Purpose often emerges from unexpected paths. For Patrick Flood, that path ran from small-town Wisconsin to Hollywood sets, from Special Forces deployments to entrepreneurship, and ultimately to helping veterans build and exit businesses with dignity.
In this episode of the Tango Tango podcast, Lloyd Knight speaks with Army Special Forces veteran, entrepreneur, and Owners in Honor founder Patrick Flood. Flood reflects on growing up in Wisconsin, earning an ROTC scholarship to George Washington University, and beginning his career as an Army officer before an unexpected turn into acting in Los Angeles. After booking commercials, television roles, and film work, he realized that success in Hollywood still felt empty and pulled him back toward a life of service.
They discuss Flood’s return to active duty through the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, his deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, and the injuries and hardships that shaped his leadership and sense of purpose. He also shares how his father’s business was sold for far less than it was worth due to poor exit guidance, an experience that inspired him to found Owners in Honor. Today, he is focused on helping veterans buy and sell businesses in ways that preserve dignity, strengthen communities, and create new pathways for purpose after military service.
Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro
(02:16) Growing up in Ephraim, Wisconsin
(04:53) ROTC scholarships and family sacrifice
(10:18) Commissioned, but stuck in limbo
(11:56) Los Angeles move and Army recall
(13:25) Reviving a struggling reserve unit
(17:03) An accidental start in acting
(26:11) Brother’s loss and horse therapy
(29:38) Hollywood emptiness, Army purpose returns
(32:09) Fort Bragg and early war deployments
(33:58) Advised to try Special Forces
(34:43) How acting helped in combat
(37:09) Explaining his Afghanistan combat rotations
(41:52) Bit by a cobra mid-firefight
(47:11) Blast injury, broken neck, TBI
(53:03) Why he founded Owners in Honor
(58:09) Helping veterans buy and sell businesses
(59:23) Fatherhood, walking, swimming, and healing
Additional Links & Resources:
- Learn more about Tango Tango: https://supplychainnow.com/program/tango-tango
- Connect with Lloyd Knight: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydknight
- Connect with Patrick Flood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmichaelflood/
- Learn more about Owners in Honor: https://www.ownersinhonor.org/
- Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
Tango Tango is proudly sponsored by Supply Chain Now. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/after-battlefield-tragedy-purpose-rise-ceo-2tt6
