He was offered $100,000 to sell control of his local Facebook group, The 411 for the 719. He turned it down without a second thought. Rob Thompson, an Air Force veteran, leveraged military strategy to build more than just a community page; he built a digital town square that generates an estimated $7.4 million in local revenue and has become the true pulse of Colorado Springs. In this episode, Rob Thompson reveals the systems-based thinking, the philosophy of "holding space," and the relentless integrity required to manage a digital community of over 108,000 people. From near-disaster when Facebook deleted his group overnight to using the OODA Loop in everyday business, this conversation is a masterclass in building something that truly matters. 🔗 LEARN MORE ABOUT ROB & THE 411: Join The 411 for the 719 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1B6mHjQzZM/ Visit the Website: https://www.robthompsonrealtor.com/ CONNECT WITH US: ► Website: https://cosbizpodcast.com/ ► Instagram: / cos.bizpodcast ► Facebook: / cosbusinesspodcast ✅ SUBSCRIBE TO THE COS BUSINESS PODCAST: https://www.youtube.com/@ColoradoBusinessPodcast ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Why He Turned Down $100,000 01:35 - Introduction to Rob Thompson 02:30 - From Las Vegas to Joining the Air Force 05:55 - The Story of the Thunderbirds 09:15 - The Painful Real Estate Experience That Started It All 12:51 - What is The OODA Loop? (A Military Strategy for Business) 16:44 - How to Use AI to Move Faster Than Your Competitors 19:26 - The 411: A $7.4 Million Economic Engine 23:00 - The Secret to Moderating Without Bias: "Squishiness" 25:24 - The Day Facebook Deleted His Entire Group 31:27 - The "642,000 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" Theory 33:55 - How The 411 Has Saved Lives 36:30 - The Inner Workings of a Massive Facebook Group 43:05 - How Businesses Can Use The 411 (The Right Way) 48:38 - Building in the Dark & The Power of Having No "End State" 56:37 - The Most Important Lesson From Air Force Tech School: PFM 59:04 - Is Colorado Springs Optimistic or Pessimistic? 01:02:42 - What's Next for The 411? 🤝 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: HR Branches: https://www.savvionhq.com/ Exceptional Business Advisors: https://excoadvisors.com/ DataHubz: https://www.datahubz.com/ Junk-N-Haul: https://junknhaul.com/ Proud American Electrical and Solar: https://proudamericansolar.com/ Bolton Co: For Purpose-Driven Executives. https://www.boltonco.net/ Be Our Guest Getaways: Making Magical Memories. https://beourguestgetaways.com/ Planet Duct: Your go-to cleaning service in Colorado Springs. https://www.planetduct.com/ Pinnacle Advanced Primary Care: Hassle-free healthcare. https://www.pinnacleapc.com Exponential Impact: https://www.exponentialimpact.com/ Fast Signs: https://www.fastsigns.com/ Dream Accounting - https://dreamaccountingsolutions.com/ Awesome Home Services - https://www.awesomeservice.com/ Reveal Med Spa - https://revealmedspas.com/ #BusinessPodcast #ColoradoSprings #Entrepreneurship #MilitaryStrategy #FacebookGroup #CommunityBuilding #RobThompson #OODALoop