Discipline, Leverage, and Leadership: From Special Forces to Small Business Success – Randy McElwee – Steel City Growth – Episode #27

About this episode

Randy McElwee shares insights from his Special Forces experience to help small business owners build effective leadership and structure.

Discipline, Leverage, and Leadership: From Special Forces to Small Business Success Today’s guest is Randy McElwee , former U.S. Army Green Beret, founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu Athens, and creator of Going Commando Success Coaching. After 23 years in Special Forces, Randy translates battlefield lessons into business strategy—helping owners build structure, leadership, and systems that scale. From surviving pressure on the mat to building a family business with his son, Randy shares what it means to be “brilliant at the basics.” Takeaways: 1. Structure Wins Battles: Whether in combat or business, structure, consistency, and training are the backbone of success. 2. You Don’t Rise—You Fall Back: Pressure reveals preparation; you only perform at the level of your training. 3. Leadership Is About People: True leaders don’t push from behind—they inspire teams to move forward with ownership and purpose. 4. Be Brilliant at the Basics: Growth isn’t about flashy tactics. It’s about disciplined execution of fundamentals, every day. 5. Jiu-Jitsu Is a Mirror for Business: Humility, leverage, and adaptability separate thriving entrepreneurs from those who tap out early. 6. Family & Freedom…

People in this episode

Guest: Randy McElwee

Topics covered

• Discipline
• Leverage
• Leadership
• Business Strategy
• Entrepreneurship

Keywords

• Green Beret
• Gracie Jiu Jitsu
• Going Commando Success Coaching
• family business
• business growth

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Going Commando Success Coaching

Books & works: Going Commando Success Coaching: Helping Business Owners Scale

Places: Pittsburgh

More episodes of Steel City Growth

• Why This Kid Walked 30 Minutes to School (And Was STILL Early) · February 26, 2026 · 39 min
• What It Takes to Scale a Real Estate Business the Right Way · January 29, 2026 · 24 min
• Could Your Employees Own Your Business? · January 15, 2026 · 36 min
• A New Season of Steel City Growth · January 9, 2026 · 1 min
• From Loss to Legacy: Estate Planning, Exit Strategy, & Protecting Business Owners – Sunny Erdman – Steel City Growth – Episode #30 · December 11, 2025 · 23 min
• Know Your People: Fractional HR, Culture, & Avoiding Costly Mistakes – Karen Young – Steel City Growth – Episode #29 · November 20, 2025 · 24 min