The Commander's Brief

Business ideas, jobs for veterans, and other cool stuff for ex-military.

January 24, 2025

Welcome back to the weekly Commander’s Brief.

Here is a little humor to kick off your Friday:

The ultimate military misdirect is calling landscaping, “area beautification.”

A marketing firm somewhere is wishing they had those balls.

Veteran Business of the Week

About a year and a half ago, I interviewed Matt Butler, the inventor of Rollors and the Tally Tumbler.

I love yard games and anything that helps me keep score that doesn’t involve a tiny pencil.

It may not be yard game and golf weather yet (I’ve been wearing my jacket inside all week, it’s been so cold in Charlottesville) but keep your eye on them as the weather warms up and you want to head back outside.

Resource of The Week

One of the most prestigious organizations for veterans is the Pat Tillman Foundation.

Named in honor of Pat Tillman, the former NFL player turned Army Ranger who was killed in Afghanistan, the Pat Tillman Foundation offers scholarships for veterans

“The Pat Tillman Foundation identifies remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses, empowering them with academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development opportunities and a diverse, global community of high-performing mentors and peers. These scholars are making an impact as they lead through action in the fields of healthcare, business, public service, STEM, education and the humanities.”

It’s a huge deal and the people who get in are exceptional.

The application for the next round is due Feb. 1 so apply now.

PreVeteran is a results-focused learning group to help veterans prepare for corporate careers. They have a ton of research behind them and have REAL results.

Business Idea

Here is the idea: A gun range for people left of center.

Why?

You’ll see on the far right side that gun ownership among liberals is spiking. But many liberal gun owners are also afraid to tell their friends or relatives they own a firearm.

They also don’t want to go to your typical gun range.

Your average gun range has a MAGA flag, NRA stickers, and the dude at the counter is wearing a Molon Labe shirt. They usually have an attitude of “you should feel lucky I am even letting you here” and zero customer service.

If you started a range that kicked the politics out and kept it super professional, friendly, and welcoming…you open up to a whole new and underserved market. Not just people on the left, but people who just want a consumer-friendly experience.

A friend recommended I check out Main Line Armory as an example. Very professional-looking (they have a walk-in humidor, for crying out loud).

New Stuff

From the Archives

I really need a new picture for that article.

Go crush it,

Mark

Job Postings

Sharing job postings from a few military-focused recruiters I know. If you schedule a call, let them know I sent you.