103: From West Point to Iconic American Brand: Dean Wegner’s Leadership Playbook

No Limit Leadership

In this episode, Sean sits down with Dean Wegner — West Point graduate, former Army Aviation officer, corporate leader (Procter & Gamble, Mars), and founder/CEO of Authentically American, one of the fastest-growing veteran-owned apparel brands in the country. Dean shares how values, service, and purpose shaped his leadership journey from the military to corporate America to entrepreneurship.

Together, they explore what it takes to build a mission-driven business, the challenges of scaling an American-made brand, how veterans can thrive in entrepreneurship, and why leadership always comes back to people.

🔖 Chapter Markers

00:00 – Purpose-Driven Business & Dean’s Story
00:39 – West Point, Army Aviation & Corporate Beginnings
01:22 – Leadership Lessons: Duty, Honor, Country
04:06 – Finding Meaning After the Military
05:12 – Entering Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
06:52 – The 3% Wake-Up Call: U.S. Apparel Manufacturing
08:38 – Leadership in Corporate vs. Military
11:22 – Why Veterans Need Support in Entrepreneurship
13:24 – The Two-Part Formula for Career Transitions
17:19 – Burnout, Overwork & Veteran Mindsets
20:07 – Birth of Authentically American & Job Creation Mission
21:33 – Ranger School Lesson: You Can’t Lead Alone
24:47 – Delegation & CEO Time Allocation
26:37 – The Future of U.S. Manufacturing
31:36 – Scaling Through Earned Media & Storytelling
33:53 – What’s Next: Sustainability & Carbon Impact
35:26 – Final Wisdom: Find Your Ranger Buddy

🔗 Authentically American Website

https://www.authenticallyamerican.us
🔗 Dean Wegner (LinkedIn)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanwegner93/

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.