The Transition by Bunker Labs

Today on the Transition, I’m joined by fellow Marine and Bunker Labs Ambassador Brand Childers, Founder of Freelance Corporal, an App whose aim is to help military service improve their financial literacy, combing a budget calculator with their EAS countdown, projecting how much savings a service member could get out of the military with. After serving in the Marines, Brand began pursuing his education in Psychology, with an emphasis on the veteran community. After recognizing that financial distress was a leading indicator for homeless and mental health issues, Brand decided to focus his attention on financial literacy. Despite not having a strong technical background, Brandon began engaging the veteran entrepreneurial ecosystem, joining organizations like Bunker Labs, and attending the MilVet Startup Conference, to figure out the best way to bring his app to market. On the show not only do we discuss Brandon’s startup Journey, including launching his MVP, we discuss the importance of creating a more inclusive ecosystem to attract more enlisted service men and women, who often feel left out. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Purchase Chris’s book here: https://amzn.to/3nx2NVW

Learning more about Freelance Corporal here: https://www.freelancecorporal.com/

In this episode of the Transition, I share some inside scoop on how I’m approaching Lead Generation, Flawless Acceleration,utilizing the Hawke Method, and how you can apply it on your own venture as well. I also use today’s episode as an opportunity to cover branding essentials for going to market.

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Watch Marc Andressen’s interview with business insider here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfOsP3PmI1U

In this episode of the Transition, I talked about the difference between raising capital and going to market with a tech product vs a traditional small business. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Watch Marc Andressen’s interview with business insider here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfOsP3PmI1U

In the following episode of the Transition, I’m joined by Army Veteran and CEO Circle Alumni, Chris Anthony, Founder & CEO of Teamworx Security, software company building a better way to manage cyber incident response in defense, cyber, critical infrastructure, and emergency management. Teamworx is the world's largest secure online forum that connects security teams across private and public sectors.  Chris and I talk about the origins of Teamworx Security, what he’s learned going through his first capital raise, and how he manages to consistently perform while operating at the edge of his own competency.

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Purchase Chris’s book here: https://amzn.to/3nx2NVW

Learning more about Teamworx Security here: https://www.teamworxsecurity.com/

I’m pumped for the following episode of the Transition, as I finally get to sit down with fellow Marine and Bunker Labs New Orleans Ambassador, Taylor White, CEO and Co-Founder of Countable, which provides Financial Operations and Planning for Startups & Small businesses, empowering entrepreneurs with the financial team they need for growing businesses in the digital age. On the show, he opens up about the success and challenges of his business as they reach the next stage of growth, his journey from growing up in Trailor in New Orleans to becoming a Marine, and what motivates him as an entrepreneur and leader in the Bunker. Taylor, as well as many of you, represent the best and brightest of our nation's entrepreneurs, and I’m just excited to share his story on the show. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Learn more about Countable here: https://www.countabl.io/

Apply for Veterans in Residence here: https://www.countabl.io/

In this episode of the Transition, I’m joined by Army Veteran and Bunker Labs OG, A- Jay Orr, Founder and CEO of Simple Plan IT, which helps business leaders manage the digital risks that threaten the existence of their business, taking the confusion out of IT & proving to business leaders that investing in new technology can be practical, effective, & stress-free. A-Jay is also the author of “The Art of War in Business Technology: Simple Tactics For Conquering IT & Cybersecurity Challenges On The Small Business Battlefield.” On the show, AJ opens up about his struggle to find balance as a father of five, cancer survivor, and award-winning entrepreneur. We also talk about the loss of identity and community he felt, once he left the military, and how he found both of them again as a veteran entrepreneur. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Learn more about Simpleplan IT here: https://simpleplanit.com/

In the following episode of the Transition, I’m joined by my good friend and Army Veteran, Mike Nemeth, Founder of Emblem Athletic, an apparel company that provides custom athletic apparel to athletes, teams, and organizations. I’ve had a chance to witness Mike scale his company from a handful of employees to almost 30+ and one of inc 500’s fastest-growing companies. Every day until he sold the company earlier this year, it was a struggle, which Mike opens up about on today’s show. He gets real about his journey scaling Emblem, including the mental and physical toll it took on him, how he managed to introduce a new line of business during the pandemic, and why he let go of his initial dreams and aspirations for the company before he decided to sell it. This is jammed packed episode full of nuggets from one founder to another, so make sure you tuned in. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Learn more about Emblem Athletic here: https://www.emblemathletic.com/

Entrepreneurship is hard, it requires guts, sacrifice, and the willingness to endure, which is one of many reasons why Today’s guest, Brandon Shelton, is bullish about investing in veteran-led startups. Brandon is an Army Veteran, as well as the Founder and Managing Partner of Tasks Force Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in service-driven, high-performing and commercially tested military and national security startups, led by Veterans who have a passion for solving real-world issues by using technology to build ideas that are net new to our society. Brandon is a bit of a contrarian when it comes to venture investing. He has strong views about what’s wrong with the industry, which we’ll get into on the show, and believes too much emphasis is placed on funds and their leadership, and not the founders. If you’re thinking about raising capital or are already in the process of doing so, make sure you get out some pen and paper for today’s show. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Learn more about Tasks Force Capital here: https://tfxcap.com

In the following episode of the Transition, I’m joined by Air Force Veteran turned Venture Capitalist, Derren Burrell, Founder and President of Veterans Venture Capital, a veteran-owned growth-equity investment fund & firm focused on veteran businesses. On the show, Derren and I discuss why he believes veterans make great entrepreneurs, the investment thesis of his firm, and the importance of community and collaboration in the venture space. Whether you’re looking to raise funding for your startup or trying to gain a better understanding of the venture landscape, this episode you don’t want to miss. 

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

Learn more about Veterans Venture Capital here: https://www.veteranventures.us/

Today, I’m joined by Robert Kissner and Rianna Khan, from the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at IONA University, which is now providing free one-on-one business coaching and technical assistance to veteran and military spouse owned small businesses. On the show,  Rob and Rianna discuss their offerings and how the community can take advantage of them.

Be sure to subscribe to the Transition Newsletter on Substack here: https://bit.ly/37Bb8Ne

Order my book, “Black Veteran Entrepreneur” here: https://amzn.to/3gme7kg

To receive free business coaching from The Hynes institute, Register here: https://bit.ly/3IpWhbn

Apply for The Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship Workshop Series here: https://bunkerlabs.org/breaking-barriers/