Why Listen:
Josh left Active Duty after 12 years of service, which can be a very difficult decision for people in the military. In this interview, Josh shares a great perspective about how to approach this decision. In this interview, we talk about starting a company. We talk about politics, and Josh’s own run for congress, including how he raised over $1.8 million for his campaign. We talk about viewing your life as different, distinct chapters and how to use that approach to explain your background. We talk about not having the outcome be the entirety of your focus and recognizing the things that are out of your control, while still giving your all to a cause you believe in. We talk about networking, we talk about eulogy virtues, and so much more. Needless to say - there is something for everyone in today’s interview.

About Josh:
Josh Welle is a Defense Council Member with the Truman National Security Project. Earlier this year, he ran as a Candidate for Congress in his home state of New Jersey. He started out at the Naval Academy -  as part of the illustrious class of 2002 - after which he served in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer for over 12 years, to include missions in OIF and OEF. After leaving the military he founded a software company with two other veterans, raised seed capital, and delivered software to the government. He holds an MA/MBA from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Why Listen:
My guest today invested in properties in undergrad and, nearly ten years later, started two different companies that built on that experience. In this interview we talk about how Chris used trusted advisors as a sounding board, and how that led him to abandon his plans of pursuing a PHD to instead pursue a completely different career path. We talk about what it’s like to pursue an MBA and Masters of Engineering Management simultaneously at a top tier grad school. We talk about what caused him to leave a very comfortable career at Goldman Sachs and, instead, jump into the wild and unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. We also have a fantastic discussion about how to evaluate whether to start a company directly from Active Duty vs gaining more experience first.

About Chris:
Chris Brusznicki is Managing Director at Bronson Lee Partners, which factors delinquent tax receivables for municipalities. The company uses proprietary software to underwrite, lend, and service thousands of receivables and their underlying assets annually. Chris started Bronson Lee nearly 10 years ago. He started out at the University of Notre Dame, served in the US Army as a Captain with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, prior to earning his MBA & Masters of Engineering Management at Northwestern University. Since Kellogg he has worked at Goldman Sachs, Manhattan Prep, as well as the Founder & Chairman of Vacation Rental Partners.

Why Listen:
This is the first interview I’ve done with the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces, and this is a fantastic interview for anyone interested in entrepreneurship. Stephanie and Kory (Navy O-3 currently on Active Duty) started Perspective Fitwear. In this interview we talk about the nuts and bolts of starting a company, including how to incorporate, how much it costs, how to get a logo, and more. We talk about the rule of 12 - how it takes 12 interactions until they make a purchase; we talk about how everything in a startup takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you’d think. We talk about how incredibly difficult it is to get attention when you’re starting a company, what it’s like to work with a spouse, the importance of structure and more. I’ve been an entrepreneur for over ten years now, and Stephanie’s advice and experience felt spot on from my perspective.

About Stephanie & Kory:
Kory Perez is an Navy O-3 and FRS Instructor Pilot for the MH-60S in Coronado, CA. He started out at the Naval Academy, and has been on Active Duty for over 7 years, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Systems Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School. 

Stephanie Perez is the Founder & CEO of Perspective Fitwear, a company she co-founded with her husband, Kory, with the goal of developing a line of fitwear designed with the woman’s body in mind, and to help their customers feel both confident and comfortable. Stephanie is a collegiate athlete and Ironman triathlete. Prior to founding Perspective Fitwear, she worked in Merchandise Buying/Planning for Macy’s in New York City.

Why Listen:
This is my one of my favorite interviews - whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship or any career path, there is something in this interview for you. We talk about how a library card may be more valuable than college or grad school, we talk about the pros and cons of gaining experience prior to starting a company, we talk about the tactics of starting a company and how to do that on a limited budget while supporting a family, we talk about finding co-founders, we talk about how to maintain a fresh mind even amidst the grueling mental battle of running a company, we talk about daily planning and finding your game-changers, and more.

About Matt:
Matt is the CEO & Co-Founder of Combat Flip Flops, which creates peaceful, forward-thinking opportunities for self-determined entrepreneurs affected by conflict. He started out at West Point, after which he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment as a Rifle Company Fire Support Officer with three tours to Afghanistan and one tour to Iraq.  His post military career includes work as the Director of Military Sales for Remote Medical International and the director of Special Operations for Protect the Force. 

Why Listen:
Brian is a Navy SEAL turned entrepreneur in the midst of starting his first company. We haven’t had a lot of guests on the show who are selling physical products, and Brain talks about what it’s like to start a watch manufacturing company. We talk about finding expertise and knowing when to pay for it, we talk about how social media is often shunned in the military and yet absolutely essential in business, we talk about the value of reserves for healthcare when you’re starting a company and have a family, and we talk about much, much more.

About Brian:
Brian is the founder of the Declan James Watch Co. He started out in commercial real estate for 6 years, before joining the Navy SEALs, where he served for 8 years including two deployments with SEAL Team 7 and one shore duty assignment as a BUDS instructor. He separated from active duty 10 months ago and the Declan James Watch Co is his first venture.

Why Listen:
Ryan Hogan is a serial entrepreneur who has started the majority of his companies while still on Active Duty. In this interview we talk about finding like minded people as accountability partners, and the importance of believing that anything is possible. We talk about what it’s like to have a startup fail, and how to recover from this in a way that might not seem intuitive to most listeners. We talk about finances, and how Ryan has started his company and grown it to over $18M in annual revenue without raising a single dollar of investment from outside investors (and how he borrowed money from his Thrift Saving Plan) to do it.

About Ryan:
Ryan Hogan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Hunt A Killer (HAK), the fastest-growing thriller subscription service in the world. Hunt a Killer is an immersive murder mystery entertainment service that challenges its players to hunt and catch a killer through its interactive monthly membership boxes and premium one-time experiences allowing thrill seeking minds to solve ongoing fictional murder mysteries. Ryan started out as an Enlisted Naval Aircrew member, and served in the Navy for 15 years, most recently as a Surface Warfare Officer. He is currently in the Navy reserves.