Happy Friday, all!
I’ll be honest — when I was first introduced to Julie and Matt, two veterans turned entrepreneurs, I felt… cautious.
Given my own experiences and what many LGBTQ+ people have endured within military systems — particularly during eras like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — I wasn’t immediately sure there would be values alignment.
I’ve learned to trust that instinct. As mission-driven leaders, we have to. So before agreeing to the conversation, we exchanged a few thoughtful emails. I asked direct questions. I wanted to understand their intentions. And yes, a small part of me wondered: Is this a fit? Or am I walking into an ambush of sorts?
And what unfolded was something I didn’t expect: a deeply aligned, values-centered conversation about service, identity, leadership, and what it truly means to build a mission-driven business.
Julie defined a mission-driven business as one fueled by deep purpose and passion. It’s not just about revenue goals or scaling metrics. It’s about waking up every day knowing your work matters. Their work focuses on helping veterans transition into entrepreneurship — not just to stay busy, but to build lives and careers that feel meaningful.
That distinction hit me.
So many entrepreneurs — especially LGBTQ+ and mission-driven founders — didn’t start their businesses to just “make money.” They started because they saw a gap. They felt a calling. They wanted to serve.
Julie and Matt’s military backgrounds deeply inform how they show up as entrepreneurs. Leadership. Adaptability. Commitment to community. The ability to navigate complexity under pressure. These are skills that absolutely translate into business ownership. But what moved me most was the conversation around identity.
Julie spoke candidly about serving during the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell era — and the internal conflict of wanting to serve fully while not being able to live fully. That tension between authenticity and obligation is something many LGBTQ+ professionals understand intimately. The repeal of that policy was a huge legal and cultural shift. It opened space for people to bring their whole selves to their service.
And that’s what mission-driven entrepreneurship is about, too.
It’s about creating businesses where we don’t have to fragment ourselves to succeed, where profit and purpose can coexist, where our lived experiences — even the painful ones — become fuel for impact.
Another powerful thread in our conversation was community. Veterans don’t transition alone. Entrepreneurs shouldn’t either. Julie and Matt are building networks, mentorship pathways, and resource hubs because they understand that transformation happens in connection.
Here are a few takeaways I’m sitting with:
Your past experiences — even the difficult chapters — are leadership training.
A mission-driven business serves both the owner and the community.
Community isn’t optional. It’s infrastructure.
If you’ve been questioning whether your work is “mission-driven enough,” I invite you to zoom out. Are you solving a real problem? Are you serving people you care about? Are you building something that aligns with your values?
That’s mission-driven.
Questions of the Week
- How does your personal history — including challenges you’ve overcome — shape the mission of your business today?
- Where might you be trying to build alone rather than intentionally cultivate community and mentorship?
- What is one step you can take this month to align your daily operations more closely with your deeper purpose?
Tool of the Week
This week’s tool is the conversation itself.
If you’re navigating identity, transition, leadership development, or redefining your business’s purpose, this episode offers grounded insight and inspiration. It’s a reminder that discipline and heart are not opposites. Structure and service can coexist. And the skills you’ve built in previous seasons of your life are not random — they’re preparation.
Whether or not you have a military background, you’ll walk away thinking differently about leadership, community, and what it really means to serve through your work.
As always, I’d love to hear what resonates with you.
Here’s to building businesses rooted in courage, authenticity, and purpose.
Best,
Brian