The Veteran (Semi) Professional

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Will is a consultant who doesn't have a military background but wanted to do something about the veteran suicide problem.  So he started Caritas Apparel, which makes GREAT socks, and 20% goes to veteran causes. 

Show Notes:
Caritas Apparel

Caritas Apparel (@caritasapparel) • Instagram photos and videos

Ep.156: Founding Hydro Flask, Doing Business in China, and Enjoying the Ride of Entrepreneurship with Travis Rosbach (buzzsprout.com)

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Warning: This episode gets intense. 

Brian's Book: 

One in three will experience a significant trauma in their life. For Army Apache Pilot Brian Slade, his first was in Afghanistan. Offering a unique perspective on preparing one’s mind for trauma, Cleared Hot puts readers in the cockpit of the most lethal helicopter in the world as Slade learns on the job, flying over an unforgiving landscape.
Follow Slade as he navigates the ugliness of combat while working to preserve a difficult marriage to a wife suffering from mental illness. Witness the challenges that taught him universal lessons on resilience and coping—and how they equipped him to think fast under pressure and maneuver through a curtain of enemy fire that crippled his aircraft and wounded his co-pilot, ultimately earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Cleared Hot offers readers an exhilarating ride while giving them tools they can use to survive the traumas of their own lives.

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Chris is a great guy. He's taking his time in the SEAL teams to build tech for the defense world and invest in great entrepreneurs. 

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Mike's official bio:

Michael (Mike) D. Lahiff serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ZeroEyes, an intelligent video analytics company that uses artificial intelligence with existing security cameras to detect weapons and send alerts to local staff and first responders. Prior to founding ZeroEyes, Mr. Lahiff served as Director of Digital Programs at Comcast NBC Universal where he oversaw the coordination between project management teams and software development teams in order to deliver multiple digital products. Prior to joining Comcast, Mr. Lahiff was the managing member of Horsemen Partners, a private fund focused on acquisitions of small and medium-sized businesses. Mr. Lahiff also spent ten years in the United States Navy as a Navy SEAL.

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I love sharing the powerful stories of veterans using psychedelics to recover and heal.  Bob Taylor shares his experiences with these therapies to have a transformational and life-changing experience. 

Home - Patriot Promise Foundation

Patriot's Promise (@patriots_promise) on Instagram

Amazon.com: From Service To Success: New Mission, New Purpose, and a New Journey to a Great Life: 9781636980171: Taylor, Bob: Books

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Peter's bio:

A US navy veteran (gunnery officer on the USS McCandless) and former Dell executive, he founded Austin-based Alen Corp in 2002, a company that designs and manufactures indoor air purifiers. After bootstrapping from zero to $14M, Peter sold Alen Corp in 2009 and founded Radford, Virginia-based Oransi – an electric motor technology and indoor air purification manufacturing company with a clean energy mission.

Oransi recently bought a large manufacturing facility in Virginia and is hiring more than a hundred local workers to move the company’s entire manufacturing to the US from China. He is also the Chair of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ Air Cleaner Council.

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Here is my good thumb-in-the-wind technique to measure how much reach a guest has:

Do they have their own Wikipedia page:  yes or no?

For Dan Brouillete, yes. 

Here is his official bio:

Dan Brouillette is president of Sempra Infrastructure, a leading global energy transition company focused on three key growth platforms: clean power, energy networks and LNG and net-zero solutions.

Prior to joining Sempra, Brouillette served as the 15th United States Secretary of Energy. In this capacity, he led a workforce of 105,000 employees and federal contractors, with direct responsibility for the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal, coordination of federal energy policy, management of seventeen national research laboratories, and direction of the department’s $44 billion annual budget. He served as the President’s primary advisor on energy and nuclear weapons matters, and was a member of the President’s National Security Council as well as the Vice President’s National Space Council. Under his leadership, the Department unveiled the world’s fastest supercomputer, developed specialized transportation fuels and photographic equipment for the Mars Perseverance Rover, launched the nation’s first quantum internet system, established the country’s first scientific laboratory dedicated exclusively to the advancement of battery storage technologies, and initiated nearly $6 billion in research on issues related to carbon management, hydrogen development, and advanced materials and chemicals science.

Brouillette also served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, the chief operating officer of the department, managing nearly $38 billion of federal construction projects. Brouillette is the only person to ever be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve in both roles.

In the private sector, Brouillette was a senior vice president and corporate officer of USAA, the nation’s leading provider of financial services to the military community. Before joining USAA, Brouillette was a vice president of Ford Motor Company, where he served on its North American Operating Committee. At Ford and USAA, he was assigned to management teams that brought to market advanced consumer products related to remote deposit capture, a technology invented by USAA that allows for smartphone processing of financial documents, and the adaptive cruise control systems that were a precursor to fully autonomous vehicles.

Brouillette is a veteran and former tank commander with the U.S. Army’s highly decorated 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. He has been awarded Distinguished Public Service awards by both the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Secretary of State, the highest award an individual can receive by either department.

Brouillette holds a master’s degree in intelligence and national security from The Citadel and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland. For his leadership in both the private and public sectors, he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Maryland. He has attended numerous executive education programs in finance, management, and systems engineering, and has served as a guest lecturer at the National War College and the Army War College.

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Lynn Lowder is an absolute legend who is now helping veterans buy businesses. 

Here is his official bio: 

" Not many people have led 24 long-range reconnaissance patrols deep within enemy-held territory and lived to tell about it. Lynn brings his hard-earned combat leadership, business, and life experience into organizations and peoples’ lives where he teaches, motivates, and inspires them on the value and importance of character and integrity for “360 Success” in life.

A Marine special operations team leader forged in the ultimate crucible of combat, Lynn received the Silver Star for valor, the Bronze Star with combat “v” and the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. After the Marines, he went on to succeed as a trial attorney and later as a general counsel and C-level operating officer in several companies, including Mail Boxes, Etc. and Colt Firearms. He has also served on the boards of several for-profit and not-for-profit companies. Lynn’s extensive, hands-on leadership and management experience in business, law, and the military make him a unique source of hard-earned, real-world wisdom and know-how.

Lynn has been an invited speaker in many settings for over 25 years. Corporate executives, public service organizations, military personnel, collegiate coaches and athletes, religious groups, school children, and parents have all benefited from his insightful, down-to-earth perspectives on success in leadership, business, relationships, and life. He works closely with his clients to ensure his messages address their specific needs and that his presentations are consistently uplifting and practical."

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Dennis left the Air Force and went to Harvard Business School before joining Google and then launching his own startup. 

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This is a unique episode.  Jay McKinley was formerly incarcerated and has since made a great career in the manufacturing world.  He came to one of my classes at Darden, which ended up being the classroom session I remember more than any others.  We talk about the challenges returning citizens face and you might be surprised by the similarities with the veteran community.