What if the business you've been looking for is the experience you already have?

That's exactly what we're going to explore in our next Veteran Business Community interview.

We're excited to sit down for Masterclass Monday on July 13th with our friend Richard C. Howard, Lt Col (Ret), a retired Air Force officer who turned the knowledge and experience he gained in the military into a seven-figure consulting business.

Even more impressive, he's helped hundreds of other professionals start and grow their consulting businesses.

We'll dive into:

✅ How he made the transition from military service to entrepreneurship.

✅ How to identify expertise people will actually pay you for.

✅ The blueprint for building a consulting business.

✅ The biggest lessons he's learned helping others succeed.

If you're a veteran who's thinking about starting a business, already owns one, or has ever wondered if consulting could be the right path, I think you'll get a lot out of this conversation

What you need to know from an actual Patent Attorney. Logan Faucher walks us through best practices and pitfalls that can get your company burned; to include a $30,000 penalty for each offense.

IP covers copywriting, patents, trademarks. Learn where to go to register your trademark.

A Veteran Entrepreneur sold his fitness franchise to start an AI company called Finovate

• AI Basics in plain English
• What AI isn't, doing some myth busting
• How AI learns and works
• Generative AI & ChatGPT
• 4 Business use cases of AI
• Quick wins you can implement this week

We talk about Mistakes people make with elevator pitches, business models with on-demand vs. carrying inventory, and how powerful it is to leverage a community of veterans.

Join the veteran business community in Houston as we speak with retired Navy Chief Matt Johnson about navigating entrepreneurship.

This conversation focuses on the realities of running a business after serving in the military. Whether you are a veteran entrepreneur looking for guidance or simply want to understand the local landscape in Texas, this discussion highlights the specific challenges and opportunities available to those who have served.

We examine how local networks support professional growth. By connecting with the veteran business community, you gain insights into how to leverage your military background for civilian success. Matt Johnson shares his perspective on building a sustainable path forward as a Navy veteran business owner. We specifically look at how Houston veteran resources can provide a foundation for your next career move.

Subscribe for weekly veteran entrepreneur breakdowns and comment below on which business topics you want us to cover next. Veteran Business Community Kickoff

1:16 From Military Brat to Navy Chief

2:24 The Reality of Transitioning Out

5:33 Recruiting Skills in the Civilian World

9:13 The Art of Authentic Networking

16:40 Real Estate vs. Product Sales

34:02 The Journey of Podcasting

How he started from Columbia to start a 7-Figure Commercial Cleaning Business in the U.S. Learn how he runs it with only 5 hours per week.

7:10 Two deployments (Final Fury) (Iraq) over two years

13:55 David's story of why he retired from the Army

17:15 Entrepreneurship is passes down in families

20:50 Family business went belly-up then bounced back

22:55 Running his business from Columbia 5 hours/wk.

33:30 Using Affiliates to pay you $$$$$$$ for referrals

38:36 When he figured out pricing points & competition pricing

42:15 Danger of going above and beyond then becoming the standard

43:06 Importance of knowing the "Boots on the Ground"

46:30 Don't get negotiated to a lower rate for future work promises. How he lost $20,000.

56:25 Hal jumps in with a similar experience working with his Dad in the family business

59:30 What is the right business for you, how Fadric used profit to pay 1/2 his income.

104:30 why he used the VBOC even with a 7-figure business

106:55 Key to a successful small business.

We discuss the difference between a lifestyle business and a scalable business. We each talk about our 1st businesses and why they both failed.

Want to become a business owner, but don't have the money to start or buy a business? We discuss a method to become a business owner with for no money.

Listen to this and more.

We cover the basics of business credit and how to build it. Learn how it is scored and where to monitor your business credit score. We cover what a trade line is and what is required for it to count towards business credit.