Front Row: Lindsay Hill (Kansas), AJ Beaudoin (Battle Fish), Elizabeth Bowles (Potsdam, NY), Rick Betty (Redford, NY), Matt Rothery (Fort Drum, NY), Second(ish) Row: Andrew Blackwell (Chattooga River, South Carolina), Jamie Goheens (Malone, NY), William Bowles (Potsdam, NY), Zachary Green (Wyoming), Mark Gianino (GCSEN), Mike Caslin (GCSEN) Last Row: Martin Hughes (Tupper Lake, NY), Ryan Easter (Hamburg, NY), Matt Reynoso (Fort Drum, NY), Nicole Beaudoin (Paul Smith's College), Geno Ramirez (Malone, NY), Dustin Robert (The Lab, South Carolina), Aaron Rivera (Fort Drum, NY)
A Life-Changing Learning Transformative Experience
Zachary Green - Greenish Adventures: “I had a wonderful time at Paul Smith's and the entire experience was impactful on so many levels. More importantly I was able to leave with a new plan for not just business but life in general. The drive back to Wyoming provided me plenty of time to brainstorm and develop a business model which I have already started acting upon but would not have been born without your efforts.”
This past June, GCSEN’s NCVV (National Center for Veteran Ventures) and Battle Fish Charters sponsored an extraordinary three-day, accredited certification program with Paul Smith's College in the Adirondack Mountains. The program, called Battle Fish University (BFU), taught 14 Active Duty Transition and Military Veterans and family members the essential steps to become outdoor guides, as well as GCSEN 4P Social Entrepreneurs for People, Profit, Planet and Place. This scholarship program enabled this powerful learner cohort to be inspired, taught and began long-term CEO sunrise coaching support via GCSEN and a network of new allies as they begin and strengthen their transition to business owners.
The primary mission was to renew each learner’s passion and purpose for greater peace and prosperity. “This is a Julliard level of giftedness for business-these learners have developed and possess over sixteen skills, character traits and core values vital for success in business. We can use the healing and creative force of entrepreneurship for 4P Impact to help them get from ‘lost in transition’ to ‘success in translation to civilian life success’.
In just the first minutes together, it was abundantly clear that Active Duty in Transition out of military service, Veterans and Military Family members- are powered by their core values of service leadership, priceless skills and experience, grit and dreams to create generational family wealth after a career of military public service. Together we are committed to empowering our Veteran venture founders and creating opportunities to grow from national security heroes to economic prosperity heroes!
Nestled in the Adirondacks National Park’s 6 million wilderness pine forest acres, dozens of mountains and 240 fishing lakes and streams, Paul Smith’s College of 14,000 acres provided an amazing -state of the art, sustainable and cutting edge learning environment with premier residential halls.
With their goal of becoming one of the best college campuses in the USA for Active Duty, Veteran and Military Family members, Paul Smith’s College is the best possible campus partner.
From its shores on the Lower St. Regis Lake and its connected waterways of the St. Regis Canoe Area, BFU each day embraced the healing powers of Paul Smith’s College while also creating unique, innovative-out-of-the box and practical fishing guide, career and CEO-level business training. A key design concept was experiential learning, supported by interactive lecture workshops and combined with real-life inspiration stories from Veteran’s Playbook episodes. In addition to guide management and marketing skills, fishing insights and experiences, all learners were able to access GCSEN’s highly valued business ‘know-how, know-who and know-what-to do’ frameworks and action tools. All combined, the setting provided a bonding event with long term benefits including calls for an “annual reunion/reflect and renew” program. Finally, campfire conversations at the end of each day provided authentic conversation, opportunities for sharing and mutual support with one another over shared military experience.
Program Surveys and Pre/Post Learner focused video interviews revealed value gained and significant personal evolution in just 3 days. Graduates affirmed that this MVPP (minimum viable pilot program) was indeed a true life-changing learning success and deserved to be replicated and scaled.
About Battle Fish University
BFU ensures Veterans acquire relevant knowledge and skills for employment in the fishing and guiding industries. The program integrates the latest evidence-based knowledge and tools, one-on-one coaching, and peer support to create and support Veteran business owners.
Day 1: Building Foundations
The week started with welcome greetings by Paul Smith’s College President Dr. Daniel Kelting, GCSEN’s President/Founder Professor Mike Caslin and Battle Fish Charters, LLC, President/Founder AJ Beaudoin.
Our cohort members drove from across the USA, making many think that this was the Field and Streams of Dreams moment. They drove in from Wyoming, Kansas, South Carolina and a wide range of Eastern States. Our BFU Summer ‘24 Cohort Learners introduced themselves and learned more of similar yet unique life journeys that took them to BFU. A Water Safety briefing was followed by, “Do You Battle Fish?' by BFU Founder and US Army Paratrooper, Sergeant AJ Beaudoin.
The activity involved an introduction to the 3 P’s (Purpose, Patience, and Perception), which helped lay the foundation for the retreat by helping the Veterans think about their career aspirations, the needs of their fishing clients and family business plans.
Providing opportunities for peers’ feedback through interactive video statements and group work enabled participants to share their stories, motives, and expectations. Paulie Martin, a social media entrepreneur, conducted an interactive session on how to tap into the power of social media for business development.
The accredited BFU work was anchored by the Master Class in Entrepreneurship for Sustainability and Social Impact led by Professor Mike Caslin, where he shared vital insights for the Veteran Venture launch, scale and management a business venture including, but not limited to: GCSEN’s: 4P Framework, 7 Step Quick Start Launch Checklist, Theory of Change Tool for alignment to the (17) UN Development Goals and (64) Sustainability Tracking and Rating of Sustainable Communities, (17) pitch slides and Strategies for Cash Flow generation via the Babson-Charm Self-Financed Growth, Debt and Equity and The Harvard Business School-Sahlman Go Forward Plan.
Professor Eric Holmlund, Paul Smith’s College Professor of Environmental Studies & Outdoor Leadership, teaching at an outdoor classroom on campus.
Day 2: Hands-On Learning
On the second day, BFU’s AJ Beaudoin led the marketing workshop, “Your New Career”, which taught fundamental marketing skills to the Veterans that related to their new careers after service.
Afterward, the Veterans practiced their guiding skills through a trip simulator vital to their preparation to lead with their own local test-user clients. This practice was accompanied by such segments as CPR, first aid, and water rescue, which ensured that the Veteran guides had an awareness of all the skills necessary to keep their clients safe under any circumstances.
The evening event was an orientational fishing session where we all enjoyed the calm of the Adirondacks, call of the loons and the company of each other.
AJ Beaudoin: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Founder of Battle Fish University, Owner of Battle Fish Charters LLC, Veteran Entrepreneur
Day 3: Certification and Future Planning
The last day was dedicated to Certification Assessments- paper and video- as well as developing further strategies that the Veterans could implement for their Veteran Ventures in their future businesses. Certificates for water safety were issued to the participants and they went again through all-around briefings on CPR, first aid, water rescue. Paul Smith's College and GCSEN spoke in support of the program and future GI Bill and On-Line Learning education opportunities for Veterans - and it looks like up to 20% of the learners will now likely enroll with Paul Smith’s College this Fall! The day concluded with a Go Forward Q&A and personal dedication book signing of “Get To WOW! Exploring your 4P Social Entrepreneur Within” by Professor Mike Caslin, and the issuance of PSC, BFU and GCSEN Certificates with one college credit in Field Guiding and Outdoor Leadership.
Professor Mike Caslin, President/Founder, GCSEN Foundation, BFU Lecturer
Impact and Outcomes
Several Veterans claimed that BFU was not merely a formal educational program, but a life-changing experience that gave them hope and a new-found belief in their capabilities as entrepreneurs. The participants left with additional skills and a supportive network, thus achieving the goal of the program.
Dustin Robert: “Great is an understatement! In some cases, it was life-changing. Thank you to all of those who had a hand in making it possible.”
Aaron Rivera: “I want to thank AJ, Mike, Paulie, Paul Smith's College, and everybody for such an amazing, knowledgeable, and all-around unforgettable weekend.”
Our cohort of Active Duty in Transition, Military Veterans and family members also discussed the essential characteristics of high-quality leadership in the military and civilian world and determined that a true leader needs to be: service-focused, have an inspiring vision and mission, and build enduring trust. Further, a true leader must lead from the front, never tell his or her subordinates to do something that they would not do themselves, and take care of each team member. One member of our group spoke of his time in combat and said that he made himself the first person to enter any raid, which is usually the first one to get shot. He wanted his team to know that he would do anything himself that he had told them to do.
We transformed lives by working together to help each other heal and grow. Our learners included multiple members who were medically discharged Veterans still managing through their PTSD events, Traumatic Brain Injury Concussions and those experiencing a loss of Passion, Purpose and lack of Personal Peace and Prosperity after years of service to our nation. They repeatedly shared how their thinking, their hopes and their grit and dreams had been enhanced.
Will you join us?
With proven success now of the BFU model, we are no longer limited by program concept and design efficiency and effectiveness testing, we are now limited by sponsor resources. BFU appeals to you to join our cause.
Your sponsorship assistance will help the lives of many Veterans by assisting them in their transition from a military career to Veteran entrepreneurship.
Why Sponsor?
- Brand Visibility: Get advertising exposure such as advertisements, banners, posters, and social media publicity.
- Networking Opportunities: Meet Veterans and professionals in the fields of business and guiding.
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Demonstrate that you are in support of Active Duty in Transition, Military Veterans and Family Members.
- Product Placement
- Custom Sponsorship Packages: Designed to enhance your organization's visibility to the general population.
How You Can Help
You can join in this amazing effort with charitable sponsorship payable to GCSEN Foundation, restricted for Battle Fish University. You can enable us to offer more Veteran Venture Scholarships in your name for this transformative program at a cost of $6,000 per attendee of Battle Fish University. Your sponsorship funding will provide the funding for program operations that offer the Veterans essential knowledge, contacts, and equipment to get them activated as Fishing Guides with their own Veteran Venture.
Conclusion
The recently held BFU retreat at Paul Smith's College was indeed a success due to the efforts of the partners as well as the patronage of our benefactors. BFU looks forward to implementing more retreats to teach and inspire our Veterans in the future. This retreat helped Veterans renew their passion and purpose and begin to increase their own personal peace and family/community prosperity.
For media inquiries and/or to learn about other sponsorship positions or for any other sponsor packages to be discussed, please contact today: Prof. Mike Caslin, Mike@GCSEN.com and AJ Beaudoin, Battle Fish Charters LLC at BattleFishCharters@gmail.com.
Contact:
AJ Beaudoin
Battle Fish Charters LLC
www.battlefishuniversity.org
BattleFishCharters@gmail.com
Mike Caslin
GCSEN Foundation
www.gcsen.org
mike@gcsen.com
