Send us Fan Mail

Michael Kloepper, former commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and current Brigade Tactical Officer at the United States Military Academy, joins Joe to explore leadership, readiness, and the responsibility to pass hard-earned lessons to the next generation.

This episode examines what it means for a generation of leaders shaped by more than two decades of war to “empty the rucksack” before leaving the Army. Michael reflects on the urgency he and many of his peers feel to pass on what they learned through success, failure, command, and combat so future generations do not have to repeat the same mistakes.

Colonel Kloepper also shares how his experiences in battalion and brigade command shaped his views on mental, physical, and spiritual readiness. Rather than simply pointing soldiers toward more resources, he believes leaders and chains of command have a responsibility to create healthier organizations. He explains how programs built around outdoor challenges, shared hardship, reflection, and time with teammates helped reduce high-risk behavior while strengthening trust and readiness.

Joe and Michael also discuss:

• Why learning organizations must do more than collect information
• Why leaders should invest in people before problems occur instead of only responding afterward
• How shared challenges and time outdoors can strengthen teams and reduce destructive behavior
• Why people fight for what they believe in
• Why accessibility matters, especially when information is not moving through the chain of command
• The difference between highlighting problems and becoming a reactionary leader
• Why presence remains one of the most important qualities of leadership
• What lieutenants and captains should understand about character, toughness, command authority, and example
• What Mike has learned from leading and developing cadets at West Point

This episode is for leaders who want to build stronger organizations, invest more deeply in their people, and pass hard-earned lessons forward. It is also for veterans reflecting on what their service meant, commanders trying to create healthier teams, and anyone who believes leadership begins with presence, trust, and the willingness to stand alongside people when things are hard.

Watch the interview on YouTube

A special thanks to this week's sponsors!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire, the War of Art, A Man at Arms, and The Arcadian, joins Joe to explore writing, resistance, and the soldier’s long search for peace.

This episode examines the story behind The Arcadian, Pressfield’s latest novel featuring Telamon, a warrior cursed to live lifetime after lifetime as a soldier. Steve shares how the seed for the book began with a quote from Empedocles that he carried with him for more than forty years before finally discovering the story it was meant to become.

Steve and Joe discuss why the idea of a cursed soldier resonates so deeply, especially with those who have served. Telamon’s journey is not just a story about war, exile, or violence. It is about the burden many people carry, the search for redemption, and the hope that we can become something more than the roles we have played for so long.

Steve also reflects on losing his home in the Palisades fire while working on the book and how writing became a refuge during that difficult season. What could have become another form of resistance instead became proof of the very ideas he has spent decades teaching: that the work can save us, steady us, and call us back to ourselves.

Joe and Steve also discuss:

• The connection between soldiers, exile, redemption, and the search for peace
• Why “life is warfare and a journey far from home”
• Why animals and children often carry the divine in stories
• Why great stories often begin with the question “What if?”
• What it means to start over, kill the ego, and become an apprentice again
• Why Steve believes nearly every great story is, in some way, a redemption story

This episode is for anyone who has carried a burden longer than they expected, walked away from a life that once defined them, or wondered whether peace is possible after years of fighting. It is also for writers, leaders, veterans, and readers who believe that stories can help us make sense of exile, suffering, hope, and the long road home.

Watch the full interview on YouTube

A special thanks to this week's sponsors!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Brooke Taylor, author of Healing the Success Wound, joins Joe to explore the hidden pain that comes from mistaking achievement, productivity, and success for self-worth.

This episode examines the “success wound,” the belief that our worth is tied to what we produce, accomplish, or achieve rather than who we are. Brooke shares her own story of growing up in Silicon Valley, chasing gold stars, working at Google, and realizing that external success could not fill the emptiness underneath. What looked impressive on the outside was, internally, driven by a deep need for approval, validation, and belonging.

Brooke explains how high achievers often become trapped in a cycle of striving, proving, pleasing, hiding, or numbing. They keep reaching the next promotion, assignment, title, or milestone, only to find that the satisfaction never lasts. Over time, that pattern can lead to burnout, anxiety, substance abuse, chronic stress, and a distorted sense of identity.

Joe and Brooke also discuss:

• Why achievement can become a substitute for self-worth
• The difference between self-confidence and self-worth
• Why many high performers are only as good as their last piece of feedback
• The five success wound archetypes: the grinder, the hider, the pleaser, the seeker, and the work-hard-play-hard
• How military leaders can confuse identity with rank, role, branch, or assignment
• Why values are essential for making better career and life decisions
• How aligned ambition allows leaders to pursue meaningful work without being driven by fear, scarcity, or the need to prove themselves

This episode is for anyone who has achieved the thing they thought would finally make them feel whole, only to realize the finish line moved again. It is also for leaders, professionals, parents, and high performers who want to understand what is driving their ambition, how to separate their worth from their work, and how to build a life and career from a place of alignment instead of anxiety.

Watch the entire interview on YouTube

A special thanks to this week's sponsors!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Geoffrey Cain, author of Steve Jobs in Exile, joins Joe to explore one of the most overlooked chapters in Steve Jobs’ life: the twelve years between his fall from Apple and his return to build one of the most influential companies in the world.

This episode looks beyond the familiar story of the iPhone, iPod, and Apple’s second act to examine the wilderness years that shaped Jobs into the leader we remember today. After being pushed out of Apple in 1985, Jobs was forced to confront failure, ego, rejection, and the limits of vision without discipline. What followed was a long and painful period of experimentation, mistakes, personal transformation, and eventual renewal through NeXT and Pixar.

Geoffrey explains why the Steve Jobs who founded Apple was not the same Steve Jobs who returned in 1997. As a young leader, Jobs was brilliant but difficult, convinced of his own vision but often unable to listen to the people around him. At NeXT, that ego led to missed opportunities, broken relationships, and expensive failure. But over time, those same failures began to teach him the lessons he needed most: focus, discipline, humility, execution, and the ability to work within the limits of reality.

Joe and Geoffrey also discuss:

• Why Steve Jobs’ time away from Apple was not wasted, but formative
• How NeXT helped lay the foundation for the Apple products we use today
• Why genius without discipline can end in expensive failure
• How Jobs’ ego hurt NeXT and nearly destroyed his second act
• What Pixar taught Jobs about trust, creative restraint, and letting talented people do their work
• Why failure can become the foundation for future success
• How the “wilderness years” shape leaders before they return stronger
• Why Jobs came back to Apple quieter, more focused, and more willing to listen
• What leaders can learn from Jobs’ journey through failure, reinvention, and return

This episode is for anyone who has ever gone through a hard season and wondered whether it was wasted. It’s also for leaders, builders, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to better understand how failure, if we are willing to learn from it, can become the preparation for our most important work.

A special thanks to this week's sponsors!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Tommy Shavers, founder of NESTRE Health & Performance, and Carlos Perez, a retired Special Forces officer, join Joe to explore a powerful idea: the brain is not fixed. It can be measured, trained, strengthened, and improved.

This episode was recorded after Joe visited NESTRE’s performance center in Lake Nona, Florida, where he went through their cognitive assessment and brain training process firsthand. What followed was a conversation about performance, recovery, military transition, stress, and what happens when high performers spend years operating in survival mode and then struggle to turn their minds off.

Tommy shares the story of how multiple concussions ended his college football career and nearly changed the course of his life. After being told his brain would only continue to decline, he began searching for a different answer—one that eventually led him to develop a model for cognitive recovery and performance training. Carlos explains why, as a retired Green Beret, he immediately saw the potential for this work inside the military and veteran communities.

Joe, Tommy, and Carlos also discuss:

•  Why the brain should be trained like the body 
•  What Joe learned from having his own brain “mapped” 
•  How high performers can operate well under pressure but pay a hidden cost over time 
•  Why veterans often struggle to shut their brains off after leaving the military 
•  The difference between treating the brain as broken and training it for performance 
•  How cognitive assessments could help military units better understand, train, and build teams 
•  Why stress, sleep, focus, and emotional regulation are performance issues—not just personal struggles 

This episode is for anyone who has spent years pushing hard, performing under pressure, and wondering why slowing down feels so difficult. It’s also for leaders, veterans, athletes, and high performers who want to better understand how their brain works—and how they can train it to support the next chapter of their life.

Special Offer from NESTRE

NESTRE is offering From the Green Notebook listeners 50% off a consultation with code TEAMG.

A consultation includes a full brain map, a mindset profile to help you understand how your brain prefers to operate, and cognitive scorecards that show how you’re performing and where you can improve. With the discount, listeners pay $150.

NESTRE currently has three in-person locations: Monterey, California; Winter Park, Florida; and Lake Nona, Florida.

Listeners can also download the NESTRE app and get 30 days free with code TEAMG at sign-in. After that, it’s $9.99 per month.

Send us Fan Mail

Sam Yo, Peloton instructor, former West End theater performer, and author of The Monk’s Mindset, joins Joe to talk about discipline, mindfulness, and learning how to bring the right effort to every part of our lives.

Joe and Sam explore Sam’s journey from early success on the stage to life in a Thai monastery, and eventually to Peloton. Along the way, they discuss what it means to slow down, reflect, build daily anchors, and stop confusing constant movement with meaning.

Joe and Sam also discuss:

•  Why life is more like a jigsaw puzzle than a straight line 
•  How early success can still leave us feeling restless 
•  What Sam learned from entering a monastery with only five possessions 
•  The difference between discipline and self-destruction 
•  Why meditation isn’t about clearing the mind 
•  How small morning anchors can shape the rest of your day 
•  Why we should celebrate small wins instead of rushing past them 
•  What “right effort” means when no one is watching 
•  How Sam’s monastery lessons shaped his work at Peloton 

Whether you’re navigating a transition, trying to build better habits, or feeling pulled through life on autopilot, this episode is for anyone looking to slow down, reconnect with the present, and bring more intention to the way they show up each day. And connect with Joe on Peloton (GreenNotebookJ)

Watch the interview on YouTube!

A special thanks to this week's sponsors!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Rob Evans joins Joe for a conversation about military barracks conditions, leadership accountability, and why he created Hots&Cots to give junior service members a voice.

Drawing from his own experience as a junior enlisted Soldier, Rob shares how years of seeing poor living conditions—and reading reports from organizations like the Government Accountability Office—pushed him to stop complaining from the sidelines and start building solutions. What began as a weekend coding project has grown into a platform with tens of thousands of users across the military.

Throughout the conversation, Joe and Rob discuss the realities of barracks life, why problems often fail to reach senior leaders, and how outside accountability can help installations respond faster to issues affecting Soldiers’ quality of life.

They also explore the challenges of balancing advocacy work with family and full-time jobs, the importance of leaders walking the barracks, and why creating meaningful change requires more than just funding—it requires sustained leadership attention.

Joe and Rob also discuss:

•  The GAO reports and systemic issues impacting military barracks across the services 
•  How the platform allows service members to anonymously review barracks and dining facilities 
•  Why some leaders initially resisted the platform—and how attitudes have changed over time 
•  Real examples of barracks issues being resolved within hours because of public visibility 
•  The biggest recurring problems in the barracks: HVAC failures, mold, and maintenance issues 
•  Why accountability and transparency are essential for improving quality of life 
•  How outdated systems and competing priorities continue to slow progress 
•  The challenge of balancing passion projects, family life, and full-time work 
•  Why feedback from Soldiers keeps Rob motivated to continue the work 
• Read the Hots&Cots State of the Barracks White Paper Joe and Rob talk about here! 

Whether you’ve lived in the barracks, led Soldiers in garrison, or care about improving the day-to-day lives of service members, this episode offers an honest look at the systems behind military housing—and the people working to make them better.

Watch the Interview on YouTube! 

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors! 

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Daniel Z. Lieberman, psychiatrist and co-author of The Molecule of More, joins Joe to explore the powerful role dopamine plays in shaping our desires, decisions, and sense of fulfillment.

Joe and Dan discuss how dopamine isn’t just about pleasure—it’s about possibility. It drives us to chase the future, often leading us to idealize what’s ahead while overlooking what’s right in front of us. From career ambition to relationships, this constant pursuit can leave us restless, unsatisfied, and always searching for the next thing.

Throughout the conversation, they examine the tension between “wanting” and “liking,” why achieving our goals can sometimes feel empty, and how modern environments—from social media to consumer culture—are designed to keep us in a dopaminergic loop.

They also explore practical ways to create balance—how to strengthen “here and now” awareness through journaling, reflection, and intentional habits, and why slowing down is not natural, but something we must train ourselves to do.

Joe and Dan also discuss:

•  Why dopamine is better understood as a “prediction” or “possibility” molecule—not a pleasure one 
•  The difference between wanting something and actually liking it 
•  How the “Daisy effect” (idealizing the future) shapes our expectations and disappointments.
•  How dating apps and social media amplify dopamine and distort reality 
•  The transition from passionate love to companionate love—and why it matters 
•  How a lifetime of goal-chasing (like in the military) conditions us to struggle with stillness 
•  Why journaling helps uncover patterns, motivations, and meaning 
•  Practical tools like meditation and breathwork to strengthen “here and now” awareness 
•  The importance of asking “why” before chasing the next goal 

Whether you’re navigating a transition, chasing a goal, or trying to better understand your own patterns, this episode offers a powerful framework for recognizing when you’re being driven by the future—and how to reconnect with the present.

Watch the interview on YouTube

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors! 

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Judd Kessler—a professor at the Wharton School and author of Lucky by Design—joins Joe to explore the hidden markets that shape our lives, careers, and opportunities.

Joe and Judd discuss how many of the most important decisions we encounter—from job promotions to school admissions to performance evaluations—aren’t driven by price, but by rules we rarely see or fully understand. These “hidden markets” determine who gets what, often leaving people frustrated, confused, or convinced that success comes down to luck.

Throughout the conversation, they examine how understanding the rules of these markets can shift outcomes, why preparation and self-awareness matter more than we think, and how leaders—whether they realize it or not—are constantly designing markets through the way they allocate time, attention, and opportunity.

They also explore practical strategies for navigating these environments, from competing in high-speed, first-come-first-serve systems to knowing when it’s better to “settle for silver” rather than walk away empty-handed.

Joe and Judd also discuss:

•  What “hidden markets” are—and why they’re everywhere 
•  Why success often looks like luck (but isn’t) 
•  How understanding the rules gives you a competitive advantage 
•  The strategy of “settling for silver” to improve your odds 
•  Why preparation and clarity of values matter before entering any competition 
•  How poorly designed systems invite “speculators” and unintended consequences 
•  The three E’s of market design: efficiency, equity, and ease 
•  Why leaders must be intentional about how they allocate time, attention, and opportunity 
•  How misaligned or unclear expectations can quietly shape careers 
•  The importance of aligning who you are with what the system rewards 

Whether you’re navigating promotions, competing for opportunities, or leading others in high-stakes environments, this episode offers a powerful framework for understanding the systems around you—and how to operate within them more effectively.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

A special thanks to this week's sponsors!

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Send us Fan Mail

Jaron Wharton—a former brigade commander in the 82nd Airborne Division and co-editor of Bend but Do Not Break joins Joe to examine the future of the all-volunteer force and the role of professional discourse in strengthening the military. 

Joe and Jaron discuss how education and self-study shape better leaders, why intellectual curiosity is essential in command, and how stepping outside of purely tactical experiences helps leaders avoid what Joe describes as a “soda straw” view of the world. They also reflect on the dangers of groupthink inside hierarchical organizations and the responsibility leaders have to create space for dissenting ideas.

Throughout the conversation, they explore the growing disconnect between the military and the society it serves, the risks of an emerging “warrior caste,” and why service must be valued beyond just those in uniform.

Joe and Jaron also discuss:

•  Why education prepares leaders not just for success—but for failure 
•  The danger of an “anti-intellectual bend” in the military 
•  How groupthink develops—and how leaders can actively fight it 
•  Why publishing isn’t the goal—promoting conversation is 
•  The risks of a widening civil-military gap 
•  Why service should be celebrated across all professions—not just the military 
•  The importance of giving junior leaders a voice in shaping the profession 
•  What it might take to mobilize society for large-scale conflict 

Whether you’re a junior leader trying to find your voice, a senior leader thinking about the future of the force, or someone simply interested in the relationship between the military and society, this episode offers a thoughtful and challenging look at where we are—and where we may be headed.

Also, check out Bend but Do Not Break, with proceeds supporting Wear Blue: Run to Remember.

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Send us Fan Mail

Andy Yakulis—West Point graduate, former Army pilot, and Special Operations officer turned defense tech entrepreneur—joins Joe to talk about leadership, transition, and the rapidly changing nature of modern warfare.

Recruited to West Point just days before September 11th, Andy entered the Army knowing he would serve during a generation defined by war. After flying Kiowa Warrior helicopters and spending nearly a decade in Special Operations, he became increasingly frustrated with the gap between the technology soldiers used in combat and what existed in the civilian world.

Together, they discuss Andy’s decision to leave the Army at 18 years to start Vector, a company focused on unmanned systems, as well as the challenges of military transition, the realities of leadership in the private sector, and how paying attention to what captures your curiosity might reveal the work you’re meant to pursue.

Watch the full interview on YouTube!

Joe and Andy also discuss:

• Why physical fitness and sleep still shape Andy’s decision-making as a CEO
• The value of civilian education for military leaders
• The “Saturday morning coffee test” for discovering what you’re passionate about
• Why veterans shouldn’t feel pressure to find the perfect post-military job immediately
• The challenge of leading teams in the private sector
• Why the future of warfare may shift from one operator controlling one drone to one operator orchestrating many

Whether you’re transitioning out of the military, exploring entrepreneurship, or curious how technology is changing warfare, this episode offers insights on leadership, innovation, and pursuing work you feel called to do.

A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!

Dunedain Systems is a veteran-founded defense technology company building Warmind, an AI platform that accelerates military planning, operations, and document generation. Warmind connects to your unit’s data and learns how your warfighting function operates, delivering outputs tailored to your SOPs and operational context rather than generic AI responses. Whether your team is building OPORDs, running intel workflows, or generating CONOPs, Warmind handles the heavy lift so your staff can focus on decisions, not paperwork. Built by combat veterans who lived the problem firsthand, Warmind is already in use across SOCOM and the broader DoD. The beta is free for anyone with a .mil or .edu email at dunedainsystems.com.

Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it’s banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

Logistics Systems Incorporated (LSI) is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business supporting DoD and federal civilian agencies with enterprise IT operations, global logistics support, cybersecurity, data, and mission support services. Founded by a veteran Army leader, LSI is known for operating inside complex, high-consequence environments where leadership, discipline, and execution matter.