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Transitions from Government to Franchisee Ownership with Matt Stacker
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In this episode of the Clemson Drone Podcast, host Joe Burgett welcomes retired Army Colonel and Blue Nose franchise owner Matt Stacker for an insightful conversation about entrepreneurship in the drone industry. Matt shares his journey from a distinguished 33-year military career to entering the drone service business. He explains how he founded Jigsaw Innovations as an LLC in eastern Missouri before joining the Blue Nose franchise network. He outlines the franchise opportunity as a “business in a box” strategy, highlighting the value of starting with a proven framework that includes training, compliance tools, operational resources, and a supportive peer community.
Matt dives into the nuts and bolts of building a drone business—from working with an attorney to form an LLC and protecting personal assets to developing a smart growth strategy. He outlines how he started with aggregator platforms to gain experience and generate income, with plans to pivot into direct sales targeting niche industries like construction, agriculture, and telecom. His advice to aspiring drone entrepreneurs is both practical and strategic: focus on a niche, match your equipment to your goals, and always think like a business owner—not just a drone pilot. Whether you're a veteran considering entrepreneurship or a tech-savvy newcomer, this episode is full of actionable insights to help launch and grow your drone venture.
About Matt Stacker
Matt Stacker is the owner of Blue Nose Aerial Imaging in St. Charles, IL. His goal is to create value for his customers, providing drone-based aerial imaging, precision mapping, commercial inspection, and agricultural solutions in eastern Missouri. This follows a successful Army Reserve career in logistics, strategy, operations, and nuclear command and control, where he retired as a Colonel. Matt also served many years in the federal government, planning and executing operations across all seven continents with additional focus areas in acquisitions.
Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree from DePauw University in Geography, a Master’s Degree in Security Management from Webster University, a Master’s Certificate in Change Management from Michigan State University, and graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College. Matt enjoys giving back to the community as a Board member for the Friends of the St. Louis Fisher House and coaches an American Legion Youth Trap Shooting Team. He is married to his wife Kathleen, and they have 40 nieces & nephews, plus 10 great nieces and nephews. In their spare time, you will find them in the woods, the workshop, or on the Katy Trail.
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