Why Success Without Community Will Leave You Empty - Waco Hoover - Ep. 143
Send us Fan Mail Waco Hoover is an entrepreneur and investor with over 20 years of experience in venture capital, M&A, entertainment, media and live events. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1997-2001 as an infantry Marine, combat water survival instructor and infantry scout. He served several deployments across Southeast Asia. After separation from the military, Hoover graduated from New York University, cum laude and completed Harvard Business School executive education programs. ...
Waco Hoover is an entrepreneur and investor with over 20 years of experience in venture capital, M&A, entertainment, media and live events.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1997-2001 as an infantry Marine, combat water survival instructor and infantry scout. He served several deployments across Southeast Asia.
After separation from the military, Hoover graduated from New York University, cum laude and completed Harvard Business School executive education programs. He then became an entrepreneur and investor who now has over 18 years of experience in venture capital, M&A, entertainment, media and live events.
He is currently Chair of the Be The One initiative for the American Legion. He is also a co-owner of Veteran Entertainment Television, advisor to Founders Factory, a London based venture capital firm, Managing Partner at Xperiential Group, and serves on the board of Irreverent Warriors, a non-profit preventing veteran suicide. He has advised global brands including MGM Resorts, Informa, Vivendi, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. He was a co-founder and investor in businesses sold to Informa, Emerald, Endeavor Business Media and Onstream Media.
Hoover speaks at industry events including VenuesNow, PTTOW!, CEMA, The American Legion, Military Influencer Conference, SXSW, Pollstar, TSE 100, Society for Independent Show Organizers, National Sports Forum and XLIVE.
He lives in Southern California with his wife, son and two yellow labs, Tucker and Winnie. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing, diving, and mountaineering as often as possible. He is a member of The American Legion and recently hosted the Be the One Symposium at the 104th American Legion National Convention in Charlotte.
-
Podcast Chapters:
00:00 The impact of VetTix events
06:52 Purpose-driven profitability and social impact
08:35 Importance of mission-based assessments
14:43 Landing an Internship in France
17:57 Addressing Veteran Suicide Rates
18:48 Launching MCON for military support
23:34 Building for Long-term Success
27:17 Reflecting on fatherhood and service
28:29 Reflecting on family and parenting
31:19 Discovering Stoicism and Key Books
35:36 Leadership advice and billboard location
-
Quote to open episodes:
“Failure shows us the way – by showing us what isn’t the way.”
– Ryan Holiday from The Obstacle is the Way
-
Mentioned in the episode:
Scott Huesing - Episode 127 appearance
Jason Galui - Episode 125 appearance
MCON
Vet Tix
IMPCT Group
-
Waco's Resources:
Website: https://impctgroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waco-hoover-3928a014/
MCON: https://mcon.live/
-
Podcast Summary:
Podcast Summary: Passing The Torch — Waco Hoover
The conversation focused on the personal and professional journey of a United States Marine Corps veteran, now CEO and founder of IMPCT Group, and co-founder and partner of MCON. The episode explored key life transitions, organizational impact in the veteran community, and the importance of fostering meaningful connections.
Key Themes and Discussions
⬛ Family and Fatherhood
A key theme that emerged was the importance of family, particularly the joys and challenges of fatherhood. Experiences as a parent to two young boys were described as deeply fulfilling, emphasizing the value of being present for family and children’s formative years. The discussion explored how personal upbringing and a father’s military experience influenced approaches to parenting and personal growth 25:52–29:41.
⬛ Veteran Wellness and Social Connection
The discussion explored the results of a recent study conducted with Vet Tix, highlighting how event tickets for veterans (such as concerts or sports) are less about the event itself and more about fostering connections and a sense of belonging. Several points were raised, including the significant improvements measured: a 70% increase in wellness and 86% improvement in family bonds, demonstrating that social connection is a crucial driver of veteran wellness 02:52–04:21.
⬛ Purpose-Driven Impact and the Role of IMPCT Group
One concept discussed was the idea of “purpose-driven profitability” and how businesses can achieve both financial and social returns by embedding purpose into their core operations. The episode delved into how Impact Group works with organizations to create strategies that generate economic opportunities for the military community, aiming to unlock $1 billion in economic opportunity by 2035 06:52–08:34.
⬛ MCON: Creating Community and Celebrating Military Service
The conversation detailed the creation and growth of MCON, a large-scale event designed to celebrate military culture, facilitate healing, and combat isolation. The motivation for MCON stemmed from a perceived lack of large-scale, celebratory events within the military community similar to those in other industries. The festival’s goal is to both celebrate positive aspects of military service and provide resources and support for those in need 16:11–20:16.
⬛ Leadership and Personal Development Influences
The discussion explored the influence of books such as The Obstacle Is the Way and the Daily Dad newsletter by Ryan Holiday. These works informed perspectives on overcoming adversity, showing up for family, and the ongoing question of personal development: “Who are you becoming?” 25:24–33:13.
⬛ Community, Collaboration, and Legacy
Several points were raised regarding the need for greater collaboration and efficiency among organizations serving the veteran community, especially as funding becomes scarcer. The conversation closed with reflections on legacy, leadership advice (“take an interest in others”), and the ongoing goal to connect with other mission-driven leaders 36:33.
Overall, the episode offered both practical insights and reflections on leadership, family, the veteran experience, and the power of collective action to foster thriving, resilient communities.
Connect with Passing The Torch: Facebook and IG: @torchmartin
More Amazing Stories:
Episode 41: Lee Ellis – Freeing You From Bond That Make You Insecure
Episode 81: Kurt Warner – Perseverance, Humility, and Lighting the Way
Episode 90: Michelle 'MACE' Curran – How to Turn Fear into Fuel
------------
© 2026 TORCH LEAP®, LLC. All rights reserved.
00:00 - The impact of VetTix events
06:52 - Purpose-driven profitability and social impact
08:35 - Importance of mission-based assessments
14:43 - Landing an Internship in France
17:57 - Addressing Veteran Suicide Rates
18:48 - Launching MCON for military support
23:34 - Building for Long-term Success
27:17 - Reflecting on fatherhood and service
28:29 - Reflecting on family and parenting
31:19 - Discovering Stoicism and Key Books
35:36 - Leadership advice and billboard location
The Core Thesis
The conversation focused on the profound and often underestimated power of connection, belonging, and purpose as foundational drivers of well-being and high performance, especially within the military and veteran community. A key theme that emerged was the need to integrate evidence-based programs with cultural relevance, building systems and communities that actively support human flourishing beyond mere survival or checkbox solutions.
⬛ Mental Models & Frameworks
- Purpose-Driven Profitability: Building organizations and brands around a core mission that blends "doing well while doing good," moving beyond surface-level social impact to deeply embedded values and durable business models.
- Designed Interventions for Social Connection: Recognizing that mechanisms (like event tickets) merely facilitate the true product: human connectivity, bonding, and reduced isolation.
- BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal): The importance of setting ambitious long-term goals (e.g., unlocking $1 billion in economic opportunity for veterans), focusing the organization’s strategy and priorities over decades.
- Durability vs. Shiny Object Syndrome: Prioritizing sustained, long-term community-building and infrastructure over glamour or quick wins.
- Research Utilization Gap: The recognition that only a small fraction of academic research (17%) gets meaningfully deployed, highlighting the importance of translational work to bridge science and lived human experience.
⬛ The Most Important Insights
- Belonging Is Not an Extra—It’s a Human Need
One concept discussed was the insight that connection and belonging are core to mental health and family bonds, with data showing significant improvements when veterans are given platforms to connect, underscoring that gatherings and group experiences are not just “nice to have” but therapeutic and transformative 04:21. - Purpose Magnifies Performance and Resilience
The discussion explored how individuals and organizations anchored in purposeful missions outperform those chasing external validation or transactional goals; true impact comes when business and service strategies are holistically integrated with authentic values, not imposed from the outside 08:52. - Self-Improvement Requires Cultural Relevance and Translation
A key theme that emerged was the frequent gap between evidence-based interventions and their real-world application: successful change requires tailoring delivery to the actual lived experience of the people it’s intended for, whether that’s veterans or anyone else 11:41. - Fatherhood and Presence as High Performance
Several points were raised, including the undervalued art of presence—particularly as a parent or partner—where small rituals and undistracted time become more important than grand gestures or relentless achievement. The best leaders show up where it counts, even for “garbage time” 29:41.
⬛ Actionable Takeaways
- Design Connection Into Your Life
Don’t treat social events or group activities as optional—deliberately structure regular, meaningful gatherings with friends, family, or colleagues to reinforce your sense of belonging and community. - Audit Your Purpose Alignment
Regularly assess whether your current actions, projects, or workplace align with your core values and the impact you wish to have. If not, recalibrate your efforts towards endeavors that genuinely reflect who you are and what you care about. - Translate Vision Into Practice
When introducing new habits, frameworks, or self-improvement efforts, ensure they are grounded in your real-world context and are easy to implement, rather than “ideal” but impractical or culturally mismatched. - Prioritize Presence Over Perfection
For parents or anyone in a relationship, shift focus from quantity to quality of attention. Even 10 minutes of undistracted, fully present interaction can outperform hours of multitasked time.
⬛ Final Thought
It’s remarkable how often we mistake grand gestures or external achievements for genuine progress, when in reality the deepest levers for human fulfillment are far more ordinary—connection, purpose, and presence. This episode underscores that transformative change is not the domain of giant institutions or abstract ideas, but rather the sum of curated moments, intentional relationships, and audacious goals lived out through daily practice. If you’re searching for high performance, perhaps the answer is uncomfortably simple: be present, design for connection, and only build what you’re willing to build for a lifetime. True greatness, after all, is less about what you conquer—and more about who you’re becoming along the way.