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 by values; powered by trust, not titles. This episode’s for every mission-minded builder – and every leader still learning. Shiveting encouraged. 👊

Connect with our guest:
🧠 Mental Health Innovator. 💻 Teletherapy Pioneer. ❤️ Trauma-Informed Leader.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judeblack/
https://www.etherapycafe.com
https://www.wvcounseling.com/
https://www.wvtrauma.org/
📘 Resources:
Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) – Syracuse University

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.

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 the power to lead – and pressure to deliver. Jim aims to select resilient leaders, value character over credentials, and promote from within. This conversation is a roadmap for leaders who want to scale without losing soul, fight for their people, and build an A team that shows up with purpose.

Connect with our guest:
🧭 Navy Vet. 🛠️ Servant Leader. 🏛️ GovCon Prime.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimofarrell/
https://amsgcorp.net/
📘 Resources:
A CEO Only Does Three Things, by Trey Taylor
Buy Back Your Time, by Dan Martell
Good to Great, by Jim Collins
Energage (formerly, Intergage): https://www.energage.com/

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.

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 solutions, he shares how he builds elite teams using data-driven hiring, lessons from the battlefield, and a culture-first mindset. Chris breaks down why personality fit matters more than a perfect resume, how he uses tools like Culture Index to increase hiring success, and how vulnerability – not ego – is the secret weapon of strong leadership. From startups to national security, this one’s a masterclass in building mission-ready teams.

Connect with our guest:
🔐 GovCon. 💥 Volt Typhoon. 🤖 AI.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisanthonytwx/
https://www.teamworxsecurity.com/
Get Your Copy:
The Veteran Entrepreneur: My Journey from NCO to CEO, by Chris Anthony

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.

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 award-winning institution. From leading troops in combat to leading lawyers in the courtroom, John talks about hiring A-players, creating a culture of accountability, and why tough love gets results. If you want to learn how to build a team that wins, this one’s for you.

Connect with our guest:
Veteran-led. Mission-focused. Results-driven.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/veteranled/
https://ptsdlawyers.com/?utm_term=ber...
Get Your Copy:
Veteran Led, by John S. Berry

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.

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 learned, and the mindset that drives him — “Those who have the ability have the responsibility.” If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, or just someone building a high-performing team, this episode is packed with gold.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/channing-walker-631956309/
https://www.longhornvh.com/
Resources:
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, by Ryan Holiday

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.

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 high-performing remote team. Hiring for character, curiosity, and compassion, he proves A-players can come from anywhere. His top hiring lesson? "Always be recruiting." Tune into how Veteran entrepreneurs like Jim have built exceptional teams, sizing up his opponents in the ring through the lens of discipline, perseverance, and exceptionally effective ears.

Connect with our guest:
linkedin.com/in/james-russo-30427234/
altrius-capital.com/

Resources:
Blog Post – You are lucky if 60% of your VPs work out
https://www.saastr.com/expect-60-of-y...

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at milspectalent.com/get-started.

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 make.

Connect with our team:
www.linkedin.com/in/charlsey-mahle/

Want to explore how Veteran leaders can strengthen your team? Book a call at https://www.milspectalent.com/get-started.