ZeroMils

05/07/2026

Happy Thriving Thursday!

We are just 5 weeks away from our 3rd Annual Military Thriving Change Forum at Georgetown University, and it is shaping up to be the best one ever!

We've lined up some extraordinary thought and action leaders from across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to share their insights and what they are doing to build cultures and communities that go beyond friendly and measure what matters. They include: Dr. Mark David Milliron , President of National University; Mike Davis, CEO of Neighborly®; and Matthew Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association

Since our last email 3 weeks ago, we also hosted our first Regional Change Forum in Dallas, where we worked with dozens of key stakeholders to map the start of a Military Thriving community blueprint for the DFW area.

You will see that blueprint firsthand at Georgetown, and hear the progress we've made to advance Military Thriving communities in 5 other regions of the country. More importantly you will leave Georgetown with tthe opportunity to turn those lessons learned into best practices in the cities and states where you live, work, and serve.

Join us on June 10th in our nation's capital and be part of change. Our focus this year is two-fold:

1) Empower veterans and military spouses as students, employees, and entrepreneurs, and as catalysts for economic growth, change, and impact at the local level.

2) Create a collaborative environment where community leaders from across the country share best practices, aligned with their commitment to become the first Military Thriving regions in the nation.

Register today to secure your seat at the table! We are limited to 150 participants for both the evening reception on June 9th and the Change Forum on June 10th.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor, National University, and longstanding partners and sponsors: Neighborly, Wells Fargo, CVS Health, Vehicles For Veterans , Orion Talent - Hirepurpose, and Amazon.com this year's Change Forum there is NO registration fee for all participants. See you on June 10th!

Be a catalyst for change. Register & book your stay and join us:

https://www.zeromils.com/events/3rd-annual-change-forum/
https://book.passkey.com/event/51240726/owner/5184/home

05/01/2026

Military Appreciation Month is no different than any other month for ZeroMils and the partners we work with. We believe that the shift from military friendly to Military Thriving is about more than saying "thank you." Appreciation translates to understanding, taking care of your people and committing to measuring impact.

Transition from service to civilian life isn’t about entitlement and barely “getting by”. It’s an opportunity to continuously transform ourselves and become empowered to thrive as students, employees, small business owners, and civic assets.

True appreciation means building systems and cultures where veterans and military families are valued for their unique leadership, intangible workplace and community contributions, resilience, and strategic and operational brilliance.

To move the needle, our focus during Military Appreciation Month is on three things:

🔸Shifting the narrative from helping meet the needs of Veterans and their families, to empowering them to lead and help meet societal needs.

🔹Bridging the gap between the military community and cultures that are not designed to realize their strengths.

🔸Telling our collective stories in ways that build understanding and empathy rather than illicit sympathy and pity. Because that’s not appreciation; it’s charity.

Our goal: to go beyond cultures that are "friendly" and create environments that are Military Thriving. Join our movement.

zeromils.com/events

04/29/2026

Still buzzing from the energy in Dallas! ⚡

The Military Thriving® Regional Change Forum was a powerful reminder that shifting the culture from 'friendly' to 'thriving' is an investment strategy. It's an investment in your people that generates growth, not a cost center.

A huge thanks to Wells Fargo for hosting, and to our partners at National University, Neighborly®, H-E-B, and Orion Talent - Hirepurpose for leaning into our 'whole-of-region' approach, and for recognizing that every community is unique.

The reality is each region of the country we are working in requires its own tailored community blueprint and a coalition of the committed locally that agrees to measure and drive outcomes together.

Our biggest takeaway was that real transformation happens when we focus on identity, purpose, and connection, not just the mechanics of a transition. We thrive because of our service, not in spite of it. Let’s keep this momentum going!

📍 Next stop: Join the conversation at our 3rd Annual National Military Thriving Change Forum at Georgetown University.

04/27/2026

After months of planning and collaboration, the Dallas Change Forum is officially in full swing! We wanted to take a quick moment to recognize all the partners, sponsors and panelists who make this work possible, because these events truly wouldn’t happen without your support.

A huge thank you goes out to Sean Passmore representing Wells Fargo, Doug Heckman for his leadership as Director of Higher Education at Military Thriving with ZeroMils, T. J. Robie from BlueForge Alliance and Coby Dillard, MA-HSC, CMCC, Director of Military & Veterans Affairs at UT Tyler.

We also want to give a special shout-out to H-E-B for sponsoring our Service Project and putting together those awesome gift bags!

There’s still plenty of time to get involved and join the conversation. Check out our events section for more information—we’d love to see you there.

04/23/2026

We have an incredible lineup of experts joining us this Monday, April 27th, at the Wells Fargo Las Colinas Campus for our Military Thriving® Regional Change Forum Dallas!

We're so excited to hear from leaders who are doing incredible work in our community. We’ll dive deep into how we can leverage military talent to close workforce gaps, creating real education and entrepreneurship pathways for veterans, transitioning service members, and spouses, and what it actually looks like to build a thriving community. To learn more about our speakers or view the agenda, visit https://www.zeromils.com/events/military-thrivingregional-change-forum-dallas/

If you can’t make it to Dallas in person, you can still join us virtually!

Virtual Attendee Registration: https://wellsfargo.zoom.us/meeting/register/iLzkS4cIRgq1chR6fcV3dw Passcode: 918314

Note: The registration wait room is active, so please enter your name, email, and phone number when you join. See you from 9 am - 4 pm CT!

04/20/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Bianca L. Steele has joined the ZeroMils team to lead our marketing efforts! 🚀

At ZeroMils, we believe that lived experience is the foundation of true impact. As a military spouse, Bianca brings a firsthand understanding of the unique strengths and challenges within our community. Her expertise will be instrumental in amplifying our mission to shift the narrative from "surviving" to thriving across the nation.

A special thank you to Tracy Steele for the referral! This is a perfect example of our core belief: "only when connected, can we thrive." We are honored to have Bianca’s passion and strategic vision driving our story forward.

Please join us in giving Bianca a warm welcome to the team!

Thrive. Connect. Impact.

01/15/2026

We’re proud to partner with The American Bowl in its inaugural year as they support active-duty and veteran communities through the Military Thriving® initiative.

The American Bowl is more than a college football all-star game. It’s creating real, post-service career opportunities in the football ecosystem, and we’re honored to help build those pathways alongside Soldiers to Sidelines.

For the 2026 American Bowl, 10 on-field coaches are military veteran “Soldier Coaches,” and 2 additional veterans are serving as “Soldier Ops.” These roles are designed to provide meaningful experience, mentorship, and connections that fuel long-term success on and off the field.

📺 Game Day: January 22, 2026 | 8 PM ET | NFL Network

This is what looks like in action: purpose, community, and opportunity that lasts beyond the moment.

Join us live or watch on NFL Network! https://theamericanbowl.com/

01/14/2026

Start It. Buy It. Own It. Virtual session with Tommy Jones

Curious about business ownership after service but not sure which route fits? Tommy breaks down the real options. Start from scratch, buy an existing business, start a franchise, or buy a franchise resale. You will also get a clear rundown of funding paths like SBA loans and veteran perks, plus free resources like VBOCs, SCORE, Boots to Business, and IVMF.

If you have military experience, you already bring discipline, leadership, and mission focus that translates well to ownership.

Join our livestream tomorrow and leave with a clear next step.

01/09/2026

A few weeks ago, we ran a poll asking which myth about life after service people hear most often. The overwhelming answer was: ‘Service speaks for itself.’

Where the gap shows up is in how service is interpreted in civilian workplaces. “Military friendly” rarely equals military understanding. The public may see the highlights and feel genuine respect, but respect doesn’t automatically translate into knowing how to evaluate leadership under pressure, mission planning, risk management, or team performance in a business context.

That gap creates friction on both sides:
-Veterans get undervalued because their impact isn’t being interpreted correctly.
-Employers miss out because they don’t know what they’re looking at.

We’re trying to close that gap.

If your company is ready to put real time and resources behind building a workplace where military-connected talent can thrive, reach out. We help organizations move beyond good intentions and build Military Thriving cultures with clear practices, shared language, and accountable leadership.

And if you’re a Veteran or transitioning service member entering the workforce, join one of Tommy Jones’ upcoming virtual sessions to learn how to translate your service into terms civilians understand and hiring teams recognize.

Link in the comments.

01/08/2026

Veterans: Your next chapter could start with franchising!

🗓️ Join us January 15th, at 3PM EST for a free virtual masterclass with Tommy Jones, retired U.S. Army First Sergeant and veteran hiring leader.

We’ll explore how franchising can be a powerful, purpose-driven path after service, whether you’re transitioning out or looking to build something of your own.

What you’ll get:

☑ Real veteran success stories
☑ Business ownership insights
☑ Tools to turn your experience into impact

Reserve your spot and take the first step toward owning your next mission!

Please share so veterans and current service members within a year of transitioning out know there’s support waiting for them.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Start It. Buy It. Own It. Your Path to Business & Franchise Ownership After Military Service. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.