Written by: Juan C. Olmedo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Leaving behind the familiarity and structure of military life can often be daunting for veterans, especially when it comes to re-entering civilian society. However, many brave men and women have successfully transitioned from serving their country to becoming successful entrepreneurs in the civilian world. This article focuses on their journey — the challenges they faced, lessons they learned, and how they turned their military experience into a foundation for new entrepreneurial ventures. Join us in exploring The Journey: From Military to Civilian Entrepreneur.
Military transition to civilian life
The transition from military life to civilian life can be an overwhelming experience for veterans. After dedicating years of their lives to serving their country, leaving behind the structure and camaraderie of military service can leave many feeling lost. The challenges are not just emotional – it also presents logistical hurdles as well with having to navigate new workplaces, industries, and the complexities of healthcare benefits. However, despite these difficulties, many vets have successfully transitioned into becoming entrepreneurs in the civilian world by using skills honed while in active duty that translates seamlessly into business ventures. Skills like leadership development, critical decision-making abilities under pressure and delegation capabilities all support successful entrepreneurship. In addition, companies like Nevtis Communications help veteran entrepreneurs through mentoring programs and connections with other veteran-owned businesses providing more resources than had previously been available for transitioning vets looking to create a new career path.
What it takes to start a business
Starting a business requires more than just a great idea. It takes careful planning, a solid strategy, and access to resources and funding. Entrepreneurs must be willing to put in the time and effort necessary to research their target market, identify potential competitors, develop a marketing plan, and create financial projections. Additionally, they need to have the skills required to manage employees, negotiate contracts, and oversee manufacturing or production processes if applicable. More importantly, perhaps is the need for resilience. Starting any new venture involves risk-taking that can often lead to setbacks. Successful entrepreneurs must be able to bounce back from failures with grit and determination; facing persistent challenges head-on until success is achieved. For veterans transitioning into entrepreneurship after military service life presents unique challenges: adapting skill sets acquired during their time in service while also developing the entrepreneurial mindset required for achieving success in modern-day society's competitive marketplace. However, with dedication patience, and perseverance – veterans have found themselves well-prepared for this next chapter of their lives - running thriving businesses across multiple industries.
Entrepreneurship with military discipline
Entrepreneurship and military discipline may seem like two completely unrelated concepts, but they can actually complement each other quite well. The skills and values that are instilled in individuals during their time in the military – such as leadership, adaptability, and perseverance – are highly applicable in the realm of entrepreneurship. Starting a business requires these attributes to be successful. Military personnel also possess a unique perspective on risk management which can prove invaluable when starting or managing a new venture. They understand how to prioritize tasks and allocate resources in order to meet objectives while minimizing risks. These skills translate excellently into developing smart business strategies. Additionally, veterans often have access to resources that can help them get started on their entrepreneurial journey or grow an existing business such as veteran-owned small business loans or mentorships from other successful veterans who have made similar transitions themselves. All-in-all it is clear that there is plenty of potential for entrepreneurs with prior military experience thanks to their reinforced work ethic, drive for success, passion for serving others along with skill development over time via methodical training regimes making entrepreneurship an excellent option post-military life.
Leadership and Problem-solving
Leadership and problem-solving are two critical skills that military entrepreneurs often possess, thanks to their training in the armed forces. In the military, leaders must be able to make quick decisions under pressure, adapt to unexpected situations, and communicate effectively with their team. These qualities transfer seamlessly into the entrepreneurial world where start-up founders face similar challenges—constantly adjusting to changes in the market and pivoting business models—which require acute decision-making abilities. Problem-solving is another crucial skill that many veterans bring with them into entrepreneurship. The ability to identify problems quickly and work towards practical solutions becomes a valuable asset in creating successful businesses. Military personnel also have experience working together as a team towards common goals which helps when building startups that require collaboration across teams or departments. Overall, leadership and problem-solving skills play an essential role in shaping successful military entrepreneurs after transitioning from service life into civilian society.
Finding your passion and purpose
Discovering one's passion and purpose is essential for achieving success and fulfillment in life. For veterans transitioning from military to civilian life, this process can be especially challenging. To find your passion, it's important to reflect on your interests, skills, values, and experiences. This self-awareness will help you identify what makes you happy and fulfilled. Once you've discovered your passion, the next step is to align it with a greater purpose or mission that provides meaning and direction in life. Finding a purpose involves exploring what motivates and inspires you beyond personal satisfaction. It may involve giving back to society through social entrepreneurship or using your skills to solve real-world problems. Overall, finding your passion and purpose is an ongoing journey that requires patience, perseverance, and an open mind. By pursuing activities that bring joy and serve a higher cause, veterans can successfully transition into rewarding civilian careers as entrepreneurs while maintaining their sense of identity built upon their military service experience.
Perks of a veteran-owned business
One of the perks of owning a veteran-owned business is being able to tap into a network of other veterans who have gone through similar experiences in transitioning from military to civilian life. This camaraderie can lead to networking opportunities and potential collaborations, as well as support and guidance in navigating the civilian business world. Additionally, many consumers actively seek out veteran-owned businesses as a way to show support for those who have served their country. Another advantage of starting a business as a veteran is the valuable skills and traits gained from military experience that are transferable to entrepreneurship. These include discipline, leadership abilities, adaptability, and problem-solving skills which can help with decision-making and managing operations effectively. Furthermore, Veterans often receive special certifications or incentives when pursuing government contracts which they qualify specifically due to their service record. Overall having these unique advantages demonstrates how employing veterans through hiring or partnering with them will offer an innovative perspective on tackling challenges while applying lessons learned over the years through their service; ultimately resulting towards efforts that significantly enhance your organization's bottom line performance beyond just revenue figures.
Impact on Society as a veteran entrepreneur
As a veteran entrepreneur, the impact on society can be significant. Veterans bring unique skills and experiences to the entrepreneurial world, such as integrity, leadership, discipline, and resilience. They also have access to valuable resources through their military networks that help them succeed in business. Furthermore, veteran-owned businesses contribute significantly to the local economy by providing job opportunities for civilians and veterans alike. These businesses also play an important role in strengthening national security by supporting defense initiatives and participating in government contracts. Moreover, veteran entrepreneurs are often driven by a desire to continue serving their country while making a positive impact on society. Many of them focus on developing products or services that cater specifically to the needs of other veterans or first responders. Overall, veteran entrepreneurship benefits not only individual veterans but also communities nationwide.
Conclusion: The entrepreneurship journey from Military to entrepreneur
In conclusion, transitioning from military to entrepreneur is not an easy feat, but it is doable with a clear sense of purpose and the determination to succeed. This journey requires resilience, patience and an open mindset, especially in adapting to new environments. It involves translating one's military skills into practical business acumen that can translate into success in the civilian world. Ultimately, these veterans-turned-entrepreneurs have demonstrated that they possess the qualities needed for entrepreneurship such as leadership, discipline and problem-solving abilities acquired during their service years. Furthermore, their stories provide inspiration for other aspiring veteran entrepreneurs looking to leave behind comfort zones and embark on entrepreneurial adventures. From developing strong support systems within their communities to accessing resources like financial aid programs or mentorship services meant for veterans, there are countless opportunities available that provide assistance along this transitional process. In essence, the journey highlights how military training serves as a valuable foundation for future success beyond serving one’s country – it provides skillsets necessary in starting businesses and overcoming obstacles encountered along the way.
Nevtis Communications, a Business-to-Business interconnected-telecommunications service provider located in Southern California, offers jobs, training, internship, and overall mentorship for military personnel who are soon to leave their branch of service, or veterans who have been out of the military for some time.
Founder and CEO, Juan Olmedo says: “It takes time, sometimes even years to find your way in life, and if you have dedicated years of your life to defend our Country, we should do our part and support our troops and veterans. Give them opportunities, mentor them, or sometimes they just need a friend”.
Mr. Olmedo, passionately works to help veterans become the best version of themselves through Entrepreneurship and Performance coaching. Along with being the Founder and CEO of Nevtis Corp, Mr. Olmedo is also a Business Advisor for start-up and growth-challenged businesses in Southern California. With like-minded entrepreneurs Mr. Olmedo hopes to help 100 former service men and women build $1Million-Plus Companies within the next 2 years.
Nevtis Communications may be found here – 855-442-7107, Mr. Olmedo may be found at https://juanolmedo.io, https://nexeraadvisors.com, 855-707-4505
Juan C. Olmedo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Juan C. Olmedo, is a Latino Tech Entrepreneur, High Performance Coach, & CEO of Nevtis Companies. Entrepreneur-minded since the age of 15, started first official business at 22 years of age and grew it to a $2 Million dollar a year company with 20 employees. Started subsequent business tech business at 25 and sold it just 5 years later. Have since started or invested in 6 other companies ranging from tech, telecom, construction, insurance, and digital marketing with a combined employment of 80 full time staff. Currently CEO at Nevtis Corp, a UCaaS Software provider. Being through virtually every stage of starting, and scaling million dollar companies, Mr. Olmedo uses his acquired knowledge of almost 20 years.
