How Veterans Are Transforming Into Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs
Mission Driven Business
Julie Austin and Matthew Cain share their journey in leveraging their military backgrounds to assist veterans in transitioning to entrepreneurship through their podcast Dogtags to Ownership. We explore the definition of mission-driven businesses, the importance of community & networking, and the personal experiences that shaped their call to service. The discussion also touches on the significance of identity, the challenges faced during the Don't Ask, Don't Tell era and how their backgrounds influence their current endeavors. The episode concludes with insights on partnership dynamics and...
info_outline
Transform Your Business with an Annual Client Audit
Mission Driven Business
Understanding your client relationships is more crucial than ever in today's fast-paced business environment. The that can help you gain clarity on your client base, enhance your business relationships, and ultimately drive growth. In this episode, Brian Thompson focuses on how a thoughtful client audit can transform your business. He emphasizes that this process is not about hastily cutting ties with clients but rather about thoughtfully evaluating client relationships to enhance business growth and personal well-being with a simple three-step process. The Importance of a Client Audit...
info_outline
Reclaiming Your Time with Boundary-setting
Mission Driven Business
In this solo episode, Brian Thompson outlines practical steps for business owners to take back their time, including auditing their calendars, defining a 'hell yes' filter for opportunities, using scripts to say no gracefully, and starting small with boundary-setting. He stresses that reclaiming time is an ongoing practice that requires accountability, energy tracking, and celebrating small wins. By protecting their time, entrepreneurs can create space for joy, clarity, and purpose in their lives and businesses. Why do boundaries around time management matter Time is your most valuable...
info_outline
Close The Books, Open The New Year
Mission Driven Business
In this solo episode, Brian breaks down one of the most overlooked but essential parts of running a mission-driven business: year-end bookkeeping. You’ll learn a simple, practical framework for cleaning up your books, organizing your finances, and setting up systems that actually support you and your business. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by accounting software, unclear categories, or messy receipts, this episode will help you start the new year with clarity and confidence. Episode Highlights Why year-end bookkeeping is a big deal The way you close this year directly affects how you...
info_outline
How To Define Your Niche with Theresa Pablos
Mission Driven Business
Brian Thompson chats with Theresa Pablos, CFP®, about the early-stage realities of building a business. A former journalist and freelance marketer, Theresa transitioned careers to financial planning in 2023 and ultimately earned the CFP® certification mark in 2025. She recently joined as an Associate Financial Advisor and is just starting to build her client base. In this episode, Theresa and Brian discuss the excitement, fear, and the uncomfortable but necessary work of defining a niche. You’ll get practical tips for finding your target audience, learn how to provide real value, and...
info_outline
You Can’t Change What You Don’t Track
Mission Driven Business
Brian Thompson loves a good spreadsheet, and in this episode, he’s sharing some of his best tips for tracking metrics in a manageable, mission-aligned way. You’ll learn how intentional tracking can help mission-driven entrepreneurs gain clarity, celebrate progress, and make better decisions. Drawing inspiration from investor and writer Sahil Bloom’s Five Types of Wealth, Brian offers practical tools to help you track progress without it becoming a full-time job. Episode Highlights Tracking creates accountability Tracking transforms assumptions into awareness. If you’re not measuring...
info_outline
Building Businesses with Purpose and Profit with Rachel Bernier-Green
Mission Driven Business
Brian Thompson chats with Rachel Bernier-Green, founder and CEO of the Economic Justice Consortium, a Chicago-based firm that helps mission-driven businesses sustain and amplify their impact through financial and operational excellence. A recovering public accountant turned social entrepreneur, Rachel has dedicated her career to closing the racial wealth gap and redefining what it means to lead with purpose and profit. In this episode, Rachel shares her journey from climbing the corporate ladder in public accounting, to running a social enterprise bakery that partnered with Whole Foods and...
info_outline
The Power of Clarity
Mission Driven Business
Brian Thompson takes a deep dive into one of the most important tenets for mission-driven business owners: clarity. Clarity may sound simple, but it’s not easy. If done well, clarity can be the foundation for building a business that truly supports your mission and your life. Once you find clarity, everything else becomes easier, and this episode gives you tips on how to do just that. Episode Highlights Clarity enables mission-driven entrepreneurs to build their business around their life. Building a business — particularly a mission-driven one — is filled with ambiguity. There’s no...
info_outline
101 Sketches To Start Meaningful Conversations with Carl Richards
Mission Driven Business
Brian Thompson chats with Carl Richards — Certified Financial Planner™, creator of The New York Times “Sketch Guy” column, and bestselling author of “” and “.” Carl’s simple Sharpie sketches have transformed how millions of people think and talk about money. In his latest book, “”, he shares 101 drawings and essays designed to spark deeper conversations about money, values, and what matters most. In this conversation, Brian and Carl dive into the emotional side of money and debate whether money actually can buy happiness. Episode Highlights A good sketch can start a...
info_outline
10 Conversations That Changed My Business And My Life
Mission Driven Business
Brian Thompson marks a major milestone with Episode 100 of the Mission Driven Business podcast! In this special retrospective, Brian reflects on 10 standout episodes that made a lasting impact and continue to resonate in his business and life. Whether you’re new to the podcast or a long-term listener, Episode 100 captures the heart of the conversations that Mission Driven Business is all about. Episode Highlights 1. Mike Michalowicz put profit first In , Mike Michalowicz flipped the traditional profit formula, redefining how business owners can approach cash flow. Mike’s episode gave...
info_outlineBrian chats with River Nice, the owner and financial planner of Be Intentional Financial. River’s company seeks to reduce the harm done by capitalism to transgender and queer individuals and families by providing education, tools, advice, and a place to talk about money.
Known as the anticapitalist financial planner, River shares how they found their niche by playing to their strengths and reaching out to their community. They also discuss how running a mission-driven business can serve both your community and yourself.
Episode Highlights
Mission-Driven Businesses serve your community and yourself.
River describes a mission-driven business as a company that can project the founder into success but isn’t ultimately about making money. River attributes the quick success of their own mission-driven business, Be Intentional Financial, to following their values and being honest.
“It is both doing something that’s not just about making money but also trying to make money,” River said. “My mission is to serve primarily the trans community, and that includes me, so it’s serving my clients and my community. But it’s also making sure that I can have my best life.”
Successful businesses play to your strengths.
River started their career in the tech industry but felt disenchanted with the industry after the election of President Trump. At the same time, they had a partner who was in debt from her gender transition. River sat down with their partner to help her create a budget, understand her credit card interest rates, and put together a timeline, which gave her partner an immediate sense of relief.
“She was like, ‘River, this is your thing. You need to help trans people with money,’” River said.
River had never thought they could have inherent strengths that others do not have, so they told anybody who would listen: “I’m going to help trans people with their money.”
River got their start in financial services at Ameriprise Financial. Then, in 2019, they quit their job, came out as transgender, and launched Be Intentional Financial. River said it’s been an amazing journey.
“I am just so happy on a day-to-day basis. Who knew life could be this good?” River said. “It feels a little like bragging, but that’s the point, right? The point of this podcast is that life can be this good, and you can do it, too.”
Define your niche. Then cater to it.
Even with the intent to primarily serve the transgender community, River recognized that still included an incredibly diverse group of people. They knew they had to get even more specific to reach an audience tailored to their own skills and knowledge.
River’s niche typically includes people in their 20s and 30s who have come into money for the first time, whether that’s having a job that provides an income more than what they need to just survive or getting an unexpected chunk of money through inheritance or divorce.
Once River defined their niche, they adapted their services to meet their target client’s needs. One of those needs is making people in the transgender community feel empowered by their newfound financial prosperity, rather than “almost a survivor’s guilt,” River said.
“For people who come from marginalized backgrounds to suddenly have more than they need to survive, they feel so bad that they are okay now even though the rest of the community is struggling,” River said. “So being able to just to talk about that and say, ‘Do not cut yourself off. Do not sabotage yourself.’”
Resources + Links
- Be Intentional Financial website
- Mission Driven Business Episode with Pamela Capalad
- Brian’s Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast
Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and certified financial planner who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.
On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.