Christian Meyers | Terra Arma

Christian Meyers | Terra Arma

MilCom Founders Podcast, Episode 48: From Combat Search and Rescue to Luxurious Hard-Use Clothing with Christian Meyers Join host Rod Loges and guest Christian Meyers as they explore the journey of a 13-year Air Force veteran who transitioned from combat search and rescue operations to founding Terra Arma, a company revolutionizing military-grade base layers and apparel. Christian shares his evolution from first rescue operations off the coast of San Francisco to building a company now stocked in over 200 military retail locations globally. In this episode: * How a lieutenant colonel's suggestion after the 2008 downturn led Christian to combat search and rescue in the Air Force * His first rescue mission off the Farallon Islands and what recovering bodies from a yacht crash taught him about the real purpose of the work * The shoulder injury from uncomfortable military-issued cotton base layers during a deployment to Africa that sparked the idea for Terra Arma * Launching his first product in 2019 using deployment savings and a website he built while still overseas * Growing Terra Arma into over 200 military exchange locations globally, from Ramstein to Pearl Harbor, and developing the first four-way stretch flame-resistant fabric on the market * Why 100 percent of Terra Arma's products are sourced and manufactured in the United States, at prices accessible to military personnel * The moment his first supervisor told him he wasn't getting promoted because "you're an asshole" and how that conversation changed his leadership * Traveling to all seven continents in seven days for the 7X Project and the Human Performance Manual that came out of it * Why managing global logistics across 200 retail locations is more stressful than facing enemy fire * His work with the Bird's Eye View Project and building an AI coaching system for veteran entrepreneurs Key takeaways: * High-stress military environments train you to stay present and focused, and that skill translates directly to managing business crises * When someone you trust tells you something hard about yourself, that is the mentorship. Be willing to hear it and change. * Build a board of advisors and be brutally honest with them about your problems. Issues compound when you hide them. * Manufacturing domestically costs more, but it creates competitive advantage and aligns with serving the military community * The transition out of the military changes who you are. Take the time to figure out who you are outside the uniform before charging into the next thing. * Unmanaged stress will force you out of business. Find what works for you, whether that is writing tasks down, therapy, or extreme sports. * Stay in a training mindset. Being coachable means continuously learning and allowing yourself to be tested, not slipping into cruise control. * Small product innovations that solve real problems can become significant business opportunities if you invest the time to understand the space Guest: Christian Meyers, Founder and CEO, Terra Arma, 13-year Air Force veteran who served in combat search and rescue * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-meyers-237309b5/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-meyers-237309b5/] * Website: https://terraarma.com/ [https://terraarma.com/] Christian Meyers is the Founder and CEO of Terra Arma, a company specializing in luxurious hard-use clothing sourced and manufactured entirely in the United States. With 13 years of service in the Air Force as a combat search and rescue specialist, Christian brings a unique perspective to product development and leadership. During his military career, he observed a critical gap in the market for comfortable, functional, and fire-resistant base layers designed specifically for military personnel. This observation, combined with a shoulder injury sustained while deployed to Africa, inspired him to launch Terra Arma in 2019. Today, Terra Arma products are stocked in over 200 military retail locations globally and represent the only premier base layer available in military exchanges worldwide. Beyond his business ventures, Christian is deeply committed to veteran wellness and serves on the board of the Bird's Eye View Project, a nonprofit dedicated to veteran mental health and resilience through challenge-based programming. He is also an accomplished extreme athlete who participated in the 7X Project, traveling to all seven continents in seven days to complete marathons and base jumps while contributing to the development of the Human Performance Manual. Christian continues to mentor transitioning military personnel and veteran entrepreneurs, sharing his expertise in business development and the unique challenges of life after service. The MilCom Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business owners. Each episode brings practical insights and lessons learned from veteran entrepreneurs. Sponsored by One Degree Financial www.onedegreefinancial.com [http://www.onedegreefinancial.com] Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Donate to the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund: https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/ [https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/]

Yasmin George | Trend Lab

MilCom Founders Podcast, Episode 47: Systems Over Hustle with Yasmin George Join host Rod Loges and guest Yasmin George as she shares how she went from military spouse and Fortune 500 marketer to founder of Trend Lab, where she helps six- and seven-figure businesses replace chaos with systems so they can scale without burning out. In this episode: * How Yasmin found the military-connected entrepreneur community through the Bunker Labs Veterans in Residence program and why that cohort became her tribe * What it was like being a military spouse living in a separate state from the service member and feeling disconnected from the community until she found Bunker Labs * Her board role at Act Now Education, a fast-growing nonprofit that connects transitioning service members and military spouses with more than 40,000 free upskilling and certification resources * Why Yasmin says most businesses that hit six and seven figures got there by hustling, and why that same approach will not get them to the next level * The internal block that almost ended her business, a fear of getting on camera that she traced back through neuroscience-based hypnosis before she could promote herself at all * How she builds AI agent advisory boards for clients, including a financial advisor agent, a researcher, and even a multimillionaire perspective agent to pressure-test decisions * Her take on AI as "an enhancer that needs a handler" and why founders who treat AI output as gospel end up going down the wrong path * The client story where one interview produced an entire brand positioning document that captured everything the founder had been trying to articulate for years * Her father's story of coming to America 50 years ago with $11 and a leg paralyzed by polio, and how that shaped her commitment to giving back Key takeaways: * You cannot scale without systems. What got you to six figures will not get you to seven without simplifying your strategy and building repeatable processes * A lot of what holds founders back at the next level is internal, not tactical. Identity shifts, fear, unresolved experiences from military life or transition can quietly stall growth * You are the sum of the five people you surround yourself with. Your environment shapes your business outcomes whether you recognize it or not * AI hallucinates with full confidence. You have to challenge it, ask where it got its information, and never accept an output at face value * Start with the end in mind and work backwards. Know what take-home profit and personal time you actually want before building your marketing strategy around a revenue number * A lot of times people say they don't know their purpose. The answer is you don't need to know yet. Keep moving and it reveals itself Guest: Yasmin George, Founder of Trend Lab, military spouse (active duty Army), board member at Act Now Education * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ygeorge/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ygeorge/] * Website: www.thetrendlab.co [http://www.thetrendlab.co/] Yasmin George is an entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and founder of Trend Lab. For more than 20 years, she's worked with Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, and growing businesses drive growth through strategic marketing. Today, she helps entrepreneurs simplify their marketing, sales, and operations through systems, automation, and AI. Known for turning complex business challenges into simpler, scalable systems, Yasmin helps founders increase revenue, reclaim their time, and focus on what matters most. The MilCom Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business owners. Each episode brings practical insights and lessons learned from veteran entrepreneurs. Sponsored by One Degree Financial www.onedegreefinancial.com [http://www.onedegreefinancial.com/] Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Donate to the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund: https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/ [https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/]

Nick Bradfield | EOS

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 46: Nick Bradfield, Marine Corps Sergeant Turned EOS Implementer Join host Rod Loges as he sits down with Nick Bradfield, a Marine Corps infantry veteran turned fintech founder who now helps growth-stage business owners find clarity and focus as an EOS Implementer. Nick shares the real story behind building and exiting a fintech company, scaling a veteran-focused nonprofit across the country, and coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs through the same patterns he lived himself. In this episode: * How Nick went from Iowa wrestler to Marine Corps infantry in two weeks, and broke the news to his mom at dinner * The speeding ticket in a 14-ton military vehicle that remains his only ticket to this day * Why being a terrible employee pushed Nick toward building his own fintech company * How EOS gave him the clarity to shut down what was not working and scale what was * Building the CEO Circle program at Bunker Labs with J.P. Morgan to support growth-stage veteran founders * The success formula: a coach, a peer group, and an operating system * Why the military community builds trust faster than any other peer group * A law firm that set a $1.3M EBITDA goal and came back at $3.6M in one year * How a wealth management firm went from 15 wrong-fit employees to being named one of the best places to work in their city and state * Why AI is on almost every EOS client's issues list right now Key takeaways: * The most successful entrepreneurs have a coach, a peer group, and an operating system * Leaders need to pull themselves out of the weeds and spend time in thought * Being coachable is not optional for growth; every great athlete and entrepreneur has a coach * The fastest way to get value from a peer group is to get vulnerable early * EOS is not a magic pill; it gets harder after the first year, and that's when the real work begins * Asking for help is the biggest thing the military community needs, on every level Guest: Nick Bradfield, EOS Implementer * Website: https://www.eosworldwide.com/nick-bradfield  [https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eosworldwide.com%2Fnick-bradfield&urlhash=tt5k&mt=NvReU4vLsx3NZF1OZ4Vr1VymSk5HWGRsuLPjMkxZYb7HRSOTQNzlaKiN_wHvebPS2I16iLhLEFBkzdZiA6D8AHI&isSdui=true&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BfOpAql9KRG6eQE4CVflvaA%3D%3D] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickbradfield [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickbradfield] Nick Bradfield is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served four years in the infantry, where he learned to adapt and overcome, stay calm under pressure, build high-performing teams, and simplify complicated situations. After the Marines, he spent a decade in the corporate world while always running some kind of side business, a mix of wins and losses that confirmed entrepreneurship was in his blood. Nick eventually went all in as an entrepreneur and started a fintech company. His first market did not work, and he came close to losing everything before a pivot took him to the highs of pitching at SXSW and working on deals with Fortune 100 companies. EOS gave him the clarity and focus to steady the business during a season when shiny objects were everywhere. After exiting that company, Nick became an early employee at a nonprofit that helps veterans start and grow businesses, using EOS to scale it across the country. Coaching and listening to hundreds of entrepreneurs, he kept noticing the same patterns he had lived himself, which led him to become an EOS Implementer. Today he works with growth-oriented business owners who are frustrated but ready to commit to what it takes to change. Looking ahead: Nick continues working with growth-stage business owners through EOS implementation, helping founders build businesses they can step away from without everything falling apart. The MilCom Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business founders. Each episode brings practical insights from successful veteran entrepreneurs. Sponsored by One Degree Financial www.onedegreefinancial.com [http://www.onedegreefinancial.com] Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Learn about the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund at https://www.milcomfounders.com/ [https://www.milcomfounders.com/]

George Hyek | TRINSEC 7

MilCom Founders Podcast, Episode 45: From Police Officer to Fractional CISO with George Hyek Join host Rod Loges and guest George Hyek as he traces the path from his early days as a police officer to founding TRINSEC 7. George explains why he walked away from responding to crime to spend a career preventing it, first as an Army intelligence officer and now as a Fractional CISO+ giving small businesses in regulated industries the kind of integrated security that used to be reserved for Fortune 500s and the government. In this episode: * How a Marine recruiting pull-up event and a roommate's conversation with a recruiter pulled George off the police force and into the Army as an intelligence officer. * The 8 a.m. meetings at NATO Special Operations Headquarters where the commander, a Navy SEAL named Skip Vincenzo, banned all work talk so he could read where his people's heads and hearts were before the day started. * What George took away from General John Kelly addressing a packed gymnasium at U.S. Southern Command during the rise of ISIS, and never once mentioning the son he had lost. * Why George named his company TRINSEC 7, from Trinity to the biblical number seven for completeness, and how it captures his idea of holistic security. * The problem with siloed security, why juggling 7 to 10 vendors leaves small businesses paying markups and getting finger-pointing instead of accountability. * Why George turned down a security company as a client when they refused to let him run a vulnerability assessment. * The VC who told George he doesn't run a software as a service company, he runs a service as a software company, and why that reframe stuck. * George's work in rural healthcare and HIPAA, including a client visit in Oregon that reminded him the patient is the real person being protected. Key takeaways: * Strong teams are built on people, not just the mission. Knowing where someone's head and heart are tells you what kind of work they can do that day. * Real leadership makes it about the people you lead, not yourself, even when you are carrying the heaviest loss in the room. * Siloed security is one of the biggest vulnerabilities a small business has. One integrated program with one point of accountability beats a stack of disconnected vendors. * Security only works when it supports the business. The moment it becomes an obstacle, people route around it and create a bigger hole. * Coachability matters more than budget. A client who refuses to learn how exposed they are is not a client worth taking on. Guest: George Hyek, Founder and Managing Partner, TRINSEC 7. Former U.S. Army intelligence officer and federal Senior Special Agent. * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-hyek/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-hyek/] * Website: www.trinsec7.com [https://www.trinsec7.com] George Hyek is the founder and managing partner of TRINSEC 7, a security firm delivering enterprise-grade protection for small businesses without the enterprise budget. As a Fractional CISO+, George replaces the piecemeal, siloed approach to security with a single integrated program aligned to each client's business objectives, culture, and compliance requirements across frameworks like NIST, ISO, GLBA, and HIPAA. George's career began in law enforcement as a police officer, where he quickly realized that responding to crime wasn't where he wanted to be. He wanted to prevent it. That realization led him into the Army, where he commissioned as an intelligence officer through the Pennsylvania National Guard's Officer Candidacy School. Over 14 years of service across the National Guard, Reserves, and active duty, George served in joint assignments at U.S. Southern Command, NATO Special Operations Headquarters in Belgium, and other high-level commands, leading 60+ overseas counterintelligence operations. On the civilian side, George served as a Senior Special Agent investigating espionage, cyber intrusions, and national security threats, and managed security operations across seven airports and four nuclear plants, reducing critical incidents by 35%. He also teaches cyber threat intelligence and risk management at the graduate level, averaging a 4.9 out of 5 on student evaluations. George is the author of Holistic Security Secrets, a practical framework for family security programs, and is currently writing a second book focused on small business security. His ideal clients are small businesses under 100 people in regulated industries, with a growing focus on rural healthcare and HIPAA 2.0 compliance. Looking ahead: TRINSEC 7 is growing its client base and developing a proprietary software platform to complement its security services. George is also actively raising capital to bring that software to market. The MilCom Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business owners. Each episode brings practical insights and lessons learned from veteran entrepreneurs. Sponsored by One Degree Financial www.onedegreefinancial.com [https://www.onedegreefinancial.com] Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Donate to the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund: https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/ [https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/]

Pete Canalichio | ThriveAlive.ai

MilCom Founders Podcast — Episode 44: From Navy Aviator to AI-Powered Purpose with Pete Canalichio Join host Rod Loges and guest Pete Canalichio as he shares his journey from Naval Academy graduate and P3 Orion aircraft commander to co-founder of ThriveAlive.AI, a platform using artificial intelligence to help people find clarity on their purpose, vision, mission, and values. In this episode: * How Pete's father's simple advice kept him from leaving the Naval Academy during a brutal plebe year * Flying the P3 Orion with a 12-member crew during the Cold War and what leading that team taught him about showing up for every role * The oil-fed engine fire over the Pacific that forced Pete to dive his aircraft toward the ocean to blow out the flames * A seven-year finance career at Coca-Cola that Pete chose because he was good at math, not because it was his calling * How a chance meeting after a law firm talk led to a partnership with co-founder Ernesto Escobar * Building ThriveAlive.AI to help people in transition find their purpose so they don't repeat his seven-year detour * Why military veterans and their families are the community Pete is most passionate about serving * His daughter Ellie's "Dad, what are you thinking?" moment that changed a major decision Key takeaways: * Don't make hasty decisions when things aren't going well. Give it time before you walk away * A leader is someone people want to follow, regardless of title * The military prepares you to be an excellent officer but rarely helps you figure out what comes next * If somebody had helped Pete define his purpose before business school, he wouldn't have spent seven years in the wrong career * You don't have to do everything. Do what you do well and surround yourself with people who fill in the rest Guest: Pete Canalichio, Co-Founder of ThriveAlive.AI, US Naval Academy graduate, Navy aviator and instructor pilot * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecanalichio-thrivealive/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecanalichio-thrivealive/]   * Website: www.thrivealive.ai [http://www.thrivealive.ai] "Unlock the essence of your purpose, vision, and mission effortlessly with ThriveAlive.AI. Powered by cutting-edge artificial intelligence, it guides you through tailored questions to extract core values and aspirations." Pete Canalichio is an award-winning author of the Amazon #1 New Release Expand, Grow, Thrive (2018) and Strategic Brand Licensing (2024), a TEDx speaker, and a recognized expert in brand strategy, expansion, and licensing. Over a 25-year career, he has helped scale global brands through leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Newell Brands, and as founder of BrandAlive. In 2025, Pete co-founded ThriveAlive.Ai, a platform designed to help military members, veterans, and spouses gain clarity on their purpose, vision, and mission—extending his commitment to leadership and impact beyond the corporate world. Pete's leadership foundation was forged at the United States Naval Academy, where he earned a degree in physics before serving as a Navy aviator and instructor pilot. As aircraft commander of a multi-engine platform and 12-member crew during the Cold War, he developed the decisive, calm-under-pressure leadership style that defines his career. That leadership was tested in extreme conditions—most notably while piloting an aircraft over the Pacific Ocean when an engine caught fire. In that moment, Pete relied on disciplined thinking and decisive action to navigate the crisis safely, a mindset he has since applied to complex business challenges and global brand growth initiatives. Following his military service, Pete earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he was a Richard H. Jenrette Fellow and salutatorian. He began his business career at Coca-Cola in global finance, managing $32 billion in annual transactions as Treasury Operations Manager in London, before transitioning into brand expansion and licensing leadership. Over the course of his career, Pete has worked in more than 40 countries, leading large-scale initiatives across global markets. Today, he is known for helping organizations unlock growth through disciplined brand expansion strategies and long-term, value-driven partnerships. The MilCom Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business owners. Each episode brings practical insights and lessons learned from veteran entrepreneurs. Sponsored by One Degree Financial www.onedegreefinancial.com [http://www.onedegreefinancial.com] Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Donate to the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund: https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/ [https://bold.org/funds/dick-loges-veteran-entrepreneur-fund/]