Why Listen:
In this episode, I walk through why listeners should consider doing a podcast and step-by-step advice for how to make it happen.
BTU #243 - Army Veteran to starting a $50M, 190 person company (Jared Shepard)
Why Listen:
I loved this conversation. Jared went from living in his car to joining the Army to starting his own government contracting company (now with over 190 employees). He is a wealth of honest information for Veterans aspiring to start their own company. He is also the Founder of Warriors Ethos, which helps Wounded Services Members and their families in their career pursuits. Strap in for an incredibly dense interview full of high-quality advice, and a fair amount of inspirational stories.
About Jared:
Jared Shepard is the CEO of Intelligent Waves and the Director of Warriors Ethos. Warriors Ethos is dedicated to providing assistance in the career planning, professional development, and placement of Wounded Service Members, Veterans, and their families throughout their transition. Intelligent Waves is specializes in providing information technology and communications support to a wide variety of U.S. government customers. He spent 7 years in the Army as an infantry and communications Soldier, worked as a government contractor, and then started his own IT government contracting company.
BTU #242 - Launching a new sport with the Underwater Torpedo League (Prime Hall)
Why Listen:
Prime has started a new sport, which is now training MMA fighters, NFL players, and even Olympic swimmers. In this interview we talk about advice to those who are facing an unexpected transition from the military. We talk about what it’s like to start a new sport and get a company off the ground, while pursuing an MBA at the same time. We also talk about what it’s like to start a non-profit organization as well.
About Prime:
Prime Hall is the Founder of Underwater Torpedo League. He served in the Marine Corps for 12 years, 4 years in Infantry and as a Water Survival Instructor, then 8 years as a Marine Raider. He is the Executive Director of The Marine Raider Challenge. He is currently finishing up his MBA at USC.
BTU #241 - Government Contracting Entrepreneurship with GCO (Scott Davidson)
Why Listen:
When you think of government contracting and legal regulation, you probably don’t think about entrepreneurship or an exciting opportunity. My guest today, on the other hand, does, and it’s clear that he loves what he is doing, and that’s one of the reason he’s been so successful at it. We talk about his unexpected transition from the Army due to injury, and how that led him into government contract work, and just two years later, starting his own company in the space. We talk about starting a company, we talk about the world… the surprisingly interesting world of government contracting. We talk about having a background in the work you do at a startup and how important this is. We talk about why Veterans are well suited to both entrepreneurship and the government contract space. We also have a great conversation around work/life balance and boundaries, as well as starting a non-profit.
About Scott:
Scott Davidson is the CEO and Managing Principal of GCO, a consulting company that positions government contractors and their legal counsel for success in the federal marketplace, helping them mitigate risk in a highly complex and regulated environment. He served in the US Army for 9 years as both an Enlisted and Officer doing Signal, Air Defense Artillery, and Counter IED work. With GCO he has prepared, negotiated and awarded over 500 GSA Schedules since starting the firm in 2009.
BTU #240 - Self Reliant Leadership (Jan Rutherford)
Why Listen:
I hope this is the first in a series of interviews with Jan, because this was an exceptional conversation. In this conversation, Jan and I talk about sales, and how crucial it is in business (how little practice we get in the military). We talk about the importance of crucible experiences and how to create them and use them to change your narrative. We talk about the differences between civilian and military leaders, and how civilians may often be more adaptable in a business setting than Veterans. We talk about traits you should consider dropping from the military as you enter the civilian workforce. And we talk extensively about entrepreneurship.
About Jan:
Jan Rutherford is the Founder of Self Reliant Leadership, an executive and military veteran program for leaders who are Selfless, Adventurous, and possess Heroic Aspirations. He entered the US Army at age 17 (weighing 114 pounds), and spent six years in Special Forces as a medic and “A” team executive officer, and three years as a military intelligence officer. In addition to having over 25 years of business and healthcare experience, he is the co-host of The Leadership Podcast, and the author of “The Littlest Green Beret: On Self-Reliant Leadership” where half the proceeds go to the Special Operations Warrior and Green Beret Foundations.
BTU #239 - Career Advice #2 with George Randle
Why Listen:
George joined me on episode BTU #222 and I enjoyed our conversation so much, I wanted to have him back on the show as soon as possible to dive deeper. In this interview we answer questions submitted by the Beyond the Uniform community. We talk about how compensation is not just about salary. We talk about a specific timeline to use in your job search. We talk about how to structure your resume and what role a cover letter should play.
About George:
George Randle is the Senior Director, Global Talent Acquisition at Forcepoint, the human-centric cybersecurity company that understands behavior and adapts security response and enforcement to risk. He started out in the Army, where he enslisted in 1984, and was commissioned via ROTC. He served in the Army for 21 years, with over 11 years on Active Duty. Since his military service, he has worked in the recruiting space at companies including BearingPoint, BoozAllen Hamilton, HP, and Millennium Management.
BTU #238 - Army Veteran to Culinary Entrepreneur (Caroline Taft Pestel) (Rebroadcast)
Why Listen:
Today’s interview originally aired in December of 2016 as episode #40, but it remains one of my favorite interviews. In this interview, Annie talks about what it’s like to start a company while on Active Duty. She talks about her decision to leave the Army, and her initial plans to go to culinary school - which, as you can imagine, is quite a big transition and one that was not always met with the support of those around her. If you’re thinking of starting a company - either on Active Duty or years after your transition to a civilian career - this is a fantastic episode for you.
About Annie:
Annie Taft is the Founder & Executive director of The Brazen Gourmand, which is a Lifestyle brand for the culinarily curious. She started out at West Point, where she graduated 17th in her class and served in the Army for over five years as part of the intelligence community. When she left the Army, she participated in the Stanford Ignite Program, after which she started three different companies, of which The Brazen Gourmand is one.
BTU #237 - Army Veteran to Combat Flip Flops Co-Founder (Matt Griffin)
Why Listen:
This is my one of my favorite interviews - whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship or any career path, there is something in this interview for you. We talk about how a library card may be more valuable than college or grad school, we talk about the pros and cons of gaining experience prior to starting a company, we talk about the tactics of starting a company and how to do that on a limited budget while supporting a family, we talk about finding co-founders, we talk about how to maintain a fresh mind even amidst the grueling mental battle of running a company, we talk about daily planning and finding your game-changers, and more.
About Matt:
Matt is the CEO & Co-Founder of Combat Flip Flops, which creates peaceful, forward-thinking opportunities for self-determined entrepreneurs affected by conflict. He started out at West Point, after which he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment as a Rifle Company Fire Support Officer with three tours to Afghanistan and one tour to Iraq. His post military career includes work as the Director of Military Sales for Remote Medical International and the director of Special Operations for Protect the Force.
BTU #236 - Verizon Panel with Tommy Jones, Robert Brandt and Hector Milan
Why Listen:
This is a unique interview in that (1) it's a panel of three employees and perspectives from Verizon, and (2) in addition to the audio podcast, there is a video version as well. This is a great look at what it's like to transition to a large company, and the advantages that provides. The three perspectives of Tommy, Robert, and Hector provide an immense amount of quality advice around interviewing, preparing for your transition, and why Veterans should consider a career at Verizon.
About our Panel:
Tommy Jones is a Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition - Enterprise Sales & Services, as well as the Leader of Military Programs. He has been with Verizon for 6 years, and served in the Army Signal Corps as a Non-Commissioned Officer, retiring as an E-8.
Hector Milan(mil-e-on) recently joined Verizon as a Field Operations Manager. Previously, he served in the Army as a Master Trainer, Supervisor, and Recruiter, retiring as an E-8.
Robert Brandt has worked with Verizon for 22 years, holding roles as Facility Tech, Local Manager, and now as an Area Operations Manager. In his current role, he leads 12 local managers and over 200 associates across six work centers. He previously served in the Marine Corps Infantry.
BTU #235 - Navy SEAL to Founding Declan James Watch Company (Brian Dougherty)
Why Listen:
Brian is a Navy SEAL turned entrepreneur in the midst of starting his first company. We haven’t had a lot of guests on the show who are selling physical products, and Brain talks about what it’s like to start a watch manufacturing company. We talk about finding expertise and knowing when to pay for it, we talk about how social media is often shunned in the military and yet absolutely essential in business, we talk about the value of reserves for healthcare when you’re starting a company and have a family, and we talk about much, much more.
About Brian:
Brian is the founder of the Declan James Watch Co. He started out in commercial real estate for 6 years, before joining the Navy SEALs, where he served for 8 years including two deployments with SEAL Team 7 and one shore duty assignment as a BUDS instructor. He separated from active duty 10 months ago and the Declan James Watch Co is his first venture.
BTU #234 - Career Advice #2 with Mark Horstman
Why Listen:
This is my second interview with Mark Horstman, and if you haven’t listened BTU #193 - Army Veteran to iTunes' #1 Business Podcast (Mark Horstman), you don’t want to miss it. In this interview we talk about combating negative self-talk, about the “Horstman Christmas Rule,” and we go through a very tactical and detailed process for understanding one’s self. I’ve placed my notes from this process in the show notes as well, because I think it’s so valuable for listeners. As a reminder, the Beyond the Uniform coaching program is a fantastic way to delve right in - with a certified coach - with deepening your self-knowledge and identifying your next career move.
About Mark:
Mark Horstman is the Co-Founder of Manager Tools, a management consulting and training firm that regularly consults to and trains managers in Fortune 1000 companies around the world. His podcast - Manager Tools - has over 800 ratings on iTunes, and focuses on specific skills to improve management performance. He started out at West Point and served as an Officer in the US Army for five years. He and his Co-Founder, also a West Point graduate, have run Manager Tools for nearly 14 years. His podcast is listened to over 2M times per month in every country in the world except for North Korea. He is also the author of the book, The Effective Manager.
BTU #233 - Army & White House Chef to Producer of "Chef in the City" (Andre Rush)
Why Listen:
Both in and out of the military, Andre has has an incredible career, including being a White House Chef, being featured in TMZ and Men’s Health, and producing his own television show. In this interview we talk about being a leader and a follower at the same time, what it’s like to shoot a pilot for a new show, the importance of not jumping on the first opportunity that comes your way, how to juggle a LOT at the same time and more.
About Andre:
Andre Rush is the producer of the upcoming show, "Chef in the City." This unique concept on location cooking show will have Andre take the audience on adventures across the United States, visiting restaurants, first responder units, children's hospitals, local community centers, military bases, and more. He's been featured on TMZ and in Men's Health among other publications, and is both a former Army and a former White House Chef. He does 2,222 push ups a day for suicide awareness 22 Pushup Challenge for the 22 veterans who commit suicide each day.
BTU #232 - Lessons Learned from the IVMF (Maureen Casey)
Why Listen:
Maureen and the IVMF are incredible resources for the military Veteran community. In this interview, we talk about the #1 challenge facing the military Veteran community today. We talk about the best way for members of the military (and their spouses) to identify a fulfilling career after their military service. We talk about the BIGGEST mistake that people in the Armed Forces make when they transition to a civilian career. We talk about military Veterans in entrepreneurship, and specific data about how they stack up against their civilian counterparts.
About Maureen:
Maureen Casey is the Chief Operating Officer for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University. She brings more than 25 years of public and private sector experience to her current leadership role at the IVMF, including work as a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase, the New York City Police Department, the New York State’s criminal justice system, and more. She received her J.D. from SUNY Buffalo’s School of Law and a Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, from the State University of New York’s College at Brockport.
BTU #231 - Army Brigadier General to Comcast NBCUniversal (Carol Eggert)
Why Listen:
In this interview we talk about networking & social media; we talk about interviewing and having a story ready to tell, as well as knowing what interests you; we talk about the functional expertise that occurs in the civilian world that doesn’t occur in the military; we also talk about Comcast NBCUniversal’s commitment to hiring over 21,000 members of the military community by the end of 2021; and we talk about all the ways in which Comcast NBCUniversal is a great place for the military community (including spouses).
About Carol:
Carol Eggert is the Senior Vice President, Military and Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal. She served for over 30 years as a non-commissioned and commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard, retiring as a Brigadier General. Her numerous overseas deployments include a 15-month combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as Chief of the Women’s Initiatives Division and Senior Liaison to the U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, where she conducted a full-scale analysis of women’s initiatives and developed a strategic plan for the economic and political empowerment of Iraqi women under the U.S. Secretary of State. She is the recipient of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, two master’s degrees in instructional design and strategic international studies, and a doctoral degree in organizational leadership. Her leadership in the private sector has been recognized by HillVets, who placed her on their 2016 list of the 100 most influential veterans in America, and by the Philadelphia Business Journal, who named her one of their 2016 Veterans of Influence.
BTU #230 - Navy Veteran to Hunt a Killer Founder (Ryan Hogan)
Why Listen:
Ryan Hogan is a serial entrepreneur who has started the majority of his companies while still on Active Duty. In this interview we talk about finding like minded people as accountability partners, and the importance of believing that anything is possible. We talk about what it’s like to have a startup fail, and how to recover from this in a way that might not seem intuitive to most listeners. We talk about finances, and how Ryan has started his company and grown it to over $18M in annual revenue without raising a single dollar of investment from outside investors (and how he borrowed money from his Thrift Saving Plan) to do it.
About Ryan:
Ryan Hogan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Hunt A Killer (HAK), the fastest-growing thriller subscription service in the world. Hunt a Killer is an immersive murder mystery entertainment service that challenges its players to hunt and catch a killer through its interactive monthly membership boxes and premium one-time experiences allowing thrill seeking minds to solve ongoing fictional murder mysteries. Ryan started out as an Enlisted Naval Aircrew member, and served in the Navy for 15 years, most recently as a Surface Warfare Officer. He is currently in the Navy reserves.
BTU #229 - Student Veterans of America (Jared Lyon)
Why Listen:
Jared (and the SVA) have a wealth of knowledge about Veterans in higher education. This interview is chalked full with data, insight, and advice for Veterans considering pursuing education after their military service. We talk about factors to consider when choosing a school, how importance self-knowledge is in finding a program, how to best maximize the use of one’s GI bill, how to avoid the “imposter syndrome” that prevents Verterans from succeeding, not selling yourself short, and more.
About Jared:
Jared Lyon is the President and CEO of Student Veterans of America (SVA). The SVA is a Veteran Success Organization, and works on behalf of student veterans at the local, state, and national level. They represent a coalition of over 1,500 student veteran groups from college campuses across the United States and in four countries. Jared started out in the Navy onboard submarines, and has worked at Northrup Gruman, the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, the IVMF and more.
BTU #228 - Career transition advice with Financial Advisor Bezan Morris
Why Listen:
Special thanks to Dan Piontkowski from BTU #90 for making the introduction to Bezan. In this interview we talk about taking the long-game in one’s career, and not rushing to get rich quick. Bezan gives some spot-on, tactical advice on networking, resume prep, LinkedIN profiles, financials responsibility, and other topics that are broadly applicable to anyone going through a career transition. This is a resource-rich episode, so be sure to check out the show notes at BeyondTheUniform.io to check out links to all the books, podcasts, and more that we discuss.
About Jesse:
Bezan Morris is a Financial Advisor at Raymond James, a public company based in Florida that provides financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. Bezan started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served in the Marine Corps as an Artillery Officer for over 6 years. His civilian career has included work at Toll Brothers, Turner Construction, Amazon, and Chewy.
BTU #227 - Navy Veteran to NASCAR Driver (Jesse Iwuji)
Why Listen:
This is an inspirational episode. Jesse is a case study in pursuing one’s dream - figuring out what unique aspirations you have, finding others to hold you accountable, and not letting the opinions or doubts of others get in your way. Jesse talks about how he used a kickstarter campaign, credit cards, and his personal savings to inch his way closer - one race at a time - to becoming a NASCAR driver. We talk about advocating for yourself, how to run a crowdfunding campaign, and how to train day in and day out to make your dreams come true. The topics we cover in this episode are relevant to every single career path - whether you too want to become a NASCAR driver, or want to start your own business, or write a book, or whatever your personal goals may be. If you like this episode check out our show notes at BeyondTheUniform.io, where, in addition to the resources we discuss in this episode, I also list 3 other episodes very similar to this one.
About Jesse:
Jesse Iwuji is the first active duty US Naval Officer to compete in NASCAR. He is also the Founder of The Red List Group which is an auto racing event company bringing drag racers together from the West to compete for trophies and cash prizes at track events. He started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served as a Surface Warfare Officer for 7 years before transitioning to the Navy Reserves.
BTU #226 - Navy Corpsman to Performance Coach (Chris Diaz)
Why Listen:
Chris is a Performance Coach with prominent companies including Johnson & Johnson. In this interview we talk about the psychology of high performers. We talk about “perpetual transition” and how one’s transition from the military is a continuous and ongoing process, not a one-time event. We talk about finding a new purpose after the military, and how to build it out of one’s own experiences, values, and relationships. We talk about the process of pursuing a PhD, and more.
About Chris:
Chris Diaz is a Performance Coach at Equilibria Leadership Consulting. He is also the co-Founder & Executive Director of Action Tank, which tackles tough problems by harnessing the experiences, skills, and relationships of service-minded citizens to improve the social conditions of our community.. Currently working toward a PhD in Clinical Psychology, Chris also serves as a performance coach for the Johnson and Johnson Human Performance Institute. Chris started out in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, where he served for 6 years.
BTU #225 - 12 Strong and Combatting Terrorism (Mark Mitchell)
Why Listen:
If you have seen the movie, 12 Strong, or read the book Horse Soldiers, you know a little bit about Mark’s work. Both in the military and out of it, Mark has played a pivotal role in our countries defense. In this interview, we talk about his work in special operations immediately after September 11th, as well as his career since his military service as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict. Mark works with a $13B budget and a 70,000 person team. This is a great interview for those of you looking to learn about government contracting roles or becoming a Senior Executive Service government employee, or those of you looking to hear some INCREDIBLE military stories.
About George:
Mark Mitchell is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. For those of you who have read the book Horse Soldiers, or seen the movie 12 Strong, you will be familiar with some of Mark’s incredible work. Mark started his career in the U.S. Army, where he served for over 28 years, most recently as a Colonel. Mark was among the first U.S. soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan after 9/11 and advised the Northern Alliance prior to the fall of the Taliban regime. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in the November 2001 Battle of Qala-I Jangi in Mazar-e Sharif.