Mission Oriented

Originally episode 43 Recon Marine and Navy Seal Mike Sarraille talks Leadership and The Talent War on today's podcast. Mike Sarraille is co-author of The Talent War and founder of Talent War Group. "Talent War Group is a leadership development and executive search firm focused on helping our clients optimize the people side of their businesses." Mike Sarraille is a talented speaker and author whose life lessons and leadership training draw upon the best leadership training in the world, that offered in the US Military. Sarraille says, "The military taught you everything you need to know to lead organizations. It's just your responsibility to now apply it and uphold the proud tradition of our veterans in the private sector." Links Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsarraillemba/ Talent War Group Website: https://talentwargroup.com/ About your host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper. You can learn more about Bob Louthan on LinkedIn.

Brandon Shelton - Removing the Barrier to Capital for Veterans, TFX Capital Brandon grew up in rural Virginia. He was part of a long line of military service. This led him to utilize the ROTC program and attend the University of Richmond. After being commissioned as an Airborne Infantry Officer in the U.S Army. and serving for eight years he landed himself on Wall Street. This was the beginning of Brandon's experience in the financial realm. He worked hard and received his MBA from Duke University. It was through these years that Brandon began the passion and desire to remove the barriers to capital for veterans. He firmly believes that Veterans make great startup founders because of their experience in service. According to the Small Business Administration, 1 in 10 small businesses in the United States are owned and operated by Veterans. This is despite that less than half a percent of the the U.S. population has served in the military. Knowing this in 2015 Brandon founded TFX Capital. Task Force X Capital Management Started in 2015, TFX Capital "invests in service driven, high performing and commercially tested former military and national security leaders." Learn More Visit Brandon Shelton's LinkedIn Profile Visit Task Force X Capital Management Check out their Instagram @taskforcexcap VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

France Hoang - Army Veteran & Entrepreneur, Helping Afghan Allies France and his family were evacuated from Vietnam when he was just a child. That experience has impacted every area of his life. He wanted to payback the opportunities he was given. He chose to go to West Point and serve in the United States Army. His service continued as he worked in the White House and was eventually called to go back on active duty in the Army. It was this latter service where he deployed to Afghanistan and laid the foundation for his work on helping Afghan allies. France is a entrepreneur many times over, has over 20 years of national security experience and serves on several boards but has a true passion to help his Afghan allies. Over this past year and a half he has worked with many organizations but specifically Allied Airlift 21 to help evacuate Afghan allies. Allied Airlift 21 "Allied Airlift 21 operates the Afghan Ally Registry - a secure list of individuals and families under threat who are seeking evacuation from Afghanistan. Coordinating with their U.S. sponsors, we assist in validating and completing documentation for State Department review, and work with partnering organizations assisting in this effort." Learn More Allied Airlift 21: alliedairlift21.org France LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisqhoang/ VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Robert Williscroft, Navy Veteran & Author of "Operation White Out" Robert has been a guest on the podcast before, but this time is talking about his latest book, Operation White Out. Tom Clancy might have said; "The only way to do all the things you'd like to do is to read" but he never met Robert Williscroft. Robert has spent a lifetime taking adventures most to us only read about. Have you spent 22 months underwater or a year at the South Pole? Robert has and so much more. His love for adventures has led him to author over 17 books and hundreds of articles, both fiction and nonfiction. Adventurer He has a degree in Marine Physics and Meteorology and a doctorate "for developing a system to protect SCUBA divers in contaminated water." From the Arctic to the South Pole and a year at the equatorial Pacific are just a few of the many places Robert has been. Author Robert's journey as an author began as a young kid. He shares, "When I was a teenager, I wrote a science fiction story, the editor, bless his heart, wrote me a letter back and said, you got a ways to go kid, but keep at it." That is what he did! His bestseller, "Operation Ivy Bells" blends his own personal experience on that mission with fictional characters. The fourth book in the Mac McDowell Series, Operation White Out was released this year. Curious to see who else has been in the VeteranCrowd Spotlight? Check them out here. Learn More Website: http://www. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/argee/ VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Daniel Gade - Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services Daniel Gade, a veteran and retired Army lieutenant colonel, currently serves as the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services for the state of Virginia. Gade dedicates his career to serving his country, both in the military and in his civilian life. He advocates for veterans' rights and works to ensure that all veterans have access to the services and resources they need to thrive. Gade grew up in a family with a long line of military service. After attending West Point, Gade spent over 20 years in the military, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gade received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his bravery in combat, where he was wounded twice. After retiring from the military, Gade continued to serve his country in a different way. He became a professor of public policy at American University and worked on veterans' issues. Gade has also authored the book, Wounding Warriors: How Bad Policy Is Making Veterans Sicker and Poorer. "It is a transformational effort of research into the Department of Veterans Affairs and the US military." As the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services, Gade oversees the delivery of services and benefits to Virginia's veterans and their families. He works closely with veterans' service organizations, state agencies, and community partners to ensure that veterans have access to the resources they need. Learn More Daniel's LinkedIn Wounding Warriors Book Virginia Department of Veterans Services VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Flawless Acceleration: Black Veteran Entrepreneur "Iron" Mike Steadman is Empowering the Next Generation of Business Leaders As a black veteran entrepreneur, Steadman has made it his mission to empower others to achieve their highest potential in the business arena. Steadman's journey to entrepreneurship began at the Naval Academy, where he discovered his love for boxing and leadership. He went on to become a three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion. He then commissioned as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and serving until 2015. After leaving the military, Steadman turned his attention to serving inner-city youth through teaching boxing and leadership. He co-founded IRONBOUND Boxing, a non-profit that provides free boxing and fitness classes to underprivileged youth in Newark, New Jersey. Steadman's passion for mentoring and coaching others led him to co-found Flawless Acceleration, a coaching business that provides accountability and support to help individuals achieve their highest potential in the business world. Steadman's entrepreneurial spirit doesn't stop there. He recently published a book titled, Black Veteran Entrepreneur, which explores the challenges and triumphs of being a black entrepreneur in today's society. Steadman hopes his book will inspire and encourage other aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles they may face. "YOU DON'T NEED MORE BULLSHIT BUSINESS ADVICE. YOU NEED AN ACCELERATION COACH." Flawless Acceleration This statement encapsulates the philosophy behind Flawless Acceleration. The company recognizes that there is no shortage of generic business advice available today, but that what business owners and entrepreneurs really need is personalized guidance and support. The company's approach is centered around accountability, building a battle rhythm, and performing at the highest levels of business ownership. Learn More "Iron" Mike Steadman LinkedIn Flawless Acceleration VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Kit Lisle - Former Military Intelligence Officer & Founder of TheOperators.pe An influential history teacher and a retired Colonel for a dad, paved the way for Kit to join the Army. Kit was an Army intelligence officer. After spending years reading battlefield maps he translated that skill to reading marketing maps and carved out a niche for himself in the private equity arena. He is the founder of Acclaro Growth Partners, a growth strategy consulting firm for the Middle Market M&A Ecosystem, and of TheOperators.pe, a community for PE-backed executives. Lyle is a seasoned strategist, researcher, and analyst who has a natural talent for identifying growth opportunities and executing successful strategies. TheOperators.pe Executives of PE-backed portfolio companies often find themselves faced with "Private Equity Culture Shock". To help them work through this TheOperators.pe was created. The mission is to "empower Operators in their roles as executives of PE-backed portfolio companies, by enabling them to find the answers they need, succeed in their value creation quests more easily and efficiently, gain enhanced peace of mind and contentment by making their jobs easier, and facilitate ways for them to find their next role more quickly and efficient." Learn More Kit Lisle's LI: www.linkedin.com/in/kit-lisle Website: TheOperators.pe VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Phil Dana - LinkedIn Expert, Helping Veterans Network & Transition Phil Dana grew up in a long line of veterans and when Desert Shield came around he knew he was ready to get in the fight. He enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. He later attended the United States Naval Academy and commissioned as a Surface Warfare officer. After the military he landed in Human Resources all across various industries. Along the way he has spent a lot of time becoming an expert at LinkedIn. Perfecting how to best utilize it effectively and efficiently. He loves to share his experiences and teach other veterans how to successfully network and transition specifically using LinkedIn LinkedIn Tips Bring your profile to life. Include hobbies and passions. Tell a story with your profile and pictures. This allows you to share a piece of your culture and attract companies and others you will align with. Take time to follow and engage with others in the industries you are passionate about. Use it for the following: efficiently learn and grow as a professional, help others and create a solid network Learn More Phil Dana LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/militarytalent/ Honor Foundation: a transition institute created exclusively for the U.S. Special Operations community; https://www.honor.org/ VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Ryan Micheletti - Co-Founder & General Partner of The Veteran Fund Ryan Micheletti served in the California State Military Reserve for six years. He would tell you that he learned leadership, resilience and the value of a team during his time in service. This laid the foundation for his journey as an entrepreneur. He began by starting a security company with his brother. This grew from just the two of them working overtime to now being the 2nd largest veteran owned business in the San Francisco bay area. They focus on hiring veterans. Ryan has also helped to found Vet-Tech, which works with startups by providing "advanced mentorship, traction with corporate partners and access to our international investor network." Ryan's most recent endeavor was co-founding The Veteran Fund in 2021. He truly believes that "a veteran founder, is one of the most powerful change agents that we have to actually drive positive impact in the world." "The Veteran Fund is an early stage venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley that invests in top military veteran-led technology startups. The Veteran Fund finds, funds and scales top performing startups within the military veteran and spouse community by leveraging our unique access to the global startup ecosystem and our partners' experience launching thousands of startups worldwide." Learn More Ryan Micheletti LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmicheletti Website: https://veteran.fund VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.

Mike Hutchings - Army Veteran & CEO of Combined Arms Mike's dad was class of 1977 at Virginia Military Institute. It was a natural path for Mike to follow his legacy both at VMI and in his military service. Upon graduation Mike commissioned as Parachute Infantry Officer with the 82nd Airborne Division. He served 5 years before transitioning into civilian life. His first landing spot was at General Electric. He would tell you it was a great job but while working there and being selected as a Veteran Presidential Scholar with the Bush Institute he wanted to do more, especially in the veteran space, and thus began the idea of Combined Arms. Combined Arms Mike knows first hand the challenges veterans face especially in transitioning out of the military. There are so many resources and amazing service organizations but where does a veteran even start? This is where Combined Arms comes in; supporting a veteran in two areas. First they are a one-stop-shop to find the services needed but on the backend they have done their homework and researched and vetted these service organizations to ensure they are organizations of integrity. Interested in learning more, check them out below. Learn More Mike Hutchings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbhutch/ Website: https://www.combinedarms.us/ VeteranCrowd Network Our "forever promise" is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch. Discount Heroes by VeteranCrowd Network Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course? It's embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken. Why? Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout. Until now. Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card? Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet. About Your Host Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.