#20 Podcast Anniversary Special: Behind the Scenes, Stories, and Laughs with Nicole & Fingers

“Just start and figure it out” is common advice—but what if that mindset leads you straight into avoidable failure? In this episode, Nicole Alicea sits down with serial entrepreneur Tony Miller to break down how to properly evaluate a business idea before you invest time, money, and energy. Drawing from experience across multiple ventures—including a distillery, tech startup, agency, and a multi-million-dollar surf park—Tony shares a practical framework for pressure testing ideas and identifying risks early. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How to determine if there’s a real market for your idea • The biggest risks entrepreneurs overlook (and how to spot them) • Why “just start” can be dangerous without proper evaluation • How to assess competition, technology, and execution risk • The role of partners, funding, and team in long-term success Tony also shares real-world lessons from ventures that worked—and ones that didn’t—giving you a clearer lens on what it

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Parker, a Special Operations combat veteran with nearly 30 years of experience in high-threat security environments. His career spans military service, private security contracting with Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan, and federal service with the Diplomatic Security Service. Eric shares firsthand stories from operating in war zones, leading protection teams for high-level officials, and working in some of the most dangerous environments in the world. From rescuing government leaders in extreme conditions to navigating constant high-risk situations, this conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at elite security operations. We also explore what happens after the mission—transitioning from combat to civilian life, building a business, and the mental and emotional challenges many veterans face. Today, Eric is the President of Vault Management Group and founder of Select International Training Institute, where he trains executive protection professionals and provides high-level security services. This episode is a powerful