The Veteran's Blueprint: Skip the Startup, Buy the Business | Patrick Flood

In this episode of Tactical Wealth, we sit down with Patrick Flood, a former Green Beret with over 20 years of Army service, Georgetown ROTC graduate, Duke MBA, and the founder of Owners in Honor, a nonprofit helping veterans buy, grow, and exit small businesses.Patrick's path is anything but linear. From armor officer to working actor, from signal detachment commander to Special Forces, from finance executive to nonprofit founder, every chapter of his life has been a masterclass in adaptability, mentorship, and mission-driven leadership. In this episode, Patrick makes the case that the greatest wealth opportunity of our generation isn't a startup. It's the millions of profitable small businesses whose owners are ready to retire and have nobody to hand the keys to.In this episode, we dive into:⚔️ The Unconventional Path: How Patrick went from ROTC to Hollywood to Special Forces and why that winding road made him a better leader and entrepreneur.🏢 The Silver Tsunami: Why the mass retirement of baby boomer business owners represents the single greatest small business acquisition opportunity in American history.🎯 Buy Don't Build: Why purchasing an existing profitable business is a smarter, lower-risk path to ownership than starting from scratch.🤝 The Human Terrain Advantage: How veterans are uniquely skilled at reading rooms, building rapport, and winning deals that MBA grads in Patagonia vests can't close.📈 SBA Lending and the Acquisition Playbook: How Owners in Honor connects veterans with the right lenders, advisors, and education to successfully acquire and scale businesses.🏘️ Coming Home: Why veteran business ownership isn't just a personal financial win. It's a community revitalization strategy that strengthens the fabric of small-town America.💼 Exit and Succession Planning: The painful personal story of how Patrick's father sold a $3.8 million business for $600,000 and why veterans must understand the exit before they ever sign the papers.Whether you're a veteran in transition, a current business owner thinking about your exit, or someone looking for a smarter path to entrepreneurship, this episode is a tactical blueprint for building wealth through ownership.👉 Ready to stay tactical and stay driven? Hit SUBSCRIBE and let's get into the fight.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00 - Introduction: Patrick Flood and the mission of Owners in Honor 01:22 - From Army brat to Green Beret: Patrick's unconventional origin story 04:03 - Working in Hollywood and finding purpose after loss 06:26 - September 11th and the shift to Special Forces 09:18 - What makes SF different: Latitude, curiosity, and making do 10:53 - The transition: Learning from his brother's path out 11:48 - Going to Duke while commanding a battalion 13:45 - Entrepreneurship inside the military: Leading Army Recruiting Command 17:01 - The Honor Foundation and 50 cups of coffee 18:18 - Landing at Andersen as chief of staff 20:56 - Know your core: Don't be a Swiss Army knife, be a K-Bar 21:36 - Finding the nonprofit path: Mentorship and the Owners in Honor origin story 24:38 - Defining Owners in Honor: Risk mitigation and advisory services 27:18 - The silver tsunami: America's greatest small business opportunity 31:29 - The Virginia veteran: A real acquisition case study 33:36 - SBA lending, the right lenders, and following the rules 38:55 - Exit and succession planning: Patrick's father's painful lesson 40:32 - Partnering with the Exit Planning Institute 41:24 - Rapid Fire: Best investments, worst mistakes, and favorite books 44:10 - How to connect with Patrick and Owners in HonorEPISODE RESOURCESConnect with Patrick Flood: 🌐 Website: ownersinhr.com 👤 LinkedIn: Patrick Michael FloodConnect with Kaj Larsen: 🌐 Website: https://www.kajlarsen.com 📸 Instagram: @KajLarsen 👤 LinkedIn: Kaj Larsen--Tactical Wealth is a Gebbia Media production, brought to you by Siebert.Valor, a military-focused initiative from Siebert Financial. The Tactical Wealth podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Siebert Financial. This podcast does not constitute investment advice, an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy any securities. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.For more information and disclosures, please visit siebert.com/disclosures.