VC47- Veteran Connections with Darren Council

Solvability Media Group

Today's guest is a funny guy that loves to put a smile on peoples faces. He loves family and kids and has a passion for teaching kids of all ages how they can learn something fun and become successful. He is an Army Veteran and the Co-Founder & Executive Producer of Real Life Productions which produces Youth Center Stage, Unscripted DC, Mystery Theater, and more. I would like to welcome Darren Council.

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Hi this is Pete Blum bringing you another episode of the Veteran Connections Podcast where my mission is to help transitioning Veterans and Veterans already out of the military engage with the business community, and to share the knowledge and tools needed to successfully start a business. The Veteran Connections Podcast brings you experience and advice from fellow Veterans who are business owners and have made the transition from the military and into the business community.

There are Veterans transitioning out of the military every day. Some of them have an idea or a passion that they want to turn into a business. Having the right connections can be the one thing that makes the difference between a success or a failure. In this Veteran Connections Podcast I will be talking to Veteran business owners about what steps they are taking, the hurdles they have ran into, what advice they have for you, and what they hope life will look like a few years from now. With these real life interviews and real life results you can gain the expert knowledge from those that have been there. From your military brothers and sisters.

Today's guest is a funny guy that loves to put a smile on peoples faces. He loves family and kids and has a passion for teaching kids of all ages how they can learn something fun and become successful. He is an Army Veteran and the Co-Founder & Executive Producer of Real Life Productions which produces Youth Center Stage, Unscripted DC, Mystery Theater, and more. I would like to welcome Darren Council.

You can follow Darren here

Website: www.reallifeproductionsllc.com and https://www.youthcenterstage.com

LinikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-council-854a114/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rlpevents/ and https://www.facebook.com/youthcenterstage

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlpllc/ and https://www.instagram.com/youthcenterstage

Twitter: @RLP_Events and @youthcenterstag

Topics

So tell me a little bit about what you did in the military.

Transition from the military (easy or hard)

You went through several jobs after getting out

What was it that caused you to start your business?

Tell us about your company's mission Real Life Productions

(Unscripted DC, The Game Show- Mystery dinner theater)

Now Youth Center Stage is something else you started that is a branch off of RLP

What were the steps you took to get your business up and running?

Do you feel like your military experience and training helped prepare you to be a Veteran business owner?

What were some of the challenges you faced getting your business started?

What is the key to the success of your business?

Would you say it was your military experience or other things you learned that have been more helpful in making you successful in your business?

Are you going to use your business in some way to either help or hire other Veterans?

What is the one most important thing you have learned since starting your business that you can share with future Veteran business owners?

For transitioning Veterans wanting to start their own business what action items list would you give them?

Summary

In this episode with Darren we heard some great advice you can take advantage of on your own vetrepreneur journey!

Always keep your goal or vision in mind so you don’t get off track

Figure out your purpose, your why for starting a business

Create a business plan, figuring out the demographic, who are you selling to, and more helps you focus, which helps sales

Make sure to have a wow statement, you never know when you will be speaking to an investor

Be sure to network, network, network- relationships in business are important

Get a team of advisors for feedback and motivation

Attend a local 1 Million Cups event to get feedback from other business owners

Be on the same page with your spouse, your business will run much smoother

The Veteran Connections Podcast provides advice from Veterans for Veterans. A lot of people like you and me that have been through the military have the same thoughts and a lot of the same questions. We may have even had the exact same struggle. I hope you find some answers as you go on this Veteran Connections journey with me where we will learn, explore, and get answers to your questions.

Another great resource for Veterans wanting to start their own business is the Small Business Administration (SBA)

https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/how-start-business/business-types/veteran-owned-businesses

If you need more information or want assistance implementing one of the things you learned about today you can contact me. I can teach you techniques and strategies to help you connect and network in the business community so you can reach your personal or professional goals. Email me at [e-mail] and let me know how I can help you!

I hope that you have enjoyed this podcast episode and if you have a burning question that you would like to get answered by an experienced Veteran business owner about starting your own business go ahead and email me. I will be sure to answer it in a future episode!

Thank you for listening! -Pete