Welcome to episode 7 of the Smart Marketing Outdoors podcast.

Today, we'll hear interviews from two former combat veterans and a Gold Star mom that I conducted when filming the Warrior Pursuits TV show. This past Monday was Pearl Harbor Day and I wanted to honor those veterans who served, and their families by sharing these stories of sacrifice, coping, and recovery.

First, we'll hear from Retired US Army Special Forces Warrant Officer Dan Carlton who was injured on his third deployment to Afghanistan. I filmed this interview at the Warrior Ranch in Graham, Tx for Freedom Care Warrior Project on a weekend of helicopter hog hunting.

Up next is Kaye Jordan, a Gold Star Mom - Kaye describes how she lost her son, Austin, in Afghanistan and how she copes with that loss. She was a contributor and major force in the creation of the Parker County Veterans Memorial Park.

After this interview, the Parker County Veterans Memorial Park was dedicated and opened in 2018, thanks to Kaye and the Parker County Gold Star Families.

Lastly, we'll hear from a man who was born to be a Marine. Rick Muston, USMC describes his experience in Operation Phantom Fury, the Battle of Fallujah. Rick was injured and had to leave his platoon. Being separated from his brothers in arms was the toughest part of his journey. He describes the recovery and coping with the transition when he returned home.

My guest today is combat veteran  Denny Katona, founder and CEO of O.P. Veteran. 

O.P. Veteran is a nonprofit organization serving the veteran community. Denny served in the U.S. Army for 19 years, including the invasion of Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After an honorable discharge in 2012, Denny founded O.P. Veteran. 

Denny discusses the reason for starting O.P. Veteran and ways of connecting to the veteran community.

We also discuss marketing challenges for both nonprofit and veteran-owned businesses.

You can connect with Denny at https://opveteran.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/opveteran/

Jody Blackwelder is the founder and CEO of G7 Life Media, which includes Gen7 Outdoors TV on streaming TV platforms such as Roku and Amazon Fire. In this episode, I interview Jody as he discusses additional platforms he has created for content producers and influencers to share their content to grow their audience.

Jody begins the interview by discussing the reason traditional distribution outlets for outdoor TV can prove difficult for some content producers. With his latest Crusade platform, content producers can share their Youtube and Vimeo content online to grow their audience without the cost of broadcast airtime or content restrictions set by streaming TV.

Another challenge from the streaming TV side is the inability to get accurate viewership numbers to use in negotiation with sponsors.

Jody's platforms - Camo Crusade, Gun Crusade, Fish Crusade, Outdoor Crusade, Bowhunter Syndicate, Doe Diaries and Camo League allow content producers to upload content, share and grow their audience without a fee or time restriction.

Today's Guest:
Jody Blackwelder
Founder and CEO of G7 Life Media, Gen7 Outdoors TV, Camo Crusade platform
g7lifemedia.com/