Aaron Cerrone spent 28 years in the military, retiring as chief of operations at U.S. Strategic Command, the organization responsible for America’s nuclear deterrent. Along the way he became an entrepreneur, a business owner, and an instructor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, teaching the next generation what the classroom rarely covers.
In this episode of Kill Chain, host Terry Reinert steps away from cybersecurity for a different kind of conversation. Aaron joins the show to talk about what it actually takes to build a business, and a life, that last.
This one is no fluff. It’s about defining success before you go chasing it, the myths around “follow your passion,” the unglamorous grind of entrepreneurship, why relationships beat the best product on the market, and why your health is the one thing you can never get back.
What you’ll hear:
– Why you should define success first, then reverse-engineer the business to reach it
– The fastest way to ruin your passion, and what employers actually mean when they say they want “passionate” people
– The grit it really takes: ramen, sleepless nights, and a banker’s 30-day ultimatum
– Bootstrapping versus chasing the VC, and why the customer is the real win
– Why the smartest person in the room rarely climbs the corporate ladder
– Aaron’s two-job recipe for becoming unstoppable in any business
– The hidden cost founders pay with their health
About the guest:
Aaron Cerrone is a 28-year military veteran and former chief of operations at U.S. Strategic Command. He is a longtime entrepreneur and business owner, and a former business instructor at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
