The Transition by Bunker Labs

Learn how a retired 53-year-old Army Veteran is reinventing himself as a start-up founder. It's never too late to pursue greatness!

Learn how retired Air-Force Veteran Valerie Rivera, launched her business while being a wife and mother of two teenage boys.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host "IRON" Mike Steadman, the Voice of the Bunker. I'm a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Branding Team.

In the following episode, I sat down with Marvin Johnson, Founder and CEO of Dashible, a mobile app that connects and builds long-lasting relationships between consumers and local retailers through an integrated deal and loyalty platform. Marvin is a former Navy submarine officer and seasoned tech entrepreneur, with a passion for building innovative products and teams. Dashible isn't Marvin's first time on the entrepreneur roller coaster. He's run the gambit from a bootstrapped entrepreneur to CEO of a venture-backed start-up competing with Paypal, to witnessing the wheels on that same tech startup, fall off. Marvin opens up about what went wrong with his first venture, how overcame depression after things didn't work out, and how he's using the lessons learned, to power his current start-up, Dashible. As always, my hope is that Marvin's transparency and vulnerability, empower you to overcome your own challenges, as you continue your entrepreneurial journey.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host "IRON" Mike Steadman, the Voice of the Bunker. I'm a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Branding Team. 

In today's episode, I interview Air Force Veteran, Entrepreneur, and Bunker Labs OG, Charlynda Scales, CEO of Mutt Sauce, an all-purpose specialty sauce company founded in memory of her late Grandfather, Charley "Mutt" Ferrel Jr., who made the coveted recipe found in Mutt Sauce's product today. After inheriting the recipe in 2013, Charlynda decided to use her military service and business background to launch the business and distribute the sauce all across the United States. Despite the numerous accolades and awards, she's received, including a 25k Grant From Bob Evans and Damond John, Charlynda opens up about her struggles with imposter syndrome, the challenges of running a small business, and want often feels like a never-ending grind. Although Charlynda and I have crossed paths multiple over the years, we never had an opportunity to have a conversation like on today's show. My hope is that Charlynda's transparency and vulnerability, empower you to overcome your own challenges, as you continue your entrepreneurial journey.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host IRON Mike Steadman, “The Voice of the Bunker,” a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Team.

In the following episode, I decided to break script from the show’s traditional format, and host an office hour session with you, where I discuss how to set your Annual and Quarterly Goals. As entrepreneurs, we tend to focus on strategy and sett big hairy audacious goals, without an actionable plan on how to accomplish them. It’s one thing to say we want to generate 500k a year in revenue, it’s another thing to host 30 virtual meetups, submit 50 proposals to warm prospects, and offer an affiliate program to orchestrate referrals.

To assist me with this session, I invited Joshua Pomeroy, Army Veteran and CEO of Interim, 2 which provides interim Chief of Staff (CoS) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for small and midsized businesses that seek to hit their next stage of growth. Strategy is great, but the execution is better. It’s a New Year, we all have dreams and ambitions for our ventures, and we need an actional framework to accomplish them.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host IRON Mike Steadman a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Team. 

In the following episode, I interview retired army veteran, Jimmy Cox, Founder and CEO of the Military Fresh Network and the Military Fresh Network Consulting, a media company that connects the military community with likeminded individuals and bridges the gap between the American public with those who serve. As a former army recruiter and marketing specialist, Jimmy founded the Military Fresh Network to "show & prove" that veterans can serve our country, yet remain the unique individuals we were created to be. Initially established as an Instagram account highlighting veterans in their element, whether through fitness, business, or simply looking "Fresh" on the gram, the brand has emerged into a full-fledged media company, overseeing multiple products and brands to promote its "Fresh" state of mind.  Jimmy is unapologetic in MFN's approach to highlight the fastness of diversity within our nation's military. After not seeing enough representation of black and Latin x  culture in the military apparel space, Jimmy and his team decided to create their own apparel and products to bridge the gap. Diversity and Inclusion aren't just buzz words to MFN, it's part of their brand identity. You can see by who's rocking their apparel and who's holding their newly launched "Fresh flask," the freshest and most culturally diverse flask and tumbler company to donate.  Jimmy shares insight into the challenges he's faced building MFN, from generating sustainable revenue, to feeling ostracized at veteran entrepreneur networking events. Jimmy doesn't hold back any punches and shares his truth of establishing his own niche in the veteran ecosystem.  If you're an entrepreneur looking to launch an apparel company, or just looking to gain more knowledge in general, My hope is that through Jimmy's story, you're able to apply many of the lessons in your own entrepreneurial journey.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host IRON Mike Steadman a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Team. 

In this episode, I interview Don Tobul, An Army Veteran and Founder of OD Greens, a socially-driven company that provides mental health counseling services and workplace training for veterans, leveraging the production of hydroponic produce. Don holds a Masters's in clinical mental health counseling and spent almost 9 years as a mental health counselor with the Department of Veteran Affairs. During this time, Don began experimenting with hydroponic produce as a form of counseling therapy for veterans. By participating in gardening agricultural, alongside fellow veterans,  he can help veterans can quiet their minds and find healing. Don opens up about how he successfully transitioned from serving as a mental counselor from the VA, to work on OD Greens Full-time. He talks about how he bootstrapped his venture and how it's adapting to the rapidly changing environment of the COVID-19 Pandemic. On a personal level, it was a pleasure for me to interview Don, whom I met during a small business pitch competition in DC in the spring of 2019. At the time, he wasn't working on his venture full-time, and it was great for me to learn how about his growth since then. If you are looking to launch a social-driven venture, in a specific niche, this episode is for you.  I hope that you enjoy hearing from Don and that this episode helps accelerate you on your own entrepreneurial journey.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host "IRON" Mike Steadman a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Team. 

In the following episode, I interview my good friend and fellow Veterans-in-Residence Alumni, James Van Prooyen, a retired Air-Force Veteran and founder of the Military Podcast Network. James and I joined Bunker Labs around the same time, both eventually serving as City Leaders, and immersing ourselves in the military entrepreneur community. James is extremely passionate about podcasting and has been making rounds in the podcast community, attending conferences, workshops, and connecting with influencers. James opens up about what led him to podcasting, after transitioning from the Air-Force after 20 years of service. He gives insight into the podcast ecosystem and how he's managed to find his niche. James also talks about imposter syndrome, and how he's overcome it by launching multiple ventures, including his own veterans in business mastermind group. James discusses the importance of community, and how refreshing it is to be around other like-minded veterans, pursuing entrepreneurship as a way of life. James has a commanding voice and exudes inspiration. I hope that you enjoy hearing from James and that this episode helps accelerate you on your own entrepreneurial journey.

What's up Everybody, welcome to another edition of the transition, a show aimed at demystifying the entrepreneur experience for those of you looking to make the transition from the military into entrepreneurship. I'm your host Mike Steadman a Marine Corps Veteran, Social Entrepreneur, and member of the Bunker Labs Team. 

In the following episode, I sat down with Zephrine Hanson, Founder of Hampden Farms, a suburban farming project offering sustainable farming solutions and small-batch artisanal products made from organic ingredients , lovingly grown, and conscientiously sourced. Zephrine is an Air-Force veteran, where she served as a public affairs and medical photographer stationed in Germany and Texas. After medical retirement from the Air Force in 2004, Zephrine shifted to freelance photography and returned to college for communications. With the resounding support of her partner, the Hanson's packed up and moved to Denver, CO in 2016 where she embraced a calmer, holistic lifestyle. With the help of the Veteran community, Zephrine and her family began bootstrapping her farming operation, launching Hampden farms, and building a sustainable business to support the local community. Zephrine opens up about discovering her passion for farming and using as outlet for healing & mental health. . Zephrine opens up about founding her company, the challenges caused by COVID-19 Pandemic, and how she's rallied her family around her business. This is an uplifting and nourishing episode that you don't want to miss. I hope you enjoy Zephrines story as much as I do, and that this episode helps accelerate you on your own entrepreneurial journey.