Combat Veteran & Congressional Candidate Jay Collins would say he’s an average guy that wants to make a difference. He has made that difference, spending more than 20 years of his life serving this nation. He is a highly decorated, purple heart recipient, Army Special Forces combat veteran. Even following the amputation of his leg, he continued to serve on active duty for five years. After the military he stepped into overseeing the distribution of millions of meals to veterans, first responders, and those in need. It was this non-profit wo...
2021-09-0327 min
Mission OrientedBrian Castner - Former EOD officer, Author and War Crimes Investigator Brian Castner - Former EOD Officer, Author and War Crimes Investigator Brian Castner wanted to be an astronaut in the Air Force but landed himself in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community. He said he would’t trade it for the world. His experience during his multiple deployments shaped him as the writer he is today. He has written two military books, one about his own combat experience in Iraq and the other about a friend who died in Afghanistan. After writing these books Brian wanted to write something different. He loves history and travel an...
2021-08-3132 min
Mission OrientedPete Fretwell & Taylor Kiland - Co-Authors of "Lessons from the Hanoi Hotel"Pete Fretwell & Taylor Kiland - Co-Authors of "Lessons from the Hanoi Hotel" Pete was doing a some work for his graduate class when he read Good to Great a business management book by James Collins. The book referenced Admiral James Stockdale and his imprisonment as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. It wasn’t until 2005 that Pete saw a discussion panel on C-SPAN that included several POW’s and Taylor, a former naval officer and military history author of over 18 books. Pete contacted her and their project started. For seven years the pair researched to crea...
2021-08-2730 min
Mission OrientedKim Mitchell - Navy Veteran & Nationally Recognized Veteran AdvocateKim Mitchell - Navy Veteran & Nationally Recognized Veteran Advocate Kim would tell you it was her past that has defined her purpose in life. Rescued as a baby from an orphanage in Vietnam by a US Air Force Sergeant, she grew up in Wisconsin. This upbringing shaped Kim’s approach to life. She attended the Naval Academy and served 17 years as a Surface Warfare Officer. But her service didn’t stop there. She has incredible passion for veterans, military members and their families and has dedicated her entire career serving this community. She is on the board of nu...
2021-08-2430 min
Mission OrientedValerie Lavin - Retired Army First Sergeant & CEO of Luminary GlobalValerie Lavin - Retired Army First Sergeant & CEO of Luminary Global An epiphany while watching Private Benjamin originally led Valerie to enlist in the Army. Little did she know it would turn into a 21 year career. Retiring as a first sergeant, the Army taught her many life lessons and helped her become the entrepreneur she is today. Upon leaving the Army the transition was hard, it was through the struggle that Valerie started working with many organizations that help veteran entrepreneurs. Valerie’s passion led to to co-founding Action Zone, an organization that provides education and advocacy for...
2021-08-2027 min
Mission OrientedDon Bentley - From Apache Helicopter Pilot to NY Times Best Selling AuthorDon Bentley - From Apache Helicopter Pilot to NY Times Best Selling Author Don Bentley has loved writing since he was a little kid. He started working on his first book in 3rd grade. In high school, his English teacher told him he had talent, but he wasn’t quite ready to pursue writing full-time. Instead he landed himself at Ohio State working on an Electrical Engineering degree. Winning an Army ROTC scholarship, Don commissioned and became an Army Apache helicopter pilot, following his family’s legacy of serving. This was just the first of many c...
2021-08-1727 min
Mission Oriented114 - John Payne - Retired Army, Vietnam Veteran & Mystery Author John Payne - Retired Army, Vietnam Veteran & Mystery Author John Payne was originally set to go to medical school, but decided to commission into the Army Medical Corps. His 20 year career took him all over the world, including serving in Vietnam. He has done many things, including teaching as an adjunct professor in business at several universities, working in the field of health care administration, running three small businesses and before deciding to write. It was during his recovery in a Veterans Affairs hospital from agent orange that he started writing with the encouragement of his wife.
2021-08-0632 min
Mission OrientedGeorge Wallace - Retired Navy Commander & National Best-Selling AuthorGeorge Wallace - Retired Navy Commander & National Best-Selling Author George Wallace served 22 years in the Navy as an officer on nuclear submarines. It was his time in the service that led him to become a National best-selling author, taking his knowledge and experience to craft submarine stories. During his time in the Navy he commanded the Los Angeles class attack submarine, the USS Houston, working exclusively with the SEAL community. A few years after retirement in 1999, George teamed up with Don Keith to begin writing the Hunter Killer Series. He has written seven books in this series...
2021-08-0328 min
Mission OrientedChris Anthony - Army Veteran, Founder & CEO TeamWorx SecurityChris Anthony - Army Veteran, Founder & CEO TeamWorx Security Chris Anthony grew up in Texas. He started out as a successful business executive but knew he wanted something different. At the age of 23 he decided to enlist in the Army and attend Ranger School. After 12 years as a communicator and later an analyst in the Army he was medically retired. He started working for the Department of Defense and was later recruited by John Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. In this job Chris “developed solutions to improve our nation’s ability to defend itself from advanced cyber thre...
2021-07-3027 min
Mission OrientedJeff Schloesser -Retired Army Major General, Author of "Marathon War"Jeff Schloesser -Retired Army Major General, Author of "Marathon War" Jeff Schloesser is a retired Army Major General. Born into an Army family he didn’t know if enlisting in the Army would become a career, but it did after serving thirty-four years. His career has taken him across the globe with his wife and two children. He commanded the 101st Airborne Division for thirty-three months. It was this command, specifically the fourteen months in combat, that had an instrumental impact on his leadership and understanding of the Afghanistan War. He started journaling his daily tasks and take...
2021-07-2732 min
Mission OrientedSherman Williams & Emily McMahan - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates Invest in Venture-backed StartupsSherman Williams & Emily McMahan - Academy Investor Network, Helping Service Academy Graduates Invest in Venture-backed Startups Sherman Williams is a Naval Academy graduate. After serving as a Naval Intelligence Officer, he headed to Chicago’s Booth School to study finance and landed himself in investment banking. While in banking he started investing and advising startups. This was a perfect segue to co-founding Academy Investor Network. Emily McMahan is a WestPoint Academy graduate. After her time in the Army as a Military Police Officer, she has always been focused around community and working with entrepreneurs. She ha...
2021-07-2331 min
Mission OrientedJose Suarez - Navy Veteran, CEO of JS Consulting, Provides Insight on Electric CarsJose Suarez - Navy Veteran, CEO of JS Consulting, Provides Insight on Electric Cars Jose Suarez graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a civil engineering degree. Upon graduation he commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. He served seven years before starting his civilian career that varied from engineering and construction to the mining industry. JS Consulting It was his experience that led him to found JS Consulting in 2019. He consults on a wide range of topics to companies around the world but has a passion about green energy. His knowledge o...
2021-07-2031 min
Mission OrientedTravis Wilson - Retired Green Beret, Founder & CEO of Alpha Elite PerformanceTravis Wilson - Retired Green Beret, Founder & CEO of Alpha Elite Performance Travis Wilson served in the Army for 21 years. He spent time as a Green Beret and in the Special Forces. He has always had an interest in health and fitness, but a parachuting accident pushed him to take that a step further. As he healed from his injury Travis created a muscle performance product that started his entrepreneurial journey in the supplement industry. He eventually founded Alpha Elite Performance, creating his own supplement line. Alpha Elite Perfomance Alpha Elite Performance is a...
2021-07-1627 min
Mission OrientedSharee Ashford - Army Reserve Veteran, Mosquito Squad Franchisee in East AtlantaSharee Ashford - Army Reserve Veteran, Mosquito Squad Franchisee in East Atlanta Sharee Ashford was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Even in her youth, she was always looking for ways to earn extra money, from selling on E-bay to being the candy girl at school. So it’s not surprising that after serving in the Army Reserves she is now an owner of a Mosquito Squad franchise in East Atlanta. Her time in the Army helped build resilience and leadership skills that have been essential to her success in launching her Mosquito Squad business. Sharee enjoys building re...
2021-07-1324 min
Mission OrientedTim Doelger- Navy Veteran, Founder and CEO of TruFishingTim Doelger- Navy Veteran, Founder and CEO of TruFishing Tim Doelger is a Navy Veteran, serving for over 7 years as a submariner. He would tell you he’s no stranger to entrepreneurship. At a young age he had paper route and was always looking for creative ideas to earn extra money. His love for technology and fishing coupled with his entrepreneurial spirit eventually led to the founding of TruFishing Inc. The journey has had its ups and downs, but Tim would tell you it’s the humility of knowing that your first idea isn’t always the right o...
2021-06-2525 min
Mission OrientedJulie Cane & Rick Rikoski - Promoting Democracy Through Impact InvestingJulie Cane & Rick Rikoski - Promoting Democracy Through Impact Investing Rick Rikoski and Julie Cane are partners of Democracy Investments. Julie began her career as a U.S. Naval Aviator flying the SH-3 Sea King helicopter. She has over 20 years of experience in financial services. As a Captain in the California State Guard, Julie continues to serve. She does this in addition to being the CEO of Democracy Investments. Rick is the chief economist at Democracy Investments and also the chief scientist at Hadal. Hadal is a marine robotics company, which he co-founded in 2009. Having spent over 20 y...
2021-06-2225 min
Mission OrientedSean Matson - Former Navy Seal, Matbock CEO & Co-Founder of CardomaxSean Matson is a former Navy SEAL. He spent almost 10 years serving before becoming an entrepreneur. His time in the military has helped him build his team, create a positive work culture and given him the foundation to keep pushing when challenges arise. He is currently the CEO of Matbock and the Co-Founder of Cardomax. As he continues on this entrepreneurial path, he wants to build an empire of brands, helping other military members transition out of the service and become entrepreneurs too. Matbock & Cardomax Matbock's mission is to design lighter and more practical equipment f...
2021-06-1825 min
Mission OrientedWayne Phelps - Retired USMC LtCol & Author of "On Killing Remotely"Wayne Phelps - Retired USMC LtCol & Author of "On Killing Remotely” Wayne Phelps is a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel. He spent his time in the service with a variety of deployments and assignments, but it was his last one that laid the groundwork for becoming an author. His last assignment was as the Commanding Officer of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Three (VMU-3) in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. While serving in this position he wanted to dig deeper and understand “What truly was the impact “On Killing Remotely”? Author The actual interest in this top...
2021-06-1534 min
Mission OrientedJohn Schwartz - Retired FBI Agent, Army Veteran on a Mission to Combat Elder Financial AbuseJohn Schwartz - Retired FBI Agent, Army Veteran on a Mission to Combat Elder Financial Abuse John graduated from West Point in 1986 and served in the Army until 1995. He continued his service to his country of over three decades as a a Special Agent in the FBI. Upon retiring he had a desire to start combating elder financial abuse. It was a collaboration with his wife’s uncle Jim’s Gallagher in 2017 that began this journey. This passion has continued and he has now founded the Center for Combating Financial Abuse. Center for Combating Financial Abus...
2021-06-1131 min
Mission OrientedHeather Earles - Military Spouse, Author, Blogger and Podcaster of Herb ’N WisdomHeather Earles - Military Spouse, Author, Blogger and Podcaster of Herb ’N Wisdom Heather grew up an old soul. Early on learning how to can and the ins and outs of a self-sustainable lifestyle. She has decided to share that knowledge with those around her. As a blogger and podcaster, she regularly shares about nutrition, a holistic lifestyle and dives into helping you realize your God-given gifts. Her hope is that her audience and reader can reach a higher level of success. In addition to all of that and running a small self-sustainable farm, Heather is an aut...
2021-06-0833 min
Mission OrientedMartha LaGuardia-Kotite - Coast Guard Veteran, Leader, TEDx Speaker & AuthorMartha LaGuardia-Kotite - Coast Guard Veteran, Leader, TEDx Speaker & Author Martha spent 29 years serving in the Coast Guard. Her time in the service took her around the world and she rose to the senior rank of captain. This time shaped her into the leader and story teller she is today. She served in many capacities from natural disasters to public relations. She also served as one of the first female officers aboard Coast Guard cutters with all male crews. "Be Bold, Be First & Be You." Author Martha always loved stories and...
2021-06-0436 min
Mission OrientedJarrod H. Smith - Navy Officer & Founder of Liberty Accelerator Programs Jarrod H. Smith - Navy Officer, Military Transition Expert & Founder of Liberty Accelerator Program Jarrod H. Smith is a U.S. Naval Officer, "Military Transition" Expert, and the founder of the Liberty Accelerator Program. Jarrod is an active duty U.S. Navy Commander. His supply chain and logistics career and leadership experience has taken him around the world with the submarine force and naval aviation, and resulted in a unique perspective on this topic, because the military doesn't transition, people do. His operational experience and two masters degrees led to the realization that "We're doing transition all...
2021-06-0136 min
Mission OrientedJeff Minch - Army Veteran, Entrepreneur and CEO AdvisorJeff Minch - Army Veteran, Entrepreneur and CEO Advisor Jeff was from a military family so serving in the Army as a Combat Engineer was a natural career path. The Army prepared him to be a founder, entrepreneur, President, CEO and Director for over 33 years following his service. It’s this experience that he now share’s with current CEO’s. The Wisdom of the Campfire was created to assist CEO’s to reach their highest potential. All CEO’s need someone in their court with the wisdom to know what they’re going through and be able to advis...
2021-05-2838 min
Mission OrientedEric Johnson - Naval Academy Graduate takes on Cold Brew Coffee, Founding Trident Coffee in San DiegoEric Johnson - Naval Academy Graduate takes on Cold Brew Coffee, Founding Trident Coffee in San Diego Eric Johnson spent seven years as a civil engineer officer in the United States Navy. After serving he knew he wanted to work for himself. Eric already had a passion for cold brewing coffee. This interest and the shock that not many were in this market gave him a challenge he was ready to pursue and Trident Coffee was founded. With health as a focus, Trident Coffee offers healthy coffee and keto friendly baked goods. “Good tasting” and “health...
2021-05-2531 min
Mission Oriented“Iron” Mike Steadman - Shares About Boxing, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Making an Impact in Your Community “Iron” Mike Steadman - Shares About Boxing, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Making an Impact in Your Community Mike Steadman didn’t grow up boxing, but found his love for it at the Naval Academy. He became a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion during his time there. After graduation he was commissioned as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and served until 2015. His experience gave him a passion to serve the inner city youth, teaching both boxing and leadership. “There’s no better way to unleash your inner bad-ass than training like a boxer. You’ll build the grit, confide...
2021-05-2100 min
Mission OrientedMark Mhley - Navy Veteran, Founder and CEO of Re4ormed Mark Mhley - Navy Veteran, Founder and CEO of Re4ormed Mark knew in the eighth grade he wanted to be an astronaut. Knowing at the time the Naval Academy produced the most astronauts that’s where he headed. He didn’t end up on the moon, but he did land himself as a Flight Officer in the Navy. He loved his 22 years in uniform and still misses it today. Privileged to serve with great leaders during challenging times shaped him as a leader and eventual entrepreneur. It was after his Naval career that he launched into entr...
2021-05-1831 min
Mission OrientedAlisa Johnson - USMC Veteran Aviator & Founder of Dogs on Deployment Alisa Johnson - USMC Veteran Aviator & Co-Founder of Dogs on Deployment Alisa served in the US Marine Corps as a KC-130J transport pilot. She and her husband were both on active duty. It was early in their careers they realized that orders and service schools were preventing them from taking care of their dog for a period time. Luckily they had family nearby, but knew others weren’t as fortunate. This launched Dogs on Deployment in June of 2011. Alisa would tell you her time in the military helped prepare her to be a non-profit owner. ...
2021-05-1430 min