Army National Guard combat medic Evan Poling spent 6 years in service, then built a business to fix how small businesses get bought and sold in America. Evan served alongside Heath Robinson — the soldier whose death helped pass the PACT Act for burn pit victims. He went on to investigate financial crimes and money laundering before founding BizRetire.com, a marketplace connecting business buyers and sellers. Two and a half years in, no profit yet, still building. This is that conversation.

Topics Discussed:

- Serving with Heath Robinson and the fight to get burn pit veterans covered under the PACT Act

- The "soldier switch" — the mental shift before and after every drill weekend

- Investigating terrorist financing and money laundering, and what that taught him about how businesses actually work

- Why 80% of profitable businesses that go to market never sell — bad books, bad valuations, and owners who run out of time

- Two and a half years building BizRetire with no profit, and choosing to stay in it

- How faith, community, and vulnerability changed the direction of his business

Why This Matters: A lot of veterans get out and hear they should start a business or buy one — but nobody tells you what it actually looks like when you're in it. Evan's still in it. No tidy ending, no success story wrapped up with a bow. Just a guy who used his service the way he said he would, learned from financial crimes work how businesses actually tick, and is now grinding through the part nobody posts about. If you're thinking about starting something, buying something, or you know what it feels like to keep pushing when the feedback stops — this one's for you. If you've been through your own version of this — drop it in the comments. This channel exists for those conversations. Connect with Evan at bizretire.com or find him on LinkedIn under Evan Poling.

Final Advice – Your Idea Is Worthless. Execution Isn't. 1:08:58 Where to Find Evan – BizRetire.com Subscribe and follow The Unsung Veteran for more porch-style, veteran-to-veteran conversations.

#VeteranEntrepreneur #UnsungVeteran #ArmyNationalGuard #CombatMedic #VeteranOwnedBusiness #VeteranTransition #SmallBusinessTips #PACTAct #BurnPits #MilitaryToCivilian #VeteranStories #BizRetire

In this episode, John is joined by Tyler Muniz, a Marine Veteran and former Captain, to discuss the unfiltered reality of transitioning from a high-tempo military unit to a career in Big Tech. Tyler shares his "moment of awakening" when he realized that technical military expertise doesn't always translate immediately to civilian job descriptions.

Whether you are currently in the TRS process or looking for your next career move, Tyler’s insights on networking and upskilling are essential for a successful transition.

"I didn't realize I would be breaking a lot of barriers... you wake up and go, what am I going to do in this job today?"

Meet Tina Irwin, a 20-year Navy veteran who went from climbing submarine ladders in a pencil skirt to becoming a top-tier security expert .

Highlights of Tina’s Journey:

• Joined in 1972 before ROTC was open to women.
• Became the first female instructor at Navy Submarine School .
• Managed security for 86 submarines and $100B in assets .
• Served through the "Silent Service" during the Cold War .

Full story out now! 👇

#WomenInUniform #NavyHistory #SilentService #VeteranStories #TheUnsungVeteran