Service Academy Business Mastermind

“When you have a great partner, it’s unbelievable.  It’s worth its weight in gold.  You’re much stronger with somebody else.” -Terry MacGregor, USNA ‘00 In this episode, you’ll learn: How Terry’s team uses data analytics to predict energy markets Tips for choosing the right business partner Tips for improving team communication Terry graduated from USNA in 2000 and is the founder of Byte Lion and Law IQ.  At Byte Lion, Terry’s team works with innovators in the startup and corporate world to create disruptive products and services.  And at Law IQ, Terry’s team uses predictive data analytics to turn energy infrastructure events into actionable insights which help customers navigate the complexities of the energy regulatory landscape. I hope you enjoy this episode of the Service Academy Business Mastermind podcast!

“We’re seeing that there is this huge gap where big agencies don’t want to help the business owner on the ground who is local. So we crafted a solution that helps them. So far it’s been amazing.” -Trevor Shirk, USMA '08 Trevor Shirk graduated from West Point in 2008 and is the founder of Targeted Laser SEO (TLS), an online marketing company based in Denver, CO.  TLS provides SEO and cutting edge digital marketing strategies to growth-minded entrepreneurs and business owners.  Whether it's Facebook advertising, Pay-per-click, Conversion Rate Optimization, or Search Engine Optimization, Trevor’s team looks for ways to help business owners grow exponentially. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to get your business ranked #1 in Google Maps How to create profitable Facebook ads that work A special strategy for generating qualified leads on LinkedIn Enjoy! Scott Mackes, USNA '01

"I started off with a very narrow focus.  I wasn't trying to be everything to everybody."  -Dan Lesniak, USNA '02 Dan Lesniak graduated from the Naval Academy in 2002 and is the founder of the Orange Line Living Team, a real estate company based in Arlington, VA. He began his career in real estate in 2012 after having successful careers both as a Naval Submarine Officer and Defense Contractor. His hyper-local strategy led to one of the fastest starts in real estate with over $22 million in sales in his first year. Since then, Dan’s team has become one of the top 35 teams in the nation and number one in Virginia as ranked by Real Trends. Dan is the author of the book, The HyperLocal HyperFast Real Estate Agent. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use the Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) framework to identify potential markets How to hire the right people for your real estate team Why you shouldn’t target friends and family when starting out How to use Craigslist to create demand for properties

"Part of the reason I'm not in the corporate world is because of the culture where being busy is good and being busy is successful.  I don't really subscribe to that.  I really try and build systems in my business where I don't have to do as much to accomplish the same amount."  Laura Renner, USAFA '01 Laura Renner graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2001 and is the managing director at Freedom Makers. At Freedom Makers, Laura provides freedom for small business owners by providing virtual assistance. Their assistants are military spouses who also gain freedom because they can keep working no matter when or where the military moves their family. In this episode, you'll learn: How to outsource tasks and become less busy Delegation strategies to increase productivity Tips for overcoming fear when starting a business Enjoy! -Scott, USNA '01

“I’ve always had the bug to invent and I’ve always rattled around ideas. I didn’t want to be the guy with regret, saying I had all these ideas and I never did anything about them.” -Mike Mazzocco, USMA ‘93 Mike Mazzocco graduated from West Point in 1993 and is the Founder of the MazzTech Group. The MazzTech Group is comprised of creative engineers and personnel that invent innovative products to solve common problems. They develop functional products and bring them to market using a repeatable and scalable manufacturing process. One of their latest inventions is the Stake Rake, a rake with innovative technology that deploys a stake with the flick of a wrist and effortlessly stands the rake upright. The Stake Rake decreases back strain and significantly reduces the risk of losing, tripping or stepping on the rake by not having to bend over to pick it up. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to patent your idea How to find a manufacturer for your product idea How to know when to invest in your idea and when to w

Ben Arneberg graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2012 and is the Co-Founder of Willow and Everett, an e-commerce company that sells high-end kitchen products on Amazon. Ben is also the Co-Founder of CubeFit and Product Fuel. CubeFit is a company that creates ergonomic products that empower people to be healthy and Product Fuel is an online accelerator for innovative physical products. At Product Fuel, Ben helps e-commerce entrepreneurs at various stages, from validating product ideas, to crowdfunding, to increasing online sales. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to sell your products using Fulfillment by Amazon How to build your very own branded Amazon store How to identify niche products that will sell on Amazon Tips for product sourcing that will save you time and money Words of Wisdom Ben started Willow and Everett with only a single product - a copper Moscow Mule mug.  After the product was successful and sales were rolling in, he expanded his product line.  Also, his company only sells high-end pr

Sonny Tosco graduated from West Point in 2006 and is the Co-Founder of Ronin Dev, a full-stack development team that can build a minimum viable product for your web or mobile app. In his episode, you'll learn: How to build a mobile app your customers will love How to turn your vision into a minimum viable product that customers will buy How to leverage your time with a virtual assistant How to say no more often and get more done Words of Wisdom While growing his business, Sonny recognized that his most valuable time is spent prospecting and talking to potential clients.  In order to focus more on this, he hired a Virtual Assistant (VA) to help with administrative tasks.  He also started saying "no" more often so he could spend time on what is most important. Enjoy!

Michael Kim graduated from West Point in 2010 and is the Co-Founder of KPOP Foods.  KPOP's mission is to bring people together and uplift spirits by sharing Korean food and flavors with America.  Mike recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign raising over $37,000 for his business. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to get a Kickstarter campaign funded in record time A proven pre-launch strategy that will attract lots of backers How to find a manufacturer for your products How to find a co-packer to ship your products so you can scale your business Enjoy!

Michael Bradley graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in ’01 and is the founder of M3S Networking and the Navy Nuclear Power Officer Career Conference, the only career conference connecting nuclear power officers with the country’s best companies and schools.  Mike has attracted companies such as Apple and Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos’ company) along with colleges such as Wharton Business School to his career conference. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to turn your talent and passion into a sustainable business How to host a conference and market your event to maximize attendance How to attract top-tier attendees to your conference How to use “meet-ups” to generate new leads for your business Enjoy! Scott Mackes, USNA '01 www.sabmgroup.com

David Marquet graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in ’81 and led a distinguished career in the United States' Submarine Force, culminating in command of the nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Santa Fe. In command of Santa Fe, Captain Marquet completely turned around the submarine, which went from being "worst to first."  Noted author Dr. Stephen Covey rode USS Santa Fe and discusses one of Captain Marquet's leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit.  David currently runs the leadership program he founded, "Turn the Ship Around!" In this episode, you’ll learn: Unconventional practices that will help you write a book faster How to build a team to support you through the writing process How to leverage a book to grow a speaking and consulting business How to find clients you love to serve Enjoy!  -Scott Mackes, USNA '01

Ryan Cook graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.  Ryan has worked for numerous defense and private engineering companies in CT, MA and CA, specializing in multi-level secure mobile and on-the-move networks across multiple frequencies and platforms. He was also part of the Redback Networks engineering team that introduced broadband aggregate routing to the market in 1998. In 2010, after years of working in every facet of engineering, Ryan left his career as an engineer due to exhaustive travel and burnout and entered into real estate. Since then, Ryan has consistently been in the top 10% of all MA agents. He opened his own brokerage in 2013 (First Class Realty Group) and his own construction company in 2016 (On The Level Construction). He specializes in new construction homes and renovation work for seniors and their families. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to identify a niche in the real estate market to get tons of clients How to automat

Bill Sandvig graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2002 and served for seven years as a Nuclear Submarine Officer.  After his Naval service was complete, Bill ventured into the Mortgage Banking Industry. Representing Movement Mortgage as the South Carolina Coast Market Leader, Bill built the largest residential purchase mortgage branch in the state claiming #1 in purchase market share in just over two years. In 2016, Bill founded the Collective Force Foundation located in Charleston, SC.  Collective Force’s mission is to ignite the charitable spirit of every community served through voluntary service and financial support of local non-profits.  Bill and his team expands the reach of thousands of local community non-profit organizations across the nation each month through community awareness, community service, and community giving. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to utilize the freelancing community to find valuable team members when you're on a tight budget Unconventional sales tips that will help yo

Tyler Merritt graduated from West Point in 2006 and served in the Army for 11 years as an Apache Helicopter Pilot. During his service, he deployed multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Arabian Peninsula, and South America in support of special operations.  He earned the bronze star and numerous air medals for his actions in combat. In 2012, Tyler founded Nine Line Apparel, an online clothing store that represents the grit and commitment of all Patriotic Americans.  In 2016, Nine Line Apparel was ranked #31 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to identify a profitable niche and scale a business to reach the masses Best practices for maintaining strong relationships in a family business Time-management tips for building a business in your spare time How to build a business that gives back and serves a larger purpose I hope you enjoy this episode of The Service Academy Business Mastermind Podcast!