June 10, 2025
MILCOM Founders Podcast — Episode 14: From Air Force Officer to Freedom-Enabling Entrepreneur with Laura Yang Renner
Join host Rod Loges and guest Laura Yang Renner as she shares her journey from Air Force officer to founder of Freedom Makers Virtual Services, a company that connects military spouses with small businesses needing flexible support.
In this episode:
- Laura’s military family background spanning three generations of service
- Her path from Air Force Academy public affairs officer to international business experience in Beijing
- Building Freedom Makers after recognizing the perfect match between overwhelmed small business owners and skilled military spouses seeking flexible work
- Creating a business model that prioritizes freedom and flexibility for all stakeholders
- The importance of living life on your own terms and building a business around personal values
Key takeaways:
- Design your business and life around who you want to be, not external expectations
- Military spouses possess unique skills in organization, research, and adaptation that translate perfectly to business support
- Rules of engagement from military service create clear systems that scale as businesses grow
- You can always do more than you think you can; your brain often gets in the way
- Take time to properly define and measure success beyond just revenue
- Be open to pivoting your business model when transparency from others reveals better opportunities
Guest: Laura Yang Renner, Founder and Managing Director of Freedom Makers Virtual Services, Air Force veteran (6 years active duty, 6+ years reserves)
- LinkedIn: Connect with Laura Yang Renner
- Business Website: https://www.freedom-makers.com/
Laura Yang Renner comes from a multi-generational military family and served as a public affairs officer in the Air Force after graduating from the Air Force Academy. Following her active duty service, she earned an international MBA with an exchange at Peking University and gained small business experience in Beijing. After working in HR and attempting her first business venture, Laura founded Freedom Makers Virtual Services in 2015.
Freedom Makers operates on the principle of maximum flexibility, connecting military spouses with small businesses without minimum hour requirements or restrictive contracts. The company has celebrated 10 years in business and serves hundreds of clients while maintaining its core value of providing freedom to all stakeholders: business owners, military spouses, and Laura herself as she travels full-time.
Looking ahead: Laura continues to focus on scaling Freedom Makers while maintaining its flexibility-first approach and is currently working on developing better financial systems to support strategic growth decisions.
The MILCOM Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business owners. Each episode brings practical insights and lessons learned from successful veteran entrepreneurs.
Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Learn about the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund at https://www.milcomfounders.com/