Veteran On the Move

In this episode, we sit down with Kaedy Molley, a 10-year Navy Veteran and former Arabic cryptologic linguist, to discuss her powerful transition from the Navy to higher education. After a decade of service, Kaedy utilized the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) to bridge the gap between military life and elite academia—a journey that eventually led her from the world of private equity back to a mission...

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, Joe Crane sits down with Army Veteran  and CEO of American Binary, Kevin Kane.  Episode Resources: American Binary     About Our Guest Kevin Kane is a deep-tech entrepreneur and CEO of American Binary, a post-quantum cybersecurity company protecting governments, enterprise organizations, and critical infrastructure from next-generation threats. A U.S. Army v...

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, Joe Crane sits down with Laurie Barkman, the "Business Transition Sherpa," to discuss the critical intersection of business growth and exit strategy. Drawing from her experience as a $100M CEO who led a Fortune 50 acquisition and her time as an outside hire for a third-generation firm, Laurie shares invaluable lessons on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition...

In this episode, Joe Crane sits down with Chip Webster, a seasoned entrepreneur and former President of Vistage Florida, to discuss how his business experience shaped his new mission: rebuilding American civic trust. Chip shares how leadership principles like accountability and gaining a "different set of eyes" on a problem can be applied to healing our national divide through his nonprofit, Unity...

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, retired Marine Corps infantry officer Eddie Conger shares how he turned a 20-year military career into a new mission in education. After starting out as a math teacher and moving into school leadership, Eddie founded International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas) in 2012 to prepare students for a global world. He explains how his schools use Marine Corps leader...

In this episode, Joe Crane sits down with Dr. Sharon R. Elefant, Founder and CEO of The Nonprofit Plug, to discuss the critical intersection of military service and nonprofit entrepreneurship. Drawing from her deep roots in the veteran community—including her work with the VA health system and AMVETS—Dr. Sharon addresses the common "red tape" and business gaps that often hinder mission-driven lead...

In this episode, Joe Crane sits down with Vance Morris, an entrepreneur who has navigated a diverse career from a childhood paper route to a decade-long leadership role at Walt Disney World. Vance shares his journey of transitioning from a high-level corporate executive to building three successful home service businesses from the ground up. Vance discusses the "money leaks" that most entrepreneur...

Building a $2.1 billion real estate portfolio doesn't happen by accident—it happens by design. In this episode, Joe Crane sits down with Lane Kawaoka, founder of The Wealth Elevator, to discuss how he transitioned from a corporate engineering career to managing over 10,000 rental units. We explore the shift from the "linear path" of traditional employment to the high-leverage world of workforce ho...

Transitioning from 33 years of military service is never simple, regardless of the rank on your shoulders. In this episode, Joe welcomes Major General Robert W. Mixon, Jr. (USA, Ret.), who candidly shares his journey from commanding the 7th Infantry Division to navigating the civilian workforce during the 2008 economic crisis. Robert discusses the "shock and awe" of entering a family-owned manufac...

Nathan Tierney joins the podcast to discuss his journey as a retired Army Warrant Officer and former Navy rescue swimmer. After transitioning from a career as a helicopter pilot to the civilian sector, Nathan ascended to senior executive roles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, serving as Deputy CIO and Chief People Officer. Throughout his career, he has relied on the discipline and drive...

In this episode, filmmaker Jake Isham shares how he went from making short films to creating content with over one billion views for brands like Grant Cardone and Callaway. Jake discusses the challenge of balancing creative passion with the business side of marketing and explains why every entrepreneur must be willing to put themselves out there to grow. He breaks down the straightforward "Three P...

Navy Veteran Kevin Schramm joins the show to discuss his path from military service to business ownership. After serving four years as a jet mechanic, Kevin navigated several career changes—including car sales and insurance—before finding his niche in the franchise world. Kevin shares the setbacks he faced early on, including a failed venture where the franchisor went out of business. He explains...

In this episode, Joe Crane sits down with Ryan Hogan, a Navy veteran who transitioned from enlisted aircrewman to Surface Warfare Officer while building a career as an entrepreneur. With 15 years of active duty experience and a tenure in the Reserves, Ryan discusses the "trial-by-fire" lessons learned from early ventures like WarWear and Run For Your Lives, emphasizing the unique challenges of man...

Ray Zinn, the longest-serving CEO in Silicon Valley history, joins the show to share the discipline required to lead a company for 37 years. From his roots as the oldest of 11 on a cattle ranch to inventing the Wafer Stepper and co-founding Micrel, Ray’s journey is a masterclass in grit. We discuss the "boot camp" phase of starting a business, the benefits of self-financing, and his "Tough Things...

In this episode, Joe talks with Christian LeFer, the Founder and CEO of Instant Nonprofit. Christian’s journey began as the son of a Navy veteran and through early involvement with the Special Olympics, giving him a front-row seat to the power of service. After experiencing the frustrations of the nonprofit application process firsthand, he dedicated his career to removing the 'red tape' for other...

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, Navy veteran Valentin Contreras and program lead Elly Dickerman discuss the challenges of transitioning from military service to the private sector. Despite his experience as a Hospital Corpsman, Valentin faced significant difficulty finding his footing, eventually applying to 46 jobs with little success before connecting with Spectrum’s Military Recruiting...

In this episode, Sam Alaimo, a former Navy SEAL and Co-founder of ZeroEyes, discusses his transition from elite military service to the forefront of AI-driven public safety. After completing his degree on active duty and navigating the shift from a final deployment to Columbia University, Sam found his true calling by co-founding ZeroEyes to combat gun violence through innovative gun-detection tec...

Air Force veteran and serial entrepreneur Michael "Buzz" Buzinski details his decade of military service and his post-transition path, which began with a recording studio before evolving into a 100% remote, strategy-first marketing firm. Buzz argues that businesses need to move past "random acts of marketing" and adopt a structured approach, focused on a clear strategy for predictable growth. His...

Veteran Ron Beckner, who served 24 years across the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Naval Reserves, shares his unique story from a career as a pipe fitter to the founder of Peaks Integrity Wealth Management. Driven by his working-class background and military integrity, Ron emphasizes the critical need for financial education among working-class Americans, viewing money as a tool and stressing smarter...

This episode of Veteran On the Move features Navy Veteran Robert DeLaurentis, a successful real estate entrepreneur, two-time solo aviation circumnavigator, and the founder of the Citizen of the World for the World peace movement. In this episode, Robert details his transition from service, explaining how he applied military qualities like honesty, hard work, and relationships to successfully buil...

This week, we welcome Army veteran RJ Blake, Founder and CEO of Blake Willson Group (BWG), a technology-enabled CPA firm reshaping service to federal defense and civilian agencies. RJ details his unique 12-year journey from military service to achieving Big Four success, explaining how he applied his deep understanding of military operations to the federal audit space and ultimately founded BWG. H...

How do you transform a good company into a great one? We talk to Chris Hallberg, the Business Sergeant, who blends military discipline with modern strategy. As an Army National Guard veteran, serial entrepreneur, and scaling coach, Chris shares his no-nonsense approach to rapid growth. Listen in to learn the critical need for an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), how to get the "right people...

This episode is essential for veteran entrepreneurs who want to stop chasing bad leads and start building a high-value business ready for a profitable exit. Mark Osborne dives into why "sales is a process, not an event." He shows how founders can leverage their military discipline to implement predictable, scalable B2B revenue systems. He shares that the goal is to maximize your company's Enterpri...

On this episode of Veteran On the Move, host Joe Crane interviews a powerful father-son duo, Steven, a retired Army General, and Adam, an Army veteran. Together, they've channeled their military discipline into successful entrepreneurship as multi-unit owners of a PuroClean franchise. They discuss their journey from the military into the restoration industry, sharing why they chose the proven, sys...

In this episode, host Joe Crane talks with Tony DeMaio, founder of Helping Heroes USA. Tony shares his unique pivot from being a successful football coach and entrepreneur to leading a non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention for veterans, active-duty personnel, and first responders. Tony provides a crucial message for non-veteran allies: the most powerful action you can take is to simply listen...