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M1R Alliance

The Journal

Stories, lessons and field notes.

Real founders, hard-won lessons, and the unsexy truths behind running a business after service.

Veteran business owner shaking hands with a client after coming to a deal to do some work for them. Both look happy.

business growth · 27 July 2026

Stop Giving Mates' Rates: Pricing Without Underselling Yourself

Underselling is the quiet killer of good businesses run by good people. Here's why we do it, what it costs, and how to price like you intend to be around next year.

By Jerry Lienert

First responder looking out a window with a checklist of things he'd like to focus on after leaving service.

transition · 19 July 2026

The First 90 Days: A Battle Rhythm for Life After Service

The void after leaving is where a lot of people come unstuck. Build a battle rhythm fast — structure, money, one main effort — and the transition gets a whole lot safer.

By Jerry Lienert

Aussie veteran sitting at a table writing a marketing lan looking confident that he's on the right track

business growth · 12 July 2026

Marketing for People Who Hate Marketing

If self-promotion makes your skin crawl, good — the sleazy version doesn't work on people like us anyway. Here's how to be found without becoming a salesperson.

By Jerry Lienert

Australian veteran first responder and female speaking with mortgage broker in an office

veteran business · 28 June 2026

Veteran-Friendly Mortgage Brokers in Australia: a 2026 Directory

DHOAS, DFRDB, MSBS, ADF Super, shift-work income — most mortgage brokers don't speak the language. These ones do.

By M1R Alliance

Jerry Lienert playing around with his mates on a night out acting the fool

transition · 1 June 2026

The Golden Handcuffs Are Real. So Is the Way Out.

Lead Flux is the business I'm building outside the uniform. It's also proof that the door out of the job exists for any of us who decide to walk through it.

By Jerry Lienert

M1R Alliance vision including gym, cafe, recovery, content creation and connection in Adelaide but then Australia wide.

community · 29 May 2026

Beyond the Directory — The Vision for M1R Alliance

A directory was just the start. The real vision for M1R Alliance is a physical home for Australia's veterans and first responders — somewhere to train, recover, work, and just sit down for a coffee with mates who get it.

By M1R Alliance

Australian veterans and first responders supporting veteran-owned businesses through M1R Alliance.

community · 14 May 2026

Backing Our Own: How M1R Alliance Strengthens Australia's Veteran and First Responder Community

A national directory, a weekly newsletter and a community that backs the people who served. Here's how M1R Alliance works — and why every listing and subscriber makes the next person in the line a little better off.

By Jerry Lienert

Veteran-owned tradie writing a quote for a smiling homeowner on her front porch — Adelaide

business growth · 12 May 2026

The Veteran Market Doesn't Shop the Way You Think

Most advice on 'how to reach veterans' is wrong because it treats them like a normal market. They're not. Here's how they actually buy — and where most businesses get it backwards.

By Jerry Lienert