VET S.O.S. Presents Operation Startup

EPISODE PREMISE

Leaving the Marine Corps wasn't John Buthorn's toughest transition. Leaving the NYPD and stepping away from a career built around service presented an even greater challenge.

In this episode of VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup, host Maurice Murphy sits down with Marine Corps veteran, retired NYPD sergeant, and Center Fidelis founder John Buthorn to explore how veterans can translate military experience into entrepreneurship without losing themselves to the pressures of civilian life.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• Rebuild your identity after service. Understand John's three biggest transition lessons: develop an identity beyond your uniform, translate military strengths into civilian opportunities, and recognize that toughness has limitations.

• Overcome the discomfort of self-promotion. Learn why even an experienced Marine, police sergeant, and licensed social worker struggles with marketing—and how authentic storytelling can help entrepreneurs connect with the right audience.

• Recognize pressure before it disrupts your priorities. Explore how competing responsibilities as a professional, spouse, parent, and caregiver can gradually pull your attention away from what matters most.

• Apply an investigative approach to personal performance. Discover why John examines individual routines, habits, responsibilities, and pressures before recommending behavioral changes instead of relying on generic productivity tips.

• Turn military discipline into entrepreneurial momentum. Hear John's advice about consistency, perseverance, and maintaining a mission-focused mindset when business growth feels uncertain.

ABOUT JOHN BUTHORN

John Buthorn is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, retired NYPD sergeant, licensed social worker, and performance coach whose career spans military service, law enforcement, and behavioral health.

As the founder of Center Fidelis, John developed the Pressure Drift Framework to examine how sustained pressure influences decision-making, relationships, attention, and performance. His coaching helps individuals with significant personal and professional responsibilities develop sustainable strategies for performing under pressure.

Connect with John Buthorn:

Website: www.centorfidelis.com

Instagram: @CenterFidelis

TikTok: @CenterFidelis

Facebook: Center Fidelis

If this episode helped you recognize the value of your military experience, follow VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup on Spotify and share this conversation with a veteran considering entrepreneurship.

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Your support helps us reach more veterans, transitioning service members, and military families.

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No One Transitions Alone.

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Leaving the military doesn't mean losing your purpose. What if betting on yourself is the smartest risk you'll ever take?

After eight years in the U.S. Army, disabled veteran Kela "KC" Chatman learned that building a successful civilian life required more than changing careers. It meant rediscovering her identity, embracing entrepreneurship, and recognizing that her time, energy, and expertise were worth more than someone else's paycheck.

On VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup, host Maurice Murphy explores how Kela transformed her personal healing journey into Sacred Circuit Life, a business helping executives and high-performing professionals reconnect with their purpose. From navigating military transition to her ambitious mission of creating 100 multimillionaires by 2037, Kela challenges veterans to build wealth, protect their peace, and create opportunities for others.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Reclaim your identity after military service: Apply Kela's three transition lessons: know who you are outside the uniform, develop a vision for your future, and communicate when you need support.

• Recognize when entrepreneurship is worth the risk: Understand why Kela chose greater control over her schedule, stress, and professional future instead of relying on corporate employment for security.

• Build a support system that genuinely supports you: Learn why asking for help became Kela's greatest entrepreneurial challenge and how she learned to distinguish genuine supporters from people seeking to benefit from her talents.

• Reconnect business success with personal purpose: Explore how Sacred Circuit Life uses meditation, sound therapy, breathwork, and other practices to help executives address burnout, examine difficult leadership decisions, and rediscover fulfillment.

• Think beyond personal financial success: Hear Kela's extraordinary goal of helping create 100 multimillionaires by 2037 and why she wants that wealth to become a resource for veteran nonprofits and communities.

About Kela "KC" Chatman

Kela Chatman is a disabled U.S. Army veteran who served eight years before pursuing higher education, entrepreneurship, and personal development. With an MBA, studies at Harvard, and experience as an accomplished opera singer and resilience motivator, she brings a distinctive perspective to leadership and healing.

As founder of Sacred Circuit Life, Kela works with CEOs, executives, and other high-performing professionals seeking greater alignment between their personal values, professional responsibilities, and overall well-being.

Connect with Kela:

Sacred Circuit Life

Email: [email protected]

Complimentary 15-minute discovery calls are available by contacting Kela directly.

If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Open the app, search for VET S.O.S., scroll to the ratings and reviews section, and tap "Write a Review." Your support helps another veteran discover a resource they may need right now.

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No One Transitions Alone. Grab the Lifeline.

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Before canceling a life insurance policy, find out if you could sell it for thousands of dollars instead.

Jack D. Davis turned the devastating loss of his father into a decades-long career helping families better understand life insurance. Now, he is focused on an option many people—especially seniors, widows, and veterans—may not even know exists: selling an unwanted life insurance policy rather than simply canceling it or letting it lapse.

This conversation also digs into Jack's journey from six years in the military reserves to working independently for decades, the military discipline he still practices 45 years later, and why entrepreneurship sometimes means choosing to work 16 hours for yourself instead of eight hours for someone else.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Recognize when a life insurance policy may still have value before canceling coverage you have paid into for 20 or 30 years.

• Understand the difference between life settlements and viatical settlements and why age, health, policy type, and death benefit can affect whether a policy qualifies.

• Identify which policies may be eligible, including universal life, indexed universal life, whole life, and certain convertible term policies.

• Apply the military discipline Jack carried into entrepreneurship, including the morning routine he has maintained for roughly 45 years: wake up, work out, then get to work.

• Understand the commitment required to work for yourself through Jack's challenge to aspiring entrepreneurs: be prepared to work 16 hours for yourself rather than eight hours for somebody else.

About Jack D. Davis:

Jack D. Davis served six years in the U.S. military reserves before building an independent career in the insurance industry. After his father died at 59 and his family received a $50,000 group life insurance benefit following 39 years with one company, Jack decided to enter the insurance business.

Today, he is the founder of Eagle Soar Enterprises, specializes in life and viatical settlements, and is the author of Knowledge Is Cash: Could Your Life Insurance Policy Be Sold for Cash? His focus is educating policyholders about options they may have before surrendering or allowing coverage to lapse.

Learn more and get Jack's free eBook at:

knowledgeiscash.com

🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — open the app, search VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup, scroll down, and tap "Write a Review." It takes 30 seconds and puts this show in front of a veteran who needs it right now.

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▶ VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup
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Veterans already have the discipline to build a business. The challenge is taking that first step.

EPISODE PREMISE

Leaving military structure behind gives veterans tremendous freedom—but it also means learning to hold yourself accountable when no one else is setting the mission.

Melissa Roberts, Director of Veteran Programs for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University, explains how veterans and military spouses can turn discipline, resilience, and focus into an entrepreneurial advantage—and how programs like EBV can help them move from idea to startup to growth.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Recognize why the freedom that comes after military service can make entrepreneurship challenging—and why self-accountability becomes essential when you're suddenly responsible for every decision.

• Find the right level of entrepreneurship support for your business, from early-stage programs to EBV Accelerate for established companies ready to grow and scale.

• Understand why Melissa helped redesign entrepreneurship training around the realities of working parents, caregivers, military spouses, and entrepreneurs who cannot leave their families or businesses for seven or eight days.

• Build the peer network many veteran entrepreneurs are missing. Melissa explains why business owners often need a sounding board of people facing challenges their friends and family simply don't experience.

Most importantly, Melissa challenges veterans who are hesitant about entrepreneurship to recognize the resilience they already possess: starting a business doesn't have to mean launching a massive enterprise. It can begin with consulting, a contract, a workshop, or simply taking one deliberate step forward.

“You just kind of got to take that first step.”

About Melissa Roberts:

Melissa Roberts serves as Director of Veteran Programs for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University. While Melissa is not identified as a veteran in the episode, she has spent years supporting the military community and describes her mission as, “I serve those who have served.”

Since joining FSU in 2016, she has organized and facilitated more than 30 programs and helped more than 300 veterans and military spouses grow and scale their businesses through entrepreneurship education and resources.

🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — open the app, search VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup, scroll down, and tap “Write a Review.” It takes 30 seconds and puts this show in front of a veteran who needs it right now.

🎧 Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network:

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🔗 Connect with VET S.O.S.:

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Your military mission may end—but your purpose doesn't. Here's how one veteran built a business that changes lives.

EPISODE PREMISE

Leaving the military teaches you discipline, leadership, and resilience—but it doesn't teach you how to build a company from scratch. In this conversation, Army and Navy veteran Rob and entrepreneur Mel share how personal adversity led them to create MELT Beauty Company, where restoring confidence became a mission greater than making money.

Their story proves that entrepreneurship isn't about chasing profits—it's about solving meaningful problems for people who need you most.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Learn why veterans must replace military SOPs with adaptability when building a business.

• Avoid one of the biggest startup mistakes by learning how to grow inventory without destroying your cash flow.

• Understand how Mel transformed her own alopecia journey into a business that restores confidence for others.

• Discover why building relationships—not transactions—has become the foundation of their company's success.

About Rob & Mel

Rob is a retired Navy and Army veteran whose military career shaped his commitment to service and leadership. Today he serves as COO of MELT Beauty Company, helping veterans, cancer survivors, and individuals experiencing hair loss regain confidence through personalized support.

Mel is an experienced entrepreneur, beauty professional, and founder of MELT Beauty Company. Inspired by her own battle with alopecia, she has built a company focused on compassion, education, and helping every client rediscover confidence.

🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps another veteran, transitioning service member, or military spouse discover resources that could change their future.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

01:40 — Military Transition & Entrepreneurship

03:53 — The Story Behind MELT Beauty Company

09:25 — Startup Lessons & Financial Challenges

14:06 — Building a Business Around Service

19:41 — Closing & Resources

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Most veterans miss the biggest advantage they already earned. Mark explains how to use it to build a business.

EPISODE PREMISE

Many veterans assume the hardest part of entrepreneurship is coming up with a business idea. Mark Barlet argues the real challenge is learning how the civilian business world actually works—and using the unique advantages veterans already have. His journey from Air Force veteran to accessibility pioneer includes lessons that could save new entrepreneurs years of frustration.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Learn how veteran-owned business certifications can dramatically increase government contracting opportunities.

• Avoid the leadership mistakes that cause many veteran-run businesses to struggle with employee turnover.

• Understand why military work ethic remains one of the greatest competitive advantages in business.

• Discover why mentors—and the humility to learn from them—accelerate entrepreneurial success.

About Mark Barlet

Mark Barlet is a United States Air Force service-disabled veteran and Co-Founder & COO of Access Forge. After leading AbleGamers for two decades, he now helps organizations create accessible experiences for people with disabilities while advising government agencies and major institutions on accessibility strategy.

🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow Operation Startup and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps more veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members discover conversations that can change their future.

⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction

01:47 - Three Lessons from Military Transition

03:16 - Turning Veteran Status into Business Opportunity

06:37 - Building Teams That Want to Stay

07:44 - Why Military Leadership Doesn't Always Translate

11:29 - Veteran Resources Every Entrepreneur Should Use

14:07 - Building Access Forge

16:23 - Stop Waiting for Permission

17:18 - Closing & Resources

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Most veterans fear failure. Mike Caimona says the biggest mistake is never taking the risk.

Leaving the military doesn't mean leaving your leadership behind—but it does mean learning how to adapt it. Former U.S. Navy officer and entrepreneur Mike Caimona shares why transitioning into the startup world required a completely different mindset, how he built organizations with purpose, and why the veterans who regret entrepreneurship are usually the ones who never tried.

Instead of chasing the "safe" path, Mike chose uncertainty, built companies from the ground up, and now leads organizations dedicated to helping veterans and their families find purpose through career transition, post-traumatic growth, and music therapy. His advice is practical, honest, and rooted in decades of leadership.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Learn why successful military transition requires adapting your leadership style—not abandoning your military values.

• Understand why "intellect doesn't wear rank" became Mike's most valuable lesson in the civilian business world.

• Discover what real entrepreneurial risk looks like when payroll depends on one customer paying an invoice.

• Hear why Mike believes nearly every entrepreneur learns more from taking the chance than from playing it safe—and why regret is often the biggest failure of all.

About Mike Caimona

Mike Caimona is a former U.S. Navy officer who served as both an enlisted Sailor and commissioned officer before launching a career leading startups across aerospace, defense, technology, and the nonprofit sector. He currently serves as CEO of Camp Southern Ground, founded by Zac Brown, and is the founder of Warrior Music Foundation, helping veterans heal through music therapy and community.

🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow Operation Startup and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps more veterans, military spouses, and entrepreneurs discover these stories and reminds every listener that no one transitions alone.

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Your military career ends. Your identity doesn't—and that's where your next mission begins.

EPISODE PREMISE

Too many veterans believe their job title is their identity. Army and Navy veteran Francine Juhlin shares how retirement, arthritis, and uncertainty forced her to reinvent herself—and why those same lessons can help anyone facing a major life transition.

Instead of chasing another government position, she built a business around confidence, storytelling, and helping families grow stronger together.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Learn how to separate your identity from your military career and confidently embrace your next chapter.

• Apply Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement principles to personal growth instead of just business.

• Discover how a publishing setback became the catalyst for an entirely new entrepreneurial journey.

• Understand why building confident children today creates healthier adults tomorrow.

About Francine Juhlin

Francine Juhlin is both a U.S. Navy and U.S. Army veteran who later worked as an aircraft electrician in government contracting and civil service. Combining her experience in Lean Six Sigma, change management, and leadership, she now helps individuals and families navigate change through books, coaching, podcasts, and educational content designed to build lifelong confidence.

🎙️ If this episode encouraged you, please follow VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Every review helps another veteran discover stories, resources, and hope for their own transition.

⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

02:00 — Losing an Identity Built on Military Service

03:36 — Why Entrepreneurship Became the Only Option

06:15 — Creating the Camp Confidence Book Series

08:24 — Learning Technology, AI, and Continuous Improvement

10:09 — Finding the Right Community

13:45 — Storytelling That Changes Lives

18:05 — A Reader's Life Changed Forever

20:21 — Closing & Lifeline Message

🎧 Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network

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Twitter:
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Most veterans can build a business. The hardest part isn't skill—it's taking the first step.

EPISODE PREMISE

Many veterans leave military service believing the safest path is government work or contracting. Kevin Capozzoli chose something different. After serving 25 years in the Army, he intentionally spent three years preparing to become an entrepreneur, building a roadmap that allowed him to leave military service with purpose instead of uncertainty.

If you've ever wondered whether entrepreneurship is worth the risk, Kevin shares the mindset, financial planning, and practical decisions that made it possible.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Learn how to prepare years before military retirement for entrepreneurship.

• Understand why financial planning is just as important as your business idea.

• Recognize why imposter syndrome affects nearly every new entrepreneur—and how to push through it.

• Discover how one graduate program helped transform an idea into a venture-backed defense company.

About Kevin Capozzoli

Kevin Capozzoli served 25 years in the U.S. Army before becoming Co-Founder of Critical Materials Group. His company is helping strengthen America's defense industrial base by expanding domestic explosives manufacturing, while his background in technology commercialization gives him a unique perspective on building businesses that solve national security challenges.

If this episode helped you, please follow the show and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps more veterans, service members, and military families discover conversations that could change the direction of their transition.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

01:12 — Planning Retirement Three Years Early

04:08 — Why Kevin Chose Entrepreneurship

08:24 — The Reality of Building a Business

11:28 — Why Veterans Fear Entrepreneurship

16:31 — Building Critical Materials Group

20:29 — Closing & Resources

Explore the Full VET S.O.S. Network

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Connect with VET S.O.S.

Website:
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The biggest mistake veterans make after leaving the military is waiting for the perfect plan.

Episode Premise

Retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Jason Garcia discovered that military transition doesn't come with a roadmap. Instead of chasing the biggest paycheck, he built Bull Squid Studios around service, creativity, and giving back. His story shows why purpose—not profit—can become the strongest foundation for entrepreneurship.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Learn why asking for help is one of the most valuable transition skills veterans can develop.

• Understand how Jason transformed a lifelong passion for graphic design into a purpose-driven business.

• Discover why Bull Squid Studios focuses on creating meaningful keepsakes instead of maximizing profits.

• Hear Jason's practical advice on embracing failure, getting uncomfortable, and finally taking action.

About Jason Garcia

Jason Garcia retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 21 years as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. He now owns Bull Squid Studios LLC, creating custom challenge coins, laser engraving, logos, and military keepsakes while continuing to support active-duty sailors as a civilian engineer. His passion is helping veterans preserve memories and serve their communities through meaningful craftsmanship.

🎙️ If this episode helped you, please follow Operation Startup and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. It only takes a few seconds and helps another veteran discover resources that could change their transition journey.

Chapters

00:00 — Introduction

01:19 — Jason's Transition Story

03:16 — Starting Bull Squid Studios

06:15 — Building a Mission Before Profit

08:28 — Overcoming Entrepreneurial Challenges

11:19 — Turning Ideas into Reality

17:08 — Advice for Veteran Entrepreneurs

19:06 — Closing & Resources

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