Start Lean, Lead Smart as a Veteran Entrepreneur

Today, I’m going to explain to you how to start a business from scratch as a Veteran using a lean approach while leading with emotional and spiritual intelligence.

Why should you want to learn this? Launching a business can feel overwhelming, but doing it lean—testing small, iterating fast, and leveraging your unique Veteran strengths—sets you up for success with minimal risk.

The benefits are huge: financial freedom, a renewed sense of purpose, and the chance to lead again, this time on your terms. Imagine turning your military grit into a $100K business in under a year, all while staying true to who you are and what you believe. That’s the reward—control over your future, built step-by-step, without wasting time or money. You’ll regain the mission-driven life you thrived on in service, but now it’s yours to shape—whether that’s providing for your family, impacting your community, or simply proving you’ve still got what it takes.

Unfortunately, so many Veterans don’t take this path. Despite their incredible skills—discipline, problem-solving, leadership—they get stuck, never turning their potential into profit. Why? It’s not a lack of ability; it’s a mix of mindset traps and practical hurdles that keep them sidelined. They’ve led squads through chaos, planned operations under pressure, and faced challenges most civilians can’t fathom—yet the leap to entrepreneurship feels like a bridge too far. Let’s break down why.

Fear of Failure Holds Them Back

The primary reason Veterans don’t start lean and lead smart is fear of failure. After years of high-stakes missions where failure wasn’t an option, the idea of stumbling in business feels paralyzing. They hesitate, waiting for the “perfect” plan instead of testing something small and learning as they go. In the military, a misstep could cost lives; in business, it’s just a lesson—but that shift in perspective is tough to make. They’re wired for precision, not experimentation, and that fear keeps them from stepping into the lean startup world where failure is the fastest teacher.

I believe there are 4 specific reasons Veterans struggle to make actionable progress:

1. 1: Overwhelm from Too Many Options - With so many business ideas (consulting, fitness, logistics), you freeze, unsure where to start, missing the lean approach of picking one and testing it fast. You’re used to clear orders, not endless possibilities.

2. 2: Lack of Civilian Confidence - Transitioning from a structured military world to the chaotic civilian market erodes their self-belief, making them doubt their skills translate. “Will anyone pay me for this?” becomes a haunting question.

3. 3: Emotional Burnout - The stress of leaving service leaves you drained, lacking the emotional clarity to take bold, smart risks. Years of deployment and transition sap the energy you believe you need to start anew.

4. 4: Isolation from a Tribe - Without your military crew, you miss the camaraderie and feedback needed to push forward, stalling their momentum. The civilian world feels foreign, and you lack the sounding board you once had.

But here’s the good news: I’m going to show you how to overcome all these hurdles, step by step, so you can start lean, lead smart, and build a business that works for you as a Veteran. You don’t need a million-dollar idea and you do not need a decade of prep—you just need to start small, stay sharp, and lean into who you already are.

Here’s how, step by step:

1. Identify Your Military Superpower and Test It Leanly

   This step is critical because it leverages what you already excel at—your military-honed skills—and pairs it with a lean startup mindset to minimize risk and maximize results. You don’t need a grand plan; you need a small, testable idea rooted in your strengths. You need a minimum viable product (MVP)—a quick, simple way to see if your idea has legs. As a Veteran, you’ve got superpowers civilians can’t touch: discipline, adaptability, leadership. Pick one and run with it.

   For example, if you were a logistics wizard in the military, offer to streamline a local business’s inventory for $100. That’s your MVP—low cost, low risk, high learning. I did this myself: I organized a friend’s chaotic non-profit, got a glowing testimonial, and turned it into a donation-generating machine within months. Another

   Pick one skill—planning, grit, teamwork—and test it with one person this week. Ask, “Would you pay me $50 for this?” Measure their response, learn what clicks, and build from there. You’re not betting the farm; you’re running a recon mission.

2. Master Your Emotions to Stay the Course

   Where so many go wrong here is letting fear or frustration derail them before they even start. You may hit a snag—maybe that first client says no—your emotional burnout or lack of civilian confidence kicks in, convincing you it’s not worth it. They think, “I failed once; I’m done,” and retreat to the sidelines. It’s a trap I’ve seen too many Veterans fall into—myself included, early on.

   This is a mistake because entrepreneurship isn’t a straight line; it’s a series of small experiments, and emotional intelligence (EI) is your shield. You need to understand that self-awareness and self-management are key—notice when fear creeps in, pause for five deep breaths, and reframe it: “This isn’t failure; it’s data.”

   Too many quit after one rejection, not realizing that lean starts thrive on feedback, not perfection. I’ve had doors slammed in my face—first “no” felt personal until I logged it: “10 AM, doubt hit hard, client passed.” Then I countered it by reaching out to the next person. To avoid this pitfall, track your emotions daily for a week (e.g., “Felt stuck at 3 PM—why?”), then act anyway—send one more email, make one more offer. That’s how you build resilience and keep the lean cycle spinning.

3. Align Your Business with Your Purpose and Iterate Forward

   Here’s the light at the end of the tunnel: by combining your military superpower and emotional mastery with a lean approach, you’re not just building a business—you’re crafting a new chapter of purpose as a Veteran. This step ties it all together, and it’s where spiritual intelligence (SI) shines. You’ve tested an idea (Step 1), managed your emotions (Step 2), and now you refine it with meaning. Lean into what God is speaking into you.

Our identity as God’s sons and daughters should fuel our calling—your service wasn’t the end; it was training for this next season of your life.

Pair that with building, measure and learn cycles, and you’ve got a roadmap: test your logistics gig, and if it flops, pivot to consulting. Or scale that first-aid class into a training empire if it sticks.

Each iteration ladders up to financial independence—$1,000 in 90 days, $100K in a year—and a renewed mission. You’re leading again, smarter this time, with EI to keep you steady and SI to keep you aligned. Expect this: clarity on what works, cash in hand, and a path to impact that feels like coming home.

If you are ready to take action? Visit jameshavis.com/coaching for more Veteran-tailored guidance—I’ve got your six.

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Connect with Veteran Business Resources

Veterans are uniquely equipped to handle tension, but that doesn’t mean you have to navigate business challenges alone.

Are you a veteran looking for support to navigate life’s challenges or build your business? ➡️ Visit our Veteran Assistance Resources page to access tools, guidance, and programs for healthcare, financial aid, mental health, and more. Your next step starts here!

Let’s build something great!