Scuttlebutt Podcast
By Brock Briggs
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Scuttlebutt PodcastFeb 06, 2024
104. The Most Tactical Career Advice for Veterans You'll Ever Hear with Joel Martycz
There's lots of garbage career advice out there and I get why - its hard to apply principles across different disciplines, personal pursuits, and backgrounds. That was true until today - meet Joel Martycz.
After his time in the Air Force, Joel has gone on to work in the broadest array of fields I've ever seen from Space X to Target and Optum Health.
Joel breaks down how to position yourself properly for different industries, why titles don't mean anything and how to optimize for doing things you actually enjoy, and questions you should ask yourself to get to your true calling.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Reflecting on past year's goals and setting new ones. 0:00
Prioritizing processes over outcomes in personal growth and development. 3:43
Breaking down goals into smaller bite size pieces. 9:04
Joel's backstory. 12:13
How to pick a career. 17:36
Being a big fish in a small pond. 22:57
Why title chasing won't get you anywhere. 29:00
Maslow's hierarchy of needs. 34:16
Where family falls into the career conversation. 39:30
Nonprofits and social efforts. 46:45
Building a personal board of directors for career guidance and self-discovery. 52:16
Personal growth, meaningful work, and veteran community service. 56:34
Veteran support and employee resource groups. 1:01:43
Necessity of giving back to other veterans. 1:06:54
Applying military lessons to civilian life. 1:09:55
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
103. Buying an Ice Business with Brandon Adams
How do you take over a 50 year old ice business? What new verticals is there to explore in such an old industry?
These are questions Brandon Adams answers in a conversation with Brock. Brandon is former Army Recon and walks us through his time growing a fund from 25 million to 12 billion before being sold to Blackstone, taking the ETA path to the ice business, and his reflections on personal growth required to move forward in life.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Expanding custom ice with new product line. 0:00
Life choices and military enlistment after 9/11. 13:09
Workplace culture and employee empowerment. 20:44
Business ownership, leadership, and employee responsibility. 26:15
Starting/buying additional businesses, aligning with personal goals. 34:21
Leadership, team management, and personal growth. 38:48
Personal growth and responsibility after military service. 43:04
Masculinity, self-discovery, and personal growth. 49:06
Spirituality. 57:25
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
102. Life and Death at Abbey Gate with Mikael Cook
Who did we leave behind in the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan? How are we looking for interpreters and other civilians who aided US efforts throughout the GWOT? What is the status of visa process?
These are all questions Brock dives into with Mikael Cook, the author of the upcoming book Life and Death at Abbey Gate. Mikael's book recounts the story of his relationship with Abdul and Mohammad, two Afghanis he met while deployed, and his involvement in #DigitalDunkirk, an underground communication channel between those on the ground in country and people in the US working to evacuate essential personnel.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Afghanistan war experiences and writing a book. 0:00
Military service and deployment. 2:09
Evacuation failures in Afghanistan. 10:23
State Department inconsistencies. 15:22
Immigration policy. 20:04
Digital Dunkirk and citizen-led rescue efforts during Afghanistan crisis. 26:21
The role of social media in the unfolding of a true story. 28:56
Using social media for good in the military. 34:22
Immigration visa process for Afghan allies after US withdrawal. 40:02
Afghanistan's current situation and resistance efforts. 42:44
Military service, heroism, and patriotism. 53:35
Book release. 57:59
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
101. How and Why to Invest in Veteran Founders with Jake Dulle
In this episode, Brock talks with Jake Dulle. Jake is a former Navy submarine officer and now currently the CEO of Localvest, a marketplace to bring together veterans looking for funding for their small business and investors. In this episode Jake talks through how he found himself in the position of looking to make private investments, why he explicitly invests in veteran founders, and what they're building at Localvest to help get veteran businesses funded.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Veteran-led businesses and networking. 0:00
Where military experience fits into post service networking. 6:37
Investing in veteran-led businesses and building trust. 9:43
Trust and intentions in veteran-related initiatives. 15:09
Jake's background and joining Localvest. 17:49
Places veterans can go to get funding. 23:09
Investment strategies and asset classes for an accredited investor. 27:23
What opportunities are exciting to Jake today. 34:49
Entrepreneurship and risk-taking in the US. 40:19
The importance of making the first sale. 45:11
Entrepreneurship, excuses, and execution. 50:52
Why side hustles can help vets through transition beyond just something to stay busy. 54:22
Overcoming procrastination and taking action in business. 58:07
Monetizing a platform for investment opportunities. 1:08:57
Challenges in creating a dual-sided marketplace. 1:13:28
Why venture is probably not the answer 1:15:35
Finding new words for lifestyle businesses. 1:21:30
How to start your comms plan to raise. 1:31:17
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
100. Scuttlebutt02 - 4 Lessons from 100 Episodes
In this episode, Brock walks through 4 lessons learned from guests spanning 100 episodes.
Show Notes:
Purpose and its creation over time through life experiences. 0:01
Finding fulfillment in life and career. 2:47
Deliberate action and choosing your own adventure. 9:23
Trial and error in career and life choices. 15:31
Career development and decision-making. 20:54
Personal responsibility and accountability in various contexts. 25:49
Taking action and overcoming excuses. 30:52
Goal creation and breakdown. 36:22
Life's work, giving, and imposter syndrome. 41:16
Stoicism and Personal Growth. 47:02
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
99. Building a Winning Defense Tech Company with Colin Carroll
In this episode, Brock talks with Colin Carroll. Colin is a former Marine Corps recon and intelligence officer and today works at Anduril on strategy and growth. Colin has been a part of several unique teams within and adjacent to the Department of Defense. We get into his time at Project Maven as well as the Joint AI Center to talk about building innovative teams from scratch, why people are the most important ingredient when determining success, and how those people influence the early culture of an organization. Colin also talks about some of the technical advancements AI is bringing to the battlefield and the changing state of the defense technology business in particular how people should be thinking about how to win in defense.
Show Notes:
Getting fired from the Joint AI Center. 0:39
Command climate surveys and morale in the Department of Defense. 3:02
Career in DoD and Project Maven 12:06
Military service, Intel, and AI development. 15:30
Autonomous systems and program design in government. 19:02
Team dynamics in the DoD. 25:34
Building and maintaining a high-performing team. 29:36
Hiring and evaluating candidates for innovative companies. 32:44
Career paths and personal growth. 39:15
Disrupting the defense industry with AI. 43:17
Government procurement and defense industry. 46:42
Tailoring government go-to-market strategies for different stages of a company's lifecycle. 50:03
Defense industry strategy. 56:28
Scaling production and command control for multidomain unmanned systems. 59:33
Defense tech gaps and data needs for autonomous systems. 1:02:15
The data problem in the DoD. 1:10:03
Tension between industry and government in defense tech. 1:13:23
DOD acquisitions challenges and cultural changes. 1:16:53
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
97. Meal Replacement for Tough People in Tough Environments with Deed Ziegler (RecPak)
In this episode, Brock talks with Deed Zieglar. Deed is a former Marine Corps infantry and intelligence officer and now, in addition to working in business development at Anduril, is the founder of Recpak, an ultralight meal replacement drink for harsh and austere environments. Deed discusses how the idea for Recpak originated from long time spent leading a sniper platoon in the Marines where movement and conditions often prevent the use of MREs. We discuss the importance of social mission and how to guage whether you're doing your life's work or not. Deed also talks about the benefits of Kickstarter to launch a business, how to grow a team in pace with the business, and why product development is much harder and expensive than most people think.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Starting a CPG brand for military personnel. 0:23
Finding problems and finding motivation to do something about it. 6:09
Life's work and the importance of staying committed to one's passions. 14:11
Product validation and market fit for a physical product. 17:54
Product development, validation, and funding challenges. 22:29
Kickstarter success and product launch strategies. 29:06
Marketing strategies for a new product. 34:14
Ecommerce channels and customer mix. 40:43
Entrepreneurship, product development, and sales. 46:44
Hiring and managing employees in a new business venture. 50:32
Entrepreneurship, mission, and giving back. 57:30
Charitable giving and outdoor conservation efforts. 1:00:47
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
96. Science of Networking and Increasing Your Luck's Surface Area with Brendan Aronson
In this episode, Brock talks with Brendan Aronson. Brendan is a former Marine Corps infantry officer and currently an associate at Context VC as well as the co founder of the Military Veteran. In this conversation, you're going to hear from the frontlines of the veterans mission space. Brendan talks through building a company exclusively aimed at transitioning vets, different business models they're pursuing, the pros and cons of b2b and b2c, and why bootstrapping is right for most veteran entrepreneurs. In Brendan's work at the MilVet they run in person events for transitioning vets as well as placement into roles typically, in service companies backed by private equity. We explore some of the traits he sees of the highest performing veterans and what leads to the most successful outcomes. We also talk about the science of networking, how to conduct effective outreach, and how to be a giver when you have nothing else to give.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to episode 0:00
The MilVet's digital community. 5:07
Brendan's Backstory 9:14
What does it mean to be a professional in transition? 15:23
Putting the weight of change on the service member. 20:58
Why networking is not a dirty word 25:16
How to be a giver meeting new people. 30:15
Careers networking helps you with and whether its applicable in the military. 35:08
Increasing the surface area of luck. 39:21
Connecting your passions with making a living. 43:12
Lessons learned from his early career and a failed startup. 46:31
In person networking events and placement of vets in high paying careers. 50:55
The problem with being venture backed 56:25
Quick wins and building something sustainable. 59:21
The traits of the most successful high performing veterans. 1:04:14
Reaching out to people that care about you. 1:09:25
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
94. Factoring and the 800 Billion Dollar Business of Trucking with Tom Croteau
In this episode Brock talks with Tom Croteau. Tom is a former Air Force maintainer, and the current president and owner of Operfi. Operfi is a factoring company serving the $800 billion trucking and logistics industry. In this conversation, you're going to learn what factoring is. We get into Tom's training and education program he's currently building out for his carriers. Tom gives us a pulse on the economic forecasts for trucking.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to Tom 1:38
Studying entrepreneurship and business at Notre Dame. 7:44
Leaving more on the table in the military. 10:18
What is factoring and why does it matter? 16:06
The difference between distressed and entrepreneurial factoring. 18:32
What are the fees of factoring? 24:46
How much does it cost to do factoring? 26:40
Protecting the golden goose (customers). 32:12
The data business behind trucking 38:45
Driving across the country handing out business cards at truck stops. 50:40
The bottom line on freight rates. 56:51
How trucking is a leading indicator for the economy. 59:35
The big opportunity for veterans in trucking. 1:05:11
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
102. Developing Career Capital with Nicu Parente
In this episode, Brock talks with Nicu Parente. Nicu is former Army Infantry and today is a senior product manager at Salesforce. In this discussion, we dive into the role of product manager and how best to be an effective one. Nicu is a builder at heart and connects the dots between solving real problems, balancing business needs, and serving the customer. We also discuss Cal Newport's idea of career capital which Nicu expands on. He gets into developing your career capital as a transitioning vet, why we all should be building it online publicly, and finding the element thats most important at the time.
Episode Resources:
Nicu's Tech Transition Resources
Show Notes:
Building a mobile app for solving personal problems. 0:00
Selecting problems to solve through product development. 5:56
App development, monetization strategies, and problem-solving. 8:40
Career transition from military to tech industry. 13:56
Role transitions within tech. 17:08
Engineering and product management roles. 23:44
Product management strategies and prioritization. 26:50
Balancing customer feedback and business objectives. 30:16
Product management and engineering relationships. 35:48
Product management roles for veterans. 38:38
Career planning and skill development in tech industry. 45:33
Job search strategies for veterans. 52:47
Career capital and pillars for professional growth. 1:04:06
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
104. Defeating Toxic Femininity with Amanda Rose
In this episode, Brock talks with Amanda Rose. Amanda is former National Guard and CIA and comes on to discuss everything from weapons to toxic femininity. Amanda shares why changes in societal norms around gender roles is harming both men and women in the workplace. We discuss gun control and common misconceptions women have around self defense. Amanda also gets into why consumerism and what our country values is destroying the nuclear family and what we can do about it.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Running a business when everything is going wrong. 0:00
Gender roles in self-defense and protection. 9:23
Women's fears and barriers to learning self-defense with firearms. 13:57
Gun control and Second Amendment rights. 17:59
Career choices, identity, and family. 27:45
Balancing career and family for women. 32:11
Consumerism driving culture. 38:07
Destroying the nuclear family. 44:25
Masculinity and its impact on society. 51:31
Expectations in social settings. 55:54
Gender identity and worth rooted in Christ. 1:01:39
Personal growth, domestic violence, and community support. 1:04:38
Entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and youth empowerment. 1:11:37
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
107. RV Park Syndication and Buying Single Family Out of State Doug Spence
In this episode, Brock talks with Doug Spence. Doug is a naval flight officer and a big real estate investor which is what we get into today. We start out with discussing best bars in Pensacola and why F18s are better than helos before discussing single family home investing and being a GP in an RV park investment syndication. Then we also have him break down a issue that I'm currently facing about whether I should rent my house out sell it and or what else I should do.
Episode Resources:
Free PDF on buying out of state
Show Notes:
Creating a course vs. one-on-one coaching. 1:46
Real estate investing pillars and personal goals. 5:23
Setting clear real estate goals with a spouse. 9:19
Military service, real estate investing, and financial goals. 15:24
Doug's story. 23:10
Real estate investing, RV parks, and affordability. 27:54
Sourcing off-market RV park leads and contributing to a real estate fund. 32:18
Real estate investing and property management. 36:23
Renting out a house while moving to a new location. 42:53
Self-managing rental properties and the benefits of property management. 49:14
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
108. Land Flipping to Financial Freedom with Justin Piche
What asset class is bigger than housing, but 10x less efficient? LAND.
In this conversation, Brock talks with Justin Piche, former Navy submarine officer, about how he started flipping land on the side while working his W2 at Exxon Mobil and now leads a team of 10 full time employees.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Parenting, marriage, and preparing for baby #3 3:52
Work life balance in W2 and entrepreneurship. 10:25
Traveling with family and best destinations to visit
Getting started investing. 27:27
House flipping as a business and startup costs. 32:22
Valuing land with various factors and due diligence. 35:41
Real estate investing strategies and logistics. 42:17
Scaling a real estate business with a growing team. 47:32
Capital intensity of land business and managing cash flow 55:21
Content creation. 1:01:14
Entrepreneurship and career transition for veterans. 1:15:56
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
109. An Unmanned and Undersea Future with Ariana Pybus (Anduril)
How is Anduril changing the defense undersea landscape?
This week we hear from Ariana Pybus, a program manager on the Dive-LD, Anduril’s unmanned undersea vehicle. Ariana and Brock discuss why unmanned undersea vehicles is a massive unlock for the future of defense, her first interaction with Palmer Luckey in her new hire class where she asked him about Andruil’s ambitions in undersea, and her playbook for being a 0 to 1 builder.
Episode resources:
Palmer’s conversation on Invest like the Best
Show Notes:
Unmanned underwater vehicle development and accessibility in the Navy. 0:00
Navy's adoption of unmanned systems and their potential benefits. 3:42
Dive Technologies and application of undersea robots. 7:09
Submarine morale, camaraderie, and future importance in the US Navy. 18:04
Submarine capabilities and threats. 22:10
Technology and retention in the Navy. 26:24
Company growth, efficiency, and decision-making processes. 32:16
Professionalizing a defense tech company through deliberate R&D and customer-focused strategy. 38:29
Customer requirements and product development in defense tech. 44:10
Advocating for better technology in the military. 50:40
Product management principles and effective communication. 59:01
Leadership philosophy and impact. 1:04:20
Military transition, career fulfillment, and leadership. 1:09:12
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
110. Developing Navy SEALs of Character with Kevin Stark
What does it mean to be a Navy SEAL? Well, that answer differs based on what time period you're talking about.
In this conversation, Kevin Stark, former Navy SEAL of 22 years, talks with Brock about the identity crisis the community had which led to writing the ethos. It was at this time a shift towards picking individuals of high character, not just physical strength. We also talk about the human OS, why performance is greater than endurance, and not taking a backseat to your life.
Show Notes:
Global issues and leadership quality. 0:00
Leadership, war, and unity in the US. 1:27
Mentorship in SEAL community . 6:28
Military culture, ethos, and selection process. 13:22
Grounding yourself and then leading others. 19:22
Prioritizing personal goals. 30:13
Optimizing human performance and managing stress. 34:56
Managing energy and optimizing daily life. 41:18
Building a successful life outside of military service. 51:37
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
106. Military Apparel with Purpose with Reagan Roberts
In this episode, Brock talks with Reagan Roberts. Reagan is the CEO of Mission Essential Gear, former infantry Marine as well. We talk about launching Mission Essential and printing T shirts from the back of his house to the warehouse that are distributing out of now. We talked about using relationships as fuel for business, being better than the Marines and having a hard problem to solve the need for custom units wagon how that gave him traction, super early on in his business. Reagan talks about prioritization, why your family is more important than your business, and why everyone is actually a firefighter.
Episode Resources:
Mission Essential Gear Website
Show Notes:
Digital vs. screen printing for small business. 5:50
Transitioning from military to business ownership. 12:07
Starting a T-shirt business while in the military and after. 18:55
The woobie hoody that started it all. 24:30
Business operations and forecasting for a print-on-demand merchandise company. 30:26
Vendor relationships and print-on-demand services in the apparel industry. 37:09
Selling merchandise through a platform, tax implications, and connecting with the military community. 41:15
Part-time firefighting and business management. 47:25
Finding passion and balance in firefighting career. 52:44
Managing multiple responsibilities with calendars. 59:25
Prioritizing family and business as a veteran entrepreneur. 1:03:47
Community support for veterans and their families. 1:10:10
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
105. NEWS - Israel and Hamas Conflict Explained with Caleb McMurtrey
In this episode, Brock talks with Caleb McMurtrey. Caleb is a reserve Army logistics officer working in civil affairs and full times in the cyber security space. Since the Hamas and Israel conflict began in October 2023, Caleb has been covering the fight with in depth analysis and joins the Scuttlebutt to discuss the players involved, a chronological walkthrough of the attacks, and where things could be headed next.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Israel-Hamas conflict and its implications. 0:00
Middle Eastern players in conflict. 5:11
Middle East conflicts and their root causes. 9:24
Hamas using Gaza as a defense mechanism. 16:03
International perception of conflict. 21:56
Potential for nuclear threat. 28:00
Urban environments and instability of international relations. 34:08
How the conflict could unfold from here 39:55
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
103. NEWS - History of Israel and Hamas with Bill Toti
A crash course on the state of Israel and what the current crisis tells us about ourselves.
In this episode, Brock talks with Bill Toti about Israel and Hamas. Bill walks through the history of the nation of Israel, why the current conflict is important to the world, probable outcomes, and important factors that could lead to future US involvement.
Episode Resources:
Background on Israel and Hamas
Show Notes:
Bill Toti Introduction 0:00
History and politics in the Middle East. 1:18
US-Israel ties. 7:28
History of Jewish migration and Israel-Palestine conflict. 13:10
Hamas' tunnel attack and global response. 19:40
The value of liberal arts education in the US. 25:47
US military response to Israel-Hamas conflict and defense of American forces in Syria and Iraq. 32:40
Geopolitics and potential global conflict. 40:20
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
98. Dispelling False Military Narratives on Leadership, Gender, and Race with Dan Blackmon
In this episode, Brock talks with Dan Blackmon. Dan is an active duty army artillery colonel so expect to get a real time pulse about some of the biggest issues facing today's military, tomorrow's military, and what he spends his time thinking about. We spend a bulk of this conversation dispelling common narratives - we get into problems with the diversity conversation in today's military. Dan talks about developing future leaders, avoiding the only positive feedback loop inherent to staying in an organization for so long, and many others. Dan is a big believer in the cornerstone of what this podcast stands for - the military is a starting point for everyone. Whether you stay in for 4 years or 26 years like him, the military lays the groundwork for future success and its the obligation of veterans to show future generations what is possible because of time spent in the military.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Leadership and setting the next generation up for success in the military. 0:09
Trust and development. 4:53
Diversity in the military and its benefits. 11:27
Gender integration 17:31
Opportunity as the key to success. 23:50
Dan's early career track. 27:02
Position of highest impact. 36:37
Measuring impact as a military leader. 41:25
How to not waste soldiers time. 48:31
Effective training and time management in the military. 53:44
Military efficiency and meaningful interactions with soldiers. 58:01
Retention and cohesion. 59:36
Treating military personnel with dignity and respect. 1:10:04
Military service as a starting point for life. 1:15:04
Standards and quality of recruits. 1:19:26
The intellectual and physical abilities of today's young soldiers. 1:24:07
Adapting to changing times in leadership and the military. 1:29:07
Veteran recognition and storytelling. 1:34:13
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
95. Strengthening the Defense Industrial Base, Future of Global Combat, and Building Product for Value with Mark Holden (Teledyne FLIR, Shield AI, Axon)
In this episode Brock speaks with Mark Holden. Mark is a former Navy Corpsman and today is the founder and CEO of Holden, a consultancy business that assists with prototyping, productizing pricing and advising in the defense technology space. Expect to hear about the current and desired future states of defense tech. We talk about what's missing in our defense tech portfolio as a country and the weapons he's excited about. We get into the state of hybrid warfare, why counterinsurgency is over the looming threat of China's invasion of Taiwan, and the evolving battlefield as activity begins to play out in the South China Sea. Mark gives us a masterclass on the most important elements of product management as well. Lastly, we get into his personal mission, serving after service, why vets need to actively define who they are, and how to answer the question, who am I when I'm no longer myself.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Creating content and Tik Tok's weaponization 6:58
Brand versus affinity 10:33
Monetizing content - where does the money come from?. 13:34
Mark's background 17:13
Mark's personal mission and implementation throughout career 19:16
The problem with the defense industry 26:07
Robots on the front line. 30:12
What are the biggest threats to the US? 33:14
Hypersonic missiles, surface and undersea warfare, and China's threat to Taiwan35:22
The breakdown of the Naval carrier strike group 43:07
Why hypersonic missiles are so critical and how to defend against them 47:37
Growing Defense budget and what's new in defense technology 54:09
GPS systems and why the move to laser guided 1:00:29
Specific companies that are leading the defense tech space 1:03:44
Reusable flashbangs and modernizing firearms for today's force 1:06:47
What is missing from defense tech today? 1:10:01
Lacking cold weather innovation leaders 1:16:35
What is product management and how does it work? 1:19:00
The opportunity to sell to the government. 1:23:44
How do you measure value in product management? 1:26:55
Sheild AI product example in close quarters combat. 1:32:43
Vets as product managers 1:37:36
Serving your country in defense tech is an extension of service 1:39:07
Understanding the place of the VA 1:44:21
"Who am I when I am no longer myself?" 1:50:28
Mark’s approach to building Holden 1:56:03
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
93. History of Logistics Industry and Finding Ways To Do What You Love with Bill McNeely
In this episode Brock talks with Bill McNeely. Bill is a former Army logistics officer and the founder and CEO of Wharphy, a logistics startup aimed at floral delivery. Expect to learn some of the history behind the logistics industry and how it was once not the sexy data driven industry we see behind companies like Uber and DoorDash. Bill talks about Walmart's early jump to streamline supply chain efforts, Amazon's backward planning methodology, and how he saw supply chain modernization on a tour in Iraq. We also talk about working with the data that you have available now to get your business up and off the ground and how to avoid solving $150 a day problems.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
How he reset his expectations and expectations. 1:28
Self Reflection and Introduction to Logistics. 4:45
Backward planning and warehouse management. 9:57
How to decide on what to keep working on. 16:02
Common problems with people pursuing entrepreneurship. 22:49
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
92. Building a Repeatable Sales Process with Hal Fischer
In this episode, Brock talks with Hal Fischer. Hal is a former recruiter in the Air National Guard, a serial entrepreneur with several exits, and is one hell of a salesman. Expect to hear how his sales expertise helped to build one of the first military career fair expos which ended up being acquired by private equity. You'll get a discussion on when it's time to exit a company and how to suss out salesmen with malicious intent. Hal also breaks down his five steps of a sales process, the relationship between sales and marketing, and why the biggest thing you need to become an effective salesperson is overcoming fear of rejection.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Intro to this episode. 0:00
Perfectionism and the ego. 1:29
The importance of selling what you think is good enough. 4:41
How did you get into the field? 7:01
Hal's personal story 9:32
Marketing and Sales relationship. 15:36
What problems are worth working on? 18:38
Creating the first military job fair. 24:34
Private equity buyouts of in person events. 27:06
How self-awareness can help you decide where to insert yourself. 33:03
What is the definition of sales? 36:02
The importance of having a sales process. 42:33
How to ask for the sale 45:51
Why kids are great examples of how to be a salesman. 51:14
What books and resources do you recommend? 53:54
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
91. Using Computer Vision to Stop Active Shooters with Kieran Carroll (ZeroEyes)
In this episode, Brock talks with Kieran Carroll. Kieran is a former surface warfare officer in the Navy and now the Chief Strategy Officer at ZeroEyes, a software company using computer vision to detect weapons on video feeds and stop active shooters. Expect to learn what exactly computer vision is and the problems that faces today which hinge around quality of data. We hear how ZeroEyes started by creating their own datasets by walking around with weapons on video cameras to train their initial machine learning models. We talk about dual use products and how to manage complexity of having customers in public and private sectors. And we also get into deciding what problems are worth solving in your business and how to fail it a lot of things but still come out on top.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Intro to this episode. 0:00
What has been the most surprising thing about fatherhood? 1:33
Introduction and Kieran's life summary 4:07
What is the technology behind the ZeroEyes? 7:19
How has computer vision changed? 11:05
Creating proprietary data and early contract wins. 14:33
End user feedback. 21:04
Dual use products: Commercial vs. Defense. 23:49
The size of the business today. 27:03
Raising money for growth. 29:37
Managing geopolitical challenges. 36:09
How to accelerate growth. 39:12
Successes in the market place and position against competitors. 42:29
Deciding what to work on. 45:31
How do veterans position themselves and apply for jobs like this? 52:45
The good news about veteran talent acquisition. 56:11
Taking ownership of your failures. 1:00:13
Failing forward every day. 1:03:49
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
90. Turning a BBQ Blog into 6 Figures in Sales with Greg Fischer
In this episode, Brock talks with Greg Fischer. Greg is a former Marine Corps infantryman and currently running Burn Pit BBQ, a sauces and rub business he started from a recipe blog. Expect to learn how to instill an ownership mentality in your employees when starting a business. We talk about the cohort of men in the world today putting their job ahead of their family. Greg found himself drowning and never ending slew of emails and communication, even outside of working hours, which was the fuel for him to burn the boats and start a business. We also hear about his strategy on consumer packaged goods, how his distribution strategy mirrors strategies you've learned in combat overseas, why discounting products for deals like Prime Day don't work, and why influencers tend to be overrated in the CPG space.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Intro to this episode. 0:00
Creating a content day 1:36
Burn Pit BBQ 4:31
How did you decide to start your business? 7:40
The biggest difference between working for a small business and large business. 14:53
Why do most men not pursue their passions? 17:59
The role of a man. 24:31
What does it mean to serve your wife? 28:17
Managing expectations with a partner when quitting your job 33:45
Burn the boats 37:08
Small business milestones 40:34
Strategies for building the brand. 46:07
Why they don't do prime day deals 49:21
Importance of sharing your story when building a business. 54:46
Lessons learned from breaking bottles during shipping. 58:22
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
89. When to Hire a Lawyer and Managing Litigation as a SMB with Shamus Flynn
In this episode, Brock talks with Shamus Flynn. Shamus is a former Marine Corps officer and now a partner at Flynn Giudici, a law firm he co founded where he specializes in small and medium sized businesses, particularly litigation. Expect to learn how the changing world we live in today on the heels of a global pandemic and the advent of artificial intelligence is influencing our court systems. We discuss the fee structure of law firms, when it's worth it to pursue litigation as a small business and specific leverage points that you can take into any dispute to find the upper hand potentially a bad situation,
Show resources:
Show Notes:
Working for yourself vs. working for others. 1:50
Streamlining the court process. 4:53
Will artificial intelligence help streamline the legal process? 7:37
How did you decide to start your own law firm? 14:20
How long does it take to become a self-sustaining business? 17:55
Flat fee vs. Retainer. 20:51
Working with small and medium sized businesses. 27:40
The true nature of disputes 30:51
The art of mediation. 33:00
Small claims strategies. 39:26
Advice on how to deal with small claims. 42:34
When is it time to call a lawyer? 47:12
The psychological effects of stiffing people. 54:10
High profile cases of bullying. 58:00
The remoteness of the legal industry. 1:00:58
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
88. Information + Communication as Weapons and Optimizing for Personal Growth with Troy Peterson
In this episode, Brock talks with Troy Peterson. Troy was a PYSOPS officer in the Army and is now working on product policy and trust and safety at OpenAI. In this conversation, we talk about the value of information and how the control of access to information can be used as a weapon. Troy shares a story of providing radios to locals in Afghanistan in an attempt to build trust and encourage participation in elections and government activity. We talk about how we see access to information play out in our world today, particularly in social media, the news and the rise of individual influence over large populations. And we also talk about how to optimize for learning and growth not always money. After some time spent aligning his personal interests with careers, Troy landed a job at Facebook, which has helped him propel through several tech jobs and kept him from being forced to make decisions he didn't want to. He gives a few lessons on how to approach your finances and career that keep you from being backed into a corner.
Show resources:
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Scuttlebutt podcast. 0:00
Challenges in the training pipeline and the level of preparedness the military expects when you arrive. 1:55
Value of asking questions early. 5:10
Why haven’t you started your own company yet? 9:47
Early interest in tech while in the Army. 11:48
Breaking down barriers and build rapport with the local population while deployed. 16:42
The power of information and communication in Afghanistan. 22:05
Taliban Attacks in Afghanistan. 26:24
Was our war in Afghanistan representative of why the power of communication is important? 30:53
Having information is power. 37:56
Comparing information value in public to private sectors. 44:53
How to apply to tech jobs with your resume. 49:58
What’s the first thing you need to do when you get on the platform? 56:27
You’re only stealing from your future self if you aren’t taking the time to be intentional and try to learn. 58:52
What are some tangible things that you are doing now that protects life's downside? 1:04:05
Be open minded to change. 1:08:54
Journaling can be a good first step to holding yourself accountable to reaching your goals. 1:11:31
How do you balance the trade offs of technology and how do you make sure it’s not used for bad purposes? 1:16:16
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
87. Leadership in Naval Special Warfare, ETA, and Scaling a Vertical Market Software Business with Joe Heieck
In this conversation, Brock speaks with Joe Heieck. Joe was an intelligence officer in the Navy, where he spent time on SEAL Team Three as part of the Naval Special Warfare community, and is now the CEO of gWorks, a software company serving state and local government. In this conversation, Joe talks through why leadership of the NSW community is different and the do's and don'ts for implementing strong leadership in your life and business. We talked about his entrepreneurship through acquisition journey, a checklist to consider for self funded versus traditional search for veterans, and all of the different parties you should consider being close to when buying a business and where to find them. And lastly, we also get into how Joe helped grow the business so quickly, whether to focus on horizontal or vertical growth, and the ins and outs of a recapitalization.
Resources:
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Scuttlebutt Podcast. 0:00
Scaling gWorks is top of mind today. 1:33
How to plan for a ramp up. 3:34
When to get involved and when to get out of the way. 9:24
Coming to acquire gWorks through ETA 12:51
The importance of earning the trust and respect of your teammates. 18:26
The different relationship dynamics of NSW community versus traditional Navy fleet 21:39
His first taste of real leadership. 28:03
When it was time to exit the Navy for good. 30:47
The pros and cons of getting out of the Navy. 37:12
The search process and why he became a searcher. 40:22
What are some of the risks that come with being a first time CEO? 46:18
Benefits of choosing a lifestyle business versus with partners. 48:49
Where can searchers go to find the right people? 54:48
Don’t be a dick and good things can happen. 1:01:10
What is the revenue mix look like now? 1:05:44
Deciding whether to grow vertically or horizontally. 1:10:23
What does going through this process tell you about the importance of who your investors are? 1:16:48
Where have you grown the most as a leader? 1:21:21
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
86. Enduring Through Failure and Fighting for Clean Energy with Jonathan Gensler
In this episode, Brock speaks with Jonathan Gensler. Jonathan spent a career worth of time working in the clean energy sector. In this conversation, you hear about some of the problems facing renewable energy today, from someone who grew up in coal country. We also get into an underrated mindset veterans don't take advantage of as often as they should and that's our unique ability to endure despite failure. Jonathan talks a lot about working in sales and is now currently a writer where he's had to get comfortable with a lot of people saying no, our time in the military makes us great at pushing through these knows. He also gets into a bit of the victimization of veterans and why it's paramount that we don't reenter the civilian world with our hands out.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to this episode. 0:00
What are you working on right now? 1:25
How do you know when you’re doing something wrong? 6:46
Getting started writing. 14:11
Introduction to the world's energy problems. 21:00
Why the move to renewable energy has been so slow. 32:42
Companies and technologies that are the key to the future of renewable energy 39:07
What is it that the veteran community can learn from John? 47:08
The idea that everything is beyond your control and nothing matters. 53:50
Safety in the known. Veteran community is acknowledged everywhere. 1:00:21
The role of the veteran in society continues to change. 1:05:45
Do the work you want to do, even if it doesn’t pay very well. 1:12:38
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episodes & transcripts: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
85. Lessons from Tom Monaghan and Focusing on What You Have Power to Change with Rob Wynkoop
In this episode, Brock speaks with Rob Wynkoop. After his time in the Marines, Rob went on to start the first franchise of Gyrene Burger, a delivery focused specialty burger chain started by Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza. Rob shares what he learned from Tom and the economics of food delivery before Uber Eats existed. We also talked about government contracting, specifically service disabled veteran owned small businesses, and why that niche isn't as profitable and easy as most people think it is. Lastly, we talked about worm buckets, a worm composting ecommerce company Rob started during COVID.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to this episode. 0:00
When is enough? What is your goal? What are you looking for? 1:18
Looking for ownership of something. 4:54
Rob's background in the marines. 11:17
How he met Tom Monaghan and got into the burger business. 13:52
What was the most challenging part of running a fast food restaurant? 19:19
What’s the concept of 100% delivery? 22:22
The three legs of the stool of success. 30:09
What is diversity contracting and how does it work? 36:20
What is government contracting and why is it hard? 40:02
The importance of getting the inside track in government contracting. 46:00
The three ways to be successful in government contracting. 48:57
How do you get into government contracting? 54:55
What’s the purchase price of a government contracting small business? 1:00:53
Taking over a SDVOSB. 1:04:11
Worm farming is a success. 1:10:52
Marketing in ecommerce. 1:13:41
Optionality for partnerships. 1:19:21
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episodes & transcripts: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
84. Building a Vertically Integrated Property Management Company with Josh Kristoff
In this episode, Brock speaks with Josh Kristoff. Josh is a former surface warfare officer and is now the managing partner at Nomad Capital Ventures and Kristoff Real Estate Investments. In this discussion, Josh talks about the stark differences he saw leading a manufacturing company compared to working inside of a tech company in Silicon Valley. We talk about how the military develops you as a generalist and when you need to specialize in a particular skill, why executive MBAs are underrated, and building a highly verticalized property management company.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to this episode. 0:00
What is the product you’re working on? 1:36
What are some of the accounting pain points you’re having and why is the willingness to pay so high? 6:42
What’s necessary in the short term rental industry. 11:41
How he ended up in the Navy and what he learned from it. 16:12
Is there the feeling of camaraderie that comes with being part of a tightly knit team? 22:58
What is the difference between working in Silicon Valley and manufacturing? 26:56
The importance of team leadership and communication and setting goals. 31:10
Why did you find yourself more apt at the manufacturing vs the tech focused gig? 36:11
When is the right time to specialize in a technical skill? 40:16
What’s the next five to 10 years looking like in terms of technical skills? 44:40
The three things executives need to brush up on and focus on. 49:40
The composition of the classroom and the opportunity cost. 54:26
The benefits of education after the military. 58:45
How he got started in real estate investing. 1:02:53
How his partnership started a real estate investing business. 1:07:47
The strength of the partnership has been the amount of stress they’ve experienced. 1:12:17
The impact of the pandemic on the short term rental industry. 1:19:38
What’s informing their decision to go vertical? 1:22:54
Why they’re not going to launch in every market. 1:27:03
What is it that you can offer them and we can take it from there? 1:32:10
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episodes & transcripts: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/
83. Defining and Executing Business Strategy with Susan Maly
In this episode, Brock speaks with Susan Maly. Susan is former Air Force and Booz Allen now working as a fractional Chief Strategy Officer for small technology companies. From this conversation, expect to learn how to structure your writing and how to speak more eloquently. Susan was a speechwriter during her time in the Air Force and has several simple ways to get your thoughts down on paper and connecting with your audience. You also learn about what strategy is why you need it in your business and the steps to implement it. Susan is an expert at translating the big vision you have in your head about what the future ought to look like down into the things you need to be doing in your life and business everyday to achieve those. She gives some helpful frameworks to think through and apply what you do and best practices for aligning your entire business towards one common goal.
Episode Resources:
Strategy Made Simple Newsletter
5 Tools for Your Strategy Toolkit
Show Notes:
Introduction to today’s episode. 0:00
Finding the space to have enough flow to write. 1:45
Susan shares excerpts from her book with her readers. She also writes a newsletter. 7:33
Being a speechwriter for a four star. 11:56
What are we trying to accomplish with this speech? What is the end goal so that we can frame everything around it? 15:02
What’s your hook? What is the story? How can you pull that through? 20:26
How did your dreams of getting out of the Air Force play into landing your role at Booz Allen? 24:07
What is strategy? What does it mean? 31:12
Do you think it’s possible to succeed in business without everything you describe? 34:09
Why there’s a need for management consulting companies. 39:19
What was the largest barrier to large organizations implementing change? 42:18
What is your vision for what your perfect future will look like? 48:29
When is the right time to hire? 52:13
The benefits of having a third party come in. 56:57
The importance of having a Northstar strategy. 1:00:13
The importance of having a written down North Star plan. 1:05:27
What would you take away from this conversation and implement it today? 1:13:41
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag. https://scuttlebutt.carrd.co/
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
82. Diagnosing the Issues in Military and Civilian Medical Practices with Josh Thompson
In this episode, Brock speaks with Josh Thompson. Josh is a former Army medevac pilot and now a fractional CFO. In this conversation, we talk about the family dynamics of the military, and how to live for your legacy and not your resume. We hear about Josh's experience in command of several field hospitals in the army and how he managed finances for several struggling activities. He also goes in depth on the challenges facing medical services, both in a civilian capacity and in the service from a readiness perspective, I hit him with a hot question of whether or not pregnant women should be allowed in the service or not as well enough to listen through to hear his take on that. We also talk about some of the financial challenges SMB owners face and the best practices for having clean financials and operations, m&a, and raising money.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Scuttlebutt podcast. 0:00
The most important thing he’s anticipating in this season of transition. 1:39
Where are we going to settle? 7:49
What the service means to people is unique. 14:41
How he landed where he is today. 22:26
How the Army offered to pay for his grad school. 28:45
What was driving the misappropriation of money? 33:35
The importance of managing your hiring process. 36:59
Working with so many layers of complexity in the military. 44:30
What were the big lessons or takeaways from this process? 47:28
What’s the purpose of the Defense Department? 54:02
The second hard question that really challenges the Surgeon’s Journal and the services. 57:48
What happens if you’re in the middle of the Middle East and you have to find a host nation provider that can provide the same service 1:04:15
Mental health is a big issue in the service. 1:07:51
What are some of the repercussions that we’re feeling from using the healthcare system? 1:13:35
What is direct primary care? What is it? 1:16:04
Why you need to join a BNI group. 1:20:48
What business owners are struggling with. 1:23:54
The proliferation of fractional roles and their importance. 1:31:04
What’s the one thing that small business owners constantly mess up when it comes to their finances and something that you could articulate that they could 1:33:53
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag. https://scuttlebutt.carrd.co/
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
81. Ins and Outs of the Metal Fabrication Business with Josh Smith
In this episode, Brock speaks with Josh Smith. Josh is former EOD tech and now the owner of a large welding and fabrication business. We talk about how his business is looking to adopt e commerce strategies and the pros and cons of customization versus mass adoption. He walks us through his first acquisition, everything that went wrong with it and how to avoid some of those pitfalls. And we talk about his strategies for recruiting top trade talent and cultivating an environment that retains highly skilled people.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to this episode. 0:00
The biggest problem he’s seen in the metal fabrication space. 1:13
What is ecommerce like? 3:58
Building an infrastructure around something that stops for whatever reason. 11:01
How he got started in real estate. 17:05
How he got started in the business. 20:25
What’s so attractive about starting a small and medium business? 25:21
What was the size of the shop at one point? 31:42
When he first came out here, he was looking for a place to work out of his garage. 34:09
The most critical things he would have done differently with the business. 39:55
What are the things that could have been a deal breaker for a SMB? 45:33
How do you know when you are being ripped off? 47:11
What are some of the benefits of bringing all of his businesses under one umbrella? 52:27
The best decision he’s ever made. 57:02
Trade work is similar to the military because it’s about the quality of your work. 1:02:44
What do you think people most misunderstand about business? 1:07:23
Don’t make the same mistake that I did. 1:13:50
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag.
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
80. Building a Leadership Academy with Nolan Gore
In this episode, Brock speaks with Nolan Gore. Nolan operates a landscaping company that's going to do over 5 million in revenue this year, which is more than 2x Since he bought the company back in 2017. In this conversation, you'll learn why work life balance doesn't exist and why if you're an entrepreneur striving for work, life integration is much more effective. You'll learn how to have difficult conversations with customers and why positioning really is everything. And you'll also hear about his Leadership Development Academy where he takes D1 athletes and students with master's degree and puts them to work mowing lawns, and reading all the entrepreneurship books that made us. It's really an impressive program and inspiring to hear Nolan's love to foster young people coming up in the world.
Episode Resources:
Show Notes:
Introduction to this week’s episode. 0:00
What’s going on in his life right now. 1:45
How to use adversity as a rallying cry to motivate your team. 7:48
The importance of being vulnerable in business. 9:59
His background and what he has learned about business from his parents. 14:19
What was the final release for you of getting out of the shadow? 19:00
My wife and I grew up together, which is not something most people an replicate. 24:11
You may not always be passionate about what you’re doing, but there’s an intangible thing you are optimizing for personally. 28:52
The decision to get out of the marines. 32:07
The decision to put someone else on top of the business. 37:10
The importance of getting a verbal agreement, not just a verbal Agreement. 43:50
Have you incubated any other service lines? 46:30
The importance of leadership and stability in the company. 52:02
How do you balance unit growth and charging aggressive pricing? 55:25
The origin story of the Leadership Academy. 1:00:37
Why you need to taste small business before you buy. 1:05:31
Finding the right fit for every person. 1:08:01
What is the reaction and how does the integration work with the people who are in the business? 1:13:22
--
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag.
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
79. Retirement Planning with Content Differentiation with Ryan Kilkenny
In this episode, Brock speaks with Ryan Kilkenny. Ryan is the founder and CEO of Atomic Planning, a virtual retirement planning financial services company. Ryan is former Marine Corps and after a few years learning financial advising at Edward Jones started his own practice with a focus on retirement planning specifically. Expect to learn the must dos for your money while in the service, the differences between financial services companies like Edward Jones and starting your own practice, and how to use content as a way to differentiate yourself and your business.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:10) - Becoming a dad for the first time (06:18) - Early starts in Marine Corps Aviation (13:40) - The finances of a Marine Corps officer (18:18) - Giving every dollar a name and financial education in the military (24:09) - The most important heuristics for personal finance in the military (30:35) - Discussing the benefits and drawbacks of the blended retirement system (35:56) - Coaching junior marines on finances to sales at Edward Jones (41:24) - Who working at Edward Jones is and isn't right for (44:42) - What the future looks like for Edward Jones and leaving to start your own firm (51:36) - Atomic Planning - Ryan's own practice (54:06) - Defining a niche within the industry and speaking to a select audience (58:13) - Content as a differentiator (01:06:55) - "Why is money important to you?" (01:11:45) - What we can learn from Ryan? Have a plan The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag.
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
78. Building a Boutique Fitness Brand and Implementing EOS with Mike Jones
In this episode, Brock speaks with Mike Jones. In this conversation, Mike talks about how to do targeted networking with a particular focus on raising money for a business, as well as running effective meetings with people. We talked about him launching one of the first Crossfit gyms in Minneapolis back in 2009. And how we use learnings from that to co found his own fitness company, Alchemy 365, a boutique fitness brand. Mike also talks about EOS or Entrepreneurial Operating System, why it's a valuable back into any business and how to implement it in your own company.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:20) - How to have a good meeting or networking call (06:56) - Cold vs warm outreach (09:46) - Best practices when it comes to networking to raise capital (17:21) - The biggest driver of success: Confidence (21:09) - Idea validation for new ventures (26:55) - Launching the first Crossfit gym in Minneapolis (33:02) - Crossfit business model and its influences on boutique fitness concepts (38:52) - Acquiring customers and managing balance of capacity (45:05) - Starting a new boutique fitness brand, Alchemy 365 (52:21) - Pricing strategies for new and existing products (57:34) - Size and scale of Alchemy 365 and growth plans (01:02:30) - What is EOS and why do businesses need it (01:07:08) - Fractional executives (01:11:18) - The biggest struggle businesses face implementing EOS (01:16:13) - What implementing looks like in practice and costs involved (01:20:41) - Common pitfalls and advice for young entrepreneurs The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag.
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
77. Starting and Scaling a Home Repair Business with Rodney Adams
In this episode, Brock speaks with Rodney Adams. Rodney is a former Marine Corps infantry, both enlisted and officer and is now the CEO and founder of Mr. Home Repair of Tulsa. We get into why the title of veteran means different things to different people and the good and bad application of it in the workplace. We talk about his journey from his time working at Goldman Sachs Investment Management arm to becoming an entrepreneur. We also get into what it takes to succeed operating a small and medium business and some very potent advice for young men pursuing a similar path.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:17) - Is the veteran space played out? (12:23) - Military teaches us leadership, but not hard skills; how does that equate to the comparable civilian (18:13) - Where are the high performers in the military? (23:50) - How to incentivize high performers (30:02) - Integration with Dutch Marines (37:20) - MBA, Goldman Sachs, and missing culture fit (47:12) - Providing for your family and whether or not to seek autonomy (58:05) - Finding and building a peer network (01:05:47) - Starting a home repair business to solve a personal problem (01:11:35) - The greatest challenge starting a business: Zero to 1 (01:16:13) - Scaling home repair businesses (01:21:40) - To raise money or not to raise money (01:28:39) - Gumroad free download for outfitting trucks and starting a home repair business (01:33:05) - The biggest problem facing young men The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag.
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
76. The Future of Electric Vehicles with Jeremy McCool
In this episode, Brock speaks with Jeremy McCool. Jeremy is a former Army infantry officer, and currently the founder and CEO of HEVO, a wireless electric vehicle charging company. We talked through Jeremy's inspiration for HEVO, a story recounting restoring power to a village in Iraq while deployed. He explains the barriers to wireless charging and how they're combating both the innovation and distribution challenges, their recent partnership with Stellantis, and advice for young entrepreneurs raising money. Jeremy is the type of person that when you listen to them talk about the future. It's exciting. He also tells a story of how he was explaining his idea for wireless charging when he was started back in 2011 to Exxon executives, just three years after Tesla released its first roadster considering how far they come, it's difficult to not to be optimistic about that future.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:52) - Jeremy's entrepreneurship roots (08:39) - How the ability to lead changes from the military and in entrepreneurship (14:43) - Can you teach entrepreneurship? (21:40) - Restoring power to a village in Iraq as inspiration for a startup (37:34) - What Jeremy would change about time in service (39:37) - Incentives to start companies and differences of US to the rest of the world (50:40) - Humble beginnings starting HEVO after leaving Columbia (01:01:11) - HEVO's business today (01:07:25) - Rolling out public wireless EV charging in NYC (01:11:01) - Technology and distribution challenges (01:16:16) - Retrofitting vehicles vs production (01:24:34) - Crowdfunding and advice on raising money (01:38:04) - Where to find out more
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Every week, we send out in depth breakdowns of episodes, resources and content not featured, and free swag.
Follow along:
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
75. Translating in LATAM, Risk Through the GFC, and ESOPs with Doug Pugliese
In this episode, Brock speaks with Doug Pugliese. Doug is a former naval aviator and translator as well as the former managing director at Bear Stearns, where he rode through the dot com bubble and the GFC. Today he is head of 1042 QRP strategies at Alpha Architect. In this conversation we start with a bit about Doug's time in the Navy. Doug was a translator for an admiral and the president of Paraguay in the late 80s. He gives a bit of a history lesson about the US as involvement in South America during that time, and share some photos of him with some very notable figures, including the general who staged a coup and overthrew that President. We also hear what Doug learned about risk in financial markets working through a few of the most notable time periods in financial history. And we also learned about ESOP's or employee stock ownership programs, what they are, why they're important, and what Alpha Architect is doing in this world today.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:56) - What Doug is most proud of (06:13) - A near aviation mishap landing with a blown engine at night (12:43) - Acting differently in the light of recognizing your own mortality (16:32) - Sharing a few photos from Doug's time in service - first flight at Martha's Vineyard (19:02) - Doug's learning of Spanish early, exchange student, and skills for later in life (30:27) - Translating for an admiral in Paraguay in 1993 (35:15) - The general who staged a coup to overthrow the president of Paraguay (42:42) - South America countries and the future of America (46:48) - Joining the world of finance, leaving the life of riley (01:02:00) - Working at Bear Sterns from the dot com boom & bust through the great financial crisis (01:08:43) - Understanding financial cycles and commonalities between them (01:16:20) - Meeting Wes Gray and joining Alpha Architect (01:23:37) - Head of 1042 Solutions (01:26:37) - ESOPs, what they are and why they're important
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along: • Brock: @BrockHBriggs • Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast • Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com • Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
74. Systems Thinking and Quantitative Finance with Wes Gray
In this episode, Brock speaks with Wes Gray. Wes is a former Marine intel officer and currently the founder and CEO of alpha architect. This episode might double as an intro to financial markets. We talk about what quantitative investing is, and how that differs from the famous stock pickers, like Warren Buffett. We talk about systems based thinking, where and why that's relevant. And we also talk about the future of investing and how to use our strengths to best play into that.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:21) - What Wes is most proud of (04:02) - What you do after school and the benefits of being young and dumb when it comes to work (11:06) - Most impactful experience from the Marines (14:59) - System 1 and 2 Thinking (22:42) - Personal finance advice for young service members (28:42) - Wes' first stock and getting started investing (33:32) - Quantitative investing introduction (42:01) - Macro and technology risks to quant investing (48:16) - Relationship between value and momentum (54:02) - Why all investing is front running (01:00:12) - Popularity of quant investing and what the next 5-10 years look like (01:06:49) - Starting Alpha Architect (01:12:51) - Entrepreneurship and the doors it opens to new adventures (01:18:57) - Building ETF Architect and sources for business today (01:28:03) - Twitter Q&A
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along: • Brock: @BrockHBriggs • Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast • Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com • Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
73. Retiring on Multifamily Real Estate with JD Modrak
In this episode, Brock speaks with JD Modrak. JD is currently a director at Kasa and is as close to a VA loan expert as I've found. We talk about MBAs and how the value of an MBA could be offset with drive and experience, his time stacking VA loans and why now may be the best time to use a VA loan despite where interest rates are, and the state of short term rentals - why or why not they may be worthwhile.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:15) - Why JD doesn't want to talk about the Navy (05:37) - Driving aircraft carriers to squeezing more aircraft seats on planes (08:43) - Attitudes perpetuated in the military, good and bad (15:43) - Is an MBA worthwhile? (21:47) - How would JD coach someone through doing the work and skipping school? (25:30) - Paths from business school and evaluating alternatives in the workplace (31:38) - Story of using the VA loan for the first time (43:05) - Stacking loans and rules around VA loans (47:49) - VA Loan caps today (52:57) - Coming to a conversation with a broker prepared (01:01:13) - Must have's when buying a home with a VA loan (01:05:25) - Finding people to have in your court (01:14:50) - Introduction to short term rentals (01:24:06) - Working at Kasa and learnings from working in real estate (01:29:28) - Summary and closing thoughts
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along: • Brock: @BrockHBriggs • Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast • Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com • Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
72. Starting a Direct Mail Marketing Business off Twitter with Christian Ruf
In this episode, Brock speaks with Christian Ruf. Christian is a former Army helicopter pilot and now operating a home services business. We talk about what we can take from aviation and how to apply that in our lives. We talk about why ETA or entrepreneurship through acquisition may not be as sexy as most make it out to be. And we talk about an interesting business he's starting, jumbo mail, a new take on direct mail.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:48) - Hot yoga, a quick trip to Iraq, and finding what you're capable of (11:05) - Why developing a team is the most important thing we do in the service and how to do it (14:03) - Building a team outside the military with aviation principles (18:43) - What prep school, college, and the military have in common (25:56) - Structure after the military and building confidence in uncertainty (29:08) - Unlimited potential after the military and the requirements to pursue it (33:25) - Operating a home services business under a PE umbrella (35:41) - What is so sexy about ETA? (42:19) - Establishing SOPs in business vs keeping creative options open (49:50) - Starting a direct mail business off Twitter (55:33) - Economics of direct mail (01:07:31) - Riffing on domain ideas
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along: • Brock: @BrockHBriggs • Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast • Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com • Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
71. Leading through Wild Confidence and Low Self Esteem with Joe Parker
In this episode, Brock speaks with Joe Parker. Joe is a former Army officer worked as the head of capital markets at USAA, a product manager at Amazon and now is the COO at positive some of venture stage investment fund. In this conversation, we talk about how you can lead from the front by willing to get dirty and how that drives retention and greater buy in from your employees. We talk about the business of the military and the unique challenges it faces when it comes to developing the people who run it, and why many high achievers choose to exit. We also discuss the shortcuts to finding what you're good at, whether you're the right person to change the world, and finding the jobs that align with those key features of who you are.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(02:36) - Joe's introduction and how the Army was and wasn't what he thought it would be (09:40) - What suffering in the dirt means as a leader (15:10) - Why timing and tenure is weighted heavier in the military (20:27) - How to take Amazon's ability to find and promote great talent back to the Army (24:51) - Who are the shareholders of the military and how does that drive outcomes (36:02) - Measuring success both in, out, and exiting the service (41:10) - Joe's desire to surround himself and work with entrepreneurial people (44:13) - Identifying what we're good at in life (51:28) - Getting into Venture Capital, specifically working at Positive Sum (57:32) - Unpredictability in work and the world and finding obsessiveness (01:07:39) - Joe's long term goals
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along: • Brock: @BrockHBriggs • Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast • Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com • Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
70. Family, a Shoebox of Thoughts, and Seizing Opportunity with Neville Johnson
In this episode, Brock speaks with Neville Johnson. Neville is the first EX US vet that I've had on serving in the British infantry, and the author of the newly published book Sangin, Then and Now published by Dead Reckoning Collective. We talk about the value of family and managing one through chaotic times. We talk about how to handle your personal priorities, knowing what true defeat looks like and how that differs from a change in direction. We also get into finding purpose in things outside of our service. Neville mentions that many people want to ask how many doors you've kicked in, but aren't interested in that next phase of all of our lives.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:41) - What Neville is most proud of
(04:22) - Changes he would make to parenting looking back
(06:13) - Two poems from Sangin and drawing parallels from early childhood to parenting
(10:13) - Regrets and things he would have done differently during service
(13:10) - Comparing who we were to who we are
(19:51) - Arnold Schwarzenegger as a hero along dad; why are heroes aren't everything/how to hero select
(29:27) - Balance of pursuit of goals with optionality for new opportunities
(37:58) - How to stay hungry - a lesson in self reflection and self management
(51:08) - Writing as a process and early submissions to Dead Reckoning Collective
(01:02:20) - Lessons from first submission to publishing a book
(01:07:29) - Life after service; working and influencing at risk youth
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
69. Let People Know What You're Passionate About with Levi West
In this episode, Brock speaks with Levi West. Levi is an 0311 in the Marine Corps, but if you ask him, that's definitely not the first way describe himself. He's a writer, a photographer, and an all around creative. He talks about why we need our own identity outside of the military, and how to start down the path of creating that. We also discuss his firsthand account of the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the mental toll that that put on the on the ground decision makers. Levi also gets into launching an indie publication called Dirtbag Magazine featuring everything cool.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:56) - What Levi is most proud of
(09:04) - The big picture of 'making an impact'
(14:45) - Why he joined the Marine Corps and any regrets
(19:23) - Introduction to photography
(21:57) - Withdrawal from Afghanistan - the good, the bad, and the ugly
(31:58) - Why experience in the military should give an immense appreciation of being an American
(39:15) - The military as an identity
(45:06) - Doing creative work just because and how to get started
(49:35) - Starting Dirtbag magazine
(55:30) - Content and the future of the magazine
(01:05:23) - Q&A from Instagram; vet writing culture, machine gun poets, and more
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
68. Unlocking the Power of the Creative Process with Justin Mikolay
In this episode, Brock speaks with Justin Mikolay. Justin is a former submariner and was a speechwriter for several notable figures, including General Petraeus, General Mattis and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. You'll hear what he learned about leadership from each of them. You'll also hear an in depth discussion on the creative process and how he works through the work of some of the world's smartest people. You're going to learn a lesson in nuclear fission, and how it applies to our creative process, why it's essential to put your words out into the world, and how to use those as a lighthouse to draw like minded people to you. We get into several other subtopics what he regrets about his time in the military, working at Palantir, and heuristics on habit forming.
Episode Resources:
'The Meaning of Their Service' by Mattis
Notes:
(02:08) - Justin's Rate My Professor score
(05:02) - Why most people have never tried to write and parallels with running/staying in shape
(15:07) - Systematizing creative and life processes
(19:20) - The art of 'Active Consumption' and K Effective
(23:37) - ChatGPT and Generative AI
(27:12) - Speechwriting and takeaways from the world's most powerful figures
(36:06) - Why leadership is inspiration to action
(43:37) - Finding meaning in service and what we're truly serving
(50:51) - How Nuclear school played out in Justin's career
(56:03) - Assimilating back into civilian lifestyle
(59:17) - Regrets about service
(01:08:25) - Spend your energy on a worthy cause
(01:12:38) - Putting your thoughts, energy, and time into the world through the scale of the internet
(01:29:15) - Finding what you have that's valuable
(01:37:27) - What we can learn that we can implement today
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
67. Defining Life's Protocol with Martha Macphee
In this episode, Brock speaks with Martha MacPhee. Martha is a former Marine and in this discussion, we talk about her time running protocol for high visibility events, including President Trump's inauguration and how her job translated into the civilian world working with organizations like Susan Davis International. We also talked about her work with the Military Influencer Conference, a funny story about Rob Riggle at last year's event, and a teaser for this year's conference in Las Vegas. She also gives us a unique take on the word legacy, what that means and how we ought to think about what happens after we're gone.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(01:38) - Relationship with John Glenn
(09:00) - Carrying on Grandfather's legacy
(15:38) - Optimize for legacy
(17:21) - Entering the world of protocol
(23:29) - What protocol is and why its important
(27:09) - Most outlandish protocol faux paw she's seen
(33:09) - Training for unknown
(35:16) - The most challenging event - Trump's inauguration
(43:59) - Is working in protocol a career maker?
(49:44) - Bridging the gap to a civilian employer and verifying terms
(53:54) - The most critical elements of putting on an event
(01:01:07) - Putting on the Military Influencer Conference
(01:09:37) - The power of self employment in choosing what you want to do
(01:14:16) - Endgame and staying happy
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
66. Pursuing Self Mastery with Tony Nash
In this episode, Brock speaks with Tony Nash. Tony is an army officer and the host of the Got Your Six Podcast. Tony talks about how to use physical triggers to slow down time, how to free yourself from the need to be good enough, and why we need to meet resistance every single day. We also talk about the power of repeated small actions on a long time horizon.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(02:25) - What are you most proud of?
(05:54) - Creating a relationship with yourself that emphasizes awareness
(08:21) - Being proud of things that don't work out
(17:40) - Has the Army been everything you thought it would be?
(23:57) - Writing to change your mind
(29:51) - The power of repetition and recording 100 podcasts
(32:28) - Why start a podcast?
(38:44) - This is Day Two, not Day One anymore
(49:31) - Lessons from 100 episodes
(01:02:47) - Creativity within all of us
(01:05:07) - Tony's 5 Pillars: Servant Leadership, Life Tactics, Inspiration, Discipline, Encouragement
(01:41:44) - Using the pillars to make daily decisions
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
65. Brave and Afraid at the Same Time with Kim Campbell
In this episode, Brock speaks with Kim Campbell. Kim is a former Air Force A10 pilot and is well known for returning her aircraft back to base safely after being struck by a missile flying over Baghdad during the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003. In this conversation, we discuss what failing forward means, women flying fighter jets, why trust may be the most important element of a team, and why she wouldn't change to flying F18s ifgiven the chance. Kim is extremely dynamic, is eager to give back, and also has a book coming out which you should buy - "Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilots Lessons on Leading with Courage".
Episode Resources:
Ones Ready Interview Podcast with Kim
Notes:
(01:50) - The most impactful experience in 24 years in the Air Force
(03:20) - Managing a military family
(08:31) - Have you always considered yourself a calm person?
(09:50) - Brave and afraid at the same time
(14:21) - Being called to perform at a higher level
(18:18) - Deciding who you want on your team
(23:57) - Mentoring junior cadets and advice for young service members
(35:03) - Debriefing after difficult life missions and moving on to the next thing
(38:39) - Women's roles in the Air Force and more women fighter pilots
(45:01) - Did having kids negatively influence career?
(46:48) - Creating a work life balance culture
(55:08) - Book recommendations
(01:01:22) - What's on the other side, writing a book, and a story from the book
(01:09:38) - If given the chance, would you fly F18's instead?
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co
64. Imposing Your Will on the World with Heath Smith
In this episode, Brock speaks with Heath Smith. Heath is a former Army Command Sergeant Major and this episode is a download on 27 years of struggle, leadership and conquering. We discuss how average people have above average careers, why you can't engineer leadership, and who in your unit you should be focused on when leading a team, as well as overcoming a negative relationship with alcohol. Heath gives very tactical advice on intervening in the life of someone struggling with alcohol and talks about how he's approaching his next great adventure in retirement.
Episode Resources:
Notes:
(02:23) - Summarizing 27 years in the Army
(07:55) - Average people with above average careers
(12:48) - True meaning of sacrifice
(18:06) - Living differently and confronting alcohol head-on
(26:50) - Confronting people struggling with alcohol
(35:55) - Importance of community and TRIBE especially in transition
(41:02) - What being alpha means
(46:23) - Encouragement for young leaders stepping up to the plate and why leadership can't be engineered
(01:09:42) - Relentless self improvement
(01:25:38) - Fine tuning performance
(01:34:50) - Imposing your will on the world
(01:40:33) - Work life balance, particularly in "retirement"
The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.
Follow along:
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co