Meet Megan Militello of the Alaska MEP

Curt Anderson  00:01

Well hey guys, happy Thursday. What an absolute honor what a privilege. My partner in crime Samo Jo is off conquering the world doing fun and exciting things. She’s not here with us today. But I am with the one the only miss Megan Militello. Megan, happy Thursday. How are you my friend?

Megan Militello  00:22

I am doing so good. It’s great to be here. And I mean, we we said it would be better in person, but it wouldn’t

Curt Anderson  00:30

be better in person. I’m just trying to add it up like we we’ve done multiple lives. We were in the last MEP office. We did it at the workshop. I’ve been in your office. We did one in Buffalo. I think we did one in I think we’ve co working space. Yes. Yeah. We did one virtually. We’ve done one. I think like I think we’re flirting with like five or six. So anyway, guys, my name is Curt Anderson, what an absolute honor to be here. We’re here talking about the Alaska MEP Manufacturing Extension Partnership. And boy, what a privilege. This is. I’m like the proud uncle right now. So the I you know, I’m not embarrassed to say that just the the love the respect the admiration I have for this young lady right here. And she is super modest, super, super humble. So Megan, go ahead and plug your ears because I’m going to talk about you for a minute. So I love so we were just in Buffalo together at the National MVP conference. And every person that would was in earshot Megan, I was just I would share this intro. Dude, you are a you’re a war hero, Army Veteran, two tours in Iraq, just you know, we applaud you, we salute you, we thank you for what you’ve done, the sacrifices that you made for our for our protection, our safety for our beloved, amazing, incredible country. So we salute you for that. Thank you. And I know it wasn’t easy, right? And we’re gonna we’ll touch on that. You have an amazing, incredible TED Talk, guys. If you, man, listen to this first, when you get done, go to YouTube, and you want to watch her TED Talk, have a box of Kleenex next to you because either you’re gonna be tears, or you’re going to be running through a wall, I did a little bit of both both. I just ran through a wall crying. But it is such an amazing and I’m a big TED Talk fan. I’ve listened to probably hundreds. And Megan, you are a rock star, you became you were an air of control. You were an air control for a while air traffic control we can get into that. You then eventually became a fierce, an incredible entrepreneur. And now we find you part of the Alaska MEP team. So that’s a that was a mouthful. Just a little bit with the folks. Let’s let like let’s hear your story, your background. And then we want to dig take a deep dive to this new exciting position that you have it the Alaska MEP.

Megan Militello  02:42

Yeah, well, thank you. Wow, that is like, it’s a lot. I feel like I’ve done a lot of different things. I’ve lived so many different little chapters, which has been so much fun, because it’s given me like this wealth of knowledge of such different things. So yes, I was in the Army Air Traffic Controller to deploy deployments to Iraq, the airport that we were controlling out was the equivalent to Phoenix airport. And I mean, we’re like kids, like, when you see your military, it’s a lot of young people, you know. And I met my business partner there in Iraq the first time we went back to Hawaii for two years and then deployed to the same place again, and work together again. And years had passed by I went civilian air traffic control worked for the DoD worked in the FAA move between California and Hawaii a little bit. And my values were starting to change and I wanted to get into more of a family life I quit my job, I moved on to the Big Island with my second husband and had over an acre of land and had more fruit than I knew what to do with it was like such an amazing life. Right? Yeah. Oh, Paradise. Exactly. It was paradise. Yeah. And ran an Airbnb. So that was kind of like this taste of entrepreneurship and having something of my own. And my second husband that had some mental health issues that we just didn’t know about. I ended up leaving and moving to Alaska in my dad’s basement and just kind of like, was like wow, my whole life just changed. So then I got into the elevator notes. I wanted to help people become better people really touching on mental health and getting outside especially here in Alaska because it’s cold and dark during half of our year. So four years later, you know, we built this company and my business partner and I Lacey we came back together she she like created a logo that was like the start of it. And then it turned into packaging and then it turned into brand everything and social media, everything and she really elevating the brand, right? Like our brand had such great recognition in the community. And she wasn’t even in Alaska doing it, which was amazing, you know, she was building this thing in Alaska. And I know how challenging that was, and how challenging it was for us to have the time difference and how we work together, always being online with each other. So, four years later, you know, we did this Alaska Angel conference, and it gave us a bird’s eye view of our company and how we wanted to grow it. And ultimately, I don’t really, I didn’t want to be a fundraiser, you know, it would take a lot of money to build it the way that we would want to build it, especially here in Alaska. And so, you know, my, my dad, who was my number one supporter, mentor, everything was like, you know, you can always do something else. And like this, this is just your first thing, this is just your first thing. And as an entrepreneur, you know, you’re doing stuff and pivoting and changing all the time. And, and it was kind of like, the next day I talked, talked to Lacey and we made the decision. It was it didn’t take us like a lot of time to think about it was just like, wow, yeah, we really have given this our all, you know, but there are a lot of challenges that we face. And so that transition me right, like, I closed that door, and I was like, I’m just gonna see what happens because we were so so visible on social media and had such a following with the brand that we have created, like with elevated oats. And I just kind of figured another opportunity would open. And I think it was only like a couple of weeks after announcing it maybe a month that someone I know that’s on the MEP team who is brand new on the NE P team. I didn’t even know he was working. I don’t even think I knew who was working there. He was like, Hey, I just want to talk to you about what’s going on, like I understand, and he is in business with him, his father. And so there’s a lot of connection there for us. And he was like, Hey, I just want to share this position that’s opening up, or that’s open. And just check it out, you know, and I was like, I don’t want a job. I can’t do a job right now. Right? Like I was so burnt out and had, I was just in a whole new identity thing again, you know, like, this has been my life now for four years. And I didn’t think it was going to not be my life for 20, you know. And then I discovered it was the MVP, I looked into the position, I was like, oh, man, this is like, what I was doing, but like really tackling the challenges. And then without 20 other hats, like I had way less responsibilities as a CEO of a startup company, you know, a consumer packaged goods company. So now I am the supply chain optimization manager at the MVP and my whole goal from what I gather between the conference in Buffalo and the last Gosh, it’s only been a month. Yeah, today like to day, the fifth one month, it’s been my whole goal is to get us connected on a national supply chain and bring manufacturing back to America and like how can I support our Alaska supply chain? Strengthening, elevating our local supply chain? Really, because I think that that is huge for us. We’re so away from everything else. It’s not you know, we’re not connected to the states. So we have unique challenges that we really need to think about. In a different way.

Curt Anderson  08:53

Yeah. So Oh, man. This is so good. So and by the way, for the record, when when you and I were standing together in Buffalo, there was a couple of women standing behind you. And they were you could tell like they were just like, gawking and just admiring, and they came up and they were like, man, we just love your hair. Another person came up and she had seen you on a couple of our live streams. And she knew exactly she goes I know who that is. And so like it was like you’re like, like people were actually like a little bit starstruck with you. I just I absolutely love that. And again, being the proud uncle because next year dad, I am your I’m your number two fan. You know that right? Again, dad’s a President, I’m the vice president of the Michigan fan club. So they can let’s go here like so much to unpack again, like, you know, if you guys would just join us, you know, war hero, two tours in Iraq, just you know, just just she is such an amazing force. You’ve lived multiple lifetimes, in such a young stage in life. Talk a little bit about like, your entrepreneurial journey, if you will. Okay, you know, one thing With the military, it’s it’s, um, you know, like that consistency as a civil servant, you know, the stable paycheck benefit, you know that and I’m not that imply that, you know, serving Iraq was stable, right. But just you know, there’s stability there. You mentioned DOD, air traffic control some of these other opportunities, talk a little bit about, like, you know, what it was, like, you know, maybe like, the shock of being an entrepreneur, and how being an entrepreneur how you’re carrying that experience into the MVP?

Megan Militello  10:26

Okay, great question. Okay. Oh, I really had to change my mindset on money. Yeah. All right. Number one, I had to completely rewire my brain and change my mindset on money because I quit that stable job where I had all the benefits. And the only thing I would say, is working for the government, you did have like the shutdowns, like what we’re kind of dealing with right now that you see in the media. That was always a thing. But we were essential,

Curt Anderson  11:04

you know, person to, like entrepreneurship, like, if you don’t hunt, you don’t eat, right? I mean, expiring, like a shutdown or like something catastrophic. Like, you know, when you work, you know, when you have, you know, my wife’s a school teacher, you know, when you have that civil servant Job, like, you know, it’s reliable, it’s dependable, the paychecks gonna blow their benefits are gonna be there, you know, so you don’t you don’t suffer that risk. You had, you know, up until that point, you had a career of like, kind of that civil service, financial security, if you will, if you feel comfortable me describing it that way. What were like, what would those four years like as like, you know, like, this is on me.

Megan Militello  11:48

Okay, so my dad was my investor. Yeah, so yeah, yeah. We were not a profitable company. Yeah. So

Curt Anderson  11:58

startup, your it was? You know, and I came I, you know, so I’m here in the middle of nowhere in New York, you’re in Alaska, like, we couldn’t be further from each other. Right? Almost, like in Florida or something. And I was in your, you know, it’s, it’s labor intensive. It’s, it’s inventory. product. Right, like it is it is financial intensive. running your business,

Megan Militello  12:22

starting it even dark, because you need to get equipment, right, yeah. And then we have a space that we’re paying for. So we have all these overhead costs. And yet our sales aren’t up to that, because we also can’t just like grow like that either. Yeah, no, yeah, it was very had to change my mindset on money. I had to really just be like, Okay, I’ve got to ask for it. I’ve got to ask, because I’m not making enough to pay for all those things that I’m doing to grow, and to pay my people, right. And also, this was like, right, after COVID Things have changed. You’re not paying factory workers factory wages, you know, like you’re paying people higher wages, too. So there’s some unique ways that I’ve heard and seen other people approaching the workforce challenge. But of course, like when you’re an entrepreneur, and you’re doing you’re like, you’re in it, you’re just kind of in it. You’re just doing all this stuff. And yeah, like you said, you’re hunting like, we were constantly shuffling, spinning the plates going between each one, trying to get to the next thing. Okay, how do we do this? We’re working long hours, you know, startup, right? And it’s like, when you’re the founders, like me and Lacey. We were just working all the time. We’re working all the time, trying to figure out like, what’s our next move? Okay, maybe we if we do this thing, it’ll get more people to see us. Or maybe we can get these partnerships. And we made some really big connections and had some big thoughts like Alaska Airlines, right. Like, we talked to Alaska Airlines, they’re like, if you can get us 50,000 units a month. And we were like, we can’t do that now with all the stuff that we’ve caught, right? So it’s like, okay, well, do we go to a co packer and get something specific made? That’s cheaper, whatever, it’s like, no, we’re making a whole new product. Right? So good opportunities, but then balancing the things that you’re doing and how you already kind of are growing and where you can pivot and where you can put that energy and the money right, like money is a whole big part of it. And manufacturing, you’re paying for a lot all that inventory up front. So yeah, it was um, it was a challenging for years. And everybody when I tell them I’m an air traffic and like, I was an air traffic controller, they’re like, Oh, my God, that’s such a stressful job. And I was like, No. Entrepreneurship was stressed more this job that I what I did with more festival, right,

Curt Anderson  14:53

entrepreneurship, was like that, that that’s funny. That’s a statement. So now you know, the cool thing is is when you walk in now you’re at the Alaska a peak. And guys, if you’re just joining us, we’re at the Alaska MEP Manufacturing Extension Partnership, incredible, wonderful, powerful resource for manufacturers. If you’re coming to us from outside of Alaska, there is an MEP near you, there’s an MEP in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, you are super blessed, you have an incredible team at Alaska MEP in Alaska, when you make them when you walk into not one, when you walk into a manufacturer or an entrepreneur. Now it’s on like, hey, you know, you know that, you know, you don’t know what we’re going through, like, you know, you know, theories or maybe your civil servant, like you’d like you know, exactly what they’re going through, right, you know, their pain, you know, their challenges. So let’s like when you walk in the door, and again, like you’re celebrating your one month anniversary, but just like your goals, your expectations, what you’re excited about, let’s let’s go through that process of you engaging with manufacturers.

Megan Militello  15:57

Okay, well, I, I went to something last night, because right now Alaska is having their startup week, right. And so we had this little gathering of entrepreneurs, and I saw Jen from Alpine fit there. And we were talking about my new role, and in all my goals, and what I want to do, and I think that just me being having been in it being in the trenches with these people, it gives this trust, it’s kind of like a veteran thing, right? It’s like you’re a veteran, you’re a veteran of this entrepreneur startup situation, like you do know a little bit like, in this is where it’s the building the relationships, and it’s like, I know, you know, we always kind of give this broad thing, you know, how can we help you and it’s hard for an entrepreneur in this situation, like, I understand I’ve been there. And so I think that coming into the MVP, and being like, we can definitely do these key things, right? And then understanding them on a different level and just understand what they need, right? And how can we accommodate something that I really learned in Buffalo is like, we have the create, like, we can be really innovative and creative with how we’re helping these manufacturers. And so we have opportunities to figure I mean, we have to just think of things in a different way, especially with us being out here in Alaska, where things are a lot smaller, not as many people are doing as much stuff.

Curt Anderson  17:28

Yeah. And so what I admired, and I had the honor of working with Lacey and that was a couple years ago, right? And so you know, we were it was like, you know, I don’t know think of COVID but we were definitely in COVID You guys we were connected through the Alaska AP I work closely with with Lacey you know, you had amazing partners, Alessi you’re out there sending you tons of love, and everything that you’ve done, you know, just respect and admiration for what you guys did together as a team. But you guys had to be super scrappy, right? Like you had to be super scrappy, to try to get things off the ground. How, like when you’re working with these manufacturers? How did like, let’s talk a little bit about that scrappiness of like, how can you apply that to like, you know, dig into, you know, rubber sleeves and getting some of these supply chain solutions from that aspect?

Megan Militello  18:12

Yeah, I’m really trying to see what the whole ecosystem looks like right now. And that’s like part of the main goal, right? I have this really big goal that’s like, how do we connect us on a big local level or even the national level? Because now we have this supplier scouting thing going on? And then babba you’re familiar with Abba build America by America?

Curt Anderson  18:35

I’m not let’s go there. Watch. Explain to everybody what that is. Okay.

Megan Militello  18:39

It is a don’t quote me. Yeah, I believe it is a policy that was put out to where things, certain things that are built here, like our infrastructure and stuff like that there is we need to have at least 80% of the things built in America. Like we’re trying to bring manufacturing back. Yeah. So we can be making these things ourselves. And so what the MEP now has is this supplier scouting, where we are connected, each center is connected, like you said, we have centers and 50 states. And I would be like, Okay, we need these, like, I have a manufacturer that needs it, this part. Maybe it’s a little gear or something. And I can put all the specs into this system. And this is just my responsibility in this new role. So I’m putting all the specs in and I’m like, Okay, this is what we need to send it out. We have one month for all the senators to kind of go in here look and be like, Hey, I’ve got someone that can make exactly that match, or, Hey, I’ve got someone that’s a partial match, and then they’ll, you’ll get a list of all the places that can accommodate and then we can connect these manufacturers and suppliers on now this local level and whether that’s even giving them a second contact just in case something happens with the first one. You know, like we have those backups in place. So I think that now I’m kind of like with this scrappy than this, right? I’m like, Okay, who are the people, I need to meet the people that are the players who’s making things in Alaska, who are the people that we need to get them, I need to get a whole database kind of happening. So we know what we can, what we are capable of.

Curt Anderson  20:21

Right? I love that and think about this, you know, guys, as entrepreneurs to have somebody of that you can trust, they had that brand, Ambassador, those brand advocates that, you know, you’re going to be out there scouting, you know, how nice would it be, you know, like, you know, somebody calls you up, you know, Hey, Megan, you know, this company needs, you know, 1000 bags of, you know, elevated oats, you know, you’re coming in, like, you know, you’re gonna be scouting and looking for these opportunities, like, Hey, you guys have that certain machinery, you make these certain types of widgets. Did you know that down in the Dakotas that they need that widget? They can’t find anybody like, right, these, these are the opportunities that you’re looking at? You’re almost playing a little bit of a matchmaker, right?

Megan Militello  21:05

Yes. Which I like because I love I like connecting. And I like helping right. And so it’s like helping these different entrepreneurs, how can we benefit and get you new? contacts and connections? And yeah, it’s very exciting. It is it I feel like this job is like this nice blend of challenge. Excitement, you know? And yeah, hey,

Curt Anderson  21:33

how about this man our friend candy giddy Happy Thursday, happy Friday, Eve man send in tons of love that my friend candy, I have a supply chain problem. A wholesaler backed out because the cost of shipping from Alaska? They are in Massachusetts, is there a three PL that can help me with shipping wholesale affordability? How about equals? Man? Megan, you need to reach out. How about you? How about we get on a call with Kenny and have that conversation? Is that Yes or?

Megan Militello  21:59

No? I think that’s great. Because also what I’m doing right now, I can’t I don’t have the exact solutions, I could probably recommend a few different companies. But I am in the works of talking to all the different logistic companies as well to see what we can do. And that’s something that we’ve been talking to like legislators and stuff about is, you know, we’re sending back containers that are empty. Now this isn’t coming up. So this is just a little bit of a different challenge. But like, how can we reduce those costs, right? Or what are those three peels that are consolidating and shipping stuff up? In candy? I don’t know yet. I would recommend a freight forwarder of some type. Like I’ve used Carlisle I know that there’s several other companies that will transport stuff up. Maybe you just need to have it shipped somewhere that they’re at, like in Washington, or something. And then it gets forwarded up here to your

Curt Anderson  22:55

address. Absolutely. And so in in I know, we’re gonna talk about Wesleyan in a second. But let’s go here and what I you know, what I love is making when you are an entrepreneur, what you know, like every entrepreneur I’ve ever met I’ve ever encountered our I have one word, dreamers, right. I’ve never met an entrepreneur that started a business that was half empty or expecting to fail. You know what I mean? Like, you go into business expecting not necessarily to be the next, you know, whatever, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, you know, whatever. But like everybody goes into it. Because you know why you have a belief in yourself. You have a belief in your idea, you have a belief in your solution, Kandi has an amazing, incredible, wonderful solution. And so, you know, in a lot of times, you’re solving your own problem, right? Let’s go here. What I love to call the MEP is this, you guys are dream supporters. You are dream supporters, you’re coming in helping the candies of the world or the entrepreneurs of the world. You know, Don Daisy, everybody that we’ve connect Lin, you know, our friends, you know, from swoop and everybody that’s just doing amazing that Stacy at GC handrails, all sorts of incredible entrepreneurs in Alaska. And for any entrepreneur out there, how excited are you to be that dream supporter to come in and just kind of lift up your clients?

Megan Militello  24:17

Okay, well, let’s just say I being an entrepreneur, a dreamer, and then you’re seeing these problems that you want to solve. And now I feel like I’m in a different position where I get to solve some of those problems that I was facing, right. And I can help these other entrepreneurs support them in their dreams because yeah, I mean, how can we it’s a big it’s a big, lofty goal, right? It’s a big lofty goal to really have everything kind of made here in America, but like,

Curt Anderson  24:48

how cool would that be? Put it out there?

Megan Militello  24:50

Right, let’s Yeah, how cool would that be? Why not? Like why not have it be like that we are capable of some really amazing things. And so I think that we need need big dreamers? big dreamers right now like to be coming up with these really big ideas that can support our economy in different ways? Right? Yeah. So I’m, I’m, I can’t wait to see the things that come up. I also to her, I gotta say like, I love supporting entrepreneurship programs that like support kids. So have you heard of a junior achievement? Oh, sure. Yeah. Okay, love Junior Achievement. I love volunteering for them. I like doing like fourth grade where they like have a business and stuff. One of the sessions is all about supply chain. And it’s so all of these things. I’m like, yes. How do we feed our youth because we have to bring up people that want to solve these problems. Right, you know,

Curt Anderson  25:48

right. Yeah, absolutely. So, so let’s go here. I know we’re coming into time. So a couple of things. You have an incredible team, so I’m gonna give him a shout out. I’m throwing a lot of love out there today. But Dr. Alyssa Sami Jo Qassam, you mentioned earlier, Bentley, we’ve got Peyton so you guys have a really you’ve really muscled up. You started with a very small team of two. Now you guys have muscled up. You’ve got West Lean is coming to town. Next week, our dear mutual friend was thing Whitaker, she’s a sales guru. You want to mention you the sales program that’s going on next week.

Megan Militello  26:22

Yeah. So on Tuesday and Wednesday, I believe that’s the 10th. And the 11th. Wesleyan is going to be out she’s doing a whole sales bootcamp. It’s really about changing your mindset about it. Because I know that I struggle with this as an entrepreneur. Man, when I first came into it, I was like, I don’t know if it’s good enough, right? And you, Kurt, you do you have to be a believer, you have to believe in yourself and your product, and that you’re coming in to see solve and change these things. And right. So I, you know, we heard Wesleyan in Buffalo. And wow, like, she just is amazing. She’s absolutely amazing. And that was only one hour. I got to hear her right. This is two days, like a two day thing. I think she’s gonna touch on direct messaging, and definitely the mindset, but I mean, salesmen just need to be approached a little bit differently sometimes. And so having this perspective, I think is going to be extremely valuable.

Curt Anderson  27:23

Yeah, she’s priceless. And just you know, what a waltzing she’s a dear friend, and just how awesome is this? Katie jumpin another note here. Again, it’s all going from me to the buyer. And so you know, and that’s the thing. That’s a big challenge for our friends in Alaska. You know, how do we make How do you get the product raw material, you know, all the way up to Alaska, then how do we get back to the lower 48? So, you know, these are challenges that you had to face. You know, it’d be wonderful you and candy get together geek out on a conversation that those. This is perfect.

Megan Militello  27:52

Yeah, this is exactly the thing that we are trying to figure out how to reduce those costs so that we can Yes, yes. No, Andy, let’s get together.

Curt Anderson  28:03

And Alright, so man, that’s just magic between you two. So, Megan, let’s go. Let’s wind down. And so again, my respect admiration for you. How about parting thoughts, words of wisdom, things that you want to share with folks as we just kind of close out your new role? Just congratulations, we’re so excited for you. It’s Alaska MVP. What are your What are words of wisdom that you want to leave everybody with today?

Megan Militello  28:27

Oh, man, that’s a lot. Well, you know, there’s a couple of things I love, like little quotes and phrases that really change a could just be like, woof. So one that I have heard that I really like is closed mouths don’t get fed. So closed mouths don’t get fed. So this is where we have to ask those questions like candy, right, coming in and letting us know what a problem is. And now we can connect and talk about it and try to fix it. But if you don’t ask, like you’re, you know, you got to ask you got to ask for help. And I, I’ve heard from a lot of different entrepreneurs that that’s, that’s been a challenge and then once I think people get over it, then you start kind of really getting into the groove of just like realizing how many opportunities there are out there. How many organizations how many different people want to help you elevate your business right? So I think I think those would be my parting words and if you’re a manufacturer in Alaska and you’re making something or you have a cool idea to make something right like that big dream idea. Let’s figure out how we can make it happen.

Curt Anderson  29:32

Making magic at the Alaska MEP so I guys we’re gonna close out Hey, Bentley dude, I agree with you 100 You know mic drop moment right there closed mouths don’t get fed so guys, we’ve got to stop being the best kept secret and just boy exhaust your superpowers connect with Bentley, our friend here. All the team at the Alaska AP as we’ve mentioned previously, tons of love and admiration to our friends. Megan. You had Hello my friend you know you have you had my entire heart and just boy I can’t wait to you and I are back in person together. It’s just you know you we’ve become fast friends and just you I’m just rooting you on for massive success. And so thank you for taking time to share your passion, your your journey, your expertise. And thank you for joining the Alaska MEP because Alaska manufacturers are very blessed to have you. So guys, we’re gonna close out have an amazing incredible wonderful week it’s manufacturing month, tomorrow is Manufacturing Day. So get out there and think a your your favorite manufacturer, give them a high five a hug whatever it takes. And again, reach out to our friends at the Alaska MEP. Reach out to Meghan, you connect with her on LinkedIn at Alaska MEP website, and she is here to help so guys, have an awesome day and we will see you soon. Thanks