Transitioning from military to civilian life can be one of the hardest challenges veterans face. Many leave service with leadership skills, discipline, and purpose but without clear direction on how to manage their finances or build long-term stability.

Thousands of veterans struggle with underutilized benefits, financial stress, and uncertainty about how to translate their service into financial success. Even worse, they often fall prey to bad habits—overspending, underinvesting, or simply not planning for the future.

In this inspiring episode, Jeff Kikel sits down with Joshua Brooks, U.S. Army veteran, chaplain, and founder of Exponential Advisors. Joshua shares his incredible 20-year journey from infantry to chaplaincy to entrepreneur and how his mission today is helping veterans achieve ethical, sustainable, and explosive financial growth. You’ll hear how his firm provides elite wealth management for accomplished Army veterans, why faith and finance go hand-in-hand, and how he’s using social media and creativity (yes, even freestyle rap!) to reach his audience.

Key Takeaways:

• How Joshua went from 20 years in the Army to launching his own financial advisory firm.

• Why veterans need personalized financial planning that honors their benefits and sacrifices.

• The secret to transitioning from service to entrepreneurship with purpose.

• How Joshua is partnering with top marketers like Nick Meyer and Nate Hoskin to grow through social media.

• Why ethical, faith-driven business models can create sustainable wealth.

• How he’s integrating tools like Notion 3.0 and ScoreApp for efficiency and client readiness quizzes.

• The lessons from military life—discipline, faith, and consistency—that apply to wealth building.

• Why “alignment of faith, family, and service” defines true freedom.

• How content, community, and creativity (yes—rap bars included!) are transforming his outreach.

About the Guest:

Joshua Brooks founded Exponential Advisors, a financial planning firm dedicated to helping families and organizations secure their financial futures through innovative strategies. With over 20 years of Army service, including deployments as an infantry Soldier during Operation Iraqi Freedom and as a chaplain in Operation Inherent Resolve, Joshua combines military discipline and faith-based values with advanced financial tools like Bitcoin and AI to create tailored solutions for his clients.

A seasoned global traveler, he has visited countries across five continents, enriching his perspective and approach to problem-solving. Joshua is a devoted husband to Stephanie and a proud father to four sons, including Hudson, named after missionary Hudson Taylor. Beyond his professional and family life, Joshua’s creative flair shines through his freestyle rap, inspired by legends like Wu-Tang Clan and Jay-Z, reflecting his energy and passion to every aspect of his life.

Links:

https://www.exponentialadvisors.net/

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? “What I’m going to do is build a community. You want to build an audience, create quality content—not just AI-generated work slop—and run free workshops for vets to add value, build trust, and then monetize with planning packages for accomplished Army veterans.”

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? “Overcomplicating it. Too many tools, too many projects. Sometimes you just have to keep it simple. KISS—keep it simple.”

3. What is a book that you would recommend? “The One Page Marketing Plan. You can have the best product or service, but if you’re not getting your message and value proposition out there, your clients won’t know you exist.”

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “Notion 3.0. It’s my life operating system—integrates business, home, and projects all in one place. It keeps me organized and improving.”

5. What is your definition of freedom? “Freedom is alignment of faith, family, and service. It’s peace plus purpose—not just money or work optional—but all things coming together in balance.”

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomnationpodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/

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