Former Marine Corps Captain James Han went from slinging wigs in Gary, Indiana to President & CEO of Triage Partners, a telecom services and supply-chain software platform that’s scaled from 120 → 400 employees across 20 states. In this episode, James breaks down how veterans can enter new industries fast, why recruiting was Job #1, and how to balance humility with confidence to win trust and deliver results. We dig into topgrading, root cause analysis, and the ETA (entrepreneurship through acquisition) path — including his recent Benton Technical Services acquisition to offer full turnkey fiber construction.

From Gulf War Veteran to AI Tech, CEO Barbara Jones-Brown served in the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Storm. Now, she is just as fierce leading Freeing Returns™, an AI platform helping retailers recover millions in lost revenue. She shares how grit, optimism, and a mission-ready mindset fuel startup resilience, what she learned raising capital from Serena Williams and Morgan Stanley, and why agentic AI is reshaping enterprise operations. Barbara’s journey is a blueprint for Veterans and entrepreneurs: running toward challenges, translating structured problem-solving from the battlefield to the boardroom, and finding opportunity where others see obstacles.

Rudy Cazares is a 15-year Marine Corps Veteran who led 400+ Marines and now leads high-performance delivery teams in New York. He founded Kazar Logistics in 2020 with 8 drivers; today his companies employ 200+, operate Amazon DSP routes, run Manhattan’s 24/7 same-day e-bike delivery, and manage FedEx routes through Joint Ops Logistics, earning FedEx’s Gold Contractor award twice. A Queens native and son of Mexican immigrants, Rudy builds culture with EOS discipline while keeping safety and people first. He is the 2024 Veteran Entrepreneur Award honoree, supports Nourish (2M+ meals for veterans), and coaches leaders on execution and team building.

Nick Ripplinger went from Army MP to award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Battle Sight Technologies, the Dayton-based R&D team behind CrayTac® — the “lethal crayon” transforming night operations. Battle Sight is known for its innovation, including CrayTac®, a reusable infrared writing device for covert communication in low or no light. His journey from medical retirement to building safer and simpler battlefield tech is a masterclass in resilience, team-building, and Veteran grit. Nick’s work has earned national recognition, and he’s the author of Front Line Leadership: Applying Military Strategies to Everyday Business (2015).

Marine Corps veteran and cybersecurity entrepreneur Omar Dennis joins Freddie Kim to unpack the real story behind acquiring a business, scaling from 1 to 50 employees overnight, and leading with emotional intelligence. Omar is the CEO of Sedulous Consulting Services, a firm that now supports federal, healthcare, and commercial clients in high-stakes cyber missions. He shares how a single question led to a 6-month M&A process, why fear is just data, and how EQ – not a degree – helped him navigate layoffs, culture shifts, and customer expectations post-acquisition.

We get tactical on evaluating team fit, how to deliver hard news with respect, and the business case against hiring C-players. If you're thinking about buying a business or leading one through change, this is a must-watch.

Connect with our guest:
🎖 Marine Corps Veteran. 🧑‍💻 Cybersecurity CEO. 📚 Continuous Improvement Champion.
🔗 / sedulousomar
🛡️ https://sedulous.com/
📘 Resources:
Kaizen methodology: https://kaizen.com/what-is-kaizen/
Understanding Primary and Secondary Emotions: https://www.simplypsychology.org/prim...

Liseth J. Velez is a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran, founder, and CEO of LJV Development, a rapidly growing, 8A-certified, SDVOSB and women-owned construction firm. After immigrating from Colombia at age seven and growing up in Lowell, MA, she served in both the Army and Air National Guard – beginning as a truck driver – before launching her own firm. Liseth brings grit, heart, and tactical clarity to every project, having led LJV to national recognition including: Inc 5000 (#115), BBJ Fast 50 (#3), and the VETS 100 (#7). She was named SBA’s 2023 Massachusetts Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year and 2025 WBE Star by WBENC. Today, she’s pursuing her Executive MBA at MIT Sloan while continuing to lead LJV with vision, purpose, and unapologetic resilience.

From Army Staff Sergeant to Inc. 500 CEO, Eric Styles is the co-founder of YourSix Inc., a cloud-native leader in the physical security industry. In this episode, Eric joins Freddie Kim to unpack the grind of building YourSix from the ground up, why culture and team chemistry are everything, and how Veterans can find a second mission in tech entrepreneurship. Eric shares battle-tested lessons on hiring, leading through growth, and the importance of being “sneakily ultra-competitive.” If you're scaling a team, building a product, or looking to translate your service into your next purpose, this one's for you.

From federal service ambitions to founder of three healing organizations, Dr. Jude Black didn’t plan on becoming a therapist – or a CEO. But love, leadership, and military life had other plans. After decades as a military spouse to Colonel Bill Black and holding space for Veterans, Jude turned burnout into boldness. She shares how broken systems, bad leadership, and deep empathy drove her to build trauma-informed, zero-drama organizations that actually serve. Built on frustration; sustained by values; powered by trust, not titles. This episode’s for every mission-minded builder – and every leader still learning. Shiveting encouraged. 👊

Connect with our guest:
🧠 Mental Health Innovator. 💻 Teletherapy Pioneer. ❤️ Trauma-Informed Leader.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judeblack/
https://www.etherapycafe.com
https://www.wvcounseling.com/
https://www.wvtrauma.org/
📘 Resources:
Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) – Syracuse University

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.