MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 10

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 10: From Navy Nuclear Technician to Elite Veteran Talent Connector with Brandon Aaron 

Join host Rod Loges and guest Brandon Aaron as he shares his journey from serving as a Navy Nuclear Electrician’s Mate on submarines to founding HIGHR1, a recruiting firm dedicated to placing Navy nukes and technical veterans in mission-critical positions. 

In this episode: 

• Brandon’s experience serving in the elite Navy Nuclear program aboard the USS Nebraska and USS Michigan 
• His path from college dropout to nuclear technician to entrepreneur 
• Surviving a failing business’s bankruptcy and using those lessons to build his own company 
• Building HIGHR1 with a mission to advocate for veterans rather than treating them as revenue opportunities 
• The unique challenges of submarine service and why Navy nukes deserve recognition as academic elite 

Key takeaways: 

• The Navy Nuclear program instills uncompromising integrity and attention to detail that transfers to business 
• Bootstrapping a business requires focusing on what customers will actually pay for 
• Building a niche service for a community you deeply understand creates natural advantage 
• Serving others (veterans) creates success and fulfillment for yourself 
• Work-life balance is possible as an entrepreneur when you build intentionally 

Guest: Brandon Aaron, Founder and President of HIGHR1, Navy Nuclear Electrician’s Mate (6 years of service) 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonsaaron/  
• Business Website: https://highr1.com/  

Brandon Aaron is a Navy veteran who served as a submarine-qualified Nuclear Electrician’s Mate aboard the USS Nebraska and USS Michigan from 2011 to 2017. After his military service, Brandon experienced both challenges and growth working for a family business that ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2020. This experience, combined with being ghosted by military recruiting firms during the pandemic, inspired him to create HIGHR1, a disabled veteran-owned recruiting firm that places Navy nukes and other technical veterans into mission-critical positions across industries. 

Brandon’s company goes beyond traditional recruiting by focusing on truly serving veterans, whether they become placement candidates or not. His mission is to elevate Navy nukes as an elite talent pool and ensure every veteran receives resources and guidance, regardless of whether it leads to immediate placement. 

Looking ahead: Brandon aims to transform HIGHR1 into the gold standard for veteran employment advocacy, expanding from Navy nukes to serving the broader veteran community. 

The MILCOM Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business owners. Each episode brings practical insights and lessons learned from successful veteran entrepreneurs.