The journey to purpose unfolds in unexpected ways. From growing up in small-town New Jersey to serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during Desert Storm, Kevin Schmiegel’s path led him through nonprofit leadership and ultimately to founding ZeroMils, a company committed to helping veterans thrive in civilian life.
In this episode of the Tango Tango podcast, Lloyd Knight speaks with Marine Corps veteran and ZeroMils founder Kevin Schmiegel. He reflects on his upbringing in Toms River, New Jersey, his ROTC scholarship, and his career as an artillery officer in the Marines. After his service, he transitioned into nonprofit work, ultimately founding Zero Mills to support veterans in thriving beyond military service.
They discuss Schmiegel’s military service, the hardships he faced, and how his nonprofit experiences led him to create a new model for veteran success. Today, he’s focused on helping veterans build purpose, opportunity, and community in their post-service lives.
Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro
(01:36) Growing up in a Marine family
(03:41) How sports built Kevin’s discipline
(05:43) ROTC and military commissioning journey
(08:25) Choosing artillery in the Marines
(09:53) Serving in Desert Storm deployment
(15:07) Marine Expeditionary Unit and London orders
(22:16) Leaving the military for the U.S. Chamber
(25:28) Building “Hiring Our Heroes” program
(26:35) Shadowing CEOs at the Chamber
(27:26) Addressing the veterans hiring gap
(29:24) Media breakthrough at hiring events
(30:23) Securing funding and scaling quickly
(32:39) Facing burnout and stepping down
(34:43) Losing purpose after leaving
(37:16) The “Courage Cap” and Kevin’s turning point
(39:14) Leading new nonprofit ventures
(40:11) Founding ZeroMils to empower veterans
(43:00) Challenging nonprofit culture norms
(45:42) Emphasizing due diligence and impact
(49:23) Vision behind The Service Project
(53:24) Kevin's advice for transitioning veterans
Additional Links & Resources:
Tango Tango is proudly sponsored by Supply Chain Now. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/redefining-veteran-narrative-broken-thriving-2tt8
