x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Build Your A-Team

Welcome to “Build Your A-Team” a podcast powered by MilSpec Talent, where we educate Small Business owners on how to attract, recruit, and retain high-impact, low-ego talent. I’m your host Freddie Kim, founder of Milspec Talent, I’m am a West Point grad, former Green Beret, Kellogg MBA, and more importantly, I’m passionate about championing the value and leadership of Veteran 2.0s in our workforce.

business careers

All Episodes

55:52

Printing the Non-Sexy Manufacturing with Catalyst...

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/12/09

From stalking astronauts as a kid to launching a large-format 3D printer on Kickstarter, Major Samantha Snabes has taken bold, thoughtful risks. She’s the Co-Founder & Catalyst at re:3D, the company behind Gigabot — a large-format industrial 3D printer that can run on polymers or shredded plastic waste.In this BYAT episode, Sam breaks down how she built a mission-driven team that will “run through brick walls,” why she doesn’t believe in competitors, and how she balances bootstrapping,

en

66:17

Leading Human Services in the Rise of AI with Travis...

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/11/19

Travis Bloomfield is an Air Force Veteran and the CEO & Managing Partner of Provisio, Salesforce’s largest consultancy dedicated to human services and social sector organizations. He shares his journey from air traffic controller to leading one of the nation’s most impactful mission-driven consultancies — built on grit, purpose, data expertise, and the emerging power of agentic AI. After six years in the Air Force, Travis entered IT consulting, eventually serving as COO for two firms

en

57:15

Heart and Hustle: Brian Handley on Leadership and...

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/10/29

Vulnerability as a leadership superpower? Brian Handley runs a 175-year-old, fifth-generation foodservice company — and says the quiet part out loud: you don’t need all the answers to build an elite team. We dig into right-seat/right-role moves, KPI cultures that actually help people grow, and a raw, hopeful conversation on veteran mental health, meditation, and daily discipline.Brian Handley is President of Palmer Food Services, serving 2,000+ customers across NY, CT, and NJ. A former Army

en

62:29

Define. Measure. Win with Yolanda Clarke

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/10/24

Veteran founder Yolanda Clarke — Army Reserve Major and CEO of Powder River Industries — joins BYAT to show how process becomes culture: ISO that actually runs the business, “workflow bosses” who map reality, and a hiring system with clear KPIs and no-compromise standards. We get candid on handling bad hires with grace and evidence, leading remote teams through values and templates, and making decisive calls without burning bridges. Through disciplined execution and vision, Yolanda Clarke

en

57:49

Powering the Fiber Gold Rush with James Han

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/09/30

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

en

62:32

When Desert Storm Meets AI

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/09/24

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

en

65:59

How a Marine Scales Amazon Ops with CEO Rudy Cazares

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/09/16

From leading 400+ Marines to building a 200+ employee logistics powerhouse, Rudy Cazares shares how he scaled Amazon DSP, FedEx, and same-day delivery operations in New York.

en

59:23

The Lethal crayon: CrayTac® with CEO Nick Ripplinger

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/09/16

From Army veteran to defense innovator — Nick Ripplinger shares how CrayTac® is redefining battlefield tech and veteran-led leadership.

en

69:54

CEO Omar Dennis: From the Corps to 50 Strong

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/07/22

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

en

70:00

CEO Liseth J. Velez: Grit in the Concrete – From...

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/07/17

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

en

65:41

CEO Eric Styles – Sneakily Competitive Verizon on Wheels

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/07/17

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

en

32:21

CEO Dr. Jude Black — Built to Shivet

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/05/29

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

en

32:37

CEO Jim O’Farrell – Owning the Power: Solutions In...

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/05/28

From Navy Supply Corps officer to CEO of a high-trust, high-impact GovCon firm, Jim O’Farrell has spent his career building teams that lead with mission, culture, and compassion. As the head of AMSG – a 150+ person prime contractor – Jim shares how servant leadership, frontline focus, and feedback-first management built AMSG into one of the most trusted names in government contracting. His blueprint? Build the right team, not the biggest. Choosing to scale as a prime contractor, AMSG owned

en

55:35

CEO Chris Anthony – Ranger Roots. Cyber Future.

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/05/28

What do you get when a former Army Ranger and Green Beret builds a cutting-edge defense tech company? You get Chris Anthony – founder of Teamwork Security, cyber expert, and author of The Veteran Entrepreneur. With combat deployments, a career in the intelligence community, and time as a systems engineer at Johns Hopkins APL, Chris brings a rare mix of tactical grit and technical expertise. CEO of a defense tech company protecting critical infrastructure through cutting-edge cyber

en

47:54

CEO John S. Berry – Don't Rambo - Build an Army

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/05/28

John S. Berry is a decorated Army Veteran and CEO of Berry Law who has built a mission-driven legal powerhouse from the ground up. With deployments to Bosnia and Iraq, Ranger School under his belt, and a career culminating as a battalion commander, John shares how military leadership forged his no-BS approach to building elite teams. As an example, John breaks down how he revamped Officer Candidate School – ditching pointless hazing for laser-focused training – and turned it into an

en

40:07

CEO Channing Walker – Run Through the Obstacles

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/05/28

Channing Walker is the CEO of Longhorn Ventures Holdings and a former leader in the 1st Battalion 7th Special Forces Group. He shares his journey from the battlefield to the boardroom, including how he won an $11M government contract while still active duty. In this episode, conversations explore leadership under pressure, vulnerability as a strength, scaling businesses with the right talent —and the right culture — as mission critical. Channing opens up about his experiences, lessons

en

58:44

Founder James (Jim) Russo - Hiring for Character,...

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/03/18

James M. Russo shares his journey from Naval Academy graduate, All-American boxer, and Marine Corps C-130 pilot to founder of Altrius Capital Management. Author of "Invest Like an Aardvark," this principled visionary attributes his success to humility. Like an aardvark, a unique unassuming animal, Jim has flipped the script of typical Wall Street investors by uncovering value where others fail to look. Since 1997, he has built a value-based, long-term investment firm while leading a

en

39:53

Charlsey Mahle - Pros & Cons to Executive Recruiting

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/03/18

MilSpec Talent executives – Freddie Kim and Charlsey Mahle – weigh the pros and cons of recruitment, highlighting the value of executive search firms in securing top talent while mitigating risks like cultural mismatches and overpromising. For Veteran-owned businesses, tailored strategies and targeted Veteran talent drive retention and culture fit. MilSpec Talent brings firsthand insight into high-impact, low-ego leaders, embodying values of duty, honor, and company to every connection we

en

58:44

CEO Chris Lefebvre - Building Resilient Teams For GovCon

Build Your A-Team ·

2025/03/18

Chris Lefebvre leverages his military background as a Marine Corps logistics officer and leader to build a resilient team at ISI Professional Services. Transitioning from a project manager to CEO, his discipline and mission-driven mindset fuel a culture focused on the golden rule and rigorous engagement. By emphasizing strategic organizational structure, data-driven hiring, and consistent communication, Chris transforms challenges into growth opportunities. His military experience instills

en

33:10

‘Waiting to Cast Vision to Define Culture’ with Dave...

Build Your A-Team ·

2023/02/22

On this episode, Freddie talks with Dave Sisk, Co-Founder and CEO of Streamline Innovations (recently closed Series C round). Dave is an Army Veteran and Entrepreneur, West Point graduate and Texas McCombs MBA, who has had multiple opportunities running and exiting venture-backed companies. Prior to Founding Streamline Innovations, Dave was Director of Product Strategy at WellAware, a data company focused on delivering intelligence to the oilfield, and a Management Consultant at Harris

en

23 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Handelsblatt Crime - spannende Streitfälle der deutschen Wirtschaft

Ina Karabasz, Solveig Gode, Sönke Iwersen

Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT

WELT

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...