Service Academy Business Mastermind

Grant Demaree (USMA '13) is the Co-Founder of Onebrief, a collaborative platform that facilitates rapid executive decision-making for businesses and military planning. Onebrief supports large-scale collaboration on the Joint Planning Process and automates the outputs, such as OPLANs, OPORDs, sync matrices, and maps. Onebrief is being used in exercises in the Army and Air Force, including the Army War College and is backed by AFWERX and by Alchemist Accelerator.

In this episode, Grant and I discuss:

• His company's goals to become the interoperability standard for all joint planning across the US military and our allies
• How he connected with his co-founder and the story of how they brought their product to market
• His best lessons learned from the Alchemist Accelerator and the AFWERX application process

Connect with Grant Demaree:

• Grant on LinkedIn
• Onebrief

Subscribe and help out the show:

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

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Stephen Semmelroth (USMA '11) is a veteran-focused cybersecurity recruiter where he develops Cyber Vets and finds them jobs. As a cybersecurity recruiter, he matches the nation's best Cyber Veterans (any Federal alumni, clearance holder, or military spouse) with tech jobs across the country.

In this episode, Stephen and I discuss:

• The explosive growth of the cybersecurity industry
• Current job openings he has available
• The ups and downs of starting a business and how he has persevered

Connect with Stephen Semmelroth:

• Stephen on LinkedIn
• StrataCore Website

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 Play, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

On today's podcast I'm joined by Bill Militello (USNA '92) who shares how an "abundance mindset" and a simple shift in thinking can help us navigate successfully through uncertain times.

Bill is the CEO of Militello Capital and LocalVest.com. Militello Capital is a team of veteran entrepreneurs who invest capital in joint ventures with a select group of highly successful private equity and real estate operators. LocalVest is an exclusive community for accredited investors to discover, research, and discuss private investments with knowledgeable investment professionals.

In this episode, Bill and I discuss:

• How he uses vision boards and mind movies to create a life of abundance
• How your feelings attract abundance (or scarcity) into your life
• Why Academy grads will persevere through this crisis and create more value than ever before

Connect with Bill Militello:

• Bill on LinkedIn
• Militello Capital
• LocalVest

*Special thanks to Ginni Guiton (USMA) from GGHypnosis.com for providing the intention to start the podcast.

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 Play, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Mike Foster (USNA '13) is a real estate investor and entrepreneur who serves as the Director of Education and Podcast Host for Active Duty Passive Income. While active duty, Mike was fortunate enough to have several remarkable mentors that taught him the importance of credit-building, creative financing techniques, and wealth-building strategies. Mike has acquired multiple real estate investments, he owns several businesses, and has the passion and drive to mentor thousands of veterans around the world.

In this episode, Mike and I discuss:

• The ADPI podcast, course, and Facebook group that helps veterans with real estate investing
• Their new lead generation program for real estate agents
• A new service they created to connect investors with real estate agents and lenders across the country

Connect with Mike Foster:

• Mike on LinkedIn
• Active Duty Passive Income

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 Play, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Fred Stuvek Jr. graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1974 after lettering three years as quarterback for the Midshipmen. After serving as a Naval Officer, he transitioned to the business world where he has held senior leadership positions in private and public companies, both domestically and internationally. Key successes include an international medical imaging start-up that led to a successful IPO and forming a private medical services company, which he subsequently sold. He's the author of the book, It Starts With You which is a complete training manual to develop the operative mindset, habits, and skills for succeeding at any endeavor.

In this episode, Fred and I discuss:

• Why he chose to attend USNA and his favorite experiences from playing on the football team
• His experiences from building businesses and the best lessons he learned along the way
• His best tips for writing a book

Connect with Fred Stuvek:

• Fred on LinkedIn
• It Starts With You

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 Play, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Carly DaCosta (USMA '04) and her husband Jered own DaCosta Real Estate Investments, an investment company focused on buying high-quality short-term rentals leveraging Airbnb and apartment complexes through syndication. In 2018, Carly left her full-time job to purchase a $2MM multifamily apartment building in San Francisco. In March 2019, Jered joined Carly on her real estate adventure, and they relocated their family to Jacksonville, FL to build out their real estate portfolio.

I am also joined in this episode by Buddy Rushing (USNA '04), Founder of White Feather Investments and the fearless leader of our Real Estate Investing Accelerator.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Carly's decision to relocate her family and start a real estate business in Jacksonville, FL
• How the Real Estate Accelerator has impacted both her life and business
• Her goal to achieve financial freedom this year through real estate investing

Connect with Carly DaCosta:

• Carly on LinkedIn

Join our upcoming Zoom call on March 7th to learn more about the Real Estate Accelerator.

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague.

Subscribe and help out the show:

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

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Rachael Jackson is a West Point graduate with a degree in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, former Army Captain and Apache Attack Helicopter pilot. As an Army officer, she saw first-hand the importance of taking care of soldiers and their families. As CEO of TRIBAL, she has seen first-hand the power of story and the necessity for relationships to change hearts and drive action. Her life's work is to connect people to a greater sense of meaning through stories, resources, and relationships. TRIBAL is a relationship and community-building platform that helps leaders connect with, grow and inspire their people.

In this episode, Rachael and I discuss:

• How her mobile app helps employees create conversations and build stronger relationships
• How she brought her idea to market and got her first customers
• Her best tips for overcoming fear when launching a new business

Connect with Rachael Jackson:

• Rachael on Linkedin
• TRIBAL

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague.

Subscribe and help out the show:

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

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Today is the 100th episode of the SABM podcast. In today's episode I share the story of SABM, where the idea came from and how it has evolved over the past three years. Since launching the community in 2017, we have grown immensely thanks to all the amazing grads who have contributed their time, talent and ideas.

In today's episode, I share:

• How the idea for SABM started with a coffee mug business and the need to be surrounded by like-minded people
• The story and mindset shift of transitioning from a side-hustle to a full-time business
• Overcoming fear and procrastination when launching a new business (or any creative project)

Special thanks for Ginni Guiton (USMA) for joining me on today's podcast. And thank you to all our podcast listeners, meetup attendees, real estate accelerator members, investor group members, and mastermind members. Without you, there wouldn't be an SABM. The face of SABM will always be the community of academy grads who make our tribe so special.

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague.

Subscribe and help out the show:

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

Special thanks to Ginni for joining me on the 100th episode. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

France Hoang (USMA '95) has developed a patent-pending artificial intelligence engine to help organizations predict who in a new list of people are most like the original list using hundreds of data points. Their predictive models help nonprofit fundraisers find new donors (boodle.ai), help political candidates raise contributions (adjutant.ai), and help companies find new clients that match the profile of their existing clients (guidon.ai).

In this episode, we discuss:

• How their AI tool can find potential clients from an existing list of prospects
• How they help companies reduce marketing cost through their predictive models
• The most important skills he learned in the Army that have helped him as an entrepreneur

Connect with France Hoang:

• France on LinkedIn
• Boodle.ai for non-profits
• Adjutant.ai for politicians
• Guidon.ai for companies

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague.

Subscribe and help out the show:

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

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Bo Bergstrom (USNA '03) is the CEO of Humanly, a company that offers co-working spaces to help therapists and other private practitioners transition into their own private practice. In addition to flexible office space, they also provide their members with an active and supportive community along with business classes to help them thrive.

In this episode, we discuss:

• His company's goal to grow to 500 locations in the next five years
• How they are planning to grow using the franchising model
• His personal story from serving as a Marine that attracted him to this business

Connect with Bo Bergstrom:

• Humanly
• Bo on LinkedIn

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 Play, Spotify & Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01