TheMilVet Podcast

Gerta Malaj is a negotiation expert with a professional career that spans big tech (LinkedIn, IBM) to global biotech (Sanofi), startups (3x founder & advisor), and venture capital. Gerta is an angel investor and an LP of a VC Fund. She is also a veteran spouse and holds a Master's in Engineering from MIT.

Gerta has free negotiation downloads on her website at yournegotiations.com. She is also active on LinkedIn and Twitter (@gerta_ma).  

Gerta joins Brendan to discuss:

• How a shift in thinking about negotiation can help you secure more compensation
• Common pitfalls when negotiating compensation
• Why salary isn't the only thing you should be worried about
• How and when to prepare for a negotiation to maximize your benefit

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Paul Lawrence is an Army veteran and former Under Secretary of Veteran Benefits at the VA. Paul's professional career spans multiple levels of leadership at consulting firms, but since 2021 he has focused on being a veteran advocate and author. Paul is active on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), where he shares valuable resources and spotlights veterans and organizations who are contributing to the veteran community.

Paul has published two books following his service as Under Secretary. His most recent work, Veterans Benefits for You: Get What You Deserve, is an incredible resource for all veterans looking to better understand their benefits and is a TMV Recommended Read. 

Paul joins Brendan to discuss:

• The most effective way to file claims with the VA
• Recent updates to VA Loan guidelines
• How he was nominated as Under Secretary of Benefits at the VA
• How to navigate your relationship with the VA and get what you need

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Sasha Seymore is a co-founder and the COO of Learn to Win, an education technology company based in Redwood City, California, that improves training and onboarding for commercial enterprises, the Department of Defense, and athletic teams and programs. Sasha is also a reserve intelligence officer for the US Navy serving with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), helping the U.S. military make faster use of emerging commercial technologies. 

Prior to Learn to Win, Sasha worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company and played professional basketball in Europe. Sasha received an MBA from Stanford as a Knight-Hennessey scholar, an MA from Queen's University Belfast as a George Mitchell Scholar, and a BA from the University of North Carolina, where he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar, Senior Class President, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on the men's basketball team. Sasha serves on the National Leadership Council for the Positive Coaching Alliance and was named to the 2022 Forbes 30 under 30 list in Education.


Sasha joins Brendan to discuss:

• How he balances his career in the Navy Reserves with being a startup founder
• How Learn to Win was born from his experience playing college basketball
• The nuances between the military, startups, and careers at larger companies
• His advice for getting the most out of your career post-military

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

David Hunt is a former Naval Aviator and the Founder and CEO of Crossrope. 

Crossrope is a company on a mission to inspire millions of people to experience a different way to get fit through jump rope fitness. 

Founded in 2012, Crossrope has grown into a leading fitness brand today with many product offerings and over 20,000 positive reviews from customers. 

David joins Brendan and Tim to discuss:

• How David got the idea for Crossrope and began his entrepreneurial journey
• How making jump ropes grew into tech and media at Crossrope
• The importance of capitalizing on opportunities in life and business

TMVPod listeners can use code MILVET for 20% off any item at crossrope.com 

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

 Joe Musselman is a Navy Veteran, Founder of The Honor Foundation, and Founder & General Partner at Bravo Victor Venture Capital. 

The Honor Foundation is a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. 

Bravo Victor Venture Capital's mission is to find, fund, and follow-on with mission-first founders so the United States and our allies win. It does so by investing in companies to reaffirm America's position as the world's leader in software, hardware, and advanced manufacturing technologies. 

Joe joins Tim to discuss:

• Why investing in national security is good for the world and for business
• Which skills veteran founders can learn and leverage to become successful
• Why Joe founded the Honor Foundation
• What drew Joe to venture capital after being a non-profit founder 

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Chris Robinson is a former Marine Corps pilot and Goldman Sachs M&A banker.

Chris is now the founder and CEO of Clearyst, a sustainability value platform consisting of several product lines developed by subsidiary companies.

Chris joins Brendan to discuss:

• His experience in an Executive MBA program
• Ways in which transitioning veterans can "crack the code" of the business world
• His thoughts on skill development and key pillars of professional success
• How Clearyst leverages a new way of thinking with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Major General Gregg Martin served in the Army for 36 years and now works as a mental health advocate. Known also as the Bipolar General, MG Martin was medically retired due to his condition. He recently authored a book titled Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness. 

In this episode, MG Martin joins Brendan to discuss 

• How he found out he had bipolar disorder
• His journey to living with and managing the illness
• His views on mental health treatment in the military and the VA

You can learn more about about Major General Martin at generalgreggmartin.com and order his new book, Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness at your favorite place to buy books. 

Thanks for listening!

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Kris Sandor is a former Navy Submarine Officer, McKinsey Associate, and CEO of of Citi Bike (acquired by Lyft).

Kris is now the co-founder and CEO of Readyly, a company that deploys Generative AI and automation to accelerate customer support for mid-market companies. 

Kris joins Brendan to discuss:

• The value of working for a large firm and how that is crucial to succeeding in the startup world
• Why search funds are such a risky undertaking
• A primer on tech jobs and culture, and what project management really is
• What gaps between the military and business world that veterans should keep in mind

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Jen Sovada is a retired Air Force officer and the President of Public Sector at SandboxAQ.

SandboxAQ is an enterprise SaaS company combining AI + Quantum tech to solve hard problems impacting society. Their solutions include post-RSA cybersecurity modules that migrate enterprises to higher levels of security, quantum sensing software and hardware and the ability to simulate and optimize data.


Luke joins Brendan to discuss:

• Jen's unique perspective on transition timeline
• Why focusing on your passions leads to career satisfaction
• How government is changing to benefit small business innovation
• Why the dual-use industry can be so attractive to veterans

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet

Luke Hutchison is a former Army officer and the Founder & CEO of Perfect Venue. Perfect Venue helps restaurants easily organize their events in one place to save time, increase sales, and streamline operations with the #1 event management software for independent restaurants & hospitality groups. The company has been featured in Tech Crunch, Fortune, and others. 


Luke joins Brendan to discuss:

• His journey of simultaneously transitioning out of the military and founding a startup
• What founders should seek to do before raising external funding
• How to maximize your chances of finding the right investors for your business
• The value of working in the startup ecosystem

Thanks for listening!

Here's how you can find us to continue the conversation:

Tweet us at @brendan_aronson
Follow us on Instagram at @themilitaryvet
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter at https://www.themilvet.org/resources-for-veterans
Check out our video content on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@themilitaryvet