Embark on an inspiring journey with Justin Spears, a valiant former Navy corpsman who transitioned into the CEO of MXI Consulting, as he reveals the secrets of his ascent to business leadership. From the disciplined decks of the military to the dynamic battleground of entrepreneurship, Justin's profound insights illuminate the pathway for veterans eager to translate their unique skills into civilian success. Together, we unpack the essence of adaptability and highlight how project management tactics honed in the armed forces serve as a blueprint for conquering the corporate landscape.
As our conversation sails to the sunny shores of Florida, we uncover the magnetism of Orlando as a beacon for veterans seeking new beginnings. Justin's post-service ventures testify to the limitless horizons available to those who have served, with his creation of a transformative charter school and educational programs that bridge the gap for veterans integrating into civilian life. The spirit of this dialogue celebrates the camaraderie and potential for growth that flourishes when we embrace the perspectives of younger, diverse generations.
Navigating the voyage from military life to civilian prosperity can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Our episode casts a light on the social and professional trials veterans may encounter, scrutinizing the support systems in place and emphasizing the value of strategic planning for anyone stepping into the entrepreneurial arena. The discussion sails through the unique experiences of high-ranking officers and the critical importance of mapping military expertise onto new career paths. For veterans charting a course beyond the military or listeners captivated by tales of transformation, this episode is a compass pointing toward triumph.
https://mxiconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinspears/
Embark on an inspiring journey with Justin Spears, a valiant former Navy corpsman who transitioned into the CEO of MXI Consulting, as he reveals the secrets of his ascent to business leadership. From the disciplined decks of the military to the dynamic battleground of entrepreneurship, Justin's profound insights illuminate the pathway for veterans eager to translate their unique skills into civilian success. Together, we unpack the essence of adaptability and highlight how project management tactics honed in the armed forces serve as a blueprint for conquering the corporate landscape.
As our conversation sails to the sunny shores of Florida, we uncover the magnetism of Orlando as a beacon for veterans seeking new beginnings. Justin's post-service ventures testify to the limitless horizons available to those who have served, with his creation of a transformative charter school and educational programs that bridge the gap for veterans integrating into civilian life. The spirit of this dialogue celebrates the camaraderie and potential for growth that flourishes when we embrace the perspectives of younger, diverse generations.
Navigating the voyage from military life to civilian prosperity can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Our episode casts a light on the social and professional trials veterans may encounter, scrutinizing the support systems in place and emphasizing the value of strategic planning for anyone stepping into the entrepreneurial arena. The discussion sails through the unique experiences of high-ranking officers and the critical importance of mapping military expertise onto new career paths. For veterans charting a course beyond the military or listeners captivated by tales of transformation, this episode is a compass pointing toward triumph.
https://mxiconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinspears/
Good morning, welcome back to the Joe show Y'all, it is your host, corey Kay. Please don't forget about that giveaway we've been talking about. We got the fanny packs, the trucker hats, the baseball tees, the short sleeve tees, so please don't forget to stream. Like download rate the show. I really do appreciate it Going forward. Before we start this episode, I want to make a quick disclaimer that you can hear me. Right now I sound fantastic. Hopefully you can hear me clearly and there isn't a lot of static noise or anything weird.
Speaker 1:This upcoming episode I conducted an interview with Justin Spears. Justin Spears is the CEO of MXI Consulting. He is the vice chairman of Veteran-Owned Business Association in the state of Florida. He has helped develop and build a school. He was on the board for that in California. He was a former Navy corpsman and I just want to make a quick disclaimer that the microphone here and then, when they translated and processed through Zoom, did not come out as clear, but I do feel he brought a lot of intellectual information. I think he has a lot of insight and a lot of really positive things that active duty members or veteran members who want to become business owners, business leaders or even various successful professionals in various amounts of fields to please listen.
Speaker 1:So quick disclaimer on that, because you know your first Zoom call interview is never going to be the greatest. Your first video is going to be the greatest. Your first podcast isn't going to be the greatest. So I would like to be better than yesterday and I would like to keep going forward. So please enjoy the show. I'm trying the mic. Hello, welcome back to the Joe's show.
Speaker 2:It is your host, Corey Coquitas. I'm here with Justin Spears. He's hanging out of Florida right now. Are you traveling?
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:I'm here in Orlando, florida. Justin was in the Navy and we're going to talk about today, about what his experience has been transitioning and successful coach, mentor, business person, entrepreneur, if you will, in the civilian world. So, justin, introduce yourself.
Speaker 3:Hey, thanks, corey, appreciate you having me on Excited to be on the Joe's show today. I've been looking forward to this for a while but watching actually since we met at podcast earlier this year. So excited, my friend. Yeah, so thank you. So, serving the Navy, I was a hospital corpsman, aerospace and medicine technician. I was attached to the Navy's medical operational training commands Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, florida. So I did a lot of training, did a lot of medical readiness, a lot of training that I mentioned. I did a lot of training, a lot of training.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a lot of aviators come through our command there. I got to work on some great medical studies, got to do some fun stuff down there, so really, really enjoyed my time.
Speaker 2:All right. What do you think your biggest achievement was in your time at the service?
Speaker 3:Biggest achievement. So part of me wants to say staying married. Hey, that's a real thing.
Speaker 2:If we're getting a real, real thing.
Speaker 3:The other part of it biggest achievement was, you know, I made some really cool impetus impacts at the Aerospace Medical Institute. There I had the honor of working with a great team, a lot of process improvement. I implemented two different departments there, which was great rolled out a great aviation medicine platform globally. So, you know, trying to make some some ways to make things better in the future for everybody.
Speaker 2:So I'd say those are my biggest ones. Love that and do you think it kind of shaped you for everything you're about to do in the future? Thank you, and what you're doing, yeah.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah. So you know, I went in kind of right after the recession there like okay, you know I was doing construction wondering like, all right, what am I gonna do? I got a wife and two kids and Construction industry tanked and went in. It was like, all right, I'll take medical. I need to. You know kind of need to paycheck and you know, quickly I got into some business management opportunities with you know, all this stuff that the Navy throws, that you know lean and all these things and you know so it's like all right.
Speaker 3:Well, how does it? How do we apply this, rather than just taking like an NKO or a KO course Like how do we actually apply this? So you know, I started seeing you know through that lens of Process improvement how to restructure Workflows, how to create new SOPs, how to optimize processes. Things like that make things efficient, and that led to, you know, the creation of two different departments that I guess we're kind of great team rolling out a large-scale online platform for aerospace medical encounters, and so in doing that, it really, you know, exposed me to. You know from a from a builder and founders perspective, how to plan for, you know, growth within a department or creating a new department, which translates to a lot of what I'm doing now for, like regional growth efforts, new technology, division effort it seems like that starting new companies for people and so a lot of what I learned really translates. You know there's so many things I learned about change management, process improvement, project management. You know everyone I know that's kind of a buzzword in this in. You know.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna get out as veterans of PM.
Speaker 3:I'll tell you what man. We know how to run a task list like nobody's seen. So you know it's yeah in in be able to measure it. So you know, and we're adaptable. You know adapt and overcome. You know which. That's the cool meaning of agile, which we see in the civilian world. So there's a lot of the principles that I learned early on In my career and got to hone in it through different schools. You know I got to actually the army trained me in medical logistics, surprisingly being in the Navy. So you know I created a medical logistics department program, brought that into the civilian world, helped to build logistics programs into multiple different companies now. So you know there's a lot that translates over.
Speaker 2:Right, you've been, you've been killing it. Now what was the first thing you did after the service? You go, like you try a job first, you go to college first.
Speaker 3:No, I went. I went to school. You know I went to the taps and you know that's a whole different episode. But you know, I went to taps I was like, hey, you know, I'm getting medically retired, I'm getting medically retired and separated here. You know, I need a few surgeries. I got some, some stuff going on. I, you know, I'm just gonna go to school so I can get my housing allowance. You know, for my GI bill, I have no idea what I'm gonna do for work. Because you know, really, you know At that point I was having a lot of issues in my back from an injury.
Speaker 3:You know, there's a number of years where I could barely walk and I was like, you know, what am I gonna do here? So I'll go to school. That way at least it's a guaranteed paycheck. And so I did. You know we actually moved from Florida to Northern California, went to Simpson University up there, did my first graduate program at seminary up there and did my master's in intellectual leadership, which is great, I love that. And then did my capstone in military higher education as a holistic ministry, did some pretty cool stuff with that, really loved it. And then I took my first job Because the university president reached out and said hey, I have no idea what this is, but you just defended it, you got accepted. I want it at the university Today. That's a great way to get a job.
Speaker 2:Oh, you don't apply for it.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I spent a few years at that university building this program and then, about a year after I started working there, I got the edge to go back to school. So I was good, you know, once again, like I did in the military, and go to school full-time while working full-time and Did my MBA in entrepreneurship and innovation. So now, you know, building on what I did in seminary is like, how do we, how do we do business different, how do we think about business different? And you know from the intro, you know entrepreneurship and innovation standpoint, it's you know. How do we grow, how do we build? You know, and that's that's my passion, is not just my own businesses, that I that I've started in and cone and something that I own myself. But how do I help other people get this knowledge? How do I help other people build things?
Speaker 2:So now you kind of circle back for everybody. Now you, you own your own company, right? I mean, you're part of several other companies and you Correct me if I'm wrong you are the vice chairman for the veteran business association of Florida, right?
Speaker 3:Yes, so, yeah. So I own MXI Consulting. I'm also managing partner and fractional chief growth officer of M3D Technologies. Then there's the FABOB, which is the Florida Association of Better Known Businesses. I'm the vice chairman of the organization, so working with they're representing over a 100,000 better known businesses here in Florida, working on the legislation side of it, working on acquisition, working on ways to help them grow their businesses, different programs to build their education, training modules, things like that.
Speaker 2:So do you ever deal with the application process of when a veteran wants to start a business? Are you a part of that, or are you helping make the business plan teach them on what to do so they are successful when they go to try to start?
Speaker 3:the business I do. In short and long, I work with a variety of businesses and some of them I've had a company that I worked with where, hey, we met one evening at an event. They have an idea. They drew it on a back of a bar napkin and it's like hey, next week let's meet and let's get things rolling. We built a business off that. So, from ideation to medium-sized businesses, where ideation to scale up is a really nice sweet spot, so from where you're talking before they even file down here in Florida, you file your business license on SunBiz and things like that
Speaker 3:and submit your articles in corporation if you're going to corporate or things like that. But I like to work with them as early as possible so that they build a foundation. That's because one of the issues that I see, especially in the startup world, is somebody has a great idea, but they don't understand how to build a business off of it. So lots of people have great ideas, whether it's products or services, etc. In a variety of different industries. It's like, hey, I want to start a business and start throwing things at the wall and hope something sticks. One of the things I learned from the military is strategy, which definitely feeds into growth. So from a strategy perspective is let's do our due diligence, let's build strategic plans with initiatives so we know what we're doing, why we're doing it, what's our vision?
Speaker 3:what's our exit strategy so we can deconstruct our roadmap along the way. How are key performance indicators? How do we measure what we do? Let's build out iterative loops, things like that, where we can now be a very agile in our business of hey, something just happened. A good instance is this year. We're in an election year that hit small businesses every month, so how do we hit it? So getting those things in place early really helps small businesses and startups become sustainable early on. Rather than most businesses that come to me and I would say almost every business that comes to me asking for advice and consulting is, hey, we got an idea, we're going for it. It's very disorganized, but we're just trying to sell, sell, sell. I was like, yeah, but if you sell now, what are you offering? You got to have your infrastructure, your operations, in place. That helps you to actually be sustainable.
Speaker 2:Definitely. It's not about just starting up. It's also about being sustainable and growing. Now, in your experience because everyone talks about this do you feel that veteran businesses have the same timeline? Hey, if you don't hit success in your first three years, you're done or do you think it's a? Little different.
Speaker 3:I think it can be different. There's one factor, and the reason I say that is I'm actually talking with a couple of veterans right now that are going through some hardships. A few years in Typically three years, that's the turn and burn on most startups. If we're not sustainable, we don't have enough operating capital by year three, it washes. Whereas with veteran owned businesses we're seeing it differently.
Speaker 3:One there's a lot of resources for veterans out there. There really is. There's great grant programs, veteran loan programs through like small business association. There's a lot of resources. Like I work with FABOB, so us as a resource. I work with Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative here in Florida, so I work with them, teaching classes and things like that.
Speaker 3:So in speaking on different topics, but also down here in Florida, we got veterans Florida, which is one of the state agencies. So there's a lot of resources for veterans because the civilian population, they recognize a lot of what we bring. I was speaking at a government district down here a couple of months ago that I'm on the advisory council for doing business with veterans. I told them I was like hey, we bring a different skill set, we bring a different approach. We're getting out of the military after we already had a short or a long-term career in starting businesses and we're successful at it because we learned organizational skills, we learned project skills, we learned people skills, we learned management skills. We already have that. So that really does impact, I think, the sustainability of veteran businesses. Then there's also sometimes additional resources. If you're getting GI bill while you're starting a business, if you're getting disability compensation or retirement pensions while you're starting a business, then you got some financial support that really in a civilian world they don't have.
Speaker 2:When you talk about all these benefits, you said you went to California for schooling. Right, you were in Cali and Florida. Did you ever try to start a business in California or just Florida?
Speaker 3:No, so I actually started consulting in California. Then I was also part of a team out there that we came together and started a K through 12 Charter School up in Reading, california as well, so it's called Phoenix Charter Academy it was 2017, started that for about 428 kids the first year.
Speaker 2:How did you choose Florida as the end game, for end state, for the homestead?
Speaker 3:Man. Florida is my land of milk and honey, especially Orlando. Everything you need in life except for an 8,000 foot mountain is in Orlando, so I'm a theme park junkie. I love going downtown to the lakes. I love the scenery here. I love the culture. I love the lifestyle. I'm from Panama City Beach. Florida was born there. Even though my dad was in the Navy and he traveled us all around the world, I was loved coming back to Florida.
Speaker 3:Even while I was working at the University there in Reading, california. I was coming here to Orlando for conferences. I was going to school in Miami at FIU, so I was here a lot. We were vacation here and things like that. Just over the years I'm really like I need to live here. Then you start looking at economic research, sustainable areas, areas for growth. This is a ripe area.
Speaker 2:Cool yeah, when I was there it was definitely a lot of construction, a lot of growing going on. That's even on a macro scope of infrastructure for the city of Orlando, state of Florida. Plus, you always see, like Florida's in the news for doing some sort of initiative ahead of most other states in a lot of aspects compared to others. Now, with what you do now, so as consulting and vice chairman, what do you think has been your most successful moment or most? What's your biggest achievement in the civilian world for yourself?
Speaker 3:My biggest achievement man. I've had some fun adventures since I've gotten out, I think one of the biggest things for me. It's hard because so starting that charter school, I lived in a very impoverished area 70,000 people. It's like a 40% dropout rate end of eighth grade. Lots of generational impoverished issues out there. We knew kids that dropped out going to ninth grade just so they could start working to bring the family money and things like that. Very poor area. There's really no infrastructure out there. Now there's a university and that's really it, and so we saw a lot of issues in the area for children that didn't fit the perfect mold in a school and so they had a lot of hardships. There wasn't resources for them. And so starting that charter school that had a focus on serving socioeconomically impacted kids, kids with IVPs, things like that how do we provide them bridge programs to trade schools? How do we provide them apprenticeship programs? How do we help them become a?
Speaker 1:roadside flagger.
Speaker 3:You're making $35 an hour as a flagger.
Speaker 3:Your parents and grandparents have never made more than $15 an hour. Like that's a world changer. That's not a game changer, that is a world changer. So I was very honored to be part of that group. I did a lot of lobbying at the state level for charter school rights and petitioning with different politicians there for that and appealing to the state board of education for it, and so that was a huge honor. Very hard to resign from that board when I left California. But then also, I would say, runner up in second place is what I did at Simpson University building the veterans program there. I mean that was very rewarding. It really was Got to do a lot of stuff work with the American Legion, state level commander for VFW, did a lot of stuff, really enjoyed it was working on a lot of military bases, kind of speaking on different things. Did some work with the assumed veterans of America up there and so, yeah, building something that pays away for veterans when they get out and they're going to school. That was the important part of that program for me.
Speaker 2:And I think it's most rewarding because everyone seen it on the news you always see veterans struggling or mental health problems or transitioning. I'm not even Dan awarding. He was a vet. He did like 20 years. He's like yeah, there's times I struggle because I don't have the attitude change Because there's certain things I just accepted, but now that I've transitioned I have to accept those things where he's like I tried some school programs and they actually helped me reflect on myself and I think that was huge.
Speaker 2:And that's part of what you do is you build you help veterans, you look at all these programs and they will help you be better and coach you through everything you do, which is great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I completely agree and you know that's interesting. You mentioned that because one of the hardest things that I've gone through since getting out but I think that's one of the things that's really helped me acclimate to being a veteran in a civilian world is I got out and within three months of getting out I'm at a liberal arts university in Northern California and I was like I grew up working on farms and ranches, cutting hayfields, driving tractors. You know like let's go get in a big truck and go do something stupid type guy. Yeah, this is all real right, yeah. And I was like I am 30 years old, going to college with a bunch of 18, 19, 20 year olds, with all this military experience, this life experience, and I'm just like you know, part of it is like you sit back in the middle of class and you're just like these people, shut up, like your life's not that bad, and then part of it's like actually I have a lot to learn from you.
Speaker 3:I'm going into your world and so, being in the university, both as a student but also I worked in student development I didn't just work for veterans, I put on veteran events that I got lots of sponsorship from everything from freshmen to seniors on campus and athletics and things like that. We put on campus-wide events that were amazing and so learning from these students, these younger adults that haven't been in the military, and getting that exposure right after being in the military, it really made me self-reflect quite a bit and learn a lot about the broader culture. Now that I'm out of the military For good or bad it was I now understand the reality that I'm going into it and that really helped me a lot Because I was speaking to he's right now a senior, first class.
Speaker 2:He's like, hey, I retire next year. I have no idea how to talk to people in civilian work, and he's like I applied to school for sure, but he's like I'm literally gonna have to go Like when I would yell at a PB2 at 18 years old or an E2 at 18 years old and yell at him all day. I have to actually probably learn from this person now. It's a whole 180 for me.
Speaker 3:It's humbling. Yeah it's humbling when you're starting, when you're trying to understand an 18, 19 year old that isn't in the military. To try and understand, like, okay, what are they talking about? What are their values? What's important to them? How do I connect with them? Things like that, like it's very different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it's not always just a mission or anything. Now it's like hey, how do you build your social personality, your social roster, your social life? What's like now, professional attitude that like are like there are things that are important in the army values and Navy values, but there's things that differentiate a little bit in civilian world, like ethics. It's not just hey, I have to cancel for work, Like work will still be there. Now you have to care about, like, your friends, your family, because you have time, you don't have to be, obligated in a uniform at a specific time.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean Like 5 am PT, you don't have to be there anymore. It's not like you can hang out at night.
Speaker 3:No, you run across campus at 5 30 in the morning and run it, especially in some short silks, Like people are asking questions like what's wrong with this guy? It's like this is normal. What are you talking about, Like why aren't you doing it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's not no one anymore Now do you think so, how long you've been on the service now?
Speaker 3:Nine years, nine years. I got out December of 14.
Speaker 2:So from 14 to now, do you think that the armed services at the collective is doing things to help veterans transition or encouraging veterans to do more than just the mission? So schooling, skill programs, skill bridge programs and kind of like development after their service?
Speaker 3:When I got out, especially, you know, taps, I was in a different situation because, you know, I got hurt and was, you know, med boarded out. I went through TAPS and I was like well, I'm just gonna go to school and they're like well are you gonna do a resume?
Speaker 3:I was like no, I'm just gonna go to school, like I need a few surgeries here so I probably shouldn't work and so they didn't have a whole lot for me. But now I see, like I worked for a company after I got out, that I actually built their skill bridge program. You know I did the applications. I see those benefits and advantages. I work with different veteran organizations and businesses that you know provide project management jobs, provide project management training using GI Bill book, rehab, skill bridge opportunities, things like that. So I'm seeing that the military in general is very open to retraining, which is good as long as the service member takes the initiative to find it. You know I still don't see. You know again, I think that the TAPS program needs a good overall to incorporate a lot of this. You know earlier on, because you know you get you know so many months of boot camp to go in, or you know see us to go in and you know you get like a week to get out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know yeah, you're walking to your first appointment. What your stamp is done like that's it they don't care.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like hey, thanks man. You go figure it out, you know, and in the meantime you're trying to navigate the abyss of the VA and things like that. So you prioritize, whereas now it's like, okay, retraining, I do feel as a big focus. The fact that they shifted even funding allocation for retraining, I think is amazing. I think that is showing, I think that's showing a lot of integrity to the defense industry or the DOD, that they're taking it serious about retraining, you know, and voc rehab is a great example of that.
Speaker 2:So what I've noticed recently is like you know what CSP is, the career skills program, kind of the like. It's essentially you. There's like a list of programs you can do, like one time you did a Samsung and you learned how to do like logistics, apply another shifting gears, learn how to be a mechanic for GM with a truck driver, one wind solar farm, there's a couple of computer application courses. So you, sometimes you learn a trade scale of some sorts with that company and if you do well, the higher you want. Well, the issue is coming like hey, like you have to do that six months out from when you get out for ETS and then TAPS, but there's training that needs to be done so you know if someone's getting out.
Speaker 2:do you think that DOD would ever make an initiative to say, hey, it is more important for them to do the skills training out because they are getting out, or is it more important for them to complete the mission that they're not going to be a part of in less than six months?
Speaker 3:You know I think that that's going to be an ongoing battle because you know it's it's a. You know there's tension there. You know we've got the mission to complete, but we also, you know, I know, that the military will never agree with me, but they also have a responsibility for, you know, reacclimation, for training on things like that.
Speaker 3:You know, if we had to learn one skill, set to go in they should be able to help us at least learn once the skills set to get out, you know, and I think that would solve a lot of the Veterinary culture issues where we, you see reemployment issues and things like that and transition issues, if we could just teach them, you know, one healthy skill.
Speaker 2:Like the service member does need to take some of this.
Speaker 1:Like.
Speaker 2:I'm not guys like try to put in packets and like it's like hey, where's my packet?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know like where is?
Speaker 2:your packet and he's like well, I have a second copy. Okay, good like good on you. Yeah, that kind of stuff happens a lot, I feel.
Speaker 3:I got me. I'm not there yet.
Speaker 2:And I'm I get frustrated for them. It's like I'm watching it happen in third person. It's like you know what, what is a good solution and you know, in my opinion, it's like again the tension. I don't think there really is a perfect and all be all solution. Yeah, like what is a possibility long term and hope for the best right. Yeah but at least yeah.
Speaker 3:I don't think that there's, I don't think there's ever gonna be like the perfect solution, because you know, while we're, you know government property mentioned first always, but you know your prep and did not be government property. So and now I gotta think about the future. So I think that's a tough one always. However, I think that the service member should always be their greatest advocate and if you know, you're getting out Like I mean, be headstrong and push for exactly what you need.
Speaker 2:Definitely.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I mean, you're getting out anyways.
Speaker 2:But it is her senior enlisted guys. Oh no, sorry, senior senior commission guys. So obviously her about this bit. Did you know that when, like let's say, you reach the rank of Colonel, they make you go through a class that know that there's no longer something to get you a copy? No one's gonna greet you when you walk in, no one's going to do your computer assignment for you.
Speaker 3:They actually have a class for that.
Speaker 2:Yep, if you are. If you are no, six or higher, you have to attend.
Speaker 3:You know what my hope and prayer is. As soon as they get out, they go work at liberal arts university.
Speaker 2:But my, my thing is like you have such a big retirement page at that point, like, like who cares? But like the fact that I have to break you, that you walk into somewhere, not everyone's gonna say, oh hello, whatever your name is, like you're the person now and I think I think it's crazy, because then the opposite for soldiers, like no, you are a person that they encourage you Bring attention and step presence.
Speaker 3:No, that was like yeah, interesting see that kind of stuff, though it's like you know the, the, your military career is fine. Yeah, a lot of people don't understand that you know whereas you're. You know your civilian career, like. I mean, I'm working with people that are in there, you know late 70s that are killing it and they're like real estate game type stuff and it's like and that's it, that's a skill hack you can learn.
Speaker 3:No, yeah, oh, absolutely, I know. I know a lot of us that get out. Man, I am surrounded by veterans in the real estate industry brokers and Commercial industrial residential like that's a great skill, but it's, you know, if your military career, you know, is gonna be fine, I like maybe you should like Focus on some of the skills you're gonna need when you get out throughout that career.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, you know worrying about you know so someone's not gonna bring my coffee or greet me.
Speaker 3:It's like when you get out Relates to me worries like the only time you'll ever see someone greet you or bring your coffee is if you're an executive in a company. You have a personal assistant and even that, a lot of that's going away. I mean, I've had the system that's worked for me when I was a regional executive for companies since getting out and I never once was okay with her bring it, I can get my own coffee.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I take pride in getting my coffee.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Definitely. I definitely feel that. Now, what is one thing that you wish Most veterans would take away if they wanted to start a business, or what's one thing they should learn first?
Speaker 3:I think, to learn first and I work with a lot of veterans on this is one, there's a we have to be tactical in starting a business. But two, we can't create analysis by you know, process by analysis. So you, while I tell people and advocate people and show people how to Strategically plan to build a business, whether it's a business model, of growth strategy, implementation plans, things like that, learning how, that that philosophy of adapt and overcome, of being agile, don't forget that. Okay, and the military goes with you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, bring skills with you, be the solution. You know, don't ever bring a problem about a solution. I know we've all heard that that's got me somehow. That landed me into, you know, learning medical logistics when I was not a logistician.
Speaker 2:They were doing the battalion training. You need like hey, what's the problem? Okay, what's the solution? Also For solution. Oh well, maybe we'll do that.
Speaker 3:It's like yeah that's the solution.
Speaker 2:Do it, you know. Yeah, I feel that a lot of times People get hesitant because they are in the military with a worried about. You know, if I mess up, I know that it's gonna be a long day for me. We're like no, you need to take risks and accept some sort of failure that you can learn because no one's there to teach you.
Speaker 3:Absolutely for the most part like yeah, absolutely yeah, and we see that a lot, you know.
Speaker 3:I see a lot of veterans starting businesses where you know they're trying to go after a whole bunch of things because they're afraid. If they pause for a moment and Plan, if they pause for a moment and develop that vision of where they're going, you know that they're gonna fail. Well, that failure is important sometimes because it allows you to pivot. You know an overcome, but being able to do it properly allows you and allows the veteran to be the solution. Find out how you're the solution to a gap in an industry.
Speaker 2:Definitely. I feel it now. If someone let's say, let's say, 22 doing the first contract and they didn't necessarily Get a skill set, they were kind of just a combat like I'm an infantryman, we don't learn a whole lot and civilian sort of skill set besides lead, shoot, move and communicate and know how to blow your hand up in a Barrage usually what we learn right now. To someone like that, what is your biggest advice to do before they get out?
Speaker 3:If you can't go to call, if you can go to college, get your certifications, make yourself competitive. So I do. You know, in the world of consulting I teach companies to be competitive because by nature business is competitive. So I do that with veterans as well and that's why I've worked with a number of veteran nonprofits since getting out is, you've got to learn to be competitive. You got to learn how to give your pitch, which I'm not the fan of. The biggest elevator pitch model it's give your pitch, show how your solution to a gap, show your value proposition, your value add to the other person, and learn to be tactical. That creates competition. Veterans, like we, have that mentality. We have that approach really indoctrinated into us, because that, I mean, that's how you support a mission, so it's already in us.
Speaker 3:Now it's getting over this hurdle of, oh well, I can't promote myself, I can't. You know, it's kind of goes back to you know I used to help people write their own brag sheets and things like that for their emails that we had at the Navy. We were like, oh, I don't like talking about myself. I was like, well, when you get out, you got to learn to self-grow, you got a brand, you got a market. Like you got to tell people how you're good stuff.
Speaker 2:you know things like that, like that's normal. I try to tell people like you yourself, you are a brand Like you may not be a business, may not be anything, but you yourself have a brand of how someone knows you, how someone talks about you, whether they're watching you or not. You have to present yourself at all times Because you are always representing a brand, which is you.
Speaker 2:I call it quikitas, and this and I just misuse it, and this, this is what I do. That is always you. You always have to sell yourself and whatever that is, that's the huge thing I wish people like took and understood more, at least in my experience working with a bunch of 20-year-olds.
Speaker 3:You know if a 19-year-old influencer can get it. I know every service member can get it.
Speaker 2:Right. Like if he can go on to QE now, are you cool if I put all the links like on the podcast page when I upload the episode and everything.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Love that and then so like the finalist out here. What's like a closing comment that you wanna like share?
Speaker 3:So I'd say closing comment is you know, being in the veteran community since getting out, we're really good at implementing, we're good at driving, and so a lot of what we talked about today, a lot of the strategies I help businesses with, actually surrounds that mantra of I keep implementers implementing. Service members are great implementers. We can now head down, go for it and just keep going and going and going. See, success is along the way. Help those that are looking to implement. Be there for those that are looking to implement, cause you're gonna deal with what I call the suck along the way. But guess, what You're gonna keep implementing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're gonna go through the suck, but I'm here to tell you I keep implementers, implementing and I expect other people to do the same.
Speaker 2:That's a great piece of advice. So, everyone, this is before we continue to do the Joe show. This is Justin Spears MXI Consulting. Thanks, man.
Speaker 3:Thanks, brother, appreciate it. All right, so some.