Service Academy Business Mastermind

"We are committed to our purpose, our mission to help our members live well and serve better so we like to think ahead as to what it means to craft a new model for housing and building wealth. We want to have a true impact on the main problems we're attacking…not only on our members' ability to build wealth, but also the connections our members are having to the local communities in which they live."

- Rich Halverson (USNA '05)

Rich Halverson (USNA' 05) is the Co-Founder of Joint Homes, a tech-enabled residential housing platform serving the military community by offering serving families exclusive access to beautiful homes as they move through their careers including integrated services that make it easy for them to be at home and the financial benefits of ownership so they can turn their rent into wealth. Rich created Joint Homes with Army veteran, Mel Levey (USMA '07) in order to solve the challenges they experienced at home while serving in the military. After multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and 16 military moves between them, their combined 25 years of service is the driving force behind their company's mission.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The unseen financial impacts of military service
• How Joint Homes provides military families with the personal and financial benefits of home ownership through rental properties
• Where Joint Homes sources housing for military families
• The most important lesson Rich learned from serving in the U.S. Navy
• The challenges and rewards of growing a startup

Rich also shares how Joint Homes is working to better connect military families with the communities in which they live and how he and his team are working to build partnerships and close their pre-seed round of fundraising. We also discuss the biggest learning curves when starting a business and how lessons learned from military service are helping Rich build a sustainable and profitable company. Rich also shares insights into what it's like working alongside an Army veteran! We're so glad to know and can't wait to see how his company continues to transform the lives of our nation's military families for the better.

Connect with Rich:

• Email
• LinkedIn
• Joint Homes

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Rich for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"For the last 20 years, I've either consulted or been a COO in small to medium-sized businesses so I know the specific pain that these 'tweener' companies have…my military experience really set the foundation…I want to bring those military values to my COO consultancy. My company values are military values without being militaristic. The deep values are the things that really matter in the long run."- Kirk Alexander (USAFA '89)

Kirk Alexander is an Air Force veteran with over 20 years of experience as an operations executive in the information technology, health tech, SaaS, medical practice, and medical device industry. In 2004, Kirk founded Methodize.us where he uses his expertise to provide fractional COO services that help small and medium-sized companies take their businesses to the next level. In this episode, Kirk shares the methods, tools and resources he uses to help companies scale well into the future and why integrity-based values are his driving force.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Kirk decided to become a fractional COO
• How Kirk helped a surgeon's practice increase its revenue by 300% in just three years
• Lessons learned from the successful sale of a private dental practice
• Why setting measurable goals is essential to growing a business
• How Kirk's training at the Air Force Academy set him up for success as an entrepreneur

Kirk also shares how personality and strengths tests have helped guide his career and why an experienced fractional COO can transform a company in a very short period of time. We loved hearing how Kirk has helped medical practices resolve common pain points including long telephone waiting times and learned a lot about different technologies and platforms that help optimize business performance. Kirk's knowledge and operational experience add exceptional value to his clients, but it's his genuine passion for what he does that makes knowing and working with him both motivating and inspiring.

Connect with Kirk:

• LinkedIn
• Methodize.us

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Kirk for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"Our goal is to help companies achieve their business goals faster…the people side is the hardest part of business and the knowledge piece is one of the core components of that people side. How do you document the knowledge that you have? How do you take that knowledge and impart it to the next generation? How do you ensure you can rapidly pass off information as things change? These are all really critical problems and what we're trying to do is be part of the effort to meet all of these challenges that we see in the world through a learning and development lens."-Matthew Gjertsen (USAFA '05)

Matthew Gjertsen is the Owner and Chief Learning Officer of Better Every Day Studios, which he founded on the idea that excellence is repeatable and can be achieved by anyone. Matthew and his experienced team work with organizations of all sizes across all industries to deliver exceptional learning and development experiences for their employees in order to achieve maximum performance. Prior to starting up Better Every Day Studios, Matthew served in the U.S. Air Force and was the Training and Development Manager for SpaceX.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Better Every Day does to help companies revolutionize workplace learning and development communications and training programs
• How Matthew's military service informed the development of his company
• Why transforming learning and development vastly improves business performance
• How we can approach education differently by focusing on outcomes and results rather than high-cost time commitments
• Matthew's top book recommendations for anyone who is motivated to start a business

Matthew also shares why engaging onboarding processes that speak to employee and client perspectives are so important and how why it's important to pay attention to the emotional benefits of your company. We enjoyed listening to Matthew's biggest goals and challenges, feel inspired by his passion for learning and education, and hope this episode motivates you to build a better business every day.

Connect with Matthew:

• LinkedIn
• Better Every Day Studios
• Matthew's book recommendations: - Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson - How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Matthew for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Jake Dulle is the Pre-Deployment Program Manager at LocalVest where he helps military veterans raise capital through their innovative online platform and community based events. Despite their impressive numbers, Veterans receive less overall financing from conventional lenders than their civilian-peers, despite filing more applications to more lenders. Without capital, Veteran businesses close and take their jobs, leadership and impact with them. Jake along with his team at LocalVest are here to change that.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jake's career transition from working at an 80,000+ employee company to working at a startup
• The LocalVest Pre-Deployment Program and how it prepares new founders to raise capital
• How LocalVest connects founders with the right investors who are mostly likely to invest in their deal
• Taking risks, betting on yourself and creating a new life for your family

Connect with Jake:

• LinkedIn
• LocalVest
• LocalVest Pre-Deployment Program

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Jake for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"Loyalty, trust and transparency no matter what you're doing in life–whether it's running a business, having a family, being with your friends–if you keep that mentality and look after each other, you can make that path to success much easier." - Tyler Laverick (USMMA '06)

Tyler Laverick is a U.S. Merchant Marine Corps Academy grad and results-driven leader with a passion for tackling the toughest challenges to solve real-world problems. As Co-Founder of Bridge Core, he and his close-knit team integrate leading-edge technology solutions in secure environments, allowing commercial solutions to answer the problems we face now. Bridge Core is leading digital change and creating the workplace of the future by transforming the way clients work across geographically dispersed teams in one common operating environment.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Bridge Core's origin story
• How Bridge Core partners with tech companies to serve the federal government
• Why customer service is essential to Bridge Core's mission
• How Tyler has created a strong and healthy workplace culture
• Best practices for building a successful business partnership

Tyler also shares why military veterans can make great business partners and why prioritizing workplace culture over growth has resulted in the success and recognition of Bridge Core's services. Tyler also discusses how visual intelligence is shaping the company's future development and we also enjoyed listening to his tips on how to maintain a healthy workplace culture at scale. Tyler is our first-ever U.S. Merchant Marine Corps Academy grad podcast guest and, thanks to his good work, we hope to have the opportunity to host many more in the future!

Connect with Tyler:

• LinkedIn
• Bridge Core

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Tyler for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"My goal is to see this become a billion-dollar brand in the home services and construction industry. I want to get there by helping people build a sustainable source of wealth for themselves and their families. I want to get there by helping people build really solid businesses where they can define their participation…I don't want to get there any other way." - Zach Peyton (USMA '04)

After graduating from West Point in 2004 and serving as an Army intelligence officer, Zach Peyton found an exciting future in the home services industry in North Florida where he is now the Co-Founder and President of Superior Fence & Rail, the nation's only fencing franchise.

Superior Fence & Rail locations are expanding rapidly across the United States thanks to Zach's leadership and the company's recent acquisition by Lynx Franchising. In this episode, Zach discusses what the exit experience was like from start to finish in addition to the big goals he has for Superior Fence & Rail's continued growth within a brand portfolio.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Lessons learned from the experience of being acquired as an emerging brand
• Insights into company valuation and how the process works
• Why finding the right investment bank is important to navigating a successful exit
• How the experience of being acquired helped Zach improve the value of Superior Fence & Rail and create a robust plan for the future
• The portfolio of brands Superior Fence & Rail is part of and why it's provided a supportive peer network

Zach also shares how Superior Fence & Rail's recent acquisition is accelerating the company's ability to scale and why getting acquired can be a positive experience for a small business owner. We enjoyed listening to Zach tell us about his billion-dollar goals for the future and learning how prioritizing people has enabled Zach to ensure Superior Fence & Rail continues to grow and expand at a sustainable pace. We're grateful for Zach's positive perspectives on the experience of getting acquired and hope this episode benefits anyone interested in entrepreneurship through franchising and acquisition.

Connect with Zach:

• LinkedIn
• Email
• Superior Fence & Rail

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Zach for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"We hang our hats on every deal and, with that, we've been able to make a real impact on the market we're in."

- Kimberly Gile

"A lot of the success that we've seen and that we're having is because we're ready. We've got the investor money ready, we've got the structures ready, we've got the tenants ready…that's the secret sauce, just being ready to rock n' roll when the time comes."

- Christian Gile (USAFA '98)

U.S. Air Force Veteran, Christian Gile and his wife Kimberly are the Founders of Gile Healthcare Real Estate, which provides premium commercial real estate services to physicians, dentists, veterinarians, optometrists, and medical investors looking to grow their businesses or invest for passive income. As a team, they provide premium services to ensure their clients are able to make solid real estate and brokerage decisions. Kimberly and Christian's negotiation strategies coupled with their combined medical real estate experience and healthy working relationship continues to result in millions of dollars of savings and profits for their clients.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Christian and Kimberly got started in commercial real estate
• Why commercial healthcare properties are great real estate investments
• What a sale-leaseback is and how it works
• How Christian and Kimberly conduct market and business analysis
• Pro tips for anyone thinking about going into business with a spouse or family member

Kimberly and Christian also share why putting clients first is important to their success and why repositioning distressed commercial real estate is their next big endeavor. They also share why the ongoing need for in-person patient interaction is important to their business and talk about their strategies for tackling one of their biggest challenges right now: finding opportunities in the market. We not only enjoyed learning from Christian and Kimberly's wisdom and experience in the commercial healthcare real estate space but also enjoyed hearing how they've built a successful business relationship with each other.

Connect with Kimberly & Christian:

• Christian - LinkedIn
• Kimberly - LinkedIn
• Gile Healthcare Real Estate

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Kimberly and Christian for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"There's a lack of transparency in a system where we're dealing with people's health…it's a tricky, frustrating space, but we're just trying to do our small part to change that."

- Jason Belvill (USAFA '08)

Jason Belvill is the Co-Founder & Director of Operations for BodySpec where he combines a passion for athletics with singular expertise in engineering to help design and oversee BodySpec's mobile scanning trucks. BodySpec's mobile DEXA scans help people learn about their bodies so they can improve their overall health. Originally from Seattle, WA, Jason graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2008 where he was captain of the All-Armed Forces Soccer Team. In addition to soccer, CrossFit, and doughnuts, Jason enjoys world travel, having visited over 20 countries.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What BodySpec is and how it works
• The unique biomarkers that BodySpec analyzes
• What a DEXA scan is and why BodySpec utilizes them
• Why BodySpec wants to make preventative health accessible
• How BodySpec is reducing friction in the healthcare industry

Jason also shares how BodySpec helps clients achieve their health goals, including the company's long-term plans to develop a comprehensive healthcare dashboard and new technology that detects skin cancer. We enjoyed hearing how Jason has come to understand the compliance and regulatory environment within the healthcare industry and learning more about the operational friction points he's identified and improving upon. We're proud of Jason's perseverance in the healthcare industry and excited to see how he and the BodySpec team continue to transform the space to help others stay healthy.

Connect with Jason:

• LinkedIn
• Email
• BodySpec

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Jason for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"I helped several veterans in franchising start businesses that they otherwise would not have found and do things that are good for their communities, but this is a way where I'm helping potentially hundreds, thousands, millions of people through the type of lending and investing that Sansbank is doing so I thought I'd go for it."

- Josh Emison (USNA '14)

Josh Emison is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sansbank, a tech startup on a mission to democratize commercial real estate investing to allow anyone to receive passive income. Through an innovative cashflow tokenization process, Sansbank grants property owners cash advances against future profits. Property owners receive capital and maintain equity while investors participate in the offering by lending $100 tokens granting them fractionalized monthly preferred return payments. Prior to founding Sansbank, Josh served in the U.S. Marine Corps and owned a successful veteran franchise consulting business.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Josh transitioned from being a successful franchise consultant to becoming the co-founder of a tech startup
• How Sansbank approaches due diligence and secures loans
• What the blockchain is, how it works and how Sansbank uses it to automate compliance
• What Sansbank's ideal pilot property looks like
• Advice and encouragement for anyone looking to make a career change

Josh shares how a story from his time in the U.S. Marine Corps can help anyone understand how the blockchain works and why real estate is a great investment. We enjoyed listening to Josh's favorite wins over the last year and learning more about the innovative process Sansbank is developing. Josh tells us the awesome story of how he met his co-founder and why he believes that being truthful with yourself is the first step to finding true fufillment in work and in life. We love having Josh in our community and we're inspired by everything he's accomplished while helping other veterans along the way. We can't wait to see Sansbank continue to grow and thrive!

Connect with Josh:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Email
• Sansbank

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Josh for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"Number one, don't give up. Number two, think outside of the box. And, number three, build a strong team. If you have those three things working for you and a half-decent idea, you've got a good chance of making it." - Eric Johnson (USNA '81)

Eric Johnson is CEO and Director at HELM Audio, a company focused on audio innovation. HELM Audio was founded in 2017 by a proven team of product developers, marketing strategists, industry veterans, and musicians who also happened to be great friends. With a passion for audio gear, great music, and the deep know-how needed to build world-class cutting-edge products, Eric and his team set out to fill a vast market gap with an ambitious brand born for music lovers who desire immersive audio with ultramodern freedom and functionality at a tremendous value. Prior to his career in technology, Eric served in the U.S. Navy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The origin story of HELM Audio
• HELM Audio's best-selling products and who their end users are
• Why HELM Audio has a competitive advantage in the marketplace
• How HELM Audio is using its technology to help first responders and individuals with hearing loss
• Valuable lessons learned from growing a company

Eric also shares what led him to his role at HELM and tells us some of his current goals and challenges. We enjoyed hearing how HELM's first responder program during the Covid-19 pandemic not only helped others but also helped the company go viral. Eric also discusses HELM's three-phase revenue model and why audio technology is so far behind video technology. Eric's passion for what he does at HELM is really motivating. We enjoyed learning about the dynamism of the audio tech space and can't wait to see how HELM Audio continues to innovate!

Connect with Eric:

• LinkedIn
• Email
• HELM Audio Website
• HELM Audio Amazon Store

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.

Subscribe and help out the show:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

Special thanks to Eric for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01