Rob is the Co-Founder and COO of ZeroEyes, an AI weapons detection platform that helps identify threats at first sight. In this interview we talk about:
>> WHY Rob has made it his mission to end mass shootings
>> How Rob has built a team that is ~60% military Veterans
>> How entrepreneurship is an alternating feeling of hiding under your desk, or jumping on top of your desk
>> What it's like to be COO of a quickly growing company
Ryan is a case study in being proactive, intentional, and open to feedback. He shares some crazy stories about how his side hustles (6+) led to his eventual founding of Gridwise, which has raised over $20M in funding to date. Whether or not you're interested in entrepreneurship, you'll benefit from Ryan's story.
Why Listen:
2 years after our initial conversation, Herb Thompson is back on Beyond the Uniform. In this conversation, we talk about topics including:
What LinkedIn is and isn't
How Herb wrote his first book in a single weekend
How companies leveraging Veterans are improving their bottom line, not doing charity
How to own your journey
Building a bridge rather than a wall
How Veterans gaining employment and success helps us all
How important it is to believe you belong
Why Herb chose to stand in front of 60,000 people, even though it made him uncomfortable
Why it's important to not do anything alone
You can (and should) follow Herb Thompson on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herb-thompson-sf2biz/
Why Listen:
I found the modern incarnation of Alexander Hamilton. This must be what Dr. Dre felt like when he discovered Eminem. He’ll be interviewed by Tim Ferriss one day, but know that his warm-up was with @Beyond the Uniform.
Michael Muir and I connected via a LinkedIn post. We chatted for 20 minutes, and I knew I had to interview him.
Here’s what you should know about Michael:
- He spent much of his childhood homeless or in foster homes
- He left a full ride to the University of Wisconsin to follow his intuition
- He joined the Marines
- He went to Brown
- He joined Bain & Company
- He works at SVB
- He’s interned at places including HBO, Google, and Deloitte
If I had this story, you couldn’t get me to shut up about it. But despite his incredible accomplishments, Michael is humble, introspective, and honest.
Had I been dealt the same set of cards as Michael, I’m not sure where it would have ended up. But I have a strong suspicion it wouldn’t be Brown, Bain, or SVB.
I hope you enjoy this interview with Michael Muir.
Evan Hafer is the Founder & CEO of Black Rifle Coffee, a small batch coffee roasting company. He started out at the University of Idaho, after which he spent 14 years in the U.S. Army as an infantryman, a Special Forces soldier, and a CIA contractor.I came across Evan in a 2016 Forbes Article about the Top 25 Veteran Founded Startups in America.
Why Listen:
I've known France a little bit for a while now. The glimpses that I've had into his professional background and his personal nature have made me excited to have this interview. It's been a long time coming.
We go through a lot in this interview. And you'll see from France's background in this interview, he had military service with the Army. He worked as a lawyer, most notably as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush. And then he's had an unbelievable entrepreneurial journey, including founding companies that have generated over $600 million in combined sales with over 1200 employees. He's succeeded in so many different facets. And it's easy to see why in this conversation, because he's very thoughtful and deliberate about how he approaches his life, most notably through a commitment to service.
There's a lot we talk about. But here's a couple that stand out to me. I loved his idea of what he calls T-shaped careers. And he's borrowed that from someone else I forget the person originally coined that, but it's the thought of using the intersection of both breadth and depth as you approach your career. He talks about ignoring sunk costs. And I think that's such great advice personally and professionally. He talks about what he calls these hold my beer moments where he sees that there's a great opportunity that he has to pursue, and that's led to some of the best advances in his own life and career. We talk about the difference between following a set path and openness to serendipity. And we also talk about what he learned by commissioning twice in the US Army army and being honorably discharged twice in the US Army, once at 21, once at 35, and the differences in that. And then lastly, we talked about execution and innovation organizations, and how these are two different skill sets, and how you can be alternating as a leader throughout your career of judging whether it's better to be executing, or innovating in any given moment. As always at beyond the uniform.org you'll find show notes with links to everything we discussed, as well as over 443 other episodes just like this one. So with that, let's dive in to my conversation with France.
Why Listen
Seriously? This is Coach K. I know nothing about sports, and even I know about Coach K. Hailing back to my days trying to escape from the Naval Academy, my friend Scott and I would go down to Duke to hang out with a friend of mine from High School. Hearing her and her friends talk about Coach K with reverence, started my esteem for this man. Despite his insanely busy schedule, Coach K took time to speak with me and the Beyond the Uniform audience about how his military experience shaped his coaching philosophy, how he crosses the generational gap to motivate his players, how to overcome failure, how to achieve work life balance and more.
About Coach K
A graduate of West Point, Mike Krzyzewski is a living legend. In 39 seasons at Duke, Coach K is a Naismith Hall of Fame coach, a five-time national champion and 12-time Final Four participant; a 6 time Gold Medalist as head coach of US Men's National Team, and is the winningest Basketball Coach in Division 1 Men's Basketball history.
Why Listen:
Well, my guest today, Dr. Laura Purdy not only served in the US Army for 14 years as a family physician. But she's also has been a military spouse for a very long time. We talked about a lot of topics on the show that we've never talked about before.
The first obviously is her work at MD integrations and the work that she's done since she left the military about nine months ago, we talk about virtual care, which is a huge and exploding industry. We talk about why that's important, and why listeners may want to consider a career in virtual care. But we talk about a couple other things that I'm really happy we did. First of all, Laura has a very unique career right now where she works with a lot of clients. And she also is involved in many organizations. And so very often her day is meeting with people seeing what they need, and then figuring out the best way to help them with that need. And I think it's a really exciting way to think of structuring one's time and career to have a bigger impact. But we also off-road a little bit to talk about things that I'm curious to know what our audience thinks of because, you know, I view it from the vantage point of myself 1015 years ago, when I was on active duty and how I might dismiss what Laura is sharing. And then I view it through my lens now of being a civilian for 10 years, and a lot of things that are very commonplace in the civilian workforce, are still not really common in the military. And so for those of you on active duty, who might want to dismiss what Laura is talking about when it comes to maternity leave, and things like that, I'd really encourage you to be curious about her perspective. After the recording, Laura and I talked about this a bit. And I'm reminded of how there is just so much that I've become accustomed to now having been a civilian for a decade. And I'm realizing that when people transition out of the military, a lot of those things are going to seem new. And so if you know some of the things she talks about, you feel the need to dismiss, I'd encourage you to be curious and open because I find these things are things you're going to have to transition to eventually when you do leave the military if you're still in, as always at beyond the uniform.org you'll find show notes with links to everything we discussed, as well as 437 other episodes just like this. So with that, let's dive into my conversation with Laura.
Why Listen:
Jeff works in the insurance industry, which is not an industry I knew a lot about before the interview, but I can see why he chose to spend 30 years in this career path after his time in the Army. In this interview, we talk about selling companies, understanding how companies are valued, how to drive value, how to increase the value of a company, how to defer benefits in selling a company versus finding a company that pays you a good salary from the start. We talk about approaching your career in 15-year increments, three different chapters in one's career, and what matters at those points. We also talk about identity, which comes up a lot in this podcast when it comes to identity as a Veteran.
About Jeff:
Jeff Arnold is an authority in the insurance industry. With over 30 years of experience managing deals ranging from six figures to 100 million-plus, he currently serves as the president of Rightsure, where he has distilled the zeal for the discipline he learned in the Army into profitable joint ventures. He's passionate about entrepreneurship, mergers, and acquisitions, and has also written multiple best-selling books.
Why Listen:
There are no words to introduce this interview. Aaron was left blind after an injury in Afghanistan. He overcame that and went on to do incredible things. Instead of allowing himself to become a victim, Aaron sees his injury as an example of divine direction. Shortly after that, he contracted bacterial meningitis and became fully deaf in both ears. He has since then gotten implants so he can hear. But Aaron overcame that as well. Living the "Challenge Accepted!" mindset and not letting any obstacles deter him from his goals, he now runs a company with his wife, McKayla, called Extra Ordinary Delights. If you're looking for a story of determination, overcoming obstacles, and always taking action, you are in the right spot.
About Aaron:
Aaron Hale is the CEO and Founder of Extra Ordinary Delights. On December 8, 2011, Army Staff Sergeant Aaron Hale was severely injured in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated. Hale, of the 760th EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), served a tour in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. The December explosion left Aaron completely blind. Aaron pressed on and became very involved with organizations who help wounded and disabled veterans get out and be active. Through these organizations, Aaron was able to climb mountains, white water kayak, and run 5 marathons throughout 2015 including Boston Marathon. In August 2015, Aaron contracted bacterial meningitis. This devastating illness left Aaron completely deaf in both ears. Since the illness, Aaron has regained his love for cooking and began creating in the kitchen again. With his wife, McKayla, at his side, the two combine their love for cooking and business experience to bring Extra Ordinary Delights to your door.
Why Listen:
Despite your career intentions, today is a great episode with a lot to learn from Chris. This is one of the first stories where the entrepreneur I interviewed didn't set out to be an entrepreneur; they were pulled into it. We start talking about his unexpected departure from the Army he'd planned on 20 years and due to an injury left at the 11-year point, and how he started his own company. We speak about the mentoring work he does with veterans every Wednesday. He has got a lot of great transitioning advice. We also talk about being willing to try new things and fall on your face, and a lot more.
About Chris:
Chris Anthony is an Army Veteran and CEO of TeamWorx Security, an enterprise-tech company that helps technical and non-technical people collaborate better. Chris’s career spans 26 years in cyber and information security-related technologies. He is a graduate of Norwich University and teaches Advanced Cyber Intelligence at the University of South Florida. He is a staunch military, military spouse, and Veteran advocate and continues to contribute to local and national charities each year.
Why Listen:
Today's story is so different. Ranjeet has an incredible background of going from the Marine Corps as an Avionics Division Non-Commissioned Officer and then choosing to go down a path centered around food and operations, including roles like being a Plant Supervisor at Safeway, a Shipping Department Supervisor at Albertsons, an Operations Manager at Ralphs Grocery Company, and a Plant Manager at BakeMark. You probably recognize all of those names. You've definitely had one of his products from Aspire Bakeries, where his focus is on frozen baked goods. But so much to learn today about why he chose to focus on this industry. Today, he will talk about the advantages of being so focused in this way, what it's like to be a Bakery Director, and what his day-to-day life looks like.
As always, at beyondtheuniform.org you'll find show notes with links to everything we discussed, as well as over 417 other episodes just like this one, all offered for free.
About Ranjeet:
Ranjeet Singh is the Bakery Director at Aspire Bakeries, a North American baking company with a leadership position in specialty frozen baked goods. Some of their brands you may recognize are La Brea Bakery, Otis Spunkmeyer, and Oakrun Farm Bakery. Ranjeet served in the Marine Corps for nearly five years as an Avionics Division Non-Commissioned Officer. He worked as a Plant Supervisor at Safeway, a Shipping Department Supervisor at Albertsons, an Operations Manager at Ralphs Grocery Company, and a Plant Manager at BakeMark. He earned his BSBA in Management from Columbia College and an MBA from Syracuse University.
Why Listen:
One thing that will come through in this interview is how much Trevor is constantly learning from others and books as a professional and an entrepreneur. I am ordering three different books based on the ones he recommended in this episode. We talked a lot about how the riches are in the niches and Trevor's own story of entrepreneurship of how he started to do things and had a realization and pursued that. And it led to what he's doing right now, which is selling software specifically-targeted at the cannabis dispensaries, which are booming here in Colorado and elsewhere.
About Trevor:
Trevor Shirk is the CEO and Co-Founder of Terrayn, where he has generated $28 million in revenue with over 160 dispensaries. He graduated from West Point in 2008. Trevor served in the Army for more than eight years, where he was a Ranger Qualified Combat Engineer, including combat ops in Afghanistan. When he left the Army, he did Stanford's Ignite Program and became CEO of Strattex Solutions, where he did SEO and digital marketing strategy work. After that, he co-founded Terrayn nearly two years ago.
Why Listen:
I had intended to spend the bulk of my conversation with Devin talking about growth and marketing because he has some great ideas. But we ended up going down a different path. Devin runs a company called StraightHemp, where they sell different hemp-related products. In this interview, we talked about CBD and other things. And he also is an advocate for psychedelics. Devin is a rare breed of person. He's building a company and making money, but that's not what's driving him. Devin is very community-driven. He's very much about making the world a better place. I know that sounds trite. But it just really I found our interview touching in that sense. As an entrepreneur, it was helpful to see an example of someone who is so purpose-driven.
As always at beyondtheuniform.org we'll have show notes with links to everything we discuss over 411 other episodes, just like this one, maybe not using the word psychedelic.
About Devin:
Devin Alvarez is the Founder and CEO of StraightHemp. Using a proprietary extraction method to power their leading Straight Hemp family of products, they are positioned to become a top seller in the natural products channel. He started at the Air Force Academy before switching over to Florida State University. He holds a Master's of Science from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Environmental Science.
Why Listen:
Today's conversation is dense in terms of the amount of wisdom per square second. I've known Ken for a while now, and it was great hearing more about his story. I respect his vulnerability and authenticity in sharing how he navigated multiple times in his career in life. Things didn't work out the way that he thought they would. One example is his work in the ICU in Afghanistan and Iraq that changed his view about medicine and realizing that that path wasn't what he wanted to do. And he goes from there to consulting and then becomes a senior at a rapidly growing startup. It just shows that you can adapt and overcome. He talks about hiring, managing a remote workforce, and so many great things.
As always, at beyondtheuniform.org you'll find show notes with links to everything we discussed, as well as 410 other episodes just like this.
About Kit:
Kit Kieling is the President, COO, and Co-Founder of Orderly Health. Orderly Health is on a mission to make sure patients have access to the most up-to-date information about healthcare providers. Through proprietary algorithms of machine learning, Orderly Health improves the accuracy of provider directories and the overall interoperability of data for payers and providers. Kitt started at the Air Force Academy and earned his MD from the Oregon Health and Science University. He served as the Pediatric ICU Director in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also worked as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company in addition to multiple medical positions before his time at Orderly Health.
Why Listen:
Erik is a man I tremendously respect. His background is unbelievably impressive. A few things that we talked about that stood out to me is, first of all, where we started the conversation, which is an alternate view on the veteran transition that I've never heard before; it puts veterans in a different light. And I think it's very thought-provoking. Second of all is Erik's work around Afghanistan, which he has done for the last ten years of helping people get out of Afghanistan and making sure that they're safe. Third of all, Erik has an amazing story of work in the food and agriculture space, and he talks about why that's so important to him. Fourth, it was remarkable to hear about the crazy journey that the quarantine put on his company, SafeTraces, and how they were able to pivot into something even bigger when most companies honestly would have gone out of business. Instead, they're thriving due to their adaptability. And he talks about how the military training was such an asset in that way.
About Erik:
Erik Malmstrom is the CEO of SafeTraces, a biotechnology company that is harnessing the power of DNA. SafeTraces has developed groundbreaking solutions for food and drug traceability, sanitation verification, and safe airflow verification that address the fundamental human need for safety. Erik started out at the University of Pennsylvania, after which he served for nearly seven years in the Army, where he graduated from Army Ranger School and Airborne School and earned the Bronze Star Medal for his service as a rifle platoon leader during deployments to eastern Afghanistan. After his military service, he earned degrees at Harvard Business School and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. His career has included time at Cargill, working on food, agriculture, nutrition, and risk management, time as a White House Fellow, and time as General Manager of the Farmer's Business Network, a company that has now raised over $250 million in capital.
Why Listen:
Ken is an absolute Rockstar. His career includes working at some of the most iconic brands in Silicon Valley; Siebel Systems, McAfee, AVAST Software, FireEye, and now founding and running his own investment firm, NightDragon. Here are six different things to keep an ear out for in this episode. First of all, why veterans should consider a career in cybersecurity and what the characteristics of this industry are. Second, what life is like as a mid to late-stage investor. Third, the one thing everyone overlooks when it comes to networking. Fourth, using the lens of fun learning and money to evaluate career shifts. Fifth, why you should always take a job interview even if you're happy at your current job. And sixth, an overview of the corporate development role, something we've never talked about on the show.
About Ken:
Ken Gonzalez is the Managing Director of NightDragon, an investment and advisory firm focused on investing in growth and late-stage companies within the cybersecurity, safety, security, and privacy industry. Prior to NightDragon, Ken was the Managing Director of ForgePoint Capital. Previously, he led the strategy and corporate business development functions at FireEye, AVAST Software, McAfee, and Siebel Systems (now part of Oracle) and was responsible for acquisition target selection, deal negotiation, and post-merger integration. He also served in the United States Army as an infantry officer with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Why Listen:
Normally on the show, I have a military veteran as my guest. We talk about what they do, how they got there, and advice to others seeking to do the same. Today I am doing that, but with three guests, two Army and West Point grads, one Naval Academy and fellow Submariner, who joined forces to found Imperium Capital. There's a lot that I love about this interview. It is a blend of talking about financial planning and tips that anyone listening can apply to their career to get themselves more financial freedom and stability, as well as a lot about entrepreneurship and building up the skill sets. Here are a couple of things that stood out to me. First of all, I love the story of how they met and decided to start this company. And you're going to get three different perspectives on what drew these people to the finance industry and also to entrepreneurship. They are three different versions with some overlap, which was cool to see. What I love, as well, is that they each had clarity and what they were wanting in their career. And that plays a role in financial planning; they talked about the clarity you need when it comes to finances. But you can also see that clarity applied in each of their career journeys. One thing that I learned in this interview was how you can take risks in your career outside of the military in a way that you might not be able to in the military, and how it's a way to get insights around what you like and dislike, and how it gives you room to explore. We talk about the advantages of working within a big company and learning a trade skill set before going on to entrepreneurship. We talked about interviewing companies rather than being interviewed by them. We talk a lot about finances, and just a lot of things that are top of mind for me, as I grow my family. And I know you will benefit from that as well.
About Imperium Capital’s team:
Christopher Rojewski started out at West Point in 2011. He served in the Army for eight years. And then he spent two and a half years between New York Life Insurance and Northwestern Mutual. Then he co-founded a company called Imperium Capital, which we're going to talk about today.
Brandon Stevenson was at West Point in 2007, ten years in the Army, and then four years at Northwestern Mutual.
Nicholas Birger was at the Naval Academy, the oddball of the group. He went to Harvard Kennedy School, close to nine years on submarines, and then at Northwestern Mutual.
Why Listen:
It is always intimidating speaking with a flag officer. And that all said General Caslen made that so easy. He's such a gracious man. He served for over 43 years in the military, including being Superintendent at West Point. He was at the Pentagon on 911. He snuck back in to assist with fighting fires and ensuring that his colleagues were safe. He has no shortage of unbelievable experiences in the military. After the military, he went on to become the president at the University of South Carolina, so continued leading at the highest level in a civilian capacity. We cover a lot of ground. We talked about mistakes he made in his transition out of the army. You've heard them before, but it's reassuring to hear them from someone at his level. We talk about the differences and similarities between military leadership, academic leadership. We talked about what it was like leading the University of South Carolina through COVID-19, and I appreciate the General's candor. We talked about his recent resignation from the school and just learning about that situation. There are some great takeaways there for anyone aspiring to lead at a high level. Then we talk about comfort zone, and I appreciate, in contrast, a lot of things we talked about previously, this sense of really being out of your comfort zone and being willing to fail, make mistakes, and to recover.
As always at beyondtheuniform.org you'll find show notes with links to everything we discuss, including over 403 episodes just like this one.
About Robert:
Robert Caslen is the former President of the University of South Carolina and the President of the University of South Carolina system, as well as the 59th Superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point. He also serves as HigherEchelon Special Advisor on Executive Leadership and Character Development in his 43 years of military service in the United States Army. He has done far too much to ever encompass in a brief bio and we're going to touch on those things, including an unbelievable role in 911 and many other situations.
Why Listen:
I just wrapped up my conversation with Shawn, and it was so enjoyable. There were a couple of things that stood out to me. One was his great quote about always being ready for opportunities and embracing the right thing. His story is so incredible, from this perspective, starting with his unexpected medical discharge from the military, to a winding road through consulting and startups, and ultimately back to startups and starting his own company. It just really shows you the power of resilience, but also the power of being open to unexpected deviations in your career, which will inevitably happen.
Second of all, we talk a lot about networking. He gives a couple of really poignant examples where 10 to 20 years after meeting someone, he and people in his network, reconnect in a way that alters their career. It really gets away from this transactional thought of networking and moves toward something that veterans excel at, which is genuinely meeting people, enjoying them, and being generous.
To that point, immediately after recording, Shawn asked me, “How can I help you with your company Captivate.ai?” It was just so powerful to see him immediately and genuinely putting to use his principle - approaching networking from a generous and giving standpoint.
We talk about grad school, he gives an example of a friend who sold his company for $240 million and then went to business school. He underscores this thought by showing that there is no “one right size fits all” approach to education and your career journey. It's about learning and serendipity.
Finally, we talk about his own startup journey and the milestones achieved along the way as he created and continues to build his company. I did something for the first time in this interview, which is a kind of live mentorship where I asked him a specific question about my company Captivate.ai. I think his answer will benefit anyone interested in entrepreneurship.
About Shawn:
Shawn Olds is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at boodleAI, which specializes in Enriched Analytics for sales, marketing and fundraising teams. boodleAI is on a mission to democratize data, making it faster and easier for ALL organizations to locate their best leads and prospects in any contact list. By using advanced data enrichment and predictive insight analytics, boodleAI clients have already experienced significant lifts in conversion, engagement, and retention rates. boodleAI has over 30 employees, has raised $3M in funding, and is located in Tysons, VA. Shawn holds a B.S. from West Point, an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, and a JD from Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law.
