Military Bottom Line

Bill spent 8 years in the Army Infantry. After a disabling injury Bill opened his own security company and retail store selling military and survival products in Alaska. It was during this time that he began working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies initially in undercover operations and later as an analyst specializing in counter domestic terrorism. Bill was also involved in the getting the Veteran Small Business Enhancement Act passed to allow certified veteran owned businesses to benefit from government surplus equipment. Bill currently spends his time on a small holistic, sustainable farm in New England with his wife and two children. 

Connect with Bill: https://www.instagram.com/dzbillfulton/?hl=en

As a highly-successful entrepreneur, Douglas James has seen over-and-over how fellow business owners have amazing ideas which deserve to succeed. This knowledge inspired Douglas to empower budding entrepreneurs on how to acquire, close and retain amazing clients, so they can finally experience the lives of their dreams.  

Douglas decided he wanted to help others to succeed during his time in the Navy. In 2015, he was deployed on a humanitarian mission that allowed him to assist some of the most impoverished communities in the world. It was then and there that Douglas knew he wanted to live his life with great purpose and do everything he can to raise others up.  

After returning home, Douglas launched his career as an entrepreneur and immediately experienced the power of certain digital marketing and advertising techniques and how they can positively impact virtually any business.  

Douglas also immersed himself in the world of Facebook Ads and YouTube Ads, learning all he could about this effective marketing platform to reach global audiences. He has used Facebook Ads to help numerous local businesses to succeed, and then expanded his scope to online coaching so he can help other business owners do the same. Known as “The High-Ticket Client Guy”, Douglas has already trained and coached over 5,000 entrepreneurs on how to turbo-charge their earning potential with his proven sales and marketing strategies.  

Douglas James has been aired on Live TV and featured in major publications like FOX, Entrepreneur, Yahoo, NBC and ABC to name a few. He is a 2-Time Inc. 5000 Entrepreneur, meaning that his company is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States today. Douglas will never forget his time working with the people of Papua, New Guinea and other countries, many of whom were lacking basic essentials like shoes. As a result, he focuses on being a for purpose business, giving back to non profits like Pencils of Promise who build schools for kids in Mexico and RIP Medical who eradicate Military and Veteran Medical Debt.  

Connect with Douglas 

Staff Sergeant John H. Davis is a decorated combat veteran with two tours in Afghanistan. John is a veteran advocate, Harvard Graduate and author of Combat to College. Every service member that is preparing to get out, or is already out using their GI Bill, needs to hear what John has to say.

Kyle joined the Marine Corps in 2011 and worked as a helicopter mechanic as part of HMX, the presidential helicopter squadron. After 5 years of being on call and traveling the world, Kyle called it quits after his first contract. Following his enlistment, Kyle returned to the midwest to finish his college education. Like most others, Kyle began his exit using the GI Bill, that is until he learned about VR&E. Since then, Kyle has been able to get his private pilot's license, study abroad, move on to grad school and continue maximizing his benefits 6 years later. Kyle is also the only person I have ever met who has kept track of how much the VA has paid him/schools towards his education... Listen to the full episode to find out how much he's earned via his education benefits.  

Ali is a commissioned USAF officer - despite obtaining the rank of Major and being over halfway to retirement, she’s on her way out of the Air Force. Throughout the episode we talk about why Ali joined the military in the first place, failing out of pilot training and the impact it had on her and how she found the career of her dreams.  We also talk about how she was able to double her paychecks during the last year of her military career and how that has prepared her for the infamous military transition.

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Scott is a recently retired Army Command Sergeant Major with 30 years of military service. After his military retirement, Scott started working for Army Emergency Relief (AER) and has been doing amazing things to help current and transitioning service members. This episode highlights the benefits of Career Skills Program (CSP) for transitioning veterans and how any and all soldiers who participate in CSP are eligible for grant money - this can cover moving expenses, tools, uniforms, etc. - ranging from $500-$1500! Scott shares so much valuable information about applications, timelines, and everything else you need to know about the grants available through AER.

Connect with Scott

Before you buy your first investment property with the VA Loan, it is critical to make a list of what you DO and DO NOT want in your property.  

The more you can define your criteria the better.  

Juliet joined the Army National Guard after graduating from college in order to take advantage of the Student Loan Repayment Program, which offered to pay back up to $50,000 worth student loans!  

In this episode, Juliet and I discuss her experiences in the military to include pandemic relief missions, training, and the regular drill schedule. In addition to that, Juliet brings valuable advice to anyone considering taking advantage of the Student Loan Repayment Program. Learn what she learned over 6 years in the next hour.  

Enjoy!  

Whether you're looking to use your GI Bill for college, studying abroad or getting your way into employment. This toll should be tried and tested to ensure your maximizing your GI Bill Benefit.

In this episode, we discuss the two ways to use your GI Bill abroad. There are:

1. Do a semester abroad while enrolled in an American University

2. Attend a foreign university for the entirety of you higher education.

There are pros and cons to both as well as warnings to be aware of. Going into this with the right information will help you get the most out of the opportunity.

Victor is a first generation American. His parents fled a war-torn country in southeast Asia, so when he told them he was dropping out of college to join the Army, they weren’t exactly thrilled. Victor has spent over 13 years in the Army, between Active Duty and Reserves. We talk about his motives for joining, heavy lessons learned during the transition, civilian employment, and his current pursuit of an MBA at a top university. In this episode, Victor lays out step-by-step how he got accepted into a top 20 MBA program.

Connect with Victor

The Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program has been around since 2007 and has updated to include military service as program eligible employment.  

Does this mean you should stay in the military to get your loans forgiven? Probably not.  

The program does not have a good record for accepting applicants. There are far better ways to go about getting your loans paid off.  

VR&E Independent Living track is for veterans with serious employment handicaps that need assistance with setting up their independent living needs. 

As service members, you are protected under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). However, this doesn't mean you will not run into trouble with your civilian employer as a result of your military service.  

It can be a difficult battle that you should not go at alone. If you need this assistance from VR&E, go ahead and apply.  

Wondering how to get a job after the military? If you don't want to go back to school after you get out and prefer to go straight to work, this benefit is for you.  

Don't miss out on the opportunity of applying to and using VA benefits you have earned. Use VR&E and the Rapid Access to Employment track to get the help you need landing the job that will support you and your family. 

Veteran Rehabilitation and Employment has many tracks to assist veterans become independent. 

In this episode we discuss the Self-Employment Track.  If you are a veteran that DID NOT receive a dishonorable discharge and was rated at 10% or more by the VA, you are eligible for this program.  

This program assists eligible veterans start their own business and become self employed.  

Veteran Rehabilitation and Employment is an incredible benefit with many updates. In this video we are going to focus on the Employment Through Long-Term Services track.  

The INDIVIDUAL MOBILIZATION AUGMENTEE (IMA), is an incredible way to continue service after your initial military contract.   

I stumbled on this opportunity when I met other IMA Marines that came down intermittently from their full time NY State Police jobs to avoid the winter months in upstate New York.  

The IMA offered tremendous flexibility to avoid active duty and the standard one weekend a month, two weeks a year schedule. As long as you meet the annual training requirements and maintain good relationships and accountability, you can use the IMA as employment while focusing on your civilian career or education.  

You will grow up!

The military will force you to leave your comfort zone and grow up, especially if you go active duty where you’re forced to leave home and all the comforts and security that you may have been used to.  

College (TA, GI Bill, etc)

While your counterparts will graduate highschool and go on to take out tens of thousands of dollars in debt to complete a college degree, you’ll get paid to go to school instead. Starting out your career/life with no student loans, will put you decades ahead of your peers. You can get paid to go to college while you’re in the military or you can get paid to go to college after you separate from the military. Either way, delaying college in order to do it for free is well worth it! 

Start earning ASAP

Again, while your counterparts will start earning a living at 22/23 years old in the hole $20-50k, you’ll start earning at 18 years old. When you begin earning at an earlier age from a position of no debt, this enables you to start investing earlier. While it may seem like nothing now, it could be the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars when it comes time for retirement 

VA Loan

While your counterpart will be scrounging to save for a downpayment on a home, you will have the ability to get into your first home or better yet, rental property without having to worry about a down payment and you’ll be able to keep that retirement fund invested 

Camaraderie 

Hands down, you will make the best friends of your life. These relationships will be worth far more than any of the other benefits we discussed before.  

At the end of the day, I am a big advocate for joining the military and taking advantage of the cheat codes it offers. There is no better way for the average Joe or Jane American to get ahead financially and professionally at a young age.   

The Hazlewood Act is an incredible benefit offered to eligible veterans by the State of Texas. This program offers qualified Veterans, spouses, and dependent children with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition exemption, including most fee charges, at public institutions of higher education in Texas. This does NOT include living expenses, books, or supply fees.  

Chris is a transitioning US Army Captain, MBA candidate with Rice University, tech entrepreneur, podcaster, fitness professional and an all around wealth of knowledge! Chris was raised in the projects of Salisbury, Maryland. He joined the Army National Guard and completed the simultaneous membership program, commissioning via Army ROTC as a logistics officer. Throughout this episode Chris and I discuss the steps he has taken to prepare himself for a career in tech. I learned a tremendous amount during this interview and I’m super excited to follow up on some resources that Chris mentioned today. Stay tuned for the whole episode, you wont regret it.

Connect with Chris

In this episode: 

I apologize and explain the unintended break from podcasting.

I provide 5 unique ways to use your GI Bill for those that don't want to use it for the traditional means.

Evan is a graduate of West Point Military Academy and co-founder of VRB Labs. As a skilled high school athlete, he was recruited by West Point to play soccer. Upon graduating from the Academy with a 5 year obligation to the Army, he began his career as an artillery officer and quickly after successfully completed the Ranger pipeline. Evan speaks from his experience about his time in service, discussing differences between Rangers and Special Forces and the career progression of officers. Upon his transition out, Evan traveled, worked for a private equity firm, pursued an MBA and co-founded a business. Check out his story and his business focused on CBD products - VRB Labs. They offer an awesome Veteran discount!

Connect with Evan

Brendan Aronson, Co-Founder of Paintru, is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, a former infantry officer, Wharton MBA graduate and now a veteran entrepreneur.

Throughout this episode, Brendan and I discuss transitioning from the military, networking, entrepreneurship and how to ensure you're on a path that gives you fulfillment.

Listen to Brendan's story and hear how he and his company are working to make an impact on Gold Star families around the country.

Helpful Links

In this episode I provide the audio from my top performing YouTube video on the Post 9/11 GI Bill. With over 63,000 views, this video has benefited many people and continues to receive positive feedback.

Helpful Links

After high school Nick found himself on the typical college track as he pursued a career in nursing. However, during his junior year, he decided to forgo the nursing degree and his participation in ROTC. Nick enlisted in the Air Force in 2016 to further his education and to fulfill a lifelong desire. Since then he’s used TA, FAFSA, and some of his GI Bill to complete his Bachelor’s and continue with his Master’s with the goal of commissioning as a licensed clinical social worker. Tune in as we  discuss funding education, Palace Chasing, planning for transition, and using the VA loan to create a house hacking opportunity.

Connect with Nick -