Three Reasons Why Veterans Make The Best Entrepreneurs

This weekend, we are packing our bags (we are literally packing our American Handmade bags) and heading to sunny San Diego, where we are honored to have been invited as a vendor at Clever Talks! There, we will be learning from some of the most creative and brilliant business minds to have ever served our country - in both combat and the boardroom. From boots to suits, the men and women speaking in this Veteran Owned Business Panel are changing how we all perceive our nation’s Veterans. Their military experiences, impressive skill-sets and refusals to fail have marked them as the ultimate entrepreneurs! Just ask our Shark Tank Shark – Mark Cuban!

Mark will also be at Clever Talks, speaking on the topic of “Veteran Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurship.” This technology and media mogul (not to mention, Owner of the Dallas Mavericks) has been supporting and working alongside Veterans for years! Like so many of us here in America, Mark has a tremendous amount of faith in these men and women, and is working to help put them exactly where they deserve to be: on top! Check out some of our favorite Mark Cuban quotes, and learn why they all prove that Veterans make the best entrepreneurs!

1.   “Work like there is someone working 24-hours a day to take it all away from you.” Our nation’s Veterans have never steered away from a sleepless night – or two – or even… a few… in a row. From the day they take their oath, they are challenged and conditioned to endure the harshest locations, lack of sleep and accept their inability to ever turn off that switch that is always keeping them on high alert. They understand more than anyone how quickly things can take a turn for the worse, and they are trained to map out their routes to avoid any unforeseen and dangerous events. That “never give up, never surrender” mentality makes them a force to be reckoned with in the world of business!

2.   “When you turn your team upside down and try to figure out what the culture of the team is, you take the greatest risk a team can take.” If you thought the Dallas Mavericks were the premier example of what it means to build “the perfect team” then you have never seen the comradery and brotherhood of our service members, first-hand! (Sorry, Mavs! You’re a close second, though!) Over the years, seasoned Veterans become influential and natural leaders; men and women who understand the importance of working as a team and develop a knack for identifying the traits of their subordinates quickly and accurately, as to ensure they are placed in the proper positions. Lanes are established so that every single member of the team has the opportunity to master a specific skill. Overseas, this keeps our service members safe, and back home... it’s the secret recipe for a successful and thriving business! 

3.   “Doesn’t matter if the glass is half-empty or half-full. What matters is that you are the one pouring the water.”  We’ve all seen our favorite actors playing war heroes on the big screen; Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett in Pearl Harbor. Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan. Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker. Luke Wilson in Behind Enemy Lines. Josh Hartnett… again… in Black Hawk Down. All of these movies’ characters have many things in common, but the most important is this: The mission always came first. We’ve heard that line before, but what does it really mean to our Veterans; the men and women who have actually lived through the events that these movies are based on? Unlike filming a movie, there is a serious amount of risk that goes into any military operation. This is why mission-planning is absolutely essential, and if you asked a Veteran, he or she would most likely tell you that mission-planning is like riding a bike. It’s not something that ever goes away. Determining the correct course of action, establishing contingencies to fall back on when things go wrong and understanding how the “mission” will affect everyone involved are all part of being a successful entrepreneur!

Tomorrow is the big day, and we can’t wait to see what kind of inspiring messages all speakers on the panel at Clever Talks will bring! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates from the event! If you live near the San Diego area and would like to purchase tickets to come see us, or any of the speakers below, click here.

Daniel Alarik: Founder of Grunt Style

Tyler Merritt: Cofounder of Nine Line Apparel

Eric Basu: Founder of Sentek Global

Donny O’Malley: Founder of VET TV

Chef Geoff: Founder of Admiral’s Experience

Jake Clark: Founder of Save a Warrior 

Brady Pesola: Founder of San Diego School of Survival

Stephanie Brown: Founder of The Rosie Network

Frank Grippe: VP Spartan Race

Charles Brandes: Investor, Business Man, Philanthropist

Mark Cuban: Mark Cuban Companies

Story by: Kellie Gunderman

Photography Care of: Clever Talks

Quotes Care of: Mark Cuban