Service Academy Business Mastermind

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/eric-johnson

Eric Johnson (USNA '08) is the Founder of Trident Coffee, home of America’s finest cold brew.  Using their signature blend, they handcraft their cold brew coffee for 18 hours then infuse it with nitrogen in a ready-to-go can. The result is the smoothest, creamiest cold brew coffee on the market with a sweet chocolate and caramel flavor.  At Trident Coffee, their mission is to continually create a community experience and connect people over a cup (or can!) of coffee.

In this episode, Eric and I discuss:

• The story behind why he crafted his best-selling cold brew
• How he landed his first customer and grew his business through distribution
• The funny story about why he decided to start a business after attending a career conference

Connect with Eric Johnson:

• Eric on LinkedIn
• Trident Coffee

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/ronald-steptoe/

Ronald Steptoe (USMA '87) started Warrior Centric Health to bring healthcare advocacy, curriculum development and training to the federal and commercial sector marketplaces. As CEO, Ron has established innovative partnerships with leading national medical organizations, to provide "medically-accredited military culture, cultural competency, and patient-provider communication" educational training programs for health and service support providers and systems.

In this episode, Ron and I discuss:

• His journey starting Warrior Centric Health and his discovery of a $300B industry
• A key partnership he just secured with Vizient
• The military history of his family dating back to the American Revolutionary War and his experience as a basketball player at West Point competing against David Robinson from Navy 😊

Connect with Ron Steptoe:

• Ron on LinkedIn
• Warrior Centric Health

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Episode link:  https://www.sabmgroup.com/ronald-steptoe/ 

Ronald Steptoe (USMA ’87) started Warrior Centric Health to bring healthcare advocacy, curriculum development and training to the federal and commercial sector marketplaces. As CEO, Ron has established innovative partnerships with leading national medical organizations, to provide “medically-accredited military culture, cultural competency, and patient-provider communication” educational training programs for health and service support providers and systems.

In this episode, Ron and I discuss:

• His journey starting Warrior Centric Health and his discovery of a $300B industry 
• A key partnership he just secured with Vizient
• The military history of his family dating back to the American Revolutionary War and his experience as a basketball player at West Point competing against David Robinson from Navy

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/gerardo-martinez/

Gerardo Martinez (USNA '11) is the Founder of Triple Direct Leadership LLC, a company that provides high end leadership development to organizations by customizing the experience to the participant's mission and vision. Whether its rock climbing with the board of directors, an expedition with a department head or kayaking with the whole team, their experiences are unforgettable and results driven.

In this episode, Gerardo and I discuss:

• His customized outdoor team building experiences that get results
• Why he doesn't deliver any training by PowerPoint or in conference rooms
• What it was like leaving his day job to start his own company

Connect with Gerardo Martinez:

• Gerardo on LinkedIn
• Triple Direct Leadership

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Episode link:  https://www.sabmgroup.com/gerardo-martinez/

Gerardo Martinez (USNA '11) is the Founder of Triple Direct Leadership LLC, a company that provides high end leadership development to organizations by customizing the experience to the participant's mission and vision.  Whether its rock climbing with the board of directors, an expedition with a department head or kayaking with the whole team, their experiences are unforgettable and results driven.

In this episode, Gerardo and I discuss:

• His customized outdoor team building experiences that get results
• Why he doesn’t deliver any training by PowerPoint or in conference rooms
• What it was like leaving his day job to start his own company

Connect with Gerardo Martinez:

• Gerardo on LinkedIn
• Triple Direct Leadership

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/victor-wiggins/

Victor Wiggins (USMA '07) is the Founder of CozyBee, an innovative company that creates contemporary products for the modern family that don't force you to compromise style for function. Vic started CozyBee after becoming a new parent and recognizing that brands for new parents were very limited. His flagship product, a baby changing pad, combines style and function and is the only changing pad on the market that includes a diaper wipes pocket for easy changing on the go.

In this episode, Vic and I discuss:

• The exact steps he took to create a physical product and sell it on Amazon
• How he connected with a manufacturer that helped him make a custom product
• The tools he used to analyze the sales opportunity on Amazon

Connect with Vic Wiggins:

• Vic on LinkedIn
• CozyBee on Amazon
• CozyBee on Facebook
• CozyBee on Instagram

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/victor-wiggins/

Victor Wiggins (USMA '07) is the Founder of CozyBee, an innovative company that creates contemporary products for the modern family that don't force you to compromise style for function.  Vic started CozyBee after becoming a new parent and recognizing that brands for new parents were very limited. His flagship product, a baby changing pad, combines style and function and is the only changing pad on the market that includes a diaper wipes pocket for easy changing on the go.

In this episode, Vic and I discuss:

• The exact steps he took to create a physical product and sell it on Amazon
• How he connected with a manufacturer that helped him make a custom product
• The tools he used to analyze the sales opportunity on Amazon

Connect with Vic Wiggins:

• Vic on LinkedIn
• CozyBee on Amazon
• CozyBee on Facebook
• CozyBee on Instagram

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/kris-yagel/

Kris Yagel (USMA '99) is the Founder of Diligent Plans whose mission is to build leaders and optimize the performance of teams across all industries, primarily through consulting, training, and motivational events. They offer robust, fully customizable programs and services ranging from in-depth analysis, to immersive team building, to cutting edge training, to motivational speaking, and beyond.

In this episode, Kris and I discuss:

• His innovative team building exercises that get results
• Opportunities to join his team as a speaker
• How he got started in the leadership training business and how he got his first clients

Connect with Kris Yagel:

• Kris on LinkedIn
• Diligent Plans

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Episode link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/kris-yagel/

Kris Yagel (USMA '99) is the Founder of Diligent Plans whose mission is to build leaders and optimize the performance of teams across all industries, primarily through consulting, training, and motivational events. They offer robust, fully customizable programs and services ranging from in-depth analysis, to immersive team building, to cutting edge training, to motivational speaking, and beyond.

In this episode, Kris and I discuss:

• His innovative team building exercises that get results
• Opportunities to join his team as a speaker
• How he got started in the leadership training business and how he got his first clients

Connect with Kris Yagel:

• Kris on LinkedIn
• Diligent Plans

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

Website link: https://www.sabmgroup.com/pete-canalichio

Pete Canalichio (USNA '81), the global authority on brand expansion, is on a mission to help brands become more alive in the hearts of those that experience them. He does that by helping them write a better story through compelling content, inspiring platform talks, in-depth consulting and workshops, and practical tools. Pete considers it a privilege to use his experience in global brand licensing and expansion at admired organizations such as Coca-Cola and Newell Rubbermaid to help his clients and their organizations reach their full potential.

In this episode, Pete and I discuss:

• How he helps companies create licensing agreements to expand the impact of their brand
• His proprietary LASSO framework that helps companies expand their brand globally
• His experience from writing a book and how it has helped him win more client engagements

Connect with Pete:

• Pete on Linkedin
• PeteCanalichio.com
• Buy Pete's book: Expand, Grow, Thrive

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 iTunes
• Subscribe on Stitcher
• Leave us a 5-star review!

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

-Scott Mackes, USNA '01