Service Academy Business Mastermind Scott Mackes, USNA '01

“...if we can learn to lead ourselves, to manage our minds and our emotions and our actions in our private life, in our health, in our relationships and in the corporate world, then we are better positioned to use those critical thinking skills to make a difference in our businesses and in the greater world…” -Traci Fisher, USMA ‘91
Traci Fisher, a West Point graduate from the class of '91, embarked on a transformative journey after her career as a helicopter pilot in the Army. Delving into the realm of fitness and health, she developed an innovative approach known as Wellbeingness®. This methodology integrates cognitive and physical sciences to optimize executive performance, enabling leaders to attain and sustain peak wellness. Through the application of self-leadership principles, Traci empowers individuals and teams to unlock their personal and professional potential amid complex and uncertain environments. Traci boasts certifications as a Health and Wellness Coach, ICF Professional Certified Coach, Gallup Strengths Coach, and Red Team Critical Thinker. She is also the host of The Healthy Leader Podcast and holds the position of managing director at two health and wellness companies. Passionate about holistic wellness, Traci, a proud mother of three adult children, resides in Cleveland with her family and their two beloved Beabulls, Emmie & Oscar.
In this episode, we discuss:
Traci’s journey to becoming a Wellness Coach and her ideal client  The Wellness Coach process and the Wellbeingness® Model Her top strengths and how she leverages them as a Wellness Coach Challenges Traci currently faces and goals for 2024 Creating a vision statement that brings the future into the present When Traci first began her health and fitness journey, she knew what to do to help her clients’ physical wellbeing but did not know how to make the changes last.  Realizing she was missing the key components of emotional and mental health, Traci created the Wellbeingness® Model  to marry wellness and wellbeing and give her clients a foundation to self-lead in often overscheduled and unpredictable environments.   As a wellness coach, she relies on her top strength of Learner to consume large amounts of wellness data and to listen to the needs of her clients to provide the best tools for them.  Sharing her vast health and wellness expertise gained over the past 25 years in the industry, Traci reminds us that caring for our mental and emotional wellbeing as well as our physical selves is essential to attaining peak performance in our professional and personal lives and offers her best wellness tips.
Connect with Traci:
LinkedIn The Wellness Coach If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.
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-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

“You can sometimes convince somebody to buy a bottle of your whiskey the first time because of the story that you have, and I think we have a good story, but if the whiskey is no good, then they’re never going to buy another bottle. So the ideal combination is you’ve got a really good story and you’ve got a really great product.” -Ted Dumbauld, USNA ‘81
Ted Dumbauld is the Founder and CEO of SoNo 1420, an innovative, Double Gold award-winning distillery in South Norwalk, CT known for its ultra-premium brand whiskeys, vodkas, ready-to-drink vodka-based cocktails, innovative Threesome Ready-to-Mix Cocktails, and botanical gins. Before starting SoNo 1420, Ted was a successful investment manager of public and private securities and an aggressive and creative deal-maker. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and his Master of Science in Finance from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
In this episode, we discuss:
Ted’s inspiration for starting SoNo 1420 and what makes his product unique How the special “1420 Finished At Sea” product offering is made The key elements to building a successful spirits brand from scratch The most important relationships Ted has related to sales and marketing Ted’s most important goals for 2024 and the biggest challenges he is currently facing Ted shares the challenges that are unique to the spirits industry as it is a three-tiered system made up of producers, distributors, and sellers. Because SoNo 1420 works with many different distributors to get its product out there, there is a lot of work involved when entering into a new market. As an emerging brand, Ted works hard to come up with creative ways to market his products so customers are familiar with them once distributors get them on the shelves in retail locations. We enjoyed speaking with Ted about what it takes to build a successful whiskey brand in the competitive spirits industry. Cheers to the growth of SoNo 1420!
Connect with Ted:
LinkedIn SoNo 1420 If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.
Subscribe and help out the show:
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Ted for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

“We’re really taking care of the houses and we’re really taking care of the families that are living in these houses. We’re providing a service just as much as we are being landlords because these families can take their government vouchers wherever they go. We have to be good stewards of the government funding or else it is going to naturally leave.” -Briar Bearss, USMA ‘22
Briar Bearss is an entrepreneur focused on real estate and private capital. His former ventures include My Tennessee Home Solution, Tennessee's premier off-market homebuyer. Briar is the President and CEO of the Bearss Company, a boutique alternative asset manager holding controlling positions in exceptional companies and projects. He also leads The Bearss Foundation, a private family foundation formed under Section 501(c)(3) providing scholarship opportunities and mentorship to high school students in his home state of Michigan. Briar currently serves as an Army Officer and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management & Systems Engineering.
In this episode, we discuss:
How Briar’s real estate investing business has grown and changed Briar’s goals as he wraps up his first fund and begins to plan for his second The sources through which Briar learned about real estate investing and his approach as he continues to grow his knowledge The Bearss Foundation and how it helps to expand the horizons of kids in the greater Flint, MI area Briar shares his greatest sources of learning as he educated himself about real estate investing. In addition to reading and consuming as much content as he can on the subject, Briar connects with others who have achieved success in the field and seeks mentorship. By sharing his ideas and work with others in his network, he is constantly improving his processes and operations. Briar takes advantage of every opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with others, which will help him go far as a real estate entrepreneur. Kudos to you, Briar, and we look forward to seeing all you achieve!
Connect with Briar:
LinkedIn bearssproperties.com bearssfoundation.org If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.
Subscribe and help out the show:
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Briar for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

“In today’s world, a lot of things are moved out into the cloud…it’s up to the business themselves to protect that data.” -Dennis Moore, USAFA ‘87
Dennis Moore is the Founder of Coefficient Technologies, a trusted cybersecurity partner that provides the most up-to-date cybersecurity solutions, strategies, and IT services to help companies defend themselves from known and unknown APTs and attackers, ransomware, scams, outdated policies and best practices, and insider threats. Dennis has over 30 years of experience building and maintaining computer networks and providing information technology services and solutions. His specialties include cybersecurity, network design and implementation, data center operations, IT and web architecture and management, network security, and business continuity.
In this episode, we discuss:
What Coefficient Technologies is and the types of clients Dennis helps The biggest cybersecurity threats that exist today Dennis’s career in IT, from the Air Force to the private sector The goals Dennis has for Coefficient Technologies for this year Connect with Dennis:
LinkedIn Coefficient Technologies We learned a lot from Dennis, a true expert in the cybersecurity space, about how small business owners can protect and even increase the value of their company by putting the proper IT safeguards in place. Thanks for chatting with us, Dennis!
If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.
Subscribe and help out the show:
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Dennis for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01

“I think it’s easy to make your first million. What’s hard is staying there and doing it consistently, because now, all of the pressure is on you.” -Max Sivohins, USCGA ‘13
Max Sivohins is a serial entrepreneur primarily focused on multi-family real estate development and government contracting. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Archie Supply, a distribution company that supplies over 100,000 office, janitorial, and safety products to federal, state and local government agencies from 54 warehouses across the nation. As a real estate investor, Max’s portfolio is comprised of over 50 units including mixed-use, multi-family, residential, and office properties. He is also the President and Co-Founder of Skydive Chesapeake, a drop zone operated by a collection of professional skydivers with over 50 years of experience in the sport. Max is a 2013 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and will be earning his MS in Real Estate Development from George Mason University in May 2024.
In this episode, we discuss:
Max’s story of how he moved to the United States and ended up at the Coast Guard Academy
Some of Max’s early entrepreneurial ventures and how he found his way to government contracting
How Max entered into real estate investment to preserve and grow his wealth
The AI company he is supporting the development through research and development and beta testing
The mindset behind Max feeling unstoppable
Connect with Max:
LinkedIn
Max shares that his success stems from the relationships he has built and continues to foster. When his family moved to America after the Soviet Union collapsed, they knew no one. Now, Max takes pride in the connections he has made and how he has built and grown his many business ventures. Thank you, Max, for sharing your story as an entrepreneur with us!
If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.
Subscribe and help out the show:
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Max for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01
 

“Esports can turn something that could be very negative…180 degrees into a very positive experience for a child’s life.” -Patrick Cronin, USMA ‘13
Patrick Cronin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vanta, an esports company that provides a curriculum, a platform, and leagues to help kids from 8-18 grow into the best version of themselves. The company integrates the lessons and life skills gained from traditional sports—being part of a team, learning how to win and lose well, and showing up for each other—into esports, allowing kids to become inspiring athletes and model citizens who can positively impact the gaming world and become future leaders. Pat earned his BS in Systems Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his Master of Business Administration from the Boston College Carroll School of Management.
In this episode, we discuss:
The inspiration for starting Vanta How the program works at schools across the country and the positive impact it is having on kids The growth Vanta has experienced so far and Pat’s goals for this year How Pat and his team partner with large name brands in unique ways The challenges Vanta is facing as it continues to grow 90 percent of kids identify as a gamer, meaning they spend 10 hours a week or more gaming. Pat shares that the team at Vanta is making an impact on this demographic of kids by providing an after-school activity of interest to them that allows for social and emotional development, mentorship, and a sense of community. Not only is it rewarding for Pat to provide kids with an opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise, but it is also rewarding for Vanta as a company, which will be cash-flow positive starting this month. We enjoyed hearing from Pat about the very popular esports industry and how Vanta is creating community in the space. Congratulations on all of your success so far, Pat, and we look forward to seeing Vanta continue to grow!
Connect with Pat:
LinkedIn vanta.gg pat@vanta.gg If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague. If you are a Service Academy graduate and want to take your business to the next level, you can join our supportive community and get started today.
Subscribe and help out the show:
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Also available on Google Podcasts, Spotify & Stitcher Leave us a 5-star review! Special thanks to Pat for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01