{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"#158: David Gowel \u2013 Army Veteran, RallyPoint CEO","description":"This week\u2019s Borne the Battle interview is with Army Iraq War Veteran, David Gowel, a West Point and Ranger School graduate who later became an assistant professor at MIT\u2019s ROTC program. David is currently the CEO of RallyPoint, a military-themed social media network. Which begs the question: just&amp;nbsp;how does a former armor platoon leader become the CEO for a social media company? And, with a crowded social landscape that includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat and others, why would anyone join yet another social media network? This week\u2019s guest lays out his case. In the interview, he also shares tips and pointers for expanding your own social media network. Prior to becoming RallyPoint\u2019s CEO, David and his wife started their own company that helped other companies leverage social media tools to improve their business models. For LinkedIn specifically, David would consult on how to network on the platform without \u201charassing people.\u201d This experience led him to also write the book, \u201cThe Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn.\u201d RallyPoint is a social media network that caters to the active duty and Veteran experience. In the interview, David explains how&amp;nbsp;partnering with VA\u2019s Veteran Experience Office&amp;nbsp;has enabled RallyPoint to organize discussions and \u201cCommand Post\u201d messages around VA's Veteran\u2019s Journey Map, which portrays the life stage&amp;nbsp;moments--and VA experiences--that Veterans typically experience. Currently there are 1.7 million RallyPoint members, many of whom, in addition to active duty and Veterans, are family members, caregivers, civilian recruiters, and VA and DoD civilians.  Enjoy the episode. Additional Links:  https:\/\/www.rallypoint.com https:\/\/www.blogs.va.gov\/VAntage\/63494\/questions-community-care\/  https:\/\/www.rallypoint.com\/organizations\/veterans-affairs-va-department-of-veterans-affairs-va-washington-dc\/answers  #BtBattle Veteran of the Week:  Army Veteran and 109 year-old  Julia Kabance.  ","author_name":"Borne the Battle","author_url":"https:\/\/www.blogs.va.gov","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/10877973\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/212121\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/49432715"}