Build Your A-Team

Freddie Kim

0.0 (0)
CAREERS
UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Welcome to “Build Your A-Team” a podcast powered by MilSpec Talent, where we educate Small Business owners on how to attract, recruit, and retain high-impact, low-ego talent. I’m your host Freddie Kim, founder of Milspec Talent, I’m am a West Point grad, former Green Beret, Kellogg MBA, and more importantly, I’m passionate about championing the value and leadership of Veteran 2.0s in our workforce.

12/09/2025

Printing the Non-Sexy Manufacturing with Catalyst Samantha Snabes

From stalking astronauts as a kid to launching a large-format 3D printer on Kickstarter, Major Samantha Snabes has taken bold, thoughtful risks. She’s the Co-Founder & Catalyst at re:3D, the company behind Gigabot — a large-format industrial 3D printer that can run on polymers or shredded plastic waste. In this BYAT episode, Sam breaks down how she built a mission-driven team that will “run through brick walls,” why she doesn’t believe in competitors, and how she balances bootstrapping, research, and service in the Air National Guard. Hear how re:3D grew from a NASA side project to printers in 50+ countries — all fueled by grit, curiosity, and an abundance mindset. #3DPrinting #AdditiveManufacturing #HardwareStartup

56 min
11/19/2025

Leading Human Services in the Rise of AI with Travis Bloomfield

Travis Bloomfield is an Air Force Veteran and the CEO & Managing Partner of Provisio, Salesforce’s largest consultancy dedicated to human services and social sector organizations. He shares his journey from air traffic controller to leading one of the nation’s most impactful mission-driven consultancies — built on grit, purpose, data expertise, and the emerging power of agentic AI. After six years in the Air Force, Travis entered IT consulting, eventually serving as COO for two firms before founding Provisio. Under his leadership, the company has earned four consecutive placements on the Inc. 5000, a spot on the IVMF Veteran 100, and recognition as one of Crain’s Best Places to Work in Chicago (2024). This conversation dive into workforce culture, hiring with character, building stability through trust, and the technical future of human services, from homelessness to behavioral health. #AgenticAI #HumanServicesTech #SalesforceConsulting

1h 6m
10/29/2025

Heart and Hustle: Brian Handley on Leadership and Operations

Vulnerability as a leadership superpower? Brian Handley runs a 175-year-old, fifth-generation foodservice company — and says the quiet part out loud: you don’t need all the answers to build an elite team. We dig into right-seat/right-role moves, KPI cultures that actually help people grow, and a raw, hopeful conversation on veteran mental health, meditation, and daily discipline. Brian Handley is President of Palmer Food Services, serving 2,000+ customers across NY, CT, and NJ. A former Army infantry officer, he built his career in operations and supply chain with Wegmans, Raymour & Flanigan, and Constellation Brands before joining Palmer in 2021. Under his leadership, Palmer earned the 2024 Certified Angus Beef Independent Distributor Marketer of the Year. He’s also a Rochester Business Journal 40 Under 40 and Veteran Business Council “Member of the Year.”

57 min
10/24/2025

Define. Measure. Win with Yolanda Clarke

Veteran founder Yolanda Clarke — Army Reserve Major and CEO of Powder River Industries — joins BYAT to show how process becomes culture: ISO that actually runs the business, “workflow bosses” who map reality, and a hiring system with clear KPIs and no-compromise standards. We get candid on handling bad hires with grace and evidence, leading remote teams through values and templates, and making decisive calls without burning bridges. Through disciplined execution and vision, Yolanda Clarke has established Powder River Industries as a certified SDVOSB, WOSB, and 8(a) federal contractor — ISO 9001-registered and trusted to deliver IT solutions across U.S. Government missions. If you’re building a team in gov/tech or beyond, this will sharpen how you define the work, coach for performance, and scale what works. Tune in and listen now.

1h 2m
09/30/2025

Powering the Fiber Gold Rush with James Han

Former Marine Corps Captain James Han went from slinging wigs in Gary, Indiana to President & CEO of Triage Partners, a telecom services and supply-chain software platform that’s scaled from 120 → 400 employees across 20 states. In this episode, James breaks down how veterans can enter new industries fast, why recruiting was Job #1, and how to balance humility with confidence to win trust and deliver results. We dig into topgrading, root cause analysis, and the ETA (entrepreneurship through acquisition) path — including his recent Benton Technical Services acquisition to offer full turnkey fiber construction.

58 min
09/24/2025

When Desert Storm Meets AI with Barbara Jones-Brown

From Gulf War Veteran to AI Tech, CEO Barbara Jones-Brown served in the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Storm. Now, she is just as fierce leading Freeing Returns™, an AI platform helping retailers recover millions in lost revenue. She shares how grit, optimism, and a mission-ready mindset fuel startup resilience, what she learned raising capital from Serena Williams and Morgan Stanley, and why agentic AI is reshaping enterprise operations. Barbara’s journey is a blueprint for Veterans and entrepreneurs: running toward challenges, translating structured problem-solving from the battlefield to the boardroom, and finding opportunity where others see obstacles.

1h 3m
09/16/2025

How a Marine Scales Amazon Ops with Rudy Cazares

Rudy Cazares is a 15-year Marine Corps Veteran who led 400+ Marines and now leads high-performance delivery teams in New York. He founded Kazar Logistics in 2020 with 8 drivers; today his companies employ 200+, operate Amazon DSP routes, run Manhattan’s 24/7 same-day e-bike delivery, and manage FedEx routes through Joint Ops Logistics, earning FedEx’s Gold Contractor award twice. A Queens native and son of Mexican immigrants, Rudy builds culture with EOS discipline while keeping safety and people first. He is the 2024 Veteran Entrepreneur Award honoree, supports Nourish (2M+ meals for veterans), and coaches leaders on execution and team building.

1h 6m
09/16/2025

The Lethal crayon: CrayTac® with Nick Ripplinger

Nick Ripplinger went from Army MP to award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Battle Sight Technologies, the Dayton-based R&D team behind CrayTac® — the “lethal crayon” transforming night operations. Battle Sight is known for its innovation, including CrayTac®, a reusable infrared writing device for covert communication in low or no light. His journey from medical retirement to building safer and simpler battlefield tech is a masterclass in resilience, team-building, and Veteran grit. Nick’s work has earned national recognition, and he’s the author of Front Line Leadership: Applying Military Strategies to Everyday Business (2015).

59 min

Welcome to “Build Your A-Team” a podcast powered by MilSpec Talent, where we educate Small Business owners on how to attract, recruit, and retain high-impact, low-ego talent. I’m your host Freddie Kim, founder of Milspec Talent, I’m am a West Point grad, former Green Beret, Kellogg MBA, and more importantly, I’m passionate about championing the value and leadership of Veteran 2.0s in our workforce.

Creator

Freddie Kim
Years Active

2022 - 2025
Episodes

23
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© MilSpec Talent