Dream Big and Thrive In 2025!

What’s your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) for 2025?

At ZeroMils, the new year brings new perspectives, new energy, and renewed commitment to the change we are trying to make for our community.?

We are a small but mighty team, but that doesn’t stop us from dreaming big and setting audacious goals focused on growth and greater impact — and moving us ever closer to our vision of creating a Military Thriving? movement.?

In addition to publishing a newsletter with updates twice a month, here are our 5 BHAGs to help every Veteran and military spouse “Thrive In 2025.”

Growing Our Team?

To grow our impact we have to grow our team (BHAG #1). Over the past few weeks, we announced an opportunity for aspiring changemakers to join ZeroMils during an exciting year for our SDVOSB. We had such a strong response to the invitation to apply that the C-Suite Fellowship is currently closed to new applicants. Follow us on Linkedin for further announcements about upcoming opportunities.

And we’re preceding that growth by hiring one of the most talented and impactful leaders in the world of military talent acquisition and retention. We’re proud to welcome Army Veteran Tommy Jones to our team. With his wealth of experience driving outcomes for Verizon, Walmart, and our community as a whole, there is no one more qualified to help us lead a movement that helps every Veteran and military spouse thrive and achieve their full potential.

Tommy joins ZeroMils as we look to refine our Military Thriving? culture and community playbooks and expand our efforts in regions of the country poised for economic growth but hindered by a massive skills gap and small business infrastructure with a focus on attraction AND retention.

To understand why we are so excited to welcome Tommy to our team, just read this Unsung Heroes post from last year and stay tuned for news about the projects and initiatives that Tommy will lead in his role as Director of Military Engagement and Strategic Partnerships.

Growing Awareness Through Storytelling?

Speaking of staying tuned, we’re starting a podcast called "Leveling the Bubbles” featuring some of the most inspiring leaders, changemakers and advocates in our community. (BHAG #2)

Its purpose: to balance and moderate exaggerated viewpoints and narratives that paint a one sided picture about our community. Call it positive disruption to negative narrative or the glass being both half full and half empty, we will challenge common assertions and misperceptions with reality checks and data.

Additionally, we will spotlight strategic partners of ZeroMils throughout the year, sharing how our organizations are perfectly aligned, as well as our efforts to show up for one another wherever and whenever possible — both at in-person engagements across the country and in our messaging… over and over again. (BHAG #3)

Both the podcast and the growth of our partner ecosystem will be underpinned by a robust social media and messaging campaign called: “250 Years — Thriving in Service.” (BHAG #4)

With the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps celebrating their 250th anniversaries in 2025, we will share 250 posts through Veterans Day with the goal of inspiring a movement that will not only change the narrative but will inspire the next generation to serve and secure the next 250 years of our all-volunteer force.

Growing Our Impact?

You’ve heard us say it again and again — Actions speak louder than words. A Military Thriving movement is not possible without repeated engagements at the local level where all hiring, growth, and impact occur. While we can’t be in all 50 states our goal is to explore 5 regions of the country in 2025 with the goal of identifying just one committed state or city to model a true Military Thriving community. (BHAG #5)

Below is a list of upcoming engagements from California to Texas, to DC, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Hold on to your hats and get ready to Thrive in 2025.

Upcoming Events?

• February 25: Military Thriving Stakeholder Meeting in partnership with Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs and Platoon 22 in Frederick, Maryland
• March 5 - 6: Military Thriving Stakeholder Meeting and Viasat Transition Conference in Carlsbad, CA
• March 13: Military Thriving Hampton Roads - Anchoring Growth & Change in partnership with William & Mary and wear blue: run to remember in Williamsburg, VA
• March 18 - 19: Military Thriving Community-Wide Engagement in Dallas, TX

Call To Action

Help change the narrative. Here are two different ways you can be a part of the #MilitaryThriving movement:

1. Share a photo and short caption of what it means to #thrive as a service member, Veteran or Military Spouse. We may feature and tag you in our “250 Years — Thriving in Service” campaign on LinkedIn.
2. Get involved with ZeroMils at an upcoming event. Email [email protected] or watch our LinkedIn page for more details about any of the upcoming events.