“I wanted to use something that I thought was special that was tied to my Marine Corps time, which is the celebratory nature of using beer as a way to give back. And I'm proud to say that this grew into a movement, and we're excited about the work that we do."
– Seth Jordan

Seth Jordan is the Founder & President of Dog Tag Brewing, a brewery that provides the highest quality crafted beers that deliver a message of gratitude for the selfless sacrifice of our nation’s military. Proceeds from Dog Tag Brewing sales are donated to causes determined by the families of fallen warriors.

He graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina and went to work for ESPN in New York City, but felt compelled to serve after 9/11. He served as an officer in the Marine Corps for nearly 10 years as a Naval Aviator and UH-1 Helicopter pilot with over 250 combat missions. He started Dog Tag Brewing after leaving the Marine Corps.

The top reason to listen to this episode is:

1. Support - Seth established a Brewery where all of the profits go to supporting veteran families and the causes they believe in. It's a great example of using one's career for a purpose greater than oneself
2. Entrepreneurship - Seth talks about starting a business, a brewery, and a foundation all at the same time
3. Mentors - Seth does a great job of talking about how to find and learn from mentors as veterans pursue their civilian career

Our Sponsor:

• Audible is offering one FREE audio book to Beyond the Uniform listeners. You can claim this offer here, and see a list of books recommended by my guests at BeyondTheUniform.io/books

Selected Links

• Related Episodes - if you liked this episode, I would recommend you check out the following episodes:
  • BTU 60 - Matt Miller - Vending machine; helping family and building own life
  • BTU 71 - Jeff Tiegs - Guardian Group - giving back
  • BTU 38 - Chris Shaw - Good overview of Bunker Labs
  • Recommended Resources
    • Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business - The difference between innovators and executors. Division of labor, who does what and when. Battle Rhymths and how to get through things.
    • LinkedIn - using LinkedIn requests instead of Facebook friends, connecting with new people and following up on those connections
    • Bunker Labs - used own experiences as entrepreneurs to help veterans. Great place to test business plan and pitch deck, and learn from others.
  • Dogtagbrewing.org - foundation doing work for the families of the fallen who have largely been neglected
  • Video overview about Dog Tag Brewing

Show Notes

• 3:45 - Seth's Background
• 4:30 - Seth's decision to join the Military from the civilian sector
• 5:22 - Seth's decision to leave the Marine Corps
• 6:28 - When Seth first started to think about starting his own brewery
• 8:04 - Seth's decision to donate all profits he makes to help veteran causes
• 12:27 - What it was like to start a brewery and advice to other veterans seeking to start their own company
• 16:52 - Advice for veterans seeking a mentor - how to find them and evaluate when to bring them on in a more formal capacity
• 22:00 - How often Seth meets with this mentors and advisors
• 24:16 - What Seth's day-to-day life looks like
• 27:16 - Advice on finding work-life balance
• 31:24 - The most valuable skill Seth took away from the Marine Corps that has helped him at Dog Tag Brewing
• 32:12 - One skill that Seth had to develop since leaving the Marine Corps
• 33:50 - What advice Seth would have given to himself when he first left the Marine Corps
• 39:37 - Resources Seth recommends to all veterans
• 44:00 - Final words of wisdom
• 47:50 - Where you can find out more about Dog Tag Brewing and how you can support Seth and his mission