The Veteran (Semi) Professional

Send us Fan Mail I have had a lot of guests on the show to talk about buying a small business.  From lenders, buyers, and investors- everyone seems to be saying, " Go buy a business!  You will make a ton of money and can't go wrong! "   Well, today's guest is a story of what happens when it does go wrong.  Jed Morris is an Air Force veteran who bought a landscaping business and...

Send us Fan Mail Gaming culture is huge in the military.  Video games are a way to blow off steam on a deployment, stay connected with friends around the world, and just have fun.  So I'm really excited to bring this episode to you about two combat veterans who are starting their own video game studio, Old Glory Studios .  Lewis and Matt served early in the GMOT.  Lewis was a combat engineer...

Send us Fan Mail Donte McGaughy is a seasoned entrepreneur, former government employee, and a United States Air Force service-disabled veteran. As the Founder and CEO of Selenius Holdings, an Atlanta-based freight forwarding and truck hauling company, Donte is dedicated to driving growth through strategic acquisitions. His vision is to establish the largest minority-certified logistics firm in the...

Send us Fan Mail I really like Nate.  He's just...a good dude.   He's got some serious business chops, too.  He led $200 million in projects for WeWork and was a VP for a whole region.   Then he dove into the world of buying small businesses and acquired two HVAC companies.   AND he runs Smooth Operator, which places veterans in leadership positions in small businesses.   I like him a lo...

Send us Fan Mail Lukas is a previous guest and we talk about the VC-backed startup from our first episode that he shut down. But his new project, Vetclaims.ai  , is pretty awesome.  They use AI to look over your records and find discrepancies in your VA claim.  What is their impact?  $694,962 Average Lifetime Earnings Increase $111M Overall Economic Impact 100% Veteran Feedback Listen in to hear w...

Send us Fan Mail Today we have a conversation going into all the ins and out of the VA home loan with former Marine and mortgage expert, Chris Wesson. 

Send us Fan Mail I got connected with Steve from a guy on X (formerly, Twitter).  Steve has been INCREDIBLY successful and was very gracious with his time to discuss his new book:  Rich Routines: Simple Habits That Enrich Every Area of Your Life We get into business, fatherhood (I'm a new dad!), and making tough decisions in life.  He was an absolute pleasure to speak with.  Steve's Bio:...

Send us Fan Mail Alex went from flying fighter jets to running an e-commerce company, living abroad, and investing in real estate.   He is one of the coolest cats I've met-enjoy!

Send us Fan Mail Alex is a first-year MBA student and founder of Organic Gri t, a CBD company.  We talk about founding a company on active duty, applying to MBA programs, and choosing a purposeful career.  Resources mentioned: Veteran's Adventure Group (veteransadventuregroup.org) Outdoor Education Adventures & Wilderness Programs | Outward Bound | Outward Bound Leading Veteran CBD Compan...

Send us Fan Mail I've had a number of franchisees and business owners on the show, but Mike is the first from the side of a franchisor (think: corporate).  He is the CEO of CertaPro Painting, where he gets to see how locations across the country perform inside their $700 million business. 

Send us Fan Mail First- Austin would be on my short list for Most Interesting Man in the World.  - Air Force SOF - Casually mentions going to Ukraine (during the war)  - Tillman Scholar  - Researched medicine for NASA Plus he's just a legit dude.   This is my first interview with a veteran pursuing medical school and there is a lot to learn here for any of you future MDs out there. 

Send us Fan Mail Shawn spent time in law enforcement and retired from the Navy and then decided he wanted to own his own business.  He partnered with WIN Home Inspections and has been loving every bit of it. 

Send us Fan Mail Today's guest is  Stephanie Dasher , executive director of Warrior Surf Foundation (WSF), a Charleston nonprofit founded in May 2015. WSF works to provide free surf therapy, yoga, wellness classes and community to Veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health challenges. Stephanie is a Veteran herself, having served in the U.S. Navy for five years, and would love to s...

Send us Fan Mail Brian left the army and moved back home, eventually buying a small financial services firm and growing it.  We talk about how that helps tie him into his local community and how he uses his network and business to give back to other veterans.  Brian McCarver, CFP®, CIMA® | Stonebridge Financial Group (stonebridgefg.com) DOD SkillBridge Program (osd.mil) Veterans Outreach of Pennsy...

Send us Fan Mail Afterburner Fighter Pilots - Motivational Keynote Speakers Down Range: A Transitioning Veteran's Career Guide to Life's Next Phase: Murphy, James D., Duke, William M.: 9781118790151: Amazon.com: Books Get Expert Advice Instantly - Minnect Jim "Murph" Murphy , the Founder and Chariman of Afterburner, Inc., has a unique and powerful mix of leadership skills in bo...

Send us Fan Mail Erik is the first stock trader I've had on the podcast and he talks about how he got started in investing and why he loves this path for building wealth. CORE Leadership Program | Deloitte US The Intelligent Investor Rev Ed.: The Definitive Book on Value Investing: Benjamin Graham, Jason Zweig, Warren E. Buffett: Amazon.com: Books esInvests | Investing without the BS  esInves...

Send us Fan Mail Jon is a prominent voice in the business acquisition community and got his start in buying businesses after leaving the Air Force.  Resources Mentioned:  Ep. 150: Enlisted Marine to Working at the VA, Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs, and Founding a Veteran-Focused Marketing Firm with Barrett Bogue (buzzsprout.com) Ep. 154: Working in Finance, Taking the Leap, and Connecting Veter...

Send us Fan Mail Kathy has QUITE a story.  She's bounced around from industry and industry and mastered the art of changing careers.  Listen how this Navy EOD veteran went from the military to being a stunt performer to names like Facebook and Crossfit. 

Send us Fan Mail I've had a lot of people on the show talk about buying businesses and have tangentially mentioned the traditional search fund model before, but Jack Ogden is the first guest on the show who is currently running a search fund.  Resources mentioned: The COMMIT Foundation | Veteran Transition Assistance With Your Shield: A McMorrow Veterans Initiative | USC Military & Vetera...

Send us Fan Mail Jordan is using his love for our country to work with high-profile investors to invest in the American economy and defense.  Union: A Democrat, a Republican, and a Search for Common Ground: Blashek, Jordan, Haugh,  Christopher: 9780316423793: Amazon.com: Books Jordan Blashek — America’s Frontier Fund (americasfrontier.org) Jordan Blashek (@JordanBlashek) / X (twitter.com)

Send us Fan Mail Caleb writes on equity crowdfunding.  See how his side hustle turned into a dream job for him.    Caleb Naysmith (@ccnaysmith) / X (twitter.com) Articles written by Caleb Naysmith - Benzinga Democratizing.finance | Equity Crowdfunding News & Education

Send us Fan Mail Charles left the army and immediately launched himself into entrepreneurship.  It wasn't all smooth sailing, but he found a way to his current niche and is finding a way to make it happen. MK3 Industries | Your Automotive Equipment Supplier | MK3 Industries

Send us Fan Mail Luke's story of how he created Clusiv literally brought me to tears. You will want to hear it.  You will also laugh at his story of nervously pounding some red bulls before an investor pitch...and winning the competition.   Home-2023 - Clusiv Home - Bunker Labs Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark... by Napoleon Hill (amazon.com) Amazon.com: The Compound Effect: 9781593157241: H...

Send us Fan Mail A veteran with a t-shirt or coffee company?! How original.  In all seriousness, what Mike is building at ARC is different.  He wants to be the antithesis to Black Rifle Coffee Company and isn't afraid to say it.  We get into very practical and tactical details about getting started of a new company and how he thinks about brand positioning (it's smart).  Aerial Resupply...

Send us Fan Mail Minnesota-native Matt Butler is the inventor of Rollors. The concept was first visualized on downtime between deployments overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting combat operations. Upon return, Matt developed a prototype in his garage that was a hit at BBQs, parties, and other outdoor get-togethers. Around the time of the recession; Matt saw many local veterans out of work tha...