Veteran Business Community Podcast

Peter Liston, Co-Founder - VBC
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

There are many lessons business can learn from the military and your host Pete Liston is going to share exactly what he learnt in the Australian Army that has allowed him to create and build multiple 7 figure businesses. Pete will be joined by guests who have also transitioned from military to entrepreneurship and are keen to share their stories.

  1. 7h ago

    E128 | Greg Jenkins - a courageous story of never giving up the search and fight for his mum who was killed as a victim of crime in Malaysia. (p.s. Veteran business owner as well)

    🕊️ Turning unimaginable loss into a reason to keep helping others. E128 | Greg Jenkins - a courageous story of never giving up the search and fight for his mum who was killed as a victim of crime in Malaysia. (p.s. Veteran business owner as well) Greg Jenkins served in the Royal Australian Air Force for 26 years, beginning as an Airfield Defence Guard before moving into human intelligence and reaching the rank of Flight Sergeant. His career included deployments to Timor-Leste, Qatar, Afghanistan and Iraq, but his most difficult fight began while he was still serving. In December 2017, Greg’s mum, Anna, disappeared during a visit to Malaysia. Faced with delays, unanswered questions and a lack of support, Greg made nearly 80 trips to Malaysia to search for her and pursue justice. He now uses that experience to support other Australian families affected by crimes overseas while advocating for stronger recognition and assistance through the Victims of Crime framework. Greg also shares how purpose shaped his two veteran-owned businesses. Outpost Advocacy provides ethical, capped-fee advocacy and ongoing support for veterans, while Frannkly Roasted—named after his parents, Frank and Anna—helps fund support for veterans, first responders and victims of crime. A deeply personal conversation about service, persistence and creating something positive from unimaginable loss. 🌐 Learn more:👉 https://outpostadvocacy.com/👉 https://frannklyroasted.com.au/ 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #OutpostAdvocacy #FrannklyRoasted #VeteranAdvocacy #VictimsOfCrime #RAAFVeteran #Persistence #CommunitySupport #StillServing

    E128 | Greg Jenkins - a courageous story of never giving up the search and fight for his mum who was killed as a victim of crime in Malaysia. (p.s. Veteran business owner as well)

  2. 4d ago

    E127 | Mick Lee – Nucleus Evolution: What Do the Army and Federal Police Have in Common? Training at the Core of Their Values. How Mick Took This Experience to Create a Specialist Training Company in WA.

    🎯 Training that holds up when the pressure is on. E127 | Mick Lee – Nucleus Evolution: What Do the Army and Federal Police Have in Common? Training at the Core of Their Values. How Mick Took This Experience to Create a Specialist Training Company in WA. Mick Lee is an Australian Army veteran who served in the Royal Australian Regiment before spending 10 years in federal law enforcement. Working within the Australian Federal Police’s School of Law Enforcement Intelligence, he helped design and deliver specialist training in Australia and overseas before moving into learning and development consultancy. In this episode, Mick explains how Nucleus Evolution helps organisations build practical training that delivers lasting results. Its neuroscience-informed Calm, Safe, Excellence framework draws on the muscle memory developed through military and law-enforcement training, helping people remain capable when pressure rises instead of forgetting what they learned months earlier. Mick also shares lessons from performing stand-up comedy at veteran events and why holding an audience’s attention is just as important in a training room. He encourages veteran business owners not to limit themselves to the Defence sector, but to take their skills into industries facing the same challenges. A practical conversation about workplace learning, performance under pressure and building a business around measurable outcomes. 🌐 Learn more:👉 https://www.nucleusevolution.com.au 🌐 Meet Mick at the Veteran-Owned Pavilion:👉 Land Forces 2026 | 6–8 October | Perth 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #NucleusEvolution #LearningAndDevelopment #WorkplaceTraining #PerformanceUnderPressure #AustralianArmy #LawEnforcement #LandForces2026 #StillServing

    E127 | Mick Lee – Nucleus Evolution: What Do the Army and Federal Police Have in Common? Training at the Core of Their Values. How Mick Took This Experience to Create a Specialist Training Company in WA.

  3. Sep 6

    E126 | Rick Van Driel - GNR8 & Symphony - veteran founded software solutions to empower content creation and support complex sales solutions.

    💡 Simplifying technology to solve real business problems. E126 | Rick Van Driel - GNR8 & Symphony - veteran founded software solutions to empower content creation and support complex sales solutions. Rick van Driel joined the Australian Army at 17, beginning in the Survey Corps before transferring to RAEME as technology entered the workplace. After leaving Defence, he built a 27-year career across IT, consulting and sales—working on major projects, running businesses and selling complex, multimillion-dollar solutions. After leaving the corporate world, Rick founded Team Solutions Group and developed Symphony, a platform designed to help organisations navigate complex sales involving multiple stakeholders, long decision cycles and tenders. It helps sales teams better understand their customers, build decision confidence and spend more time having meaningful conversations. Rick also created GNR8, a marketing automation platform that helps small and medium businesses research audiences, find leads and create branded content for LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. A practical conversation about using technology to reduce repetitive work, simplify complexity and give business owners more time to focus on their customers, families and the outcomes that matter. 🌐 Learn more:👉 https://teamsolutionsgroup.com.au 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #TeamSolutionsGroup #GNR8 #Symphony #SalesTechnology #MarketingAutomation #ComplexSales #ArtificialIntelligence #RAEME #StillServing

    E126 | Rick Van Driel - GNR8 & Symphony - veteran founded software solutions to empower content creation and support complex sales solutions.

  4. Sep 3

    E125 | Wayne Bemet – National Service Financial: How Does a Navy Lad Deploy in a Wedgetail and End Up Starting a Leading Veteran-Focused Financial Planning Business? It’s a Top Yarn.

    ⚓ From the Navy to financial planning with purpose. E125 | Wayne Bemet – National Service Financial: How Does a Navy Lad Deploy in a Wedgetail and End Up Starting a Leading Veteran-Focused Financial Planning Business? It’s a Top Yarn. Wayne Bemet served in the ADF for 20 years, building a Navy career that eventually took him into fighter control and an unusual joint-service role aboard the RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail. After five operational deployments, Wayne’s career ended through medical discharge—forcing him to consider what life, work and financial security would look like for him and his family beyond service. Drawing on that personal experience, Wayne founded National Service Financial to help veterans navigate the financial side of transition, including DVA compensation, military superannuation, insurance and long-term planning. His team has now supported more than 2,000 veterans and pioneered a dedicated Financial Transition Program designed to help ADF members prepare before they walk out the gate for the final time. Wayne also shares how a serious health scare prompted him to reconsider his workload and redefine his role within the business. Today, he is expanding his impact through the Military Money YouTube channel, media advocacy and mentoring athletes—drawing on the strong similarities he sees between elite sport and military service. A top yarn about service, transition, purpose and building a business from lived experience. 🌐 Learn more:👉 https://www.nationalservicefinancial.com.au/ 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #NationalServiceFinancial #MilitaryMoney #FinancialPlanning #FinancialTransition #ADFTransition #RoyalAustralianNavy #VeteranSupport #StillServing

    E125 | Wayne Bemet – National Service Financial: How Does a Navy Lad Deploy in a Wedgetail and End Up Starting a Leading Veteran-Focused Financial Planning Business? It’s a Top Yarn.

  5. Aug 30

    E124 | Stuart Organ – Total Fit Outs Perth: Building a Business Focused on Life and Legacy

    🏗️ Building a business—and a legacy that lasts. E124 | Stuart Organ – Total Fit Outs Perth: Building a Business Focused on Life and Legacy Stuart Organ left school at 12 and experienced an unstable childhood before joining the Royal Corps of Transport at 17. The British Army gave him the structure, accountability and discipline that changed the direction of his life—qualities he has carried into business, family and everything he has built since. After leaving the Army for love, Stuart moved from driving and labouring into carpentry, contract management and commercial construction. He later relocated to Perth with his wife and three children, eventually establishing his own building business and joining Total Fit Outs. Today, he leads a growing team delivering commercial fit-outs across retail, hospitality, health, wellness and office spaces, supported by design, estimating and joinery capabilities. In this episode, Stuart shares the value of choosing the right franchise, surrounding yourself with good people and building complementary services around a core business. He also explains why success is no longer about chasing the highest revenue—it is about selecting the right clients, protecting time with family and creating an asset that can support his wife, children and five granddaughters. An honest conversation about hard work, calculated growth and building a life and legacy beyond the income. 🌐 Learn more:👉 https://www.totalfitouts.com.au/ 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #TotalFitOuts #CommercialFitOuts #Construction #Franchising #BusinessGrowth #FamilyBusiness #Legacy #BritishArmy #StillServing

    E124 | Stuart Organ – Total Fit Outs Perth: Building a Business Focused on Life and Legacy

  6. Aug 26

    E123 | Paul Medina – ClickSquad: From the Marine Corps to Meta Ads and PPC Specialist—an American’s Journey to Melbourne

    🎯 Turning clicks into customers! E123 | Paul Medina – ClickSquad: From the Marine Corps to Meta Ads and PPC Specialist—an American’s Journey to Melbourne Paul Medina is a United States Marine Corps veteran who enlisted shortly after 9/11 and served two deployments in Iraq. As an infantryman, he took part in the initial 2003 invasion and the Battle of Najaf in 2004, where he was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart. After completing his service, Paul began the challenging transition from military life into sales and business. His digital marketing journey began while helping his father’s event-hire business replace hundreds of daily outbound faxes with Google Ads. After seeing the immediate impact of inbound leads, Paul developed his skills across paid advertising, affiliate marketing and Meta before moving to Melbourne and establishing ClickSquad. In this episode, Paul explains how businesses can better understand their true return on advertising, avoid misleading platform data and track conversions that genuinely matter. A practical conversation about Google Ads, Meta Ads, SEO and why generating leads is only the beginning—the right follow-up and sales process are what turn them into customers. 🌐 Learn more:👉 https://clicksquad.com.au 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #ClickSquad #DigitalMarketing #GoogleAds #MetaAds #PPC #SEO #LeadGeneration #USMC #StillServing

    E123 | Paul Medina – ClickSquad: From the Marine Corps to Meta Ads and PPC Specialist—an American’s Journey to Melbourne

  7. Aug 23

    E122 | Rod Henderson - Australian Peacekeepers - A soldier's career and a national monument to military personnel killed in training. From big ambition comes big legacy.

    🎖️ From big ambition comes lasting legacy. E122 | Rod Henderson - Australian Peacekeepers - A soldier's career and a national monument to military personnel killed in training. From big ambition comes big legacy. Rod Henderson served in the Australian Army for 22 years, beginning as a paratrooper with 3 RAR before becoming a Black Hawk and Chinook helicopter crewman. His service included deployments to East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with domestic counter-terrorism and disaster-response operations. In this episode, Rod shares his journey from medical separation to finding renewed purpose through the Australian War Memorial, writing his memoir Stop Screaming, I’m Scared Too, and becoming CEO of the Australian Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Veterans’ Association. He discusses the importance of recognising every form of service and ensuring Australia’s peacekeepers receive the advocacy and recognition they deserve. Rod also introduces the ambitious Australian Military Training Memorial—a proposed national monument on Anzac Parade honouring ADF personnel who lost their lives during training. A powerful conversation about service, purpose and creating a lasting place of recognition for those who left for training but never came home. 🌐 Learn more and support the association:👉 https://www.peacekeepers.asn.au 📖 Get a signed copy of Rod’s memoir:👉 https://www.rodhendersonauthor.com.au 🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #AustralianVeterans #AustralianPeacekeepers #APPVA #MilitaryService #VeteranAdvocacy #AustralianMilitaryTrainingMemorial #StillServing

    E122 | Rod Henderson - Australian Peacekeepers - A soldier's career and a national monument to military personnel killed in training. From big ambition comes big legacy.

  8. Aug 19

    E121 | Dan Exeter – ERA Group: Driving Commercial Success into Defence Industry. How a Lifetime of Corporate and Military Experience Gives Dan the Insights into Defence Industry Success.

    📊 Commercial strength is a capability too. E121 | Dan Exeter – ERA Group: Driving Commercial Success into Defence Industry. How a Lifetime of Corporate and Military Experience Gives Dan the Insights into Defence Industry Success. Dan Exeter is a British Army Afghanistan veteran and Fellow Chartered Accountant who deployed on Operation Herrick 7 with the Household Cavalry Regiment. After moving to Australia, he held senior finance roles across organisations including realestate.com.au, Jetstar Airways, Cleanaway, G4S, Healthscope and the Department of Defence before joining ERA Group. In this episode, Dan explores why technical capability alone is not enough to succeed in Defence industry. Businesses must also navigate long procurement cycles, compliance requirements and mounting overheads while remaining profitable, resilient and ready to invest in future capability. Drawing on his experience as both a reconnaissance soldier and finance leader, Dan explains why businesses must carefully examine where value is being created—and where it may be leaking away. A practical conversation about improving profit and cash flow, reducing management burden and building a commercially stronger Defence business. 🌐 Learn more:👉 eragroup.com  🌐 Join the VBC Community:👉 https://veteranbc.com/join-our-community #VBC #VBCPodcast #VeteranBusinessCommunity #VeteranBusiness #DefenceIndustry #CommercialReadiness #BusinessProfitability #CashFlow #ERAGROUP #VeteranEntrepreneurship #StillServing

    E121 | Dan Exeter – ERA Group: Driving Commercial Success into Defence Industry. How a Lifetime of Corporate and Military Experience Gives Dan the Insights into Defence Industry Success.
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There are many lessons business can learn from the military and your host Pete Liston is going to share exactly what he learnt in the Australian Army that has allowed him to create and build multiple 7 figure businesses. Pete will be joined by guests who have also transitioned from military to entrepreneurship and are keen to share their stories.

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