About
Navy veteran, girl dad, educator, and children's author.
This is the longer version of the story. My path hasn't been a straight line. But everything I build comes back to the same idea. People do better when somebody gives them a straight answer.
I'm Brian Palermo. Navy veteran, girl dad, veteran benefits educator, financial educator, children's author, and podcast host.
None of that was planned. I served in the Navy aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. When I got out, the VA disability process made no sense to anybody, including me, so now I educate other veterans on how it actually works. Becoming a dad changed how I think about money and about the stories families remember, which is where the financial education and the children's books both came from. The podcast started because three of us kept having the same conversation off the air.
Built around
Service
Service shaped how I show up. But it's only part of the story.
I served aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. The Navy taught me discipline, teamwork, and how to stay steady when things get hard. But that's only one chapter. These days most of my time goes to educating other vets on the VA disability process, being a dad, and writing books for kids.
Family and Mission
Then I became a girl dad.
Becoming a girl dad changed how I think about all of it. I care less about titles now and more about what my daughter will inherit. The money part matters. The example I set matters more.
The children's books started there. So did the work I do around money. I'm building for families now, and that raised the bar.
Two things take up most of me right now. My family, and veteran disability education. I went through the VA process myself when I got out, and nobody explained any of it to me. So now I educate other vets on how it works. Around that sit the books, the podcast, and the money conversations. Different doors, same goal. I want people to walk away better informed and a little less alone.
A lot of my work comes from real life, not theory.
Author story
Why I started writing children's books.
Writing started as something personal. When my daughter came along, I started paying more attention to the little moments families remember together. The books came out of that. They're warm and fun, built around real animals with big personalities.
Bobo and Kyra are the first two. There will be more, and somewhere down the road there is probably a more personal book in there too. When it's ready. No promises.
See the books
The path
How the work got here.
The chapters that got me here, roughly in order.
Service
Navy Service
I served in the United States Navy aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. That's where responsibility, discipline, teamwork, and integrity became real for me.
Leadership
Leading Teams and Serving People
I've worked in different industries and led teams. That taught me how to listen and how to serve people. Those instincts carry into everything I do.
Family
Becoming a Father
Becoming a girl dad changed everything. It changed how I think about legacy, responsibility, and the kind of work that matters.
Advocacy
Mental Health Advocacy
This one means a lot to me. Too many people carry heavy things quietly. I talk about mental health because I want people to feel less alone.
Mission
Financial Education Path
I started building education first resources for families who want to make sense of money without pressure or overwhelm.
Storytelling
Children's Books
Bobo the Chihuahua and Kyra the Sassy Shiba. Two books I'm proud of, built around family, humor, and heart.
Voice
Podcast and Content
Faith, Money & Mental Health. Real conversations about the parts of life most people keep to themselves.
Now
Veteran Benefits Education
I'm a veteran disability benefits educator. I educate on how the VA disability process works, what the steps are, and what documentation matters. Every claim is unique, so I focus on preparation instead of promises.
Values From Service
What I lead with.
Service shaped each one. They show up across every part of the work.
Responsibility
Showing up when people are counting on you.
Teamwork
Nobody moves forward alone.
Discipline
Doing the work when nobody is clapping for you.
Integrity
Choosing what is right over what is easy.
Service
Building something useful for others.
Now you know the story.
If you're a veteran trying to make sense of the VA process, start there. If money is the thing nobody ever explained to you, start there instead. Veterans are welcome in both, and you don't have to be a veteran to reach out at all.