Service Academy Business Mastermind

Dave Jesurun (USAFA '96) is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Pilot at High Country Air Service, an aviation services firm. High Country Air Service offers turnkey flight services to its customers including aircraft acquisition, aircraft/fleet management, aircraft ferrying, maintenance, and pilot contracting.

In this episode, Dave and I discuss:

• How his master's thesis at Naval Postgraduate School led him to start High Country Air Service
• The high level of attention to detail that High Country Air Service offers its customers, inspired by his career as an Air Force pilot
• The exciting next step he is hoping to take with High Country Air Service

Connect with Dave:

• Dave Jesurun
• High Country Air Service

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:

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

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Barbara Ashe is the Director and Founder of the Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP), a nonprofit focused on training veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses on how to compete, comply and perform in the federal marketplace. VIP offers four different curriculums to connect veteran-owned businesses with the information and resources they need to grow in the federal market at no cost to participants.

In this episode, Barbara and I discuss:

• The tremendous growth companies experience after going through VIP's programs and the community VIP fosters
• How VIP's mission and focus remains the same since its inception almost 12 years ago
• VIP's exciting new marketplace platform that is keyword searchable for industry and government

Connect with Barbara:

• Barbara Ashe
• National VIP

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 Barbara for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Joshua McCarver (USMA '07) is the founder of Academy Politics, a nonprofit focused on recruiting, educating, and connecting Service Academy graduates who want to transition into politics. Academy Politics focuses on improving the bipartisan problem-solving nature of government while working to put more veterans into public office at the local, state, and national levels.

In this episode, Josh and I discuss:

• Why it is important to get more veterans into public office
• How his organization started with a Facebook group in 2018
• Academy Politics' training partners and the network that supports Service Academy graduates interested in running for office
• The lessons he learned at West Point and during his military career that are helping him grow the Academy Politics community

Connect with Josh:

• Joshua McCarver
• Academy Politics
• The Academy Politics Facebook group

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

Michael Cygan (USMA '01) is a Director at Alix Partners where he helps clients manage their supply chain by focusing on the intersection of consumer products and procurement. He is also a graduate of the Real Estate Accelerator class 2019-1.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Michael decided to join the Real Estate Accelerator after a career transition in 2018
• How he climbed his way out of credit card debt and put his family on an exciting new path
• How his extreme discipline combined with accountability and mentoring from the Accelerator team has changed the trajectory of his financial future

Connect with Michael Cygan on LinkedIn.

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and would like to learn more about our Real Estate Accelerator, please visit: https://sabmgroup.com/realestate/

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 Michael Cygan and Buddy Rushing for the amazing interview. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Alex Pederson (USAFA '08) is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Polco, an online platform that supports community engagement in local government. Alex and his partner built Polco because they found that government officials, specifically those at the local level, have difficulty getting real-time and reliable input from their communities.

In this episode, Alex and I discuss:

• How direct feedback from a city manager led to a pivot in his business
• A success story with a small town 90-year old constituent that illustrates how Polco gives community members a chance to share their voices
• Why he thinks working with another Academy graduate or military veteran makes for a strong business partnership
• The key skills and lessons learned from his time at the Air Force Academy and in the Air Force that are helping him today as an entrepreneur

Connect with Alex:

• Alex Pederson
• Polco

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 Alex for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Tracey Moys (USNA '96) is a Color Consultant with House of Colour in West Cornwall, England. Tracey has a master's degree in meteorology and oceanography but, after becoming a mother and experiencing loss, she shifted careers to focus on helping others discover their best selves.

In this episode, Tracey and I discuss:

• How your image and style can impact your self-confidence and how she pushes her clients to be more authentic
• How she found her passion as a color consultant
• The lessons she learned at the Naval Academy and as a Naval Officer that are helping her run her business, especially during the pandemic

Connect with Tracey:

• Tracey Moys
• House of Colour West Cornwall

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 Tracey for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Dr. Theresa Larson, a USMC veteran, and Jon Macaskill (USNA '01), a retired Navy SEAL, are partners working to bring mindfulness and movement into workplaces with their M2Rx Seminar for Employees. Theresa is the president of Movement Rx whose mission is to empower people with the knowledge and tools to achieve a lifetime of physical freedom, and Jon is a mindfulness teacher. Through their seminar, Theresa and Jon introduce self-care techniques to employees so that they can be healthy and present to do their best work while simultaneously improving their physical and emotional health.

In this episode, Jon, Theresa, and I discuss:

• How their seminars give participants mindfulness and movement tools to increase their productivity and improve workplace culture
• The timeliness of their offering as everyone's stress is at an all-time high and movement is at an all-time low because of the global pandemic
• Their personal stories of how what they are teaching has helped them overcome personal and professional challenges
• Some stress and movement tips for our community to be happier, healthier, and more productive

Connect with Jon and Theresa:

• Jon Macaskill
• Theresa Larson
• Mindfulness & Movement Rx Seminar for Employees

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 Jon and Theresa for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Justin Nassiri (USNA '02) is the host of Beyond the Uniform, the iTunes #1 rated podcast for military veteran career advice, and is the CEO of Captivate, a platform that helps brands connect with their customers through micro content. The Captivate team turns webinars and podcasts into 50-100 pieces of micro content that can be published on any social media channel to drive sales and customer engagement.

In this episode, Justin and I discuss:

• What makes a successful podcast and his best advice for anyone wanting to start a podcast
• How Captivate uses technology to identify the most timely pieces of content to publish
• The most important lessons he learned at the Naval Academy that have helped him as an entrepreneur

Connect with Justin:

• Justin Nassiri
• Captivate.ai
• Beyond the Uniform

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 Justin for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Christian Espinosa (USAFA '93) is the founder of Alpine Security, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Cyber Security business that he recently sold to a publicly-traded company. Christian's latest venture, The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity, is a new book that helps technical-minded individuals become thriving leaders.

In this episode, Christian and I discuss:

• The process of selling a company and what's next for him in business
• The framework he shares in his book that transforms great technical-minded individuals into great leaders
• How the discipline and persistence he learned at the USAFA and in the Air Force have helped him as an entrepreneur

Connect with Christian:

• Christian Espinosa
• Christian Espinosa.com
• The Smartest Person in the Room

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 Christian for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

In today's podcast, I am excited to welcome Bill Militello (USNA '92) back to the show to talk about 10X Vets. The 10X Vets program at SABM is for military veteran entrepreneurs who want to grow their business to a 10X level through new learning, collaboration, and connections. Bill has been part of 10X Vets since its inception in June of 2020 and has helped grow it to over 50 members in the past six months.

In this episode, Bill and I discuss:

• The inside story of what's been happening in the 10X Vets program since we launched last June
• Success stories and how the program has helped expand the knowledge, network and net-worth of the members
• The 10X Challenge, a new framework we are developing to help our members 10X an aspect of their business or personal life

Learn more about 10X Vets: https://sabmgroup.com/10x/

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 Bill for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

This podcast episode is dedicated to Andy Froistad, USNA '04 who passed away on January 28th. Andy was my teammate on the baseball team and probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. He had the magic gift of making people smile. He leaves behind his wife and three children. Please visit this Go Fund Me page to support his family during this difficult time: https://www.gofundme.com/f/andy-froistad-memorial-our-love-and-support