Veteran On the Move

This week Joe is joined by Active Duty Sailor, Real Estate Investor, and Realtor Andrew Valdez Johnston. Andrew discusses his path from high school to enlisting in the U.S. Navy and his first experience in the real estate industry. He shares how the leadership experiences and opportunities gained through his service have impacted his entrepreneurship and set him up for business success. Andrew is...

This week Joe is joined by Navy Veteran Mike Quilty, CEO of Wild Bill’s Craft Beverages. Mike transitioned out of the Navy after five years of service and attended business school as his next step. A serial entrepreneur, Mike’s focus has been in the healthcare industry but recently shifted to Wild Bill’s Craft Beverages and taking what was a small seasonal business to the national market. Wild Bil...

This week Joe is joined by Stephanie Montague, founder and editor-in-chief of the travel website Poppin’ Smoke. Looking for something different after her husband’s retirement from the Army, they decided to take a year to travel the world. Five years later, they are continuing their international adventure. Stephanie founded Poppin’ Smoke to share an overview of DoD travel benefits and best practic...

This week Joe is joined by Air Force Veteran Lacey Langford, the host of the Military Money Show and founder of MilMoneyCon. Lacey is an Accredited Financial Counselor who is passionate about helping the military community make, save, and invest money smartly by combining her financial expertise and military experience as a Veteran and military spouse. In addition to her podcast, the Military Mone...

This week Joe is joined by Air Force Veteran Max Aulakh, the founder and CEO of Ignyte Assurance Platform. Max served in Security Forces, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He transitioned out of the military in 2009, during a difficult job market, and started working as a defense contractor. Max entered the world of cybersecurity and entrepreneurship. He discusses the importance of market va...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran Ben Burt, the owner of a Fibrenew franchise in Fayetteville, North Carolina. After serving in the Army for 27 years and completing eight deployments, Ben planned on attending dental school but turned to entrepreneurship in order to focus on his family. After attending the VA Star program and completing vocational rehab, he started searching for a franchise t...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran Brett Currier. Brett is the founder of VetGigs, an online marketplace that connects Veteran freelancers with companies looking to hire professional service contractors. While working as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting, Brett saw the disconnect in the market between qualified Veterans and employers looking to hire them. In this episode he share...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran and founder of Sheets Laundry Club, Chris Videau. Chris served as helicopter pilot and while flying in Iraq, witnessed and suffered the damages caused by the pollution of the toxic burn pits. Looking to spend more time with his family, Chris separated from the Army and was drawn towards entrepreneurship. Taking lessons learned from his time as a franchisee,...

This week Joe is joined by Katie Hanna, retired Army officer and Veterans Service Representative for NEADS World Class Service Dogs. Katie served on both Active Duty and as a Reservist in the Army Medical Service Corps. Katie shared her unique transition story and how she overcame challenges throughout her military and civilian careers. Katie continues to serve, connecting Veterans with service do...

This week Joe is joined by Morgan Dixon, a 19 year old entrepreneur and community builder in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Morgan started his entrepreneurial journey as a Freshman in High School with the creation of his app Outloud Reader. He continues to operate the application which is being used by schools around the nation and in seven countries. Morgan also founded a non-profit which collects and red...

This week Joe is joined by Sheila Cohen, the founder of Veterans Evolutionary Housing of NV. Sheila worked in the housing industry as a realtor and wanted to make a difference in Veteran housing and homelessness. Veterans Evolutionary Housing of NV plans to provide permanent housing solutions for Veterans in need through tiny homes, employment training, and support. Sheila discusses the challenges...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran Sarah Apgar, the founder and CEO of FitFighter. Sarah served in the Army as an Engineer and is an Iraq War Veteran. Following her service, Sarah attended graduate school and became interested in working at start ups and innovative companies. Missing the mission driven lifestyle of the military, Sarah joined her local Fire Department. From her experience in t...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran, Alexandra Ostebo, the founder of Kameo and Creative Picnic. Alexandra served in the Army Reserve as a Quartermaster Officer while creating her own opportunities through entrepreneurship. She founded her first production based company, Creative Picnic, providing management and marketing for up and coming artists. After seeing the need for a production focuse...

This week Joe welcomes retired Army Medic Wally Carmichael to the show. Wally is the host of the Men of Abundance and Business Owner Growth Podcasts. He is also the founder of Abundance & Prosperity Business Mastery LLC, which provides mentorship and consulting to business owners looking to increase profits. Wally shared with Joe his transition from the Army to continuing government service as a c...

This week Joe welcomes back to the show Jarrod H. Smith, who is currently serving as a Naval Officer while preparing for his transition to civilian life. With his Liberty Accelerator Program, Jarrod is offering service members and their families a path to ensure the entire family returns to society fully mission capable after military service. His program focuses on individuals and their goals; a...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran Brent Bower, land investor and founder of The Land Sharks. Brent shares with Joe the basics of how he invests in vacant land and the business he created that coaches others do the same. An entrepreneur before and while he served in the military; Brent was able to face his transition with confidence and an established income. He explains how land flipping is...

This week Joe is joined by Patrick Montgomery, the CEO and founder of KC Cattle Company. KC Cattle Company was founded with the goal of connecting the consumer with agriculture. They specialize in high quality Wagyu beef that is available directly to consumers across the country. An Army Veteran, Patrick discovered entrepreneurism while attending college following his service. Not motivated by a c...

If you want to know more about cryptocurrency and the infrastructure behind it, this episode is for you. Joe is joined by Air Force Veteran and co-founder of Horizen, Rob Viglione. Horizen is a blockchain platform that aims to enable an application-rich and inclusive ecosystem through its leading-edge sidechain solutions with a focus on privacy. Rob talks with Joe about his transition into the pri...

This week Joe is joined by Marine Veteran, entrepreneur, and non-profit leader Aaron Quinonez (Sgt Q). Sgt Q transitioned out of the Marine Corps after eight years of service, straight from the battlefield to civilian life. Sgt Q suffered from PTSD and faced homelessness; almost ending his own life. After attending church with a friend, Sgt Q found purpose and a path to healing through serving oth...

This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran and the VP of Franchise Development for Capriotti’s and Wing Zone, Bruce Evans. Bruce credits the Army for teaching him valuable and applicable lessons in how to handle difficult situations and not quitting in the face of adversity. Following his transition from Active Duty, Bruce worked in the restaurant business while earning his degree. Bruce shares why V...

This week Joe is joined by Navy Veteran Anthony Cosby, Director of Employer Outreach at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University. Anthony works with employers looking to hire Veterans by educating them about military culture and empowering Veterans with feedback from the civilian sector. He shares his tips for Veterans looking for employment; including the imp...

This week Joe is joined by Melody Gratic, CEO and co-founder of XcelMil, LLC. Melody shared her transition experience following her retirement from the Army after 24 years of service. Melody explained the importance of connecting with resources that are available to Service Members and their families as they enter the civilian workforce. There are local, state, and federal programs that empower Ve...

Woodlawn Press Winery with Andrew Rosado This week Joe is joined by Army Veteran Andrew Rosado, who founded Woodlawn Press Winery along with his wife Bonnie. Andrew shared how he was able to turn what started as a wine making hobby into a family business. After separation from the Army, Andrew entered the civilian workforce until deciding that the entrepreneurial path was right for him and his fam...

For the 400th episode of Veteran On The Move, Joe is joined by Mark McLaughlin, the co-founder of Old Line Spirits. Along with fellow Navy Veteran Arch Watkins, Mark seized the opportunity to transform a love of whiskey into a successful distillery. Mark shared his post military story; from utilizing the GI Bill for graduate education to working two years as an investment banker. After deciding th...

Co-founders of BladesWork Unlimited and Marine Corps Veterans, Christian Helms and Robert ‘Bo’ Plante came by the show to share more about their business and the story behind their startup journey. BladesWork Unlimited provides a sales and marketing platform to bladesmiths, connecting them with customers. Through BladesWork’s marketplace, customers can create custom knives or shop from qualified,...