What happens when you load three kids, two dogs, two parents, and way too much stuff into a Volkswagen Atlas and hit the road for 37 days?

In this episode of Building With The Browers, Levi and Brianna look back at the road trip that tested their patience, strengthened their family, and ultimately helped shape the direction they're heading today.

What started as a way to spend more time with the boys quickly became something much bigger. With wrestling camps and tournaments cutting their normal summer together down to only a few weeks, they made a decision: instead of accepting less time together, they would get on the road and make the time count.

No RV. No perfectly planned itinerary. Two dogs, three kids, Airbnbs booked along the way, a Volkswagen Atlas packed to its absolute limit, and 37 days of figuring it out together.

They talk about the incredible moments, the arguments, sickness, travel-day stress, last-minute pivots, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Sun Valley, unexpected encounters, and the family lessons that came from being together nearly 24/7.

But this episode isn't really about a road trip.

It's about learning to be flexible when the plan changes. It's about understanding intention instead of getting hung up on imperfect delivery. It's about allowing kids to be kids while still teaching them accountability. It's about showing your children what restraint, communication, forgiveness, and leadership actually look like instead of simply telling them.

Levi and Brianna also share one of the biggest lessons they carried home: stop waiting for everything to be perfect before you start.

Whether it's traveling, building a business, creating content, raising a family, or chasing an idea, eventually planning has to become execution.

The pictures may show the beautiful moments, but the good, the bad, and the ugly are what made those moments worth remembering.

This is Building With The Browers: real marriage, real parenting, real business, and the lessons learned while building a life together.

Finding Purpose After Service | Chris Abbott & Sean Gregory of ALPHA Roofing & Construction

What happens when the uniform comes off, the structure disappears, and you're left trying to figure out what's next?

In this episode of **Forged in Business**, Levi and Brianna Brower sit down with **Chris Abbott**, Army veteran and co-owner of ALPHA Roofing & Construction, and his business partner **Sean Gregory** for a conversation about military transition, entrepreneurship, family, faith, and finding purpose on the other side of service.

Chris opens up about serving in the Army, including a 13-month deployment to Iraq, and the difficult transition that followed. He talks candidly about losing the camaraderie and structure of military life, struggling with alcohol, and eventually reaching the moment when he looked in the mirror and realized something had to change.

Years later, Chris and Sean found themselves traveling thousands of miles a week working in the roofing and construction industry. They were making a living, but they were sacrificing the very thing they were working for: **their families.**

So they made a decision.

They came home and built ALPHA Roofing & Construction.

In this episode, we get into:

• Chris's journey from the Army to civilian life

• The struggle to find purpose after leaving the military

• The moment Chris realized he had to change his life

• Faith, family, accountability, and overcoming alcohol

• How Chris and Sean met and decided to build ALPHA

• Walking away from money when it conflicts with your values

• Building a business around family instead of sacrificing family for business

• The veteran and civilian dynamic behind their partnership

• Why failure isn't the opposite of success, quitting is

• Building trust through transparency and communication

• The real struggles behind starting and growing a construction company

• Why relationships and community matter in business

• Their vision for the future of ALPHA Roofing & Construction

One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is simple:

**There is life after service, but finding your next mission requires action.**

As Chris puts it, there will never be a perfect time to start. Your ducks will never all be in a row. You have to take the leap, have faith, work, learn from failure, and keep moving forward.

This is exactly what **Forged in Business** is about. Not the highlight reel. Not the cars, watches, or overnight-success stories.

It's about the struggle behind the success, the lessons learned the hard way, and the veterans and entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creating opportunities, strengthening their families, and impacting their communities.

**Featured Guests:**

Chris Abbott | Army Veteran & Co-Owner

Sean Gregory | Co-Owner

ALPHA Roofing & Construction

**Connect with ALPHA Roofing & Construction:**

Website: [www.roofsbyalpha.com](http://www.roofsbyalpha.com)

Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

If this conversation resonates with you, **LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE** it with another veteran, entrepreneur, or business owner who needs to hear it.

**Forged in Business | Building With The Browers**

#ForgedInBusiness #BuildingWithTheBrowers #VeteranEntrepreneur #VeteranOwned #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #Leadership #ArmyVeteran #Roofing #Construction

After months away, we're finally back—and this episode marks the beginning of a completely new chapter.

We're making the biggest announcement we've ever shared.

We're leaving Houston, relocating to Alaska, and taking Building With The Browers nationwide.

This isn't just about moving. It's about choosing family over comfort, purpose over predictability, and building a life that aligns with the vision we've been chasing for years. The episode explains why they're relocating to be closer to Levi's sons, how they're evolving their business, and their plan to travel the country connecting with veteran-owned businesses and communities.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why we're leaving Houston

• The decision to relocate to Alaska

• Choosing family over convenience

• Launching our nationwide journey

• The future of Building With The Browers

• Forged In Business and our Veteran Entrepreneur Spotlight Series

• Building an ecosystem instead of chasing transactions

• How networking changed our business

• Marriage, business, faith, and difficult decisions

• Why sometimes your biggest opportunity requires your biggest leap

This isn't the end of a chapter.

It's the beginning of something much bigger.

If you've ever felt called to make a difficult decision, pivot your business, or choose purpose over comfort, this episode is for you.

Like the video

Leave a comment—we'd love to hear what resonated with you.

Subscribe and follow along as we travel across America highlighting veteran entrepreneurs, building relationships, and documenting the journey.

Success isn't built in comfort. It's forged through adversity.

In this episode of Forged in Business, Levi and Brianna Brower sit down with Nora, better known as "The Chicken Man," a Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur, and community leader whose journey is a powerful example of resilience, leadership, and service.

After fleeing Cambodia as a child, Nora's family came to America with nothing. He later enlisted in the United States Marine Corps before becoming an American citizen and went on to build one of Houston's most respected community-centered businesses.

Together, they discuss:

• The American Dream through the eyes of an immigrant

• Military leadership and the lessons that translate into business

• The realities of entrepreneurship and overcoming setbacks

• Why community always outweighs transactions

• Building a business that creates impact beyond profit

• Leadership, mentorship, and learning to delegate

• Family, legacy, and defining true success

• The power of surrounding yourself with the right people

Whether you're a veteran, entrepreneur, business owner, or someone striving to build something meaningful, this episode offers practical insights and timeless wisdom that will challenge and inspire you.

Follow Building With The Browers for more conversations with entrepreneurs, veterans, and leaders who are forging businesses—and lives—that leave a lasting impact.

Levi and Bea announce the launch of "Forged in Business," a new spotlight series dedicated to veteran entrepreneurs. The initiative consists of three main pillars: high-level conversations with successful veterans, editorial distribution through Dockline Magazine to reach 250,000 readers, and curated in-person networking events across the nation. The presenters discuss the inspiration behind the series, rooted in their experience hosting networking mixers for the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber, and their desire to provide a platform that highlights the successes and challenges of the veteran business community. They emphasize that the series aims to provide actionable lessons and connect "vetpreneurs" with necessary resources and capital. The hosts invite listeners to nominate exceptional veteran entrepreneurs for future episodes and note that the series will travel nationally starting in June.