Veteran Led

“I started living for what I can do—not what I can’t do.” — Richard Kaufman

In this powerful episode of Veteran Led, host John S. Berry welcomes Richard Kaufman—Army Veteran, best-selling author, and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency podcast—known nationwide as The Comeback Coach. From addiction and homelessness to blindness and recovery, Richard’s incredible journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Discover how Richard:

• Survived trauma, addiction, and vision loss
• Got back into the military after a bad conduct discharge
• Launched a top-ranked podcast with 3M+ downloads
• Built a brand empowering Veterans, entrepreneurs, and comeback stories
• Lives life fully—working 6 months a year and inspiring others daily

🎧 Listen to learn:

• 5 steps to podcast success from The Podcasting Blueprint
• Life lessons from A Hero’s Journey: From Darkness to Light
• Why every setback can become your setup for a comeback

#VeteranLed #RichardKaufman #ComebackCoach #VeteranPodcast #VeteranLeadership #AddictionRecovery #BlindVeteran #Resilience #MilitaryLeadership #PodcastSuccess #VerticalMomentum #AHerosJourney

In this episode of Veteran Led, John S. Berry sits down with actor and producer Matthew Marsden, known for his roles in Black Hawk Down, Rambo, and Transformers. Though not a Veteran himself, Marsden has become a passionate advocate for the military community through his work on and off the screen.

Marsden shares how his experience training with Army Rangers for Black Hawk Down fundamentally shaped his respect for service members and inspired a lifelong commitment to telling authentic Veteran stories. He discusses the importance of accuracy in military portrayals, his personal connections with Veterans, and the motivation behind his film I Am That Man—a movie created with direct feedback from Veterans to ensure realism.

From taking pride in uniform details to pushing back on Hollywood inaccuracies, Marsden explains why getting it right matters. He also opens up about leadership on set, lessons learned from Michael Caine, and why he believes Veterans make outstanding actors and filmmakers.

Whether you're a Veteran, an aspiring actor, or someone who believes in honoring service through story, this episode is packed with insight, authenticity, and appreciation for those who’ve served.

In this episode of Veteran Led, host John S. Berry sits down with Army officer and viral military influencer Austin von Letkemann, better known as Mandatory Fun Day. With a decade as an enlisted soldier before commissioning, Austin delivers raw, hilarious, and brutally honest insights about military life — from barracks blunders to leadership that forgets birthdays but remembers formation at 0500.

Austin shares how humor isn’t just a coping tool — it’s a leadership strategy. He’s built a massive online following by “going after bullies,” calling out dysfunction, and giving voice to the frustrations of everyday troops. But behind the satire is purpose: mental health advocacy, pushing policy change, and honoring the service member’s time and dignity.

Together, John and Austin explore the thin line between critique and insubordination, the impact of social media from within the ranks, and what it means to serve authentically in a hyper-regulated world.

Whether you’re a salty E-7, a brand-new butter bar, or a civilian trying to understand military culture — this episode will hit home, make you laugh, and maybe make you think twice before scheduling that zero-dark-thirty division run.  

Air Force veteran Marlie Andersch, CEO of rockITdata, shares her raw journey from launching a tech startup before COVID to scaling in GovCon and AI. She dives into lessons on leadership, layoffs, hiring mistakes (including an AI bot!), and the real cost of loyalty. If you're building, leading, or navigating the veteran-to-entrepreneur path, this is 35 minutes of insight you can't afford to miss.

Think leaders always eat last? Never take flak? Always confident? Think again. In this raw and real episode of Veteran Led, John S. Berry debunks 3 of the biggest leadership myths holding teams back. If you're serious about leading well—especially under pressure—this is the one you can’t miss.

In this episode of Veteran Led, John S. Berry explores the critical role of external partners—your attachments and detachments—in achieving organizational success. Drawing parallels to military operations, John discusses how to identify aligned vendors, assess contracts, manage expectations, and avoid costly mistakes. With firsthand stories of collaboration, failure, and redemption, this episode offers practical frameworks for choosing consultants and vendors who elevate your mission rather than hinder it. Whether you're scaling a business or hiring your first vendor, these lessons will help you lead with clarity and accountability. 

In this episode of Veteran Led, host John Berry sits down with Bronze Star recipient and Gulf War Veteran Steven Kuhn—author of Unleash Your Humble Alpha and co-founder of Novascale Partners. Steven shares how military principles like urgency, adaptability, and unwavering purpose fueled his rise from a post-service identity crisis to leading billion-dollar international deals. You’ll hear lessons from the battlefield to the boardroom, the story behind the “humble alpha” mindset, and how Veterans can tap into their authentic identity to lead with confidence, clarity, and conviction. Whether you're transitioning out of the military, leading a business, or finding your purpose, this episode delivers hard-won insights from a life of bold pivots, deep failures, and relentless forward motion. 

Hooked from the first pill, headed for Leavenworth. In this gripping episode of Veteran Led, John S. Berry sits down with David Mike—former soldier, convicted drug dealer, and now author of Dishonor. From a broken leg at Airborne School to the darkness of addiction and the light of redemption, this is a raw, emotional journey of failure, faith, and finding purpose after disgrace. You won't believe where his story ends—or begins again.

Step inside the battlefield of leadership failures with Veteran Led. In this episode, Veterans pull no punches as they expose the worst leadership they've ever witnessed — no names needed, just hard truths. 

From selfish credit-grabbers and insecure tyrants to mission-driven disasters that cost lives, our guests share jaw-dropping, raw stories that every leader (and aspiring leader) needs to hear.

You'll learn what not to do when trust, respect, and lives are on the line. These are the critical leadership lessons earned the hard way — with scars, sweat, and sometimes heartbreaking loss.

Whether you’re a seasoned executive, a Veteran, or someone climbing the leadership ranks, these real-world examples will shake you, sharpen you, and challenge you to lead better.
When leaders fail, entire missions — and people — suffer. Listen, learn, and never make these mistakes yourself.

Bad leadership destroys.
Real leadership protects.
Veteran Led shows you the difference.

You can’t change the people around you—but you can change who you’re around. John Berry breaks down elite leadership and building A-player teams.