BTU #14 - Noel Gonzalez: Starting 3 Companies While on Active Duty

"I think military people assume that when they get out the military their skills and abilities are going to put them in a job that is paying them more than when they were in the military. I think that's a misconception - once they get out they have to realize they have to prove themselves again. That could take one month or four jobs, but you have to realize that your'e starting fresh."– Noel Gonzalez

Noel Gonzalez - grew up in Cuba, emigrated to the United States, and eventually became the Commanding Officer of the USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), where he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. While on Active Duty, Noel founded three different startups. The most recent - and one we discuss most during the interview - is a company built to help Veterans in their transition to civilian life (SkillMil). In this interview we discuss:

• The mistakes Noel made and learned from in starting his first two companies
• Steps that active duty military personnel can do right now to fill in their business knowledge gaps
• What day-to-day life is like as an entrepreneur
• The importance of mentors and coaches as part of the transition process
• How leadership outside of the military differs from leadership within the military
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Stanford Ignite - also there is a Veterans Ignite every summer
• Sloan MIT Online Courses - all online courses, easy to understand
• SkillMil - help veterans translate their experience in the military to employers in the civilian world
• SRI International - helping make lives healthier, better, and more productive
• Jimmy Sopko interview - I reference this as an example of a veteran who rolled up his sleeves, took a pay cut, and worked his way up in an organization

Show Notes

• [2:15] - From Cuba to Commanding Officer of the USS Cheyenne, Noel's background
• [4:13] - The mistakes Noel made and learned from in starting his first two companies
• [5:42] - Where Noel felt he was most behind his civilian counterparts in starting a company
• [7:02] - Advice on ways to fill in business knowledge gaps while in the military
• [10:37] - How Noel started his third company, SkillMil
• [12:28] - How SkillMil helps veterans
• [17:48] - What day-to-day life is like as an entrepreneur
• [20:55] - Common misconceptions about civilian life
• [25:00] - The importance of mentors and coaches as part of the transition process
• [27:21] - How leadership outside of the military differs from leadership within the military
• [28:24] - Final advice to those on active duty

BTU #13 - Taylor Justice: Army to Raising $6M in Funding

“As you start to make this transition, -asking for advice is the smart move. Thinking that you have everything figured out or that you're going to be bothering someone learning about what they're doing that's the fool's road. I would urge people to not be scared of reaching out to people - if you don't, you're hurting yourself." – Taylor Justice

Taylor Justice is the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at Unite Us, a start-up that connects citizens with local coordinated services. Based in New York, Unite Us has raised over $6M in venture funding, and over 20 employees. After attending the U.S. Military Academy and serving for over a year as an Infantry Officer in the Army, Taylor was unexpectedly medically discharged from the Army. He faced his transition to civilian life years before he expected it, with no peers or classmates from whom to seek advice. Through a meticulous approach to reaching out to others, Taylor landed his first job in the Medical Devices industry, and then transitioned to the world of tech. While attending Columbia Business School he met his co-founder, and launched Unite Us.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• An unexpected departure from the Army, and navigating a career search before his peers
• Using a systematic email process to gain information and his first job
• The advantages of client support functional roles and sales roles
• What it's like to start and grow a startup
• Advice for other veterans seeking to start their own business
• Not being afraid to ask advice from anyone and everyone as a means of learning
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Higher Echelon
• Columbia Business School
• Unite Us

Show Notes

• [1:38] Background
• [2:40] An unexpected separation from the Army
• [8:40] The most helpful resources in his initial job search
• [14:07] Advice for structuring an outreach process as part of a job search
• [15:48] How the military most prepared and least prepared him for an Account Executive and Sales role
• [18:50] The starting point of founding Unite Us
• [22:25] Advice on finding and vetting a potential co-founder
• [24:15] Whether to gain experience prior to starting a company, or do it straight out of the military
• [29:12] The day-to-day life of starting a company
• [33:30] Common misconceptions that military personnel have about starting a company
• [38:25] How military personnel can benefit from Unite Us
• [44:05] Biggest advice - don't be afraid to ask for help