Tyler Olson is a Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur, and the founder of Minuteman EMS, a company specializing in emergency medical services for wildland firefighters across the United States. Originally from Rapid City, South Dakota, Tyler began his journey into emergency medicine during his military service, where he developed a laid-back, effective leadership style and a deep passion for serving others in high-risk environments. After transitioning out of the military, he spent years working and traveling across the globe, eventually splitting his time as a paramedic between one of the nation’s poorest reservations and wildland fire deployments. Drawing from those experiences, he founded Minuteman EMS, growing the company from just three employees in its first year to a scalable operation with 10 ambulances, three rope rescue teams, and the ability to deploy over 40 personnel to wildland fires at any given time.
In addition to Minuteman EMS, Tyler is a co-founder of the Journeyman app, a platform designed to streamline operations and solve real-world problems for firefighters and fire companies nationwide. His leadership has been shaped not only by the intensity of fire seasons and entrepreneurship, but also by a life-altering brain cancer diagnosis discovered after he suffered a seizure during a wildfire deployment—an experience that redefined his perspective on purpose, resilience, and legacy. Today, Tyler continues to lead his team with clarity and focus, committed to building systems, strengthening the brotherhood of firefighting, and leaving a lasting impact on the communities and people he serves.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- That military service can shape calm, effective leadership in high-risk emergency medical environments today.
- How Tyler Olson built Minuteman EMS from three employees into a scalable wildfire EMS operation.
- That real-world paramedic experience in underserved reservations and wildland fires drives better emergency response systems.
- Why building EMS infrastructure for wildfire deployments requires precision, adaptability, and rapid team coordination under pressure.
- How surviving a brain cancer diagnosis reshaped Tyler’s purpose, resilience, and long-term vision for impact.
- That entrepreneurship in emergency services demands both operational discipline and a deep commitment to frontline responders.
- How The Journeyman app was co-founded to streamline firefighting operations and solve real-time field challenges.
- Why scaling emergency response teams for national wildfire seasons requires leadership, systems, and relentless execution.
- That purpose-driven leadership in EMS is defined by service, sacrifice, and lasting community impact.
They served their country, and now they’re building something just as powerful.
They led with discipline, purpose, resilience, and have turned their next chapter into a mission.
But in today’s noisy world, even the most dedicated veterans struggle to get the recognition they deserve.
Operation CEO is a groundbreaking TV series that honors the next chapter of America's heroes.
These entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators have served their country and are now building businesses with purpose.
Each episode highlights a veteran who transitioned from military service to entrepreneurship, showcasing the same grit, discipline, and mission-driven mindset that continues to define their journey today.
From startups to seven-figure brands, these stories prove that the warrior spirit doesn’t fade after service…
It evolves!
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