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In this episode, your host Grant Vermeer speaks with United States Marine Corps officer Jon Bangsal '15 about his experiences and struggles to get into the academy and his lessons learned in Annapolis.   

Jon while serving in the Marine Corps in Southern California founded the brand B3 EXCELLENT in which the concept comes from the United States Naval Academy and many of the lessons learned from the inspirational leaders he encountered there.  Jon explains it stands for yourself, others and community. The more that you can better yourself, the better you can take care of other people and your community.

One of the many leaders he learned from was Rear Admiral William Byrne, also known as "King Byrne". By at that time, Commandant Captain Bryne, Jon was challenged to "be excellent" by reflecting often and becoming a stronger leader to best serve future sailors and marines in the fleet upon graduation.

Grant and Jon each reflect on the tremendous example of leadership Admiral Byrne left with them at his time at the academy and beyond.

Jon incorporated his passion for fitness and service into the concept of challenging yourself to set the example for others in the community.  With his background in the United States Marine Corps and in sports such as basketball, volleyball, and track and field, he created an active lifestyle brand that embodies service to inspire and empower.

Grant and Jon offer advice for plebes thinking about how to approach plebe summer and tell some hilarious stories about their time at the academy. 

Follow and reach out to Jon at [email protected], on Instagram at

The Vermeer Group is a residential real company matching military families with trusted real estate teams across the country.  If you have any real estate questions at all, please text Grant at (650) 282-1964 or email [email protected]

To stay most up to date with Grant, Naval Academy updates, and real estate insights, follow him on LinkedIn

The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.

Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.

He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a residential real estate company that matches service academy families with trusted real estate teams all across the country. Text (650) 282-1964 with any real estate questions.

We are here to be your guide through the USNA experience.

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If you are interested in sponsoring the podcast, have an idea, question or topic you would like to see covered, reach out: email [email protected] or text Grant at (443) 951-3064