Commander's Brief

Business ideas, jobs for veterans, and other cool stuff for ex-military.

Since starting my new role with Talent War Group, I’ve talked with a TON of veterans in the market for a new role.

Let me tell you the biggest things to help you stand out if you are looking for something new:

Know what you want

I get a lot of people who tell me:

“I’ll do anything.”

I know you may think that makes you sound like a team player who is a jack-of-all-trades, but in reality, it makes you look like you don’t know what you are good at.

It also makes it hard for a recruiter or a hiring manager because now they have to do the extra work of figuring out where you may be a good fit. And that decision is risky for them, because if you weren’t confident enough to say you were good at something in particular, then are you really good at it?

Look, I know it’s hard to drill down and get specific.

But the more you do, the more you can stand out.

Use the “over a beer” rule

Sometimes, communicating what you did can be messy.

Especially from the military, where maybe we did not have the strongest metricsfor reporting, or what you did was classified.

So when communicating in an interview or a resume, do not fear that you are going to get audited.

Make a reasonable effort to communicate the value you created. And in the back of your mind, think:

“If I were sitting with a friend, colleague, or someone from my unit over a beer and told them this, would they buy it?”

If so, then go ahead and say you did it.

The world is not always black and white.

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Do you like tech and find out about new software tools? Then check out another newsletter I run, Tech Stacks, where I share the tech and tools used by successful founders and entrepreneurs.

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Veteran Business of the Week

Last year I was >< close to acquiring a government contracting business. The deal fell apart on the 1-yard line, but I learned a ton more about the industry.

Along the way, I discovered Neil McDonnell, an Army veteran and a gov con business owner who is super passionate about helping small businesses succeed in government contracting.

He runs daily webinars where he just drops straight knowledge about government contracting. Neil also started GovCon In a Box, which offers some really amazing tools for anyone interested in government contracting.

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I started using Monarch Money to finally get my finances organized—and honestly, it's a game-changer. If you want to get on top of your money, too, check it out here.

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Resource of The Week

June is Men’s Mental Health Month.

By nature of military demographics, a lot of this audience is male.

Also by nature of the military, I suspect many of your closest friends are from the military.

I am not going to recommend a specific nonprofit or organization today.

Instead, I want you to reach out to a guy you know (women can do this too) and just check in.

Send them a funny meme.

Shoot a text asking how they are doing.

Share a story from your time in uniform.

Just reach out and let them know you are thinking of them.

It can mean a lot.

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Business Idea of The Week

This week’s podcast guest, Alex, founded a company called Franzy.

I think franchising is a great option for veterans:

• Take a playbook to build and grow a business

• Have a support team

• Have a network of other business owners

There have been plenty of people who built wealth in franchising, and it can be a tremendous way to do so.

Go check out Franzy to learn some more about franchising.

If you get in contact with their team, ask for Vik. He’s a former Air Force pilot and franchise owner who works with Franzy.

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New Stuff

Listen HERE.

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From the Archives

Go crush it,

Mark

💼 Open Positions:

Director of Operations – Honolulu, HI (On-Site)
$150K–$200K + Bonus
Command aviation operations at a strategic Pacific post. Manage compliance, lead crews, and liaise with the FAA — reporting directly to a veteran VP of Ops.

(Mark's note: This is a really awesome role with a company that lists all the major global logistics companies on their client list. Can be a direct pivot for someone transitioning from the military who has an aviation background. Did I mention it is in Hawaii??)

Sales Representative – Northern IL or Southern WI (On-Site)
$100K+ Year 1 | $150K++ by Year 2–3
Represent a legacy brand in luxury boating. Integrity-driven sales, strong client relationships, and a team that values veterans.

(Mark's note: This is a sales floor role perfect for someone who loves boats and the lake life. The company has been family-owned for 50+ years and has a stellar reputation. They truly value veterans and have hired multiple GMs from us in the past.)

Sales Representative – Hyperscale (Remote/Flexible)
Base $100K–$120K | OTE $200K–$250K
Step into the world of hyperscale tech and green energy. Sell high-value solutions with a mission-focused team led by a former F-18 pilot.

(Mark's note: Company started US operations in 2018 and is already at $100M+ revenue. Their service is a "need to have" for anyone trying to rapidly scale up data use. So basically every tech company. This is also not a "hard sales" role but much more about partnering with a client to engineer a solution. People with engineering backgrounds, large-scale IT project management, or who know about data center power management could be good candidates.)