The Perfect Storm__Onboarding Call Outline for Tiers 3 and 4
THE PERFECT STORM FOR VETERAN ENTREPRENEURS
Why Now Is the Time to Build With 8th Ascent™
The entrepreneurial landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Three major forces — the rise of veteran-owned businesses, widespread career disruption from AI, and the retirement of baby boomers — are converging into a historic opportunity for founders who are disciplined, decisive, and mission-oriented.
At 8th Ascent™ we help veterans and strategic entrepreneurs leverage this moment with clarity, precision, and operational readiness.
VETERAN FOUNDERS OUTPACE THE NORM
Military training creates leaders who act under pressure, make disciplined decisions, and carry mission focus. That translates naturally into business.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, veterans own over 1.6 million businesses employing roughly 3.3 million people — a significant share of U.S. enterprise. Veterans tend to launch new companies at rates higher than their share of the U.S. population, and many veteran-owned businesses report strong long-term viability and leadership roles in sectors from professional services to construction.
This resilience is not luck. It’s learned leadership — honed through service — applied in civilian enterprise.
AI IS DISRUPTING JOBS — AND CREATING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Public anxiety about AI replacing jobs is real. A recent national survey found that more than 60% of Americans believe AI will reduce job availability over the next two decades.
But small businesses that integrate AI are reporting a different trend. In the 2025 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices survey, 68% of small business owners were already using AI to enhance productivity and expand capabilities, and about 40% reported that AI would help them create jobs this year.
This tells us two things simultaneously:
AI is not inherently a job killer — it is a productivity multiplier when used strategically.
Entrepreneurs who adopt and wield AI early gain a competitive edge, especially when applied to operational automation, customer insights, and scalable marketing.
At 8th Ascent™ we show founders how to integrate AI tools into early business systems, maximizing efficiency without sacrificing human connection.
BABY BOOMERS ARE RETIRING — AND THEY OWN BUSINESSES
A demographic shift known as the Silver Tsunami is now in motion. An estimated 2.3 million small businesses across the U.S. are owned by retiring boomers, leaving a historic transfer of economic power and legacy enterprises up for transition or acquisition.
These are not just small shops — many are profitable, stable, revenue-producing businesses with loyal customers and trained staff. More importantly, fewer than 15% of these owners have a family successor lined up.
That gap creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for principled entrepreneurs to acquire existing businesses, preserve jobs, and carry forward local legacy.
Veterans, with their leadership mindset, operational discipline, and mission first approach, are uniquely positioned to step into these roles and take them into the future.
WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
These forces — veteran entrepreneurship momentum, AI workforce shifts, and baby boomer retirements — combine into a perfect storm of opportunity:
• Veterans already outperform traditional benchmarks in business ownership
• AI is reshaping work but rewarding those who build new models
• Boomer exits create pathways to ownership without starting from zero
This moment rewards speed, structure, and strategy — not fear or hesitation.
WHAT WE COVER IN Onboarding ORIENTATION CALLS
When you join an 8th Ascent™ Orientation Bootcamp, here’s what you can expect:
Clarity & Validation
We help you validate your business idea using data, customer research, and market signals so you build with confidence, not guesswork.
AI & Tech Integration
Learn how to adopt cost-effective AI tools to automate tasks, analyze markets, accelerate customer acquisition, and scale faster than competitors.
Acquisition Strategy
Whether you want to launch new or acquire existing, we walk through acquisition readiness, valuation basics, and transition planning so you avoid common exit pitfalls.
Business Foundation Built Right
From legal setup to branding, funding strategy to sales psychology, every step is designed to build a defensible, scalable company — not a dead end.
You don’t just get ideas; you get execution frameworks that move quickly from theory to live business reality.
FINAL PERSPECTIVE
This is not the time to wait.
This is the time to act with purpose.
Veterans have always responded when the call is loudest. Today, the call is clear:
Build businesses that matter.
Lead with clarity.
And own your economic future.
The world is changing — and founders who adapt win.
8th Ascent™ Journal Team
