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First responders and veterans have an amazing resource at TheBattleWithin.org. Executive Director Justin Hoover sits down with us to talk about their programs, outcomes, wiffle ball and even a new certification program for service dogs, specifically designed to support retired veterans and first responders. For today’s tip, let’s keep an eye on that competition.
Transcript:
Jeff Randolph:
Whoa, record scratch. Hey, Theo. I’m here with Theo. Theo, did I just hear some new intro music?
Theo Terry:
Yes, sir. You did. Amazing, right?
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah. I love it when a plan comes together. The origin of this thing is Skeet Hanks is our senior design director, and he is also, of course, very musically talented. He has a band that is called-
Theo Terry:
St. George & The Dragons.
Jeff Randolph:
And there’s some kind of, this is a special jingle project that they do?
Theo Terry:
A good guy named David and Pat came together (and Skeet). Lunar Baby is their name. That’s who they are.
Jeff Randolph:
Gotcha, Lunar Baby.
Theo Terry:
Worked together with them and created some very cool stuff for our podcast.
Jeff Randolph:
Big thanks to Lunar Baby, really appreciate that, and St. George … Who is it? Say that one more time. Let’s give them another shout-out.
Theo Terry:
St. George & The Dragons. Look them up. They actually just dropped a new album, so look forward on all your favorite listening outlets.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah, and as we do more show intros, you may hear some super random versions thrown in of different musical styles and everything.
Theo Terry:
Yeah, we mixed it up. We mixed it up.
Jeff Randolph:
And also, Theo, I’m going to throw this out there. You are talented yourself and you-
Theo Terry:
A little bit.
Jeff Randolph:
… are featured as some vocals on one of those, right?
Theo Terry:
Yep, yep, yep, yep. Got my intro out. Got a few rock hits now.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s right, you’re-
Theo Terry:
Got that in my bag.
Jeff Randolph:
It’s just adding to the resume, adding to it.
Theo Terry:
Right. Had a great time.
Jeff Randolph:
All right. Well, listen for those. We’re excited to have this out, and let’s get back to it. Let’s intro the show and keep things moving forward.
Theo Terry:
Let’s get into business.
-Show Intro-
Jeff Randolph:
Welcome to the Small Business Miracles podcast. I’m Jeff Randolph. This small business podcast is brought to you by EAG Advertising and Marketing. We are going to talk about marketing, and we’re also here to celebrate entrepreneurs. We have marketing news and advice that business owners can use to keep moving forward. This week we sit down with Justin Hoover. He’s the executive director at the Battle Within. They’re getting stellar outcomes from a much needed program for veterans and first responders. But first we’ve got another small business marketing tip to talk about.
Jeff Randolph:
Let’s talk for a minute about your competition. What do you know about your competitors? Do you know who they are and what they offer? Well, of course you do. You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t. We got to beat that competition, right? But when was the last time you checked on that competition? In our ever-expanding series of tips that it may include the phrase, “Are you sure about that,” let’s take a minute and talk about what you know to be true and how you know it to be true. Marketing may employ what we call social listening to monitor your competitive set and give us a little heads up. That’s where we’re monitoring social media feeds of our competitors as well as our own brand so that we know what people are talking about. More competitive sectors may have other ways to gain that insight and know what’s up a competitor’s sleeve.
The challenge is making sure we don’t just make blanket statements about the competition using an old or outdated understanding of what’s going on, where we beat them on this service or we beat them on price every single time. Look, if you beat them on price, price is the easiest thing to change. So that could turn on a dime and a competitor could add a new service that could be an industry game changer tomorrow. Just hit refresh on that web browser and something new could show up and change the entire board. Keep an eye on them so you’re not using old information to assess your current situation.
Hey, and this is important. Don’t obsess over them. Don’t obsess over your competition. You play your game. Stick with your strategy. Don’t react just because they do something, but keep a regular and routine eye on them, something on a schedule, something you can go back to again and again, just so that you know can keep an eye on what’s going on. You’ll be glad you did.
Jeff Randolph:
Welcome back to the show. We are here with Justin Hoover. He’s the executive director of The Battle Within. Justin, welcome to the show.
Justin Hoover:
Thank you very much. It’s good to be here.
Jeff Randolph:
We’re going to dive deeper into all of the programs at The Battle Within, but at a high level, give us an overview of The Battle Within.
Justin Hoover:
Yeah, really The Battle Within was started by over a hundred veterans, first responders and community members that all believe that our nation’s veterans and first responders should have the same opportunity to heal. So really it is our goal to help our nation’s heroes find their path to healing and help them stay on it long enough that they can reach their mental health goals.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, that’s spectacular. And I’ve looked at your website and the website, you use a phrase on the website to describe the who this is for, and it’s anyone whose job does not allow them to say no when called upon, and I thought that was really, really powerful. For those of us who don’t fit into that model, because we’ve chosen a very different path, give us a sense of the weight that carries.
Justin Hoover:
Yeah, it’s the first responders, those law enforcement and fire fighters that they just get the call, and it might be at 3:00 A.M. when they’re asleep in the fire station. It might be standing at Union Station when gunfire goes off and a thousand people run the right way, and you got to run the wrong way towards trouble.
Jeff Randolph:
Toward danger. Right.
Justin Hoover:
It could be that deployment that you know you’re headed to war. It’s like going out for a Sunday stroll into a thunderstorm and you just keep walking into it. And so that’s that you never know what’s going to come out of that, but it’s not going to be great and you head that way anyways.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah, my brother served in Afghanistan and we were both together at some kind of thing, and a loud noise happens and I just stand there and he immediately starts moving and you just go, “Whoa, how do we have the same parents and your brain is just wired differently? Is that wired differently or is that nurture?”
Justin Hoover:
It’s been rewired.
Jeff Randolph:
It’s rewired, I guess.
Justin Hoover:
Yeah. And that’s really what trauma does, is it does rewire the brain. And I got really good at pulling the gun up and sighting it down before I even knew really what the thing was I was sighting at. And it becomes limbic, but you don’t turn that off when you come home. And so that fight or flight is locked in you and it actually goes, it steals you of your executive function at times. And then you have maladaptive responses to everyday stimuli. And so that’s why your brother’s going to jump to a wall or jump to cover, and you’re just going to stand there because those different experiences have wired your guys’ brains different.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah, crazy. Everybody’s brain is very different. I know earlier, just moments ago you mentioned that you pull a gun up. This is probably a good time to go into some backstory and say that that wasn’t just on the way here.
Justin Hoover:
Right.
Jeff Randolph:
This is a different thing. Tell me about your path to get here and what brought you to The Battle Within?
Justin Hoover:
Yeah, yeah. So it started, I joined up during, well, really before Iraq launched off. We were watching the build up in my dorm room in college and was like, “Yeah, I’m going to sign up for that.” This was shortly after 9/11, and so I signed up and missed the invasion, but was there shortly thereafter. So I was there ’04, ’05, I as a combat infantryman, and I was the radio operator for my platoon. And we had a challenging year deployment overseas. We were in Tal Afar, which is this little town of about a quarter million people.
There was about 300 of us there, only 140 of us were really combat troops. And so yeah, you’re in town with a thousand insurgents at any one time, and there might be 40 of you in town. And so I came home with a pair of purple Hearts the first time from some gunfire, small arms fire to the face. Second time was a car bomb that left some shrapnel in my hand and blew up my ear drums and put some car glass in my ears, gave me a TBI and got me a medevac home. So that was my service history that led me to the battle within.
Jeff Randolph:
Right.
Justin Hoover:
But it wasn’t immediate. It wasn’t like I came home and was like, “All right, well, I got to attend to this.” Because I had all 10 fingers and 10 toes and thought I was perfectly fine, and spent the next decade working in marketing and video production and thinking, “I got this. I’m living the American dream,” until I wasn’t. So I had one of our kids, when she hit high school, she started having trouble with depression and suicide ideology, and I’ll just say kids should never be in a war zone. So that helplessness.
I’ll just say kids should never be in a war zone, so that helplessness and hopelessness of trying to protect this kid came flooding back in, replaying itself in my living room, and my mental health just took a dive. And that’s when I realized… Well, I didn’t realize it, my wife realized it, “You need to tend to this.” And so that’s how I found myself in this work by needing it and going through those services myself. And then when The Battle Within started, I got tapped to be the executive director, so that’s kind of how I arrived here.
Jeff Randolph:
I see. And so did you go through the program then, and that was… You were first a client and then-
Justin Hoover:
I was first a client.
Jeff Randolph:
… that was the-
Justin Hoover:
Yeah. And it was one of those things where it was so life-changing. And I had done some other therapies and other groups, and they were helpful in their own way. I’d kind of say, some others I went through, it was kind of more like a corporate retreat that somebody took a social worker and were like, “Hey, let’s add this in so we can make it for veterans.” But it was a lot more self-confidence and team building. The lessons were easy to throw away when life got hard.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, gotcha.
Justin Hoover:
Because if your life is a dumpster fire, going away for a week or going to some treatment, that’s not going to change what’s happening. So you have to really take ownership, and that’s really what The Battle Within does is it gives you that ownership that this is your journey and only you can walk it. And so really once I had that experience, then it was like, “I need to stay within this community for my own accountability.” I mean, it’s entirely selfish of I do better when I’m surrounded by other people that are on this walk and can help hold me accountable. And so yeah, that just kind of snowballed and led to today.
Jeff Randolph:
That accountability piece is huge. I shouldn’t go further without appreciating the service and sacrifice. Thank you for all that you have done and-
Justin Hoover:
Thank you for your tax dollars. Bullets are not cheap, especially how I used them, so thank you.
Jeff Randolph:
It’s the least we can do? I don’t know-
Justin Hoover:
Your taxes probably paid for a 30-second burst of ammunition.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s right.
Justin Hoover:
I mean, with those expensive-
Jeff Randolph:
I hope it was a good one.
Justin Hoover:
It was a good one, I can guarantee it.
Jeff Randolph:
I hope that it was really worth it. Let’s get specific about some of the programs that you offer, because having that group and that accountability is tremendously important. We’ve got a couple that we’ll really hit on here. Revenant Journey, and we should probably define Revenant first, so tell us about the Revenant Journey.
Justin Hoover:
Yeah, the Revenant Journey is really a week-long opportunity. It’s at no cost for our veterans and first responders. And I should define, we define a first responder as a law enforcement, fire, EMS, corrections officers, and those frontline medical, like those ER docs and nurses.
Jeff Randolph:
Gotcha.
Justin Hoover:
So again, those that don’t get to say no in the face of crisis.
Jeff Randolph:
Right. It’s not like when Michelle Markham, owner of EAG says, “Jeff, I need you to be here today.” I do technically have the power to say no, but it’s not quite the same.
Justin Hoover:
Right. Yeah. Yeah, we could reschedule this if we had to.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s right. We really could.
Justin Hoover:
If one of us showed up sick.
Jeff Randolph:
We really could.
Justin Hoover:
You don’t really have that opportunity when the shit hits the fan.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s right. So frontline. Got it.
Justin Hoover:
Yeah. So really, it’s that opportunity over that week to come together and understand your traumas. There are so much stigma and so much shame in these professions and these cultures that, when people show up on Monday, they’re kind of side eyeing each other and it’s, “What are you doing to deserve to be here? What are you doing? You’re not a veteran, you’re not a cop. Why are you here?” But really, what everyone’s doing is, “Am I worthy to be here? Is my stuff bad enough?” And it’s building that esprit de corps that keeps units together and doing so well because you’re always crapping on everybody else and how much better you are. But what that does is plays out, “Well, I did one deployment.” “Well, I’ve done three deployments.”
Jeff Randolph:
Right.
Justin Hoover:
“Well, I was in the Army.” “Well, I was Special Forces in the Army.” And so there’s that little ribbing that unfortunately, in the mental health space, keeps people from taking that first step.
So what the week does is really help people understand it doesn’t matter what traumas got you here. We are all here because our lives and the relationships in them are crumbling and falling apart because trauma is trauma and the human response to that is pretty universal. And so together, we can help each other heal, and together, we can do that process. We’re humans. We’re not made to do this alone. So it’s really giving people permission to start that journey and continue on it with support.
And so really, it is a deep week of looking inside yourself and doing some hard work, being vulnerable and seeing the benefits of that vulnerability. You get introduced to some of the tools that set the stage for healing, things like you’re doing yoga every morning, you’re journaling and doing meditation every night, you’re learning about fitness, nutrition, you’re doing equine therapy. So you’re exposed to all these different modalities that, really, if you just grab one of them and implement it into your life, and then maybe grab another and another, your life is going to see some real positive change. And so having that introduction is very important in that space.
And then finally, having that community of support. And that comes from that vulnerability. When you get to see each other at your best and your worst and be accepted for all of it, that really builds lifelong bonds that are going to create that culture of support. Because nobody’s leaving five days healed. If anyone’s telling you that, they’re trying to sell you something.
Jeff Randolph:
Right. It takes a little more work than that.
Justin Hoover:
It takes a little bit more work. And most of our people, they’ve had lifelong traumas that they’ve been cooking on. You’re not just going to magically solve those. So really giving them a realistic expectation, and again, giving them that ownership that this is their journey, but now they have the tools and the support, and their understanding of what their why is, really sets them to go be successful in that.
And then to our next service, the Frontline Therapy Network, because now you have these new tools, but your life might still be that dumpster fire.
Jeff Randolph:
Right.
Justin Hoover:
So it’s really creating that structured support with a therapist to implement those tools and to further explore those traumas so you can actually heal from them. I don’t know if any of your listeners have tried to find a therapist, but it’s like blind dating at $120 an hour.
Jeff Randolph:
True, true.
Justin Hoover:
To find the right one.
Jeff Randolph:
We’ve actually had therapists on the program and talked to them about it, and I think they would be the first to tell you, we can even go back to the clips, they would be the first to tell you finding that person that you can connect with, finding the group that you can connect with, those are the most important pieces. And don’t be afraid to move on if that fit isn’t there because, ultimately, it’s your health at stake.
Justin Hoover:
Right.
Jeff Randolph:
You need to be the one to help make this happen and know that it’s important.
Justin Hoover:
Exactly. And a lot of times when people go to find a therapist, it’s either you recommend one, but your life is vastly different.
Jeff Randolph:
Right.
Justin Hoover:
So while that person may have been great support for you, they don’t fit my needs.
Jeff Randolph:
Right.
Justin Hoover:
Or somebody just gives you a list, like some referral hospitals. “Well, we are discharging you. Here’s the list.” And then you start calling people and about five or six people down the list that tell you they’re not taking clients anymore. You’re like, “I didn’t really want to do this anyways. I’m not going to do it now.”
So we looked at that model and how can we change it? So we have a vetted pool of clinicians that we ensure have the education and the experience to properly serve this population. We do something crazy. We actually interview you to find out what your mental and fiscal needs are, and then we match you with the right therapist. We call them and say, “Hey, are you taking new clients? Is this a good fit for you?” So by the time we make that match, you’re ready to schedule that first meeting and it’s going to be a good fit. And then we’ll even pay for the first six to ten sessions to get you started.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, outstanding.
Justin Hoover:
And really, what that model has done, from our surveys, about 25% of our population has seeked therapy prior to coming to Revenant Journey, which is pretty in line with VA studies. 90% go on to do therapy and complete a therapy. And the average length of therapy for our folks that go through are 32 sessions, which is huge.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, wow. Yeah.
Justin Hoover:
Because therapy is dose responsive.
Jeff Randolph:
It is.
Justin Hoover:
So more therapy, more better, you know?
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah.
Justin Hoover:
And so we get to see that where there is that significant clinical reduction in depression and PTSD. And it really is because they take ownership of that journey and have the support to continue it along the way.
And then finally, actually, this is the first time I get to announce it because we just brought them on Saturday, our-
PART 2 OF 4 ENDS [00:18:04]
Justin Hoover:
I get to announce it because we just brought them on, on Saturday, our Dogs 4 Valor program. So a lot of what service dogs do is bringing people out of isolation. And so we’re very excited. We just brought on this organization as one of our new programs and they have this novel take on it because a lot of times it’s, hey, we’re going to train your dog for six months and then we will fly you out and train you for a week with your dog, and then best of luck to you. And so that can be challenging. You’re still trying to build the confidence to get out of there.
So really this is a train the trainer model where over those six to nine months, you already have your dog, whether it’s yours or they help you find a rescue. And so you get to train with them for that whole six to nine months. So you’re already practicing getting out in the community, you’re practicing the self-discipline, you’re practicing all those things. So when you graduate, you have the confidence to get out and reclaim your life, whether it be go out and get back in the workforce, just go to the grocery store, maybe hop on a plane and fly someplace. Those are things that your world becomes very small and that dog helps you get out and really connect. So that’s our newest service and really allowing people to find their way onto that journey of healing and continue on it.
Jeff Randolph:
So what I’m hearing is great program, great outcomes, and dogs like this is-
Justin Hoover:
Right. And you get to pet puppies.
Jeff Randolph:
It seems like you’ve got all of those pieces together that would contribute to great success. Tell me, if we had to put a name to it, what’s the biggest need you have as an organization then?
Justin Hoover:
It’s always funding and support. I mean, as a nonprofit?
Jeff Randolph:
As a nonprofit, that’s the model.
Justin Hoover:
Yeah. No, I mean really right now it is actually kind of marketing and we initially didn’t do any marketing. I mean, 85% of our folks come to us word of mouth, which is amazing. It’s a huge… I think it says a lot about our alumni and how they came just scared of being vulnerable and sharing their stories. And they leave becoming the biggest mental health advocates and they all know somebody in their world. So we didn’t market because we couldn’t handle the influx at the time. We’re a fairly new organization.
Jeff Randolph:
There’s a balance there. There is a balance. And you don’t want to have too many people where you’re like, well, that’d be a great choice, but I can’t get in.
Justin Hoover:
We are not about false hope of, hey, welcome to The Battle Within. You’re on a wait list for six to nine months. We’ve seen from the VA how that plays out for people. So we are very cautious in doing that. Now, as our services grow and mature and our capacity grows, it is, we need to start marketing to find those donors, to let the world know about us, to reach people closer to their moments of trauma and crisis. And so that’s something that we’re exploring and that’s kind of something with my background. I have gotten us to this point. But yeah, my time is very divided and so nothing moves as fast as we’d like or as consistent as we’d like or with the degree of quality that I would like it to. So that’s probably my biggest need at the moment behind just the continual funding.
Jeff Randolph:
Well, and the continual funding, that always means you can serve more people.
Justin Hoover:
That’s right.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s always program expansion. And when you have a great program, when you have a great model, you’ve got great outcomes. Now it’s time to scale that. So we’ll see if we can’t help you.
Justin Hoover:
And I will say Kansas City is an amazing community. They’ve been very great to us since we’ve started. They really believe in their veterans and first responders. And like you said, thank you for your service. I’ve met so many people that are like, “I say that, but I’m not sure really how to put that into action.” And so they have put it into action for six years for us. And our people are very grateful for that because when they are serving, they never really get to meet or get to know the people that they serve. And this is kind of the reverse of that. So it’s beautiful to see how the community who has been helped by them, and you don’t meet a police officer or a firefighter usually on your best days. They’re usually there for your worst days. So for our community to be there on their worst days, to me, I think is very powerful and very thankful to our community for that.
Jeff Randolph:
Tremendously. Well, we’ll see if we can’t help create some of that awareness and make sure that more people know about you and also at the same time, scale that and get some additional revenue and additional donations. Now that we have a program that works, let’s do this. Because a lot of those people… I am a helper. I don’t need help. There’s so much of that kind of, I’m tough, I’m cool, I’m living this life. I can handle it. I’ve been through much worse than this. But when you need help, you need help. So let’s make this… Please everyone tell other people about this. Let’s make this happen. Justin Hoover, are you ready to go into the lightning round?
Justin Hoover:
I am ready.
Jeff Randolph:
Nothing scares you. Nothing frightens you.
Justin Hoover:
That is so not true. But let’s go.
Jeff Randolph:
We’re going to go through some faster questions here. Let’s talk about the best part of your job. You’re dealing with some pretty weighty moments in the lives of others, possibly even reminding you of your own weighty moments and having that kind of thing happen all the time, like a daily kind of thing. What are the bright spots? What are those best moments that you have?
Justin Hoover:
The best bright spots are the ones that take time because everyone, when they leave graduation, they’re on that high. And so you’re all excited for them, but you also know what reality is. And so there are going to be stumbling blocks. There are going to be challenges ahead of them. But to see those people that really continue on with their journey and to get to know their families and to know how close those families came to being separated-
Jeff Randolph:
Oh sure.
Justin Hoover:
… Losing contact with their kids, and then to see that reconnection and to see them two years down the road and to see just the joy that their kids have to be around them when you knew their kids were terrified to be around them before is really the most rewarding part of my job. Because this is… they’re generational traumas. Like your PTSD is something you pass down to your kids who are going to pass down to their kids, and somebody has to make the decision that enough is enough and I’m going to be where it stops and it should be us. And so for the people that have that courage to understand that and face that head on, I’m the most proud of them because you get to see how that benefits their kids.
Jeff Randolph:
Stopping that cycle is huge. Huge. If we give you the power to change the world the way that people think or stigma or whatever, what would you change to make the world a better place?
Justin Hoover:
That’s a great question.
Jeff Randolph:
I mean, let’s say you’ve already brought dogs into the picture, so you’re ahead of the game by a long shot, but what would you do?
Justin Hoover:
It would be… And that’s the real magic of the week, is for nine to 10 other strangers, giving them just compassion, empathy, and honesty to be vulnerable, allows you to see someone in their truest form and allows them the opportunity to heal. So the opportunity to create a society where people can be vulnerable through compassion and empathy and honesty, I think would change in ways-
Jeff Randolph:
Everything.
Justin Hoover:
Yes, it would change everything.
Jeff Randolph:
Removing that stigma and making it so that it’s easier to ask for help and get help and understand that that’s okay. As an entrepreneur, what’s something you did in the early days of business that you wouldn’t do the same way if you had to do it over today?
Justin Hoover:
Oh, I think saying yes so much, especially as a nonprofit, there’s a lot of people that come with how they think things should happen or great ideas that you kind of trace down. And really just keeping that singular focus. We have a product that really works, and so just protecting that vision and staying more streamlined and saying no to some of the things that were a little bit of a distraction that we decided to abandon
Jeff Randolph:
When it’s not my core thing, this is yes, we can do it, but should we be-
PART 3 OF 4 ENDS [00:27:04]
Jeff Randolph:
My core thing, yes, we can do it, but should we be doing that? Does it make sense for us to do that? And does it make sense for us to do it right now when we-
Justin Hoover:
Right. I mean, having limited resources, how can you keep those resources where they need to be, knowing that those are sometimes really great things, just not great things that we should be doing. And so that really kind of changed to, well, maybe there are things that we should make partnerships with people already doing it. And so we’ve actually built a coalition of other nonprofits that really take those introductions from the week and have their own programming because they’re already great at it. And so kind of creating a shared curriculum that once you come through the battle within and you understand fitness, well go over to Chalk Up For Burpees, and they’ll help you make fitness part of your life or go to Pause First to learn meditation, or go to Monkey Brain Art to really get into art and mindfulness. And so having those partners allows us to stay focused, but give our people the support that they need to continue that journey. So it’s been very helpful. And I can’t thank our coalition of partners enough.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, man. And being able to have those partners so that you don’t have to take that on, even though it’s a great idea, even though it’s something that will help, have that partner. You’re not the first entrepreneur to have exactly that same advice of say, don’t say yes to everything. One person even phrased it on the show as, “I had to learn to say, ‘Not yet,’ or, ‘Not right now.'”
Justin Hoover:
I like that. Which is not saying, “No, it’s a good idea. I want to do it, but I can’t right now.”
Jeff Randolph:
And just being able to prioritize, which is great. What’s the best business advice that you’ve ever received?
Justin Hoover:
Find a mentor.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh yeah.
Justin Hoover:
And find advisors that can help you. I mean, experience is the best lesson in life, but I don’t think that’s true. I think other people’s experience is the best lesson in life because it’s much less painful. So find that mentor that you could trust, find that advisory council that you can really lean on when things could get hard because you’re going to face things. And having that support network has been huge. I know Michelle, as part of Vistage, I recently, about a year and a half, two years ago, started with Vistage in her group. And it has really changed for the better, really how I look at our business and how I’m able to function in it. So I’m very thankful to that whole community of people for their advice and how many times somebody has gotten up and said something where it’s like, “That’s what I’m facing.”
Jeff Randolph:
I feel that. Yeah.
Justin Hoover:
I don’t even have to say anything. We’re giving advice to me off your problem, and there’s five other people that are having the same problem. So it’s very powerful and it’s really sped up the process of making change and having a whole secondary advisory board, which is great.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah. Mentors, CEO, peer groups, I’m hearing a lot of parallels between that and therapy where I’m keeping you accountable and we’re all in this together and we’ve all facing the same things. That’s good advice. That’s best business advice you’ve ever received. What is the best advice you received as an infantry fire team leader?
Justin Hoover:
Violence of action. When in doubt, violence of action. When you aren’t sure what to do, push forward very violently.
Jeff Randolph:
That’s bold. Does that ever translate into the… Not obviously with the extreme violence part of it, but-
Justin Hoover:
Sure. Yeah. No, I mean, if you’re going to do something, then be forceful about it. Don’t do it in half measures. If you’re going to launch a new program, then launch the new program. I don’t know how many times you see these large corporations and they kind of dip their toe into something and they’re like, “Oh, that didn’t work. We’re going to stay with what we do.” And then some disruptor goes all in and they end up either buying them or getting put out of business by them. So if you’re going to do something, go all in on it, have that violence of action and believe in yourself, and you’ll be surprised at how much that momentum, it’s like the flywheel, that momentum builds and it will save you.
Jeff Randolph:
I can’t pick a better thing to end on. Let’s see. First, I’ll take you out of the lightning round so that people can find out where they can find you. Where can people learn more? Where can they make that donation? Where can they get involved in some way?
Justin Hoover:
Yeah, thebattlewithin.org, it’s that easy. You can make donations there. We have several ways to get involved. We have some amazing events. EAG has been helping us with our marketing for our Wiffle Ball League.
Jeff Randolph:
Say a word or two about the Wiffle Ball League, if you would, because that’s a totally different thing.
Justin Hoover:
And it’s one of those things that you have to start and say, “It’s in a guy’s front yard.” Everyone goes, “Okay.” No, it’s a major league baseball experience in a guy’s front yard. So we have three different games in our season right now. We have our May 14th, we have our Home Run Derby and Behavioral Health Classic between the University of Kansas and Blue KC for Mental Health Month.
Jeff Randolph:
Excellent.
Justin Hoover:
So listen to 610 Radio. There’s going to be a home run opportunity for the community. Come out, make a donation, get some hacks in, see if you can beat the Machine Gun Champion, Danny Borso. I mean, that guy is just… He’s hitting dingers all day. And then June 27th, we have our all-star game. So you’re playing with Matt Besler, Mitch Holthus or Alex Gordon’s team. And it is Jumbotron, four camera set up, bringing stands in. I mean, it is a Major League Baseball experience in a guy’s front yard, which we built this field. It’s the George P. Toma field, the famous groundskeeper-
Jeff Randolph:
The groundskeeper, yeah.
Justin Hoover:
… that invented grounds keeping. Right? And I will just say this about George because we invited him and it was like, “Hey, come tip your hat and say you’re our groundskeeper.” No, George does not do half measures. He is violence of action.
Jeff Randolph:
Violence of action.
Justin Hoover:
And so he was there for a whole month. He’s 95 years old, a Korean War veteran. And I have been on hands and knees pulling weeds with George because we needed to. He does the Super Bowl, the Twins Spring training, our Wiffle ball event. And the only challenge is he does not realize there’s a difference in budget between all three. So we got the green monster, the Fowler polls. I mean, it is the most beautiful field at, excuse me, Joe Ungashick’s house there at 52nd Wornall right across from the duck pond.
And so just drive by and you’ll see a little taste of what Wiffle will be in June. And then September is Uncle Hud, Rex Hudler. He will be doing the corporate challenge event, so Uncle Hud’s challenge, and it’s really two days of 90 minutes of Wiffle. You play it face off against another team, and it’s a home run derby followed by a Wiffle game and then some barbecue and a crazy award ceremony. So just stop wearing Cardinals jerseys. We’re in Kansas City people.
Jeff Randolph:
Yeah. Come on guys.
Justin Hoover:
If you want to get the ugliest Jersey award, come in one of those. But it’s a fantastic time. It’s a ton of fun. It raises a bunch of money for a great cause, supporting our veterans and first responders.
Jeff Randolph:
Oh, thebattlewithin.org. Justin Hoover’s the executive director, thanks for being with us today.
Justin Hoover:
Thank you very much for having me.
Jeff Randolph:
And that is our show. Thanks to our guest, Justin Hoover. And thank you for listening to the Small Business Miracles Podcast. Remember to subscribe. Leave us a five star rating and review. Drop us a line on the website at eagadv.com if you have any thoughts. Until then, we’ll be out here helping entrepreneurs with another small business miracle.