Picture this: I once tried to fix a jammed copy machine with a multitool and sheer Marine stubbornness. Turns out, that kind of resourcefulness isn’t just for the field—it’s a secret weapon in online business. But here's what they won't tell you at fancy seminars: it's not tactics, apps, or spreadsheets that divide winners from wishful thinkers—it's mindset. Read on to see why your mental muscle might matter more than any resume point.
Beyond the Baseline: Military Skills Go Further Than You Think
When people think about military skills, they often picture physical endurance or strict routines. But the real power of these skills goes far beyond the surface. As a veteran, I’ve learned that the same qualities that helped me thrive in the service—leadership, discipline, strategic planning, and rapid decision-making—are the very ones that drive business success and fuel veteran entrepreneurship.
Translating Battlefield Grit to Boardroom Decisions
Making tough calls under pressure isn’t just for the battlefield. In business, every day brings new challenges and high-stakes decisions. The ability to stay calm, assess the situation, and act decisively is a direct result of military training. I’ve found that the grit I developed in uniform translates seamlessly to the boardroom. When others freeze or second-guess, veterans step up and lead. As John Lee Dumas says:
"Veterans are uniquely equipped for the entrepreneurial battlefield. Their resilience doesn’t just help them survive challenges—it helps them grow from them."
Discipline and Rapid Decision-Making: Your Unmatched Edge
Discipline isn’t just about following orders—it’s about creating structure, setting goals, and sticking to them, even when motivation fades. In the military, discipline is non-negotiable. In business, it’s your secret weapon. I can’t count the number of times my boot-camp mornings prepped me to handle 5 a.m. client emergencies—no caffeine required. That ability to show up, no matter what, is something no business book can teach.
Rapid decision-making is another military staple that gives veterans a unique edge. In the field, hesitation can be costly. In business, it’s no different. Being able to quickly analyze information, weigh risks, and make a call is invaluable—especially in the fast-paced world of online business. These are the moments when military training shines brightest.
Strategic Planning: From Mission Briefs to Business Blueprints
Every mission in the military starts with a plan. You learn to anticipate obstacles, allocate resources, and adapt on the fly. Strategic planning is second nature for veterans, and it’s a skill that directly supports entrepreneurial growth. Whether I’m launching a new product or mapping out a marketing campaign, I rely on the same planning frameworks I used in service. This approach helps me stay focused, minimize surprises, and keep my business moving forward.
Resilience and Determination: The Core of Business Growth
Perhaps the most valuable lesson from military life is resilience. Setbacks are inevitable, both in service and in business. What sets veterans apart is the determination to get back up, learn, and keep going. That mindset—seeing every challenge as a chance to grow—has been my greatest asset as an entrepreneur. It’s not just about surviving tough times; it’s about using them as fuel for long-term success.
Leadership Skills: Inspire teams, build trust, and drive results.
Discipline: Maintain focus and consistency, even when motivation fades.
Strategic Planning: Set clear goals and adapt to changing circumstances.
Decision-Making: Act quickly and confidently under pressure.
Veteran entrepreneurship is about more than experience—it’s about leveraging a mindset and skill set that goes far beyond the baseline. These are the qualities that turn challenges into opportunities and setbacks into stepping stones for growth.
Agile Mindset: When Business Breaks All Your Best-Laid Plans
In the military, “adapt and overcome” isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s a way of life. As a veteran entrepreneur, I quickly learned that this mindset is just as vital in business. The truth is, no matter how carefully you plan, the business world will throw curveballs you never saw coming. That’s where an agile mindset becomes your greatest asset.
Why ‘Adapt and Overcome’ Is a Survival Guide for Entrepreneurs
Military training teaches us to expect the unexpected. But when I first transitioned to entrepreneurship, I was surprised by just how unpredictable business could be. Markets shift overnight, customers change their minds, and technology evolves faster than you can blink. The urge to stick to the original plan is strong, but real growth only happens when you’re willing to pivot.
Agility—adapting quickly—is a cornerstone of successful veteran entrepreneurship. It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about being ready to find new ones when circumstances change. The agile mindset means staying open to change, taking calculated risks, and letting go of perfectionism. As Larry Broughton says:
"The most successful veteran entrepreneurs are those who treat every setback as bootcamp for the next big win."
Overcoming the Urge for Perfection
One of the biggest challenges I faced was the desire to get everything right the first time. In the military, mistakes can have serious consequences, so perfectionism is often ingrained. But in business, waiting for perfect conditions can leave you stuck. I had to learn that progress beats perfection every time. The sooner you act, the sooner you can learn, adjust, and improve.
Case in Point: My First Major Pivot
During my first year in business, I spent months building a product I thought customers wanted. Then, almost overnight, the market shifted. My best-laid plans were suddenly useless. It was a tough pill to swallow, but I remembered my training: assess, adapt, and execute. I pivoted my entire business model, and that willingness to change direction saved my company.
How Veterans Can Embrace an Agile Mindset
Accept unpredictability: Business is never as straightforward as it seems. Expect change and prepare to adjust.
Take calculated risks: Don’t let fear of failure hold you back. Every risk is a chance to learn and grow.
Value progress over perfection: Launch, learn, and iterate. The faster you move, the faster you improve.
Lean into resilience and determination: Use the grit you built in the military to power through setbacks and keep moving forward.
Anyone can learn marketing, sales, or tech tools. But without an agile mindset, knowledge alone won’t lead to results. Mindset mastery allows veteran entrepreneurs to handle unpredictable business moments with confidence. When business breaks your best-laid plans, resilience and determination are what keep you in the fight—and ultimately, what set you apart.
Strategic Actions: Mixing Daily Habits & Community with Wild Momentum
When I first started my online business journey, I underestimated the power of small, daily habits and the impact of a supportive community. As veterans, we’re trained to focus on the mission, but in business, the mission is won through consistency and connection. Here’s how I blend daily routines, veteran communities, and bold visualization to keep my momentum wild and unstoppable.
Building Small, Ritualistic Habits
Success isn’t just about big wins—it’s about the small things you do every day. For me, this means starting each morning with a simple routine: a quick workout, a mental pep talk, and reviewing my goals. These habits reinforce positive thinking and keep my mindset sharp. I use a checklist to track progress, which helps me stay accountable and motivated. If you’re looking for practical tips, start by:
Setting a consistent wake-up time
Writing down three things you’re grateful for
Spending five minutes visualizing success for the day
These small actions might seem minor, but over time, they build a foundation for resilience and confidence.
Deliberately Finding (or Building) Your Tribe
One of the best decisions I made was joining a scrappy online group of veteran business owners. Supportive communities like these offer both emotional encouragement and strategic advice. As Carol Roth says:
“Entrepreneurship is a team sport. Having a strong support system can make all the difference.”
Veteran-focused groups understand our unique mindset and challenges. I’ve found mentorship programs like SBA Boots to Business and SCORE invaluable. These initiatives connect you with experienced mentors who offer actionable mindset strategies and business guidance. If you can’t find a group that fits, consider starting your own. The camaraderie and accountability will accelerate your learning far more than going solo.
Visualizing Success—Even the Wild Scenarios
One of the most powerful mindset strategies I’ve adopted is visualizing success, no matter how “out there” it seems. I take a few minutes each day to imagine my business thriving—landing dream clients, speaking at major events, or even selling out a product launch. This isn’t just daydreaming; it’s about setting a clear direction and fueling daily motivation.
Research shows that clear daily actions and vivid visualization maintain motivation better than just “hustling.” When you see your wildest goals as possible, you start to take small steps toward them—even if they feel weird or ambitious at first.
Practical Tips for Mixing Habits, Community, and Momentum
Join at least one veteran entrepreneur group online
Sign up for mentorship programs like SBA Boots to Business or SCORE
Share your goals with your tribe for accountability
Practice daily visualization—write down or sketch your wildest business success
Combining these elements—daily habits, supportive communities, and bold visualization—creates the wild momentum you need to thrive as a veteran entrepreneur. The right tribe and rituals will keep you moving forward, even when the path gets tough.
Wild Card: When Failure Sends Postcards (and Other Ways Veterans Flip Setbacks)
Every mistake in business is like a postcard from your future successful self—if you’re willing to read it. As a veteran, I learned early on that setbacks aren’t personal insults. They’re simply data points, neutral and instructive. This mindset, rooted in military training, is what sets veteran business owners apart and fuels their resilience and determination.
Let me share a story: my first website launch was a notorious flop. The site crashed, emails bounced, and I lost a week’s worth of sales. At first, I felt embarrassed and frustrated. But then I remembered what I’d learned in the service: after-action reviews. Instead of wallowing, I broke down what went wrong, identified the gaps, and built a bulletproof support system for the next launch. That failure became the foundation of my future success.
This is the veteran advantage—seeing every setback as a lesson, not a verdict. In the military, mistakes are expected. What matters is how you respond. You learn to depersonalize failure, extract the lessons from failures, and move forward with more clarity and confidence. This approach prevents stagnation and sparks creative growth, both essential for thriving in online business.
Mindset mastery means flipping the script on failure. Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” I started asking, “What is this trying to teach me?” That shift changed everything. I stopped seeing failures as dead ends and started viewing them as stepping stones. Each challenge became a message, urging me to adapt, innovate, and strengthen my business muscles.
Veteran business owners are naturally wired to treat setbacks as part of the process. We don’t take them personally. We don’t let them define us. Instead, we use them as fuel for resilience and determination. As Simon Sinek put it,
"A setback is just a plot twist you haven’t exploited yet."
When you treat every failure as a wild card—a surprise message from your future—you unlock a powerful mindset shift. You stop fearing mistakes and start mining them for insight. This is how veterans build momentum, even when the odds are stacked against them.
In my journey, embracing this mindset has been the difference between quitting and pushing through. It’s what allowed me to transform doubts into drive and setbacks into strategies. The lesson is clear: your failures are not the end of your story. They’re postcards, guiding you toward your next breakthrough.
So, if you’re facing a setback, pause and read the message. What is it teaching you? How can you use it to build a stronger foundation for your business? Remember, resilience and determination aren’t just buzzwords—they’re your wild cards. Play them well, and you’ll discover that every failure is simply a plot twist on your path to success.
