veteran business

🎙️⚓️ Ep. 16 Will Lutz (Customer Discovery) - Hellman’s Kitchen Veteran Foodie Podcast. 

🇺🇸 In this episode I hosted Will Lutz, Navy Veteran and ex-Nuke submariner who has vast experience running multiple startups of his own and helping others start theirs.

We talk about:
✅Importance of understanding how the idea of your business sucks
✅How to get proper validation of your business, prior to pursuing customer discovery which is paramount to your business working
✅Key to developing a customer story is to take out nuggets from an emotional discussion

Website: https://bluex.beehiiv.com/

Hellman’s Kitchen Veteran Foodie Podcast is led by U.S. Coast Guard Veteran Steven Hellman. The mission is to educate Military connected food & beverage business owners by spotlighting other entrepreneurs who share their experience/advice. 

Help fund Steven’s Veteran Foodie Podcast with a monthly subscription for as low as $3/month https://bit.ly/fundveteranfoodiepodcast

Support the show

Guest:

• Lillie Williams (J Dog Junk Removal & Hauling and Rags to Riches)

 Introduction:

• Transitioned from military service to entrepreneurship.
• Experienced injury during deployment, leading to time at Walter Reed.

Inspiration for J Dog:

• Participated in Boots to Business, an organization aiding veterans' transition into business.
• Introduced to J Dog during a 12-week training, a veteran-established franchise.

Beginning of Rags to Riches:

• J Dog's operation led to the accumulation of items which spurred the idea for Rags to Riches.

Boots to Business Program:

• A 12-week program through Mississippi State University.
• Helps veterans formulate business plans and navigate the start-up process.

Background of J Dog Franchise:

• Founded by Jerry Flanagan and Tracy Flanagan.
• Originated from Jerry's struggles post-military and his initiative to haul furniture.

Lillie's Personal Background:

• First job at 18 was a secretary for the American Red Cross.
• Joined the military at 23 inspired by "Be All You Could Be" commercials.

Marketing Scam

• Paid $3,000 to a marketing company, thinking they were partnering with a local school

Proudest Accomplishment

• Establishing a store in Pickerington, a community that welcomed them warmly
• Recounts their journey of trying multiple places before settling in Pickerington

Fascinating Finds

• Found a wire recorder from the 1920s or 1930s
• Stumbled upon rare and valuable Beanie Babies

Resale Shop Origins

• Encountered hoarder houses, often filled with new items with tags

Pricing Strategy

• Pricing of items determined through eBay searches and Google Lens.

Brand Building and Market Competition

• Emphasis on fostering a community over competition.
• Handwritten letters to 5,000 community members introducing their business.

Unique Marketing Approaches

• Word of mouth as the primary marketing strategy.
• Emphasis on being veterans and community-oriented.

Operational Efficiency

• Regularly rotate items in the shop to keep displays fresh.
• Seeking customer feedback on desired items and fulfilling their requests.

Leveraging Networking:

• Lillie emphasized the importance of networking as the basis of their business endeavors.

Investing Time:

• The most significant investment for the Lillie has been donating their time to various causes and projects.

Quick Fire Round

• Advice on Starting a Business
• Handling Recommendations
• Future Vision
• Motivation
• Achieving Goals
• Books & Impact
• Definition of Success
• Recent Meaningful Purchase.
• Contact Details: Business: R2R Ohio; Location: 24 West Columbus Street, Pickerington; Website: r2rohio.com; J Dog website: jdog.com

Lillie Williams
J Dog Junk Removal
Rags 2 Riches
Becoming by Michelle Obama

https://cosmosandcommerce.com
https://www.facebook.com/cosmosandcommercepodcast

I have known Melissa for awhile now - maybe 3 years and since starting this podcast I knew I wanted her to be a guest on Sisters-in-Service.  Listen in as we discuss, military service, veteran status for women, how the Women Veterans Alliance (WVA)  started and her 3 tips for women leaving service.

Melissa A. Washington, a Navy Veteran is the CEO and Founder of Women Veterans Alliance. She is a disabled veteran small business owner, speaker, entrepreneur, author, and award winner who is connecting women veterans across the nation.

Melissa proudly served in the Navy and rather than shoulder the burden of a dual-service family, she decided to leave the military early to pursue a career while her husband spent 21 years on active duty in the United State Marine Corps.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and transitioned into a successful career in recruiting and human resources for more than 10 years working for both boutique agencies and global Fortune 500 companies.

Melissa was laid off from her job in 2009 due to a failing economy, marking the beginning of a nearly two-year journey and career reinvention that allowed her to use her experience to help others. It all started with holding LinkedIn workshops for job seekers at her dining room table then speaking at venues across the nation. In 2011, she started Melissa Washington, Inc. which offers consulting services to businesses and individuals using LinkedIn for researching, recruiting, job seeking and collaborating. Her journey, took a little detour for 4 years as she worked at LinkedIn, planning Global Corporate Meeting & Events.  2014 authored Get Back to Work: Smart & Savvy Real-World Strategies to Make Your Next Career Move.

In 2015 she got women veterans together to meet at a local Mexican restaurant where Women Veterans Alliance started!  Not long after, partnered with James R. Morrison Photography for the "What Does a Woman Veteran Look Like?" Portrait Project.  In 2018 Melissa founded Women Veterans Giving, Inc. In 2019 became an Advisor to AVOW (American Veteran Organization of Women)magazine.

In May 2020 she was featured in VAntage Point, the Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in an article titled, "Melissa Washington: Breaking Barriers". She has been featured in Sacramento Business Journal as well as other magazines and newspapers. Sought out speaker as well. Melissa is a go to person for media when it comes to women veterans. TV interviews on ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. Including a segment on the Dr. Phil Show and Lifetime Channel, The Balancing Act.   Radio includes Sirius XM,  KFBK AM1530,  iHeart,  national podcasts, AM1170 and more.

Her husband of 25 years, Jarrod is a retired Marine  who served in combat in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). They are proud parents to Maya.  Melissa is the daughter of Bronze Star Army Vietnam War Veteran. Granddaughter of WWII Army Air Corp/Air Force Veteran 509th Bomb Squad AC who had 37 missions over Germany and received the Bronze Star & Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters.

https://www.womenveteransalliance.org

https://www.podpage.com/sisters-in-service

•UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN 
•AUTHOR AND ARTIST
     - STORIES ABOUT THE MILITARY, STRUGGLE, MENTAL HEALTH, TRANSITION, TRAUMA, AND LEARNING TO LIVE AGAIN
•FOUNDER OF KRUSE CORNER
     - LIFE AFTER THE MILITARY AND TRAUMA
•MST – MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA
•DRINKING, PRESCRIPTION ABUSE
•ISOLATION, ANGER AT THE MILITARY, CUT-OFF VETERANS
•ART, WRITING, SOBRIETY 
•WHAT IS LIFE AFTER THE MILITARY 

There were 3 things Jesus did for his ministry we should consider for our business.

Let’s chat about it.

In today's episode, I sit down with the Founder of Earn Your Booze, Justin Cross (@Justin.J.Cross) to discuss taking ownership of your life and leading by example. | Brought to you by The Mindful Method.

Navy Veteran turned Flight Test Engineer turned Brewer turned business owner may be just about the easiest way to put who Justin is into words.

After realizing that his passion exceeded corporate formulas and development ladders, Justin rejected rigidly defined parameters to embrace his calling as a business owner and trailblazer. Confident that entrepreneurship positioned him to take control and earn his own rewards in life, the Earn It® mentality was born.

In 2017, he launched EARN YOUR BOOZE®, veteran-owned and operated apparel, event, and lifestyle company in Phoenix, Arizona.

With Justin, there is so much more than meets the eye and I can strongly say that he is the definition of a hard worker, and truly leads by example day in and day out.

In this episode, we discuss everything from aeronautical engineering and its role in preparing him for entrepreneurship, why focusing only on one's passions is the only way to live a fulfilling life, the current state of society as well as the economy and so much more. 

Please enjoy the show
--
The episode is brought to you by The Mindful Method. TMM is a proprietary online client acquisition system designed specifically for wellness entrepreneurs in the online space. If you're a course create, consultant, or instructor currently selling a high-ticket online product, program, or service and you're looking to make your first, or next 6-figures, The Mindful Method will help you get there by automating your client acquisition process and free up your time to focus on what matters most...

Click here to apply today!
--
The complete show notes can be found at https://www.kevinwathey.com/podcast

Connect with Justin Cross:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin.j.cross
Website: https://www.earnyourbooze.com
--
Connect with Kevin Wathey:
Website: https://www.Synchronicity.Yoga
Blog: https://www.KevinWathey.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SynchronicityLLC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SynchronicityLLC
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/synchstation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/synchronicityllc
--
Subscribe to, 'The Weekly Mindful Memo,' our VIP newsletter to receive exclusive updates, access, and giveaways: https://www.Synchronicity.Yoga/VIP
--
If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!

Is there someone you’d like to see us interview on the podcast or know someone who would be a great fit for the show? Let us know in the show note comments at https://www.kevinwathey.com/podcast or by clicking here. 

Have a wonderful rest of yo