#299: Building Leaders from the Inside Out with Tom Connally, USNA ‘83
Service Academy Business Mastermind
Release Date: 11/08/2024
Service Academy Business Mastermind
Kurt Greene is a certified EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide, where he helps leadership teams build stronger, more scalable companies. A graduate of West Point and an Army veteran, Kurt brings a unique mix of Fortune 500 leadership, HR expertise, and peer-group facilitation experience through Vistage Worldwide, Inc. He works with founders and executive teams to implement practical tools that cut through complexity so they can regain control, align their teams, and get back to their visionary role. Whether partnering with veteran-owned businesses or mission-driven entrepreneurs, Kurt’s work is...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: ____ Michael Quilty (USNA '88) is a Navy veteran and franchise development leader who's built his career around creating opportunities for others. After years leading growth and strategy across multiple industries, he's now focused on helping fellow veterans transition to entrepreneurship through franchising. At Wild Bill’s, he plays a key role in growing the company’s franchise footprint, and expanding the presence of their nostalgic craft soda brand across the country. Michael’s work focuses on identifying the right partners,...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: Want to join us in Tampa, FL on January 26th & 27th? Visit: ____ Travis Wittick is the founder of Academy Endeavors, a coaching company that helps high school students navigate the competitive and complex admissions process for U.S. Service Academies and ROTC scholarships. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and former Air Force hospital administrator, Travis first discovered his passion for mentorship as an Academy Liaison Officer helping students prepare their applications while still on active duty. After...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: Want to join us in Tampa, FL on January 26th & 27th? Visit: ____ Speaker Bio: Zach Farkas is the founder of Relos, a proptech company automating real estate workflows to streamline transaction coordination and reduce hours of manual work. Before launching Relos, Zach was the #4 ranked VA lender in the nation, a career he built by focusing not on volume, but on educating veterans about how to leverage their VA home loan benefits. A former Army officer, Zach built his lending business by combining his personal mission...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: Want to join us in Tampa, FL on January 26th & 27th? Visit: ____ Omar Ritter is a West Point graduate, fractional CFO, and the author of West Point to Wall Street: My Journey to Mental Wellness. Currently serving as an Area President at FocusCFO, he helps small and mid-sized businesses improve their financial visibility and achieve sustainable growth. With a career spanning financial leadership, entrepreneurship, and military service, Omar works to strengthen the backbone of small business communities through expert...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: ____ Anthony Pinto is the founder of Veteran Vectors, an AI consulting and automation company serving defense and government contractors. A former submarine officer with nine years of service, Anthony previously appeared on the SABM podcast in April 2020 while still on active duty, managing real estate deals from overseas. After leaving the Navy and navigating the challenges of military spouse life, Anthony pivoted from real estate to launch Veteran Vectors in 2025. His company helps small and medium-sized defense tech companies...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: ____ Travis Winfield is the founder of Military Operated Real Estate, and author of the upcoming book Military Money and More. A retired Navy Command Senior Chief with 24 years of service, Travis founded the Winfield Group in Southern California, successfully helping 100-150 military families per year before passing the business to his son in 2024. Recognizing that less than 12% of the nearly 20 million active duty and veteran population has used their VA home loan benefit, Travis launched MORE to create the first national real...
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Dan Fitzgerald is the Founder of the 40Forty Padel Club, a company bringing one of the world’s fastest growing sports to South Carolina and beyond. A Citadel graduate and former Army Infantry Officer, Dan went on to serve as a TAC officer at West Point, teach leadership, and build executive teams as a recruiter before discovering padel during his travels to South America. Hooked from the very first game, Dan saw an opportunity to introduce the sport to the U.S. market in a way that was both affordable and community-driven. Today, he leads 40Forty Padel Club with the mission to make padel...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: Want to join us in San Francisco, CA on October 7th & 8th? Visit: ____ Drew Miller is the CEO of Fortitude Ranch, a survival and recreational community for disaster preparedness and everyday use. A former Air Force intelligence officer and longtime prepper, Drew founded Fortitude Ranch over a decade ago, creating a network of secure rural compounds supported by professionally organized teams and sustainable resources. With eight locations nationwide, Drew’s mission is to offer members affordable access to well...
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Need financing for your next investment property? Visit: Want to join us in San Francisco, CA on October 7th & 8th? Visit: ____ Curtis Cullen is the Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Convolo Capital, a real estate investment firm focused on small to mid-size multifamily syndications across the Southeast and Sunbelt markets. A West Point graduate, Curtis served as an Infantry and Aviation officer, including time as a Battalion Operations Officer, before exiting the Army in 2018 to pursue a career in commercial real estate. After the Army, Curtis built his business and finance...
info_outlineAre you a real estate investor in need of financing for your next investment property? If so, the Academy Fund has you covered! Whether you need short term financing for “fix-and-flip” projects, land development, or new construction or you need long term financing for single family or multi family rentals, we are your reliable financial partner. Our mission is to bridge the gaps often left by conventional banking institutions, making sure your real estate dreams become reality.
And for accredited investors looking to earn purpose driven passive income while supporting military veteran real estate investors, the Academy Fund is the perfect opportunity. Our short term loans are powered by capital from investors like you, who receive monthly distributions.
To learn more, visit AcademyFund.com.
Are you ready to connect, grow, and have some serious fun? Reserve your spot now for our upcoming event at The Tampa Club in Tampa, Florida, on January 28th. Space is limited to just 30 participants, so act fast to secure your place.
Join us for an unforgettable experience filled with camaraderie, inspiration, and personal growth alongside like-minded individuals who share your values and ambitions.
To learn more and reserve your spot, visit 10xvets.com/events.
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Tom Connally is the Founder and President of Connally Consulting, LLC, a leadership development firm that transforms managers into leaders through strategic assessment and coaching. Drawing on his extensive military leadership experience, he helps organizations build cultures of performance by aligning their mission, strategy, and organizational dynamics.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Tom evolved from 30 years of Marine Corps leadership through defense contracting to founding his company, Connally Consulting.
- How a heartfelt letter to his daughter about leadership was the catalyst to finding his true calling and writing a book.
- The profound realization that his corporate roles weren't aligned with his core mission of developing leaders, leading him to launch a consulting practice centered around helping managers become stronger leaders.
- Tom's systematic approach to leadership development, starting with helping clients identify their core values and creating alignment between their inner beliefs and outer actions.
- The critical connection between personal values and organizational performance.
- Tom's unique perspective on leadership coaching was shaped by commanding 22 organizations during his Marine Corps career, including insights learned from recruiting duty that became foundational to his coaching methodology.
- The evolution of Connally Consulting's service offerings into five distinct coaching programs.
- Tom's integration of business disciplines with his service-oriented mission, balancing pro bono work for nonprofits while building a sustainable coaching practice.
- His emphasis on written reflection and goal-setting as powerful tools for personal and professional development, demonstrated by his own practice of keeping written goals since 1989.
Connect with Tom
Special thanks to Tom for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01