Lee Pepper spent eight years in the U.S. Army, worked on Ross Perot's presidential campaigns, and went on to grow a behavioral health company 60X in shareholder value, culminating in a $350 million acquisition.

His secret weapon?

The leadership strategies he learned in uniform that most veterans don't even realize are transferable. In this conversation, Lee breaks down why veterans struggle to translate their service into language the civilian world understands, what businesses are actually looking for when they hire vets, and how military training culture quietly outperforms most corporate onboarding programs.

🎟️ Learn more about Military CreatorCon: militarycreatorcon.com

📌 Connect with Lee Pepper:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579698926118

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theleepepper/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leepepper

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leepepper/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lee.pepper

Website: www.NeverOutmatched.com

Adam Peters served nearly 13 years as an Army infantryman: four deployments, 50 months in combat zones and spent 8+ years struggling to find his footing after getting out. Today, he's an AI educator, personal brand builder, and speaker at Military CreatorCon, helping businesses cut through the noise and actually use AI to win.

In this conversation, Adam and James break down how relationships and giving without expecting anything in return became the real cheat code, in business and in life.

🎟️ Want to experience Military CreatorCon in person? Don't miss it.

📌Connect with Adam Peters:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563037727718v Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamp3t3rs/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thestrategicveteran

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestrategicveteran/

Website: thestrategicveteran.com

Ron Friedman has been at the intersection of tech, storytelling, and marketing for decades: from adding augmented reality to physical products before most people knew what AR was, to building AI-powered experiences at major conferences. Now, he's helping creators and entrepreneurs stop treating AI like a to-do list tool and start using it like a co-founder.

In this conversation, Ron breaks down what most creators get wrong about AI, how to systematize your content production without losing your voice, and the exact custom GPT setup he uses to turn a single transcript into three different outputs, with zero extra prompting. He'll be sharing more at Military CreatorCon, and this episode is a sneak peek at what's coming.

🎟️ Learn more about Military CreatorCon: https://www.militarycreatorcon.com/

📌 Connect with Ron Friedman:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@merchpilot

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ronfriedman

Website: merchpilot.ai

Mary Lou Kayser has spent over a decade helping high-performing people get unstuck, not because they lack discipline or drive, but because no one taught them how to read the terrain that's constantly shifting beneath their feet.

A writer, podcaster, and former English teacher, Mary Lou brings a rare blend of creativity, strategy, and heart to everything she does. In this conversation, she breaks down why storytelling for its own sake doesn't work, what's really blocking most creators from moving forward, and why lone wolves actually need a pack more than they think. She also shares a live coaching moment with host Travis that's worth the watch alone.

🎟️ Learn more about Military CreatorCon: militarycreatorcon.com

📌 Connect with Mary Lou:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryloukayser

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryLouKayser/

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/mlkayser

Website: https://maryloukayser.com

Lisa Firmin is a retired Air Force Colonel, combat veteran, Bronze Star recipient, poet, author, and entrepreneur, and she's just getting started. After years of silence about her own experiences with military sexual trauma, Lisa chose to speak up, write about it, and build a platform that has literally saved lives.

In this conversation, Lisa shares the story behind her powerful books, including Stories from the Front and Latino Warrior, how writing became her path to healing from PTSD, and why she believes every veteran carries a story worth telling.

📌 Connect with Lisa:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarringtonfirmin/

YouTube: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarringtonfirmin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-firmin-97584a12

Website: www.lisacarringtonfirmin.com

🪖 Learn more about Military Creator Con → militarycreatorcon.com Like, subscribe & comment below - what's YOUR mission today?

What happens when a TV journalist and military spouse channels decades of high-stress living into a mission to heal others?

You get Hilary Russo and her story is one you won't want to miss. In this episode of MCC Creator Conversations, host James sits down with Hilary Russo of Hilistically Speaking to unpack her journey from reporting live on 9/11 to becoming a trauma-informed holistic health practitioner.

She breaks down her signature "Hug It Out" method- built around Healing, Understanding, and Gratitude, and why self-regulation is a lifelong relationship, not a one-time fix.

🎙️ Connect with Hilary: Podcast & Socials → @HilaryRusso (YouTube)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HIListicallySpeaking/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilaryrusso

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaryrusso

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hilisticallyspeaking

Website: https://www.hilaryrusso.com/

🪖 Learn more about Military Creator Con → militarycreatorcon.com Like, subscribe & comment below - what's YOUR hug it out hack today?

Guest host, Sean Douglas sits down with Marine Corps veteran and Oscar Mike Radio, founder Travis Partington on the latest Military Creator Con Creator Conversations episode to talk about a massively underused content strategy: Community Access Television.

Travis breaks down how veterans, small business owners, and nonprofits can walk into their local public access studio and produce broadcast-quality video content at zero cost, thanks to FCC-mandated cable provider funding. No gear, no editing skills required.

Both Travis and Sean will be speaking at Military Creator Con, April 16-18 in Arlington, Texas. Learn more and register at militarycreatorcon.com.

Support and join our event Military Creator Con: https://www.militarycreatorcon.com/

Thanks to this episode’s host, Sean Douglas:

Website: https://www.thesuccesscorps.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@TheSuccessCorps⁩

Learn more about our Veteran Supporter:

Travis Partington: ⁨@oscarmikeradioonmission-al6081⁩

Website: https://oscarmikeradio.com/

Mike Dell went from serving in the Air Force to building one of the most respected names in podcasting and he's got 20+ years of hard-won insight to prove it.

In this Creator Conversations session with guest host, Lechon Kirb, Mike shares how veterans can use podcasting to tell their stories, own their intellectual property, and build lasting networks that go far beyond a social media algorithm.

As a driving force behind Blubrry, Mike breaks down how the platform supports veteran creators and independent networks, what it really takes to get your technical setup right, and why video podcasting is the next frontier you can't afford to ignore.

📌 CONNECT WITH Mike Dell:

Mike's Website: https: https://mikedell.com/

Blubrry Website: https://blubrry.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgdell/

📌 JOIN and CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://www.militarycreatorcon.com/

🪖 Military Creator Con brings together veteran storytellers, creators, and entrepreneurs to share, connect, and grow. Subscribe for more Creator Conversations.

"Get comfortable with being uncomfortable."

Most marketers play it safe. Cliff Quicksell has built a career doing the opposite and after decades in the industry, he's convinced that the willingness to fail, experiment, and get genuinely uncomfortable is the only thing that keeps you relevant.

Military Creator Con, Cofounder, James Van Prooyen sits with Cliff to break down how creativity and innovation actually work in marketing, why so many businesses stagnate by sticking to what's already working, and how embracing failure completely changed his approach to leadership and life.

If you've been playing it safe, this episode is your wake-up call.

📌 CONNECT WITH CLIFF QUICKSELL:

Website: https://www.quicksellspeaks.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffquicksell1/

📌 JOIN and CONNECT WITH US: Website: https://www.militarycreatorcon.com/

Isolation is one of the most dangerous things an entrepreneur can face, and for veterans making the leap into business, it can be the thing that quietly kills momentum before it ever builds. D. Scott has spent years studying what actually holds communities together, how storytelling creates trust at scale, and where AI fits into the future of authentic human connection.

In this conversation with Military CreatorCon co-founder Marah Lago, he breaks it all down with the kind of practical, no-fluff insight that only comes from someone who has lived it.

📌 CONNECT WITH D. SCOTT SMITH:

Website: https://www.dscottsmith.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCEW7fRgqZ8yWVJAP6xSYImQ

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dscottsmith/

📌 JOIN and CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://www.militarycreatorcon.com/