Fragout Podcast

Veterans don’t miss this chance at small business training, mentors, and cash for your business! Are you a Veteran who owns a small business? Are you a Veteran with an idea for a business? Yes? Then apply to participate in the E-seed Express for Veterans series at the Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center. During this small business and entrepreneur training you will learn the better art of small business management while you grow your network and access resources.  Upon successful completion in the E-seed Express for Veterans series, each Veteran is eligible to receive $1,000.00 towards the launch and/or growth of their small business! The E-seed Express for Veterans series is made possible through a grant from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and kicks off on April first, no fooling, with limited availability for twelve Veterans. Apply NOW.  he course dates will run Mondays, April 1 through June 10. Log on to www.FVTC.edu/VentureCenter or call Amy at 920-735-2594 to apply!

On this episode I called Tom Farley and we caught on all the amazing things he is doing with his full time job. We also talked about his brother Chris and his legacy. We talked about the upcoming even in May in Appleton that Tom will be speaking at twice! This was a fun call.

On this episode I called my friends Joe Wesner and Dan NewBerry.  Joe is the founder of ultimate Veteran Adventures in Ohio. He takes veterans on various hunts around the country. I called him and checked in on him. He is only 1 bird away from the Waterfowl Grand Slam.  I also called Dan Newberry. He recently opened a boxing gym in Milwaukee called 22 Fitness Boxing. Helping people and veterans become healthy and learn to box.  I am super proud of both these guys.

Great podcast with Shad Loch founder of Take'Em Outdoors. Shad Founded the org about 18 years ago and has taken many veterans and terminally ill children on hunts all around the state of Wisconsin and the country. We had a great time talking about the impact he has made on the many veterans and children he’s met along the way. I was lucky enough to go to Wyoming for an antelope hunt with Shad in 2022.

Very fun podcast with Air Force Veteran Jeff Bowers. Jeff served for 8 years, 1 deployment to Iraq in 2005/2006 at Camp Bucca. We spoke about this humble beginnings and post military life. We both shared a lot of personal feelings, thoughts, and emotions on this episode. We also had some cocktails while recording. We agreed veterans need to do a better job of taking care of themselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We laughed a lot on this one.

Jesse Frewerd served in the Army, and he’s an OG Iraq war veteran he served in Iraq in 2003. Jesse is a singer/songwriter. He shared the highs and lows about his service, transition, and his new life purpose of singing and writing songs. This was a very fun podcast. He even sang on the podcast, it was awesome!

Excellent podcast with my friends, business partners, and primary podcast sponsors Mike Cox and Brian Hofmann owners of MortgageNerds.com. We did a deep dive into the VA Home Loan, VA Construction Loan, VA Renovation Loan, Why Brokers Are Better, Asking the Right Questions, and so much more. Mike and Brian travel the state and educate veterans and service members on the VA Home Loan daily! They are at Fort McCoy monthly and we have built a healthy relationship with the CVSOs of Wisconsin. The VA Home Loan is super confusing and robust, the family at Mortgage Nerds is here to help you. This was a very fun and educational podcast.

Jesse Cuff joined me for his 4th podcast here at the studio. Jesse is an Army/Afghanistan veteran and currently the CVSO of Waupaca County Veterans Service Office. We talked about current events, politics, veteran community, and his conspiracy theories. I don’t usually talk about some of these topics but I save it for Jesse because we have fun with it, and he’s also very level headed. It was fun to catch up and share some healthy laughs. Jesse still holds the record for the longest podcast which is 3 hours 10 mins and now he’s the only guest with 4 separate episodes

Keegan served in the Marine Corps and deployed to South American and Iraq. He’s an Appleton Firefighter/Paramedic. Keegan has also fought and beat stage 4 Lung cancer. Keegan’s story is hard to quantify in words. He changed his diet, workout, and lifestyle to beat cancer. There’s many people who look up to him and respect him. One of the strongest and bravest men I know. I want to thank him for spending 2.5 hours with me just sharing stories and his journey.  Happy 248th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps

Exciting podcast with Steve Kofron. Steve is one of the 12 Horse Soldiers from Special Forces ODA 595 that fought the Taliban on horseback just 40 days after 9/11. His 12 man team lived in some very brutal conditions and fought alongside the Northern Alliance with General Dostum. Currently Steve works for Horse Soldier Bourbon. It was a pleasure to have him and Kody on to talk about the company, his military service, and giving back to our Veteran community. The Movie 12 Strong depicts their mission.

Powerful podcast today with Shannon Hough. Shannon is a proud Navy Veteran and Founder of Shield of Sisters nonprofit that helps Women veterans that were Raped/ and or Sexually assaulted while in service. 1 in 3 women that served have either been raped or assaulted. Shannon shared her service and story. This topic is very sensitive but the MIL/Vet community isn’t really talking about it. We have to use our voices.

Dave Tellefsen the new county Veteran service officer of Fond du Lac County. Dave served 22 years in the Marine Corps with 8+ trips around the world and a deployment to Iraq. Dave shared his service, deployment stories, transition, and the importance of seeing your CVSO.

Powerful podcast today with Chris Gromowski. Chris is a proud Marine Corps veteran and co-founder of Vyper Energy. Chris came on the show to talk about his incredible journey just getting into the military. Chris grew up in the Foster Care System with different families until he was adapted by an amazing family. Chris’s journey is inspiring and they type of stories we should be sharing and promoting. We both grew up in southeastern, WI. This podcast will be live next week!

Major General (Ret) Don Dunbar.  Don served 37 years in the Air Force. He was the TAG (The Adjutant General) of the Wisconsin National Guard for 13 years, served under 3 Governors. He served on various councils and committees. Don came on the podcast to talk about path into the military, the legacy his father and uncles establish during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. I’ve known Don since I was a senior in High School so it was an honor to have Don on the podcast as equals. We covered a lot of ground and topics. He’s been retired now for just over 3 years now.

My first Live Podcast with Bad Batch CrossFit this morning. Raising money for Lift for the 22. Incredible show of support in Kaukauna, WI.  Dan Newberry has been on twice previously. We did a quick Live on Site podcast while other worked out. We spoke about the importance of working out and getting veterans back in the gym and becoming healthy.