Service Academy Business Mastermind

David Duncavage (USMA ‘75) joins us on the podcast with a background very different from many of our previous guests. David was a linebacker on the West Point football team and an infantry officer before he became a Trappist monk. He then joined the corporate world, working in companies that developed cutting edge technologies. David is now an executive coach and founder of Monk Coach where he helps executives live richer lives through mindfulness and meditation. In this episode, we discuss: How meditation and mindfulness fit into the business world and how David helps his clients integrate mindfulness into their professional lives His personal journey to stillness and the “aha” moment in his meditation practice How mindfulness and mediation can help you live a richer life  Connect with David:  David Duncavage MonkCoach If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our sup

“This deal reinvigorated me. Being part of the Real Estate Accelerator gave me a new focus where I applied what I learned to go after what I wanted.” - Jeff Quinn (USAFA ‘93)   “This is the best deal I’ve ever been part of. Action is the number one thing that separates the dream from reality...seize control of your fear and plow forward.” - Buddy Rushing (USNA ‘04)   “Money moves at the speed of trust. This deal exceeded my expectations for the Academy Fund.” - Bill Militello (USNA ‘92)   We’re so excited about this episode! Jeff Quinn (USAFA ‘93), is a leader in data management and analytics and a recent alumnus of our Real Estate Investing Accelerator. He joins SABM podcast regulars Buddy Rushing (USNA ‘04) and Bill Militello (USNA ‘92) to discuss a groundbreaking Academy Fund-ed real estate deal he recently made with Buddy and the White Feather Investments team. The multi-million dollar deal’s success is an absolute game-changer and the most significant we’ve ever seen a Real Estate Investing Accelerator m

Ty Rose (USNA ‘06) is a Managing Director at Oaklins Capital Alliance, a leading international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and financial advisory firm. In his role as Managing Director, Ty focuses on working with business owners to capitalize on acquisition opportunities.   In this episode, we discuss: The typical process Oaklins walks business owners through to achieve a successful sale Common problems that need to be fixed in order to prepare a business for acquisition The importance of understanding a seller’s motivation and how Oaklins works to find sellers while maintaining confidentiality Connect with Ty: Ty Rose Oaklins Capital Alliance If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5

John Schwartz (USMA ‘86) is the Founder and President of the Center For Combating Elder Financial Abuse.  His Center is focused on reducing elder financial abuse by providing innovative detection and prevention solutions. Prior to establishing the Center, John served his country for over three decades in the Army and FBI.  In this episode, we discuss: His best tips for preventing elderly financial abuse for our listeners and their loved ones His personal connection to the Center’s mission The experiences from West Point and the FBI that are helping him pursue his new mission  Connect with John: John Schwartz Center For Combating Elder Financial Abuse If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5

Dan Yokoyama (USMA ‘05) is a commercial insurance broker with Clarke & Sampson, a company focused on helping business owners mitigate risk. Although Dan never dreamed of being in the insurance field, he has become very passionate about helping business owners protect their businesses with commercial insurance.  In this episode, we discuss: His tips for the type of insurance coverage every business owner should have His process for helping customers determine the coverage they need  The biggest mistakes business owners make as it relates to insurance The Clarke & Sampson 4Vets program which delivers first-rate insurance services to veteran-led companies while supporting veteran charities Connect with Dan: Dan Yokoyama Clarke & Sampson If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: S

Chase Hobby (USNA ‘07) is the Co-Founder of VRB Labs, a CBD company focused on optimizing physical and cognitive performance.  Coming off active duty, Chase and his business partner Evan Seale (USMA ‘10) joined forces while at Wharton Business School to create a company focused on creating a clean, safe, and effective CBD product for elite military veterans. In this episode, we discuss: His personal story of how CBD helped him sleep better which made him a believer in the product How a shared background and value system with a fellow Academy grad resulted in a strong business partnership A special discount code for the SABM community for 20% off VRB products Connect with Chase: Chase Hobby VRB Labs If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Goo

Brendan Aronson (USNA ‘12) is the Co-Founder and CFO of Paintru, a company that turns photos into custom paintings.  Through their network of artists, Paintru makes it easy to turn your most cherished moments and memories into a work of art.   In this episode, we discuss: His moment of clarity that led him to bet on himself as an entrepreneur How Paintru can turn your photos into custom paintings that make amazing gifts The biggest lessons he learned from the Naval Academy and the Marine Corps that are helping him as an entrepreneur Connect with Brendan: Brendan Aronson Paintru If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Brendan for joining me this week.  Until

Barry Lingelbach (USMA ‘99) is the Co-Founder of BlackGreyGold and Slides Wizard, two companies that he started with his West Point classmate, Matthew Hargrove. Matt and Barry started BlackGreyGold to help small to medium-sized companies shorten the path to success and they started Slides Wizard to help people create winning pitch decks. In this episode, we discuss: Why he decided to go into business with a USMA classmate How Barry and Matt founded their companies based on their shared values and passion for helping small businesses succeed  The 3 main objectives a pitch deck should accomplish and the common mistakes to avoid when creating a pitch deck Connect with Barry: Barry Lingelbach BlackGreyGold Slides Wizard If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Als

Ricky Waters (USNA ‘06) is a professional engineer and Principal with Bowman Consulting leading the Charleston, SC and Charlotte, NC offices.  At Bowman, Ricky works with a broad range of clients on real estate development projects such as large commercial development and master-planned communities.  Ricky also plays an important role in our 10X Vets program as the leader of the 10X Vets Real Estate Development Circle. In this episode, we discuss: His passion for finding the highest and best use for real estate His vision for the 10X Vets Real Estate Development Circle  His goal for Academy grads and veterans to team up on real estate projects across the country Connect with Ricky: Ricky Waters Bowman Consulting If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also av

Jordan Foley (USNA ‘12) is the Founder and CEO of Chow, a community-focused nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide active vocational food truck training to veterans and military spouses.  Chow seeks to provide its fellows with a “Food Truck MBA” and offers everything from food safety and culinary instruction to marketing and business training.  In this episode, we discuss: Why Jordan wanted to start a nonprofit hyper-focused on food trucks Chow’s “Service Above Self” ethos and its charitable mission  His advice on starting a nonprofit and the biggest challenges he’s faced Connect with Jordan: Jordan Foley Chow If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks

Josi Heron (USCGA '00) is the Founder and CEO of Waypoints Equity, a company that empowers like-minded real estate investors to reach financial freedom through passive income with tax benefits. They buy, renovate and operate multifamily properties with teams and partners in growing U.S. markets.  She is a graduate of Real Estate Accelerator class 2020-1. In this episode, we discuss: How Josi is using her military experience to structure deals and manage her real estate projects Her experience purchasing a 24-unit property and her goal to complete a $10M deal How the Real Estate Accelerator helped her transition into real estate investing as a full-time career Connect with Josi Heron: Josi on LinkedIn Waypoints Equity If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and would like to learn more about our Real Estate Accelerator, please visit: https://sabmgroup.com/realestate/ Join our Upcoming Webinar On Wednesday, June 2nd we are hosting

Michael Cashman (USMA ‘91) is an estate planning and business attorney.  He served as an infantry officer and Airborne Ranger before attending law school.  Michael runs his own firm based in California and Hawaii in addition to serving as a lawyer for the Hawaiian Air Guard.  He is the recipient of Lawyer's Weekly Leadership in Law Award and has been recognized for two consecutive years as a rising star in Business Litigation. In addition, he is currently on the 2020 Super Lawyer list, an honor reserved for only 5% of attorneys.   In this episode, we discuss: His path to becoming an attorney after his service in the Army The different components of an estate plan and why you need each of them The new Academy networking group he started in Hawaii Connect with Michael: Michel Cashman Cashman Law If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get s

Jim Collison, an Army veteran, is the CliftonStrengths Community Manager for Gallup.  The Clifton Strengths Assessment is an online talent assessment that helps you discover what you naturally do best and has been taken by more than 25 million people. The Assessment helps individuals learn about their own strengths and provides managers with the tools and framework to have their teams work well together. In this episode, we discuss: An overview of CliftonStrengths and how you can use it to find your passion How Jim has used his natural talents to craft his job within Gallup that allows him to do what he does best How the Assessment can help entrepreneurs just starting out as well as those in large corporations And, as a bonus, his best tips for starting a podcast Connect with Tim and learn more about the CliftonStrengths Assessment: Jim Collison Gallup's Strength Coaching Webcasts CliftonStrengths Assessment If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Servi

Today we welcome Todd Waldemar (USNA ‘89) back to the podcast (he first joined us on Episode #110).  Todd is the founder of ChowCall and recently went through the 757 Accelerate program.  He joins us today along with Evans McMillion, 757 Accelerate’s Executive Director, to share how the program helped ChowCall grow.  757 Accelerate is a nonprofit startup accelerator program focused on founders and their growth.     In this episode, we discuss: ChowCall’s exciting growth and their newest offering, grocery delivery from base commissaries 757 Accelerate’s focus and how it works with founders to grow their businesses The type of founders 757 Accelerate focuses on supporting, specifically military and underrepresented founders Connect with Todd and Evans: Todd Waldemar ChowCall Evans McMillion 757 Accelerate If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community

Marques Hardin (USAFA ‘03) is an art buyer and advisor and the cofounder of Artgence, an agency focused on connecting art collectors with artists.  Artgence offers personal art shopping services, hosts virtual art galleries and offers premium 3D virtual art fair experiences. In this episode, Marques and I discuss: The career pivot that brought him from the corporate world to the art world How he uses technology to share art with his clients The skills he gained during his time in the Air Force and at the Air Force Academy that helped him build his own business  Connect with Marques: Marques Hardin Artgence If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Marques for

Ed Henkler (USNA ‘78) is the Founder of The Blind Guide, a company that helps people who have lost their vision shift their goals from surviving to thriving by offering employment initiatives, assistive technologies, and other resources.    In this episode, Ed and I discuss: A career shift in his 50s that led him to pursue his passion to help the blind community The networking mistakes he made early in his career and his belief that networking is about giving back to others How the lessons he learned at the Naval Academy and during his time in the Navy are helping him today in the business world Connect with Ed: Ed Henkler The Blind Guide If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review

Dave Jesurun (USAFA ‘96) is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Pilot at High Country Air Service, an aviation services firm.  High Country Air Service offers turnkey flight services to its customers including aircraft acquisition, aircraft/fleet management, aircraft ferrying, maintenance, and pilot contracting.  In this episode, Dave and I discuss: How his master’s thesis at Naval Postgraduate School led him to start High Country Air Service The high level of attention to detail that High Country Air Service offers its customers, inspired by his career as an Air Force pilot The exciting next step he is hoping to take with High Country Air Service Connect with Dave: Dave Jesurun High Country Air Service If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today. Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google

Barbara Ashe is the Director and Founder of the Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP), a nonprofit focused on training veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses on how to compete, comply and perform in the federal marketplace.  VIP offers four different curriculums to connect veteran-owned businesses with the information and resources they need to grow in the federal market at no cost to participants.   In this episode, Barbara and I discuss: The tremendous growth companies experience after going through VIP’s programs and the community VIP fosters How VIP’s mission and focus remains the same since its inception almost 12 years ago VIP's exciting new marketplace platform that is keyword searchable for industry and government Connect with Barbara: Barbara Ashe National VIP If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get sta

Joshua McCarver (USMA ‘07) is the founder of Academy Politics, a nonprofit focused on recruiting, educating, and connecting Service Academy graduates who want to transition into politics.  Academy Politics focuses on improving the bipartisan problem-solving nature of government while working to put more veterans into public office at the local, state, and national levels.  In this episode, Josh and I discuss: Why it is important to get more veterans into public office How his organization started with a Facebook group in 2018  Academy Politics’ training partners and the network that supports Service Academy graduates interested in running for office The lessons he learned at West Point and during his military career that are helping him grow the Academy Politics community Connect with Josh: Joshua McCarver Academy Politics The Academy Politics Facebook group If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business

Michael Cygan (USMA '01) is a Director at Alix Partners where he helps clients manage their supply chain by  focusing on the intersection of consumer products and procurement.  He is also a graduate of the Real Estate Accelerator class 2019-1. In this episode, we discuss: Why Michael decided to join the Real Estate Accelerator after a career transition in 2018 How he climbed his way out of credit card debt and put his family on an exciting new path How his extreme discipline combined with accountability and mentoring from the Accelerator team has changed the trajectory of his financial future Connect with Michael Cygan on LinkedIn. If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and would like to learn more about our Real Estate Accelerator, please visit: https://sabmgroup.com/realestate/ Subscribe and help out the show: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Speci