The Lost Veterans - Courtney Zaugg

There’s a massive gap between serving your country and surviving a life back in it.

That, as Courtney Zaugg explains, is the big challenge veterans face when transitioning from being a soldier to being a dad, an employee, or an entrepreneur.

Courtney spends her life advocating for veterans, starting with her husband, Nathan, years ago. She talks about the “missing middle” between military service and getting back to civilian life, as Nathan experienced. Finding meaning, finding the work that makes you come alive, and navigating reentry.

After starting a construction business, together they realized that what Nathan needed was something many veterans needed. So they started VentureVets to help other veterans who were starting their own ventures.

She explains to employers that hiring veterans is not “charity,” but it’s hiring someone who has already been trained to navigate complex situations, with little information, and a need to adapt and pick up new skills on the fly. It's a smart decision.

In our conversation, we talked about the most important thing that veterans need for success in entrepreneurship. Ahead of capital, training, and protein, they need community. For Courtney’s business, community is a business strategy.

About the guest:

• Courtney Zaugg is cofounder of Venture Vets (https://venture.vet/), a 501(c)(3) dedicated to economic growth through the veteran community.

About The Hosts:

• Daniel Herndon is a brand strategist at HRNDN Brand Agency (HRNDN.com) and author of The Lorem Ipsum (danielkherndon.com).
• Michael Salemi owns a branded apparel and promotional products company, Colored Threads (colored-threads.com).