Honored to be part of the Veterans of Business community. 🇺🇸

I actually recorded a video introducing myself and sharing a little more about my story, but unfortunately it's too large to upload to the VOB newsfeed.

I'll be sharing it on LinkedIn if you'd like to watch the full version.

Here's the short version:

For those I haven't met yet, my name is Gilberto De León. I'm a retired Army officer and an independent health and life insurance broker. I help individuals, families, self-employed professionals, nonprofits, and small businesses build insurance strategies that fit their needs—not just sell a policy.

If you're a veteran-owned business, a veteran supporter, or know someone looking for an independent broker, I'd truly appreciate the introduction. Referrals are one of the best ways you can support a fellow veteran-owned business.

Every client I have the privilege of serving moves me one step closer to building my future holistic regenerative ranch for veterans—a place where veterans can reconnect with the land, learn regenerative agriculture, build community, and discover new opportunities after military service.

Helping people protect what they've worked hard to build is my mission today. And with your support, I'm working toward building something that I hope will serve veterans for generations to come.

Thank you for welcoming me into this incredible community. I look forward to learning from all of you every Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

If we're not connected yet, I'd love to get to know you.

#VeteransOfBusiness #VeteranOwned #VeteranEntrepreneur #Networking #HealthInsurance #LifeInsurance #SmallBusiness #MissionDriven #Leadership

Lakas Solutions is now accepting applications for partner clients for our upcoming Lakas VA Internship Program.
 

Our interns complete two weeks of self-paced training in administrative support and social media management before beginning their supervised fieldwork on August 2. During this time, your business can receive support from a VA intern at no cost while they gain valuable hands-on experience.
 

If you're interested in participating as a partner client, please complete our Google Form:
Lakas Solutions Client Partnership Inquiry Form

We look forward to partnering with you and helping both your business and our interns succeed!

https://www.militaryfriendly.com/2024mfcthat ? ?- ? Companies who donate to Military and nonprofit Veteran organizations!!

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Top Ten Companies by Award Categories

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$5 Billion & Over
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• #1 USAA
• #2 Verizon
• #3 Lowe's Companies Inc.
• #4 Hilton
• #5 Windstream Holdings
• #6 COMCAST
• #7 Navient Solutions
• #8 Wells Fargo
• #9 AT&T
• #10 Bristol Myers Squibb

$1 Billion to $5 Billion

• #1 Combined Insurance
• #2 Silver Eagle Distributors Houston, LLC
• #3 Werner Enterprises Inc.
• #4 United Concordia Companies
• #5 TEK Systems
• #6 Serco Inc.
• #7 AAR Corp.
• #8 Aston Carter
• #9 CoreCivic
• #10 Flagstar Bank

$500 Million to $1 Billion

• #1 Roush
• #2 Power Home Remodeling
• #3 Newrez LLC
• #4 ASUS
• #5 Progress Residential
• #6 ECC
• #7 OTC Industrial Technologies

Less than $500 Million

• #1 The Citadel
• #2 Precise Systems
• #3 AMERICAN SYSTEMS
• #4 Zeiders Enterprises Inc.
• #5 PrimCorp,LLC
• #6 First Command Financial Services, Inc.
• #7 MyComputerCareer
• #8 TALENT Technical Services, Inc.
• #9 HireMilitary
• #10 Melton Truck Lines

Government & Non-Profilt

• #1 Sanford Health
• #2 Northwell Health
• #3 Riverside Healthcare
• #4 Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
• #5 Tennessee Valley Authority
• #6 Army and Air Force Exchange Service
• #7 UPMC
• #8 VyStar Credit Union
• #9 Trinity River Authority
• #10 UCHealth

AT EASE HQ STICKER PACKS ARE HERE!

We?ve got brand-new At Ease HQ sticker packs available for $6! They?re packed with military humor, dark humor, motivational designs, and At Ease HQ originals.

?Don?t want a sticker pack for yourself?
You can still make a difference by donating a sticker pack. For every $6 donation, I?ll personally give a sticker pack FREE to a Veteran or Active Duty Service Member as a small thank-you for their service.

Whether you?re buying one for yourself or sponsoring one for someone who has served, you?re helping support our veteran community.

Want a sticker pack? Send me a DM!

Want to donate a sticker pack to a Veteran or Service Member?
Donate here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-at-ease-hq-foundation

Thank you for supporting a veteran-led mission and helping us put a smile on the faces of those who have sacrificed for our country.

#AtEaseHQ #VeteranOwned #SupportVeterans #IGY6 #MilitaryHumor #VeteranCommunity #GiveBack

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I just created a new project: AI Second Brain.

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The idea is simple: Most people do not need a massive knowledge management system on day one.

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I need a way to stop having to re-explain myself to AI tools every session.

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AI Second Brain is a markdown-first personal knowledge system designed around five escalating retrieval levels:

Level 1 ? File routing
Use CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and focused context files so your AI agent knows where to look first.

Level 2 ? Wiki
Create a lightweight index with backlinks so you can find what is spread across dozens of notes.

Level 3 ? Semantic search
Search by meaning, not just exact keywords.

Level 4 ? Knowledge graph
Map relationships between people, tools, projects, ideas, and decisions.

Level 5 ? Automation
Automate ingestion only when manual updating becomes the bottleneck.

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The core rule behind the system:

Climb only for the pain you actually felt this week.

That rule keeps the system practical. You do not start with a graph database, automations, and dashboards just because they sound impressive. You start with the lowest level that solves the problem.

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I created a secure solution built under my portfolio and secured so you will not be able to see it. You can learn more about my work here:
www.malikwdixon.com

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The project is available for review upon request.

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Too many strong organizations have the mission, the people, and the impact, but not the grant-writing system needed to consistently secure funding.

That is where structure matters.

A successful grant process is not just about writing well. It requires:
? Clear funding priorities
? Strong program design
? Measurable outcomes
? Compelling storytelling
? Organized documentation
? A repeatable process your team can use again and again

At SSD Consulting, we help nonprofit teams move from ?chasing grants? to building a practical funding strategy that supports long-term growth.
Because your mission deserves more than last-minute applications and missed opportunities.

Start with the basics. Build the system. Secure the funding.

Visit https://ssd-consulting.com for additional information

Hey friends,

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There is a special deal going on with Plaud.ai where if we purchase 2 or more devices, we can get a 20% discount. ?

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Anyone want to join me?

Bill Haase shared this with me. So Good!
?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Vaa4v465Y

If you have always wanted to save physical gold & silver but didn't know who to trust, what to save, or feel you have the budget for it?Soundmoney is the solution you need. ?

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With Soundmoney you can start with a FREE account, save as little as $1, and have 24/7 access. You'll also get free, fully-insured private vault storage and ease of liquidity. Metals can also be shipped directly to you in whole ounce quanities.?

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As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, now is a great time to save the only real money recognized in our constitution. Gold and silver are the only money that has a store of value, protects against inflation, and is recognized as money in the entire world. There is a reason these precious metals are the only consistant thruline in all of history.

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To start your free account, go to https://sound.money/pololei20

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You can also reach Tom Lundell of Soundmoney directly at (808) 721-3041.

Big congratulations to Bill Haase ? Founder of Money Mindset Media ? on receiving the National Business Innovator Prime Award (2026)!

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Bill has been part of the VOB family for some time now, and it?s been awesome to watch him keep pushing the conversation forward around financial education, mindset, and practical tools that help people take control of their money decisions.

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The award recognizes Bill?s innovation-driven leadership and the impact of his work through Money Mindset Media, including his book, Our Mindset on Money:?
It?s Easy to Control, So Why Don?t We?
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Proud of you, Bill ? and grateful to have you in our community. Link to the full release in the comments. ???

On the surface, both can look similar.

Work gets done.
People stay busy.
Progress appears steady.

But underneath, the difference is clear.

Strong systems make it easier to move forward.
Roles are defined.
Ownership is clear.
Decisions happen at the right level.

Effort compounds.

Fragile systems depend on people to hold everything together.

Gaps are filled manually.
Clarity is created on the fly.
Momentum depends on who is willing to absorb the strain.

Effort gets spent just maintaining motion.

From the outside, both systems can produce results.

But one is sustainable.

The other is expensive.

Veterans tend to recognize this difference quickly.

Not because they expect perfection.

Because they have operated in environments where friction has consequences.

They know the cost of unclear ownership.
They know what happens when responsibility is assumed instead of assigned.
They know how fast momentum disappears when structure is missing.

So the question becomes simple.

Is the system doing the work?

Or are the people compensating for it?

That distinction determines whether effort builds something lasting or just keeps something afloat.