When 24-year Royal Air Force veteran Andrew “Andy” Branston hung up his uniform, he didn’t head for a quiet life. Instead, he launched a new mission: helping others recover, perform and thrive and he’s already booked out months in advance.
In May 2025, just months after leaving the RAF following eight tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, Andy opened Next Level Therapy in Norfolk. Since then, his diary has been almost constantly full, fuelled largely by word of mouth, repeat clients, and a reputation for going the extra mile.
“I’m only as good as my last treatment,” he says. “That’s why I make sure every single one is 100%.”
From Service Life to Self-Employment
For many leaving the Armed Forces, the structure and camaraderie of military life can feel worlds apart from self-employment. But Andy is proof that the skills you build in uniform can create a powerful platform for business success.
Discipline. Accountability. Teamwork. The ability to stay calm under pressure. These aren’t just buzzwords on a CV they’re exactly what it takes to build and run a business from the ground up.
During his transition from the RAF, Andy enrolled on the Self-Employment Discovery course with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), delivered by X-Forces Enterprise (XFE). With years of coaching and mentoring behind him, experience in Trauma Incident Management, work in hospitals supporting the NHS, and time in Mountain Rescue, he had already developed a deep understanding of resilience and holistic wellbeing.
The course helped him turn that experience into a viable business plan.
“I worked out the minimum number of people I needed to treat in order to make it work,” he recalls. “I had a Plan A, Plan B, and a Plan C. If I had to, I could always get a job. We’ve got an excellent pension from the military, so it was fine, but I wanted to back myself first.”
Using Military Adaptability to Outpace the Competition
One thing service life teaches you? Adaptability.
Shortly after launching Next Level Therapy, Andy realised that to stand out, he needed to offer something different support that went beyond the usual. So, drawing on what he’d learned on the Self-Employment Discovery programme, he went back to basics: research, refine, and reposition.
The result was a bold investment in Winback, a proven therapeutic technology that has given him a real competitive edge and enhanced outcomes for his clients. This willingness to adapt, innovate, and go again is pure military thinking and it’s paying off.
Building a Business, One Client at a Time
From day one of trading in May 2025, demand has been strong. Andy has been close to fully booked ever since, with many clients returning and recommending him to others. Recently, he’s taken the next step in growth by partnering with an Osteopath, widening the range of people who can benefit from Next Level Therapy’s services.
“Yes, it’s hard work,” Andy says. “But it’s not like being in the military. Being self-employed, I’m accountable only to myself. It’s kind of like being a chef, you’re only as good as your last dish. For me, I’m only as good as my last treatment.”
The future, it seems, is firmly pointing upwards.
Giving Back – and Paying It Forward
Andy is clear that his RAF career has shaped who he is, and now he’s determined to give something back. He offers military discounts and is happy to be contacted by fellow service leavers and veterans who are considering self-employment.
His advice?
“Surround yourself with people who want you to do well. Also, if in doubt, farm it out if you’re not very accounts-minded, get someone else to do the books. Having a mentor is invaluable. When you leave the military you’re out into the wide world and it can be difficult, confusing even. So, you need to have a plan and you have to get people to challenge that plan.”
Thinking About Your Own ‘Next Level’?
If you’re leaving the Armed Forces and curious about self-employment or entrepreneurship, there is structured support out there.
- Service leavers can sign up for the Self-Employment Awareness/Discovery programme through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP).
- Veterans, reservists, spouses/partners and Armed Forces family members can also access enterprise training and support via X-Forces Enterprise and can book online.
Andy’s story shows that with the right mindset, planning and support, the end of a military career doesn’t have to be an end at all, and it can be the launchpad to your next level.
