From Combat Medic to Good AC
“Action is better than perfection.”
- Sheriff Mark Lamb
Sheriff Mark Lamb opens the Ten 7 Podcast with a guest who sets the tone for the entire series with Brad South. Combat Veteran. Family Man. Founder of Good AC in Arizona
This conversation feels like a field manual for first responders and veterans who want to build a business and a life they own.
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Brad did not grow up planning to serve. In 2005 he felt a nudge he could not ignore and joined the Army. Color blindness kept him from infantry, so he became a medic. Training was intense. Deployment came fast. In 2006 he landed in Baghdad at the height of the fight and learned how to stay calm under pressure while caring for his team.
His first gunfight changed everything. An ambush opened up and Brad took a round behind the knee. His platoon sergeant and platoon leader were hit as well. Chaos followed. Tourniquet. Incoming fire. A frantic extraction to the Green Zone. The recovery was long and painful, but his mindset was simple. Heal. Return. When the chance came to stay back, he went forward instead. His brothers were still in it.
That experience shaped how he sees work and responsibility. Do the job in front of you. Pack your kit the right way. Respect people on both sides of the line. Show restraint when you can and force when you must. Those habits now power his decisions as a business owner.
Coming home brought a different kind of test. The paycheck stopped. Options were foggy. Brad went to school, looked at law enforcement, and then life took a sharper turn. He married a single mom and became a dad overnight to a big, blended family. Real estate paid the bills for a while, but it did not fit. He pivoted to HVAC and found his lane.
Good AC started small and honest. One truck. One helper. Diagnose the problem. Drive to the supply house. Install. Get paid. Do it again. He tried a partnership. It fizzled. He rebuilt on his own and kept moving. The summer rush hit and the work stacked up. Every service call became a chance to prove the name on the truck. Every satisfied customer became the seed of the next season.
If you are a current or retired first responder, this episode will speak your language. You will hear how discipline and checklists translate from a patrol car or a convoy to a service business. You will hear how faith, family, and standards carry you through long days and tougher nights. You will hear a straight answer to the fear that holds people back. Start before you feel ready. Learn while you move. The skills you earned already apply. Brad’s story will push you to take your first step.
