There is an old saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Even before I left the military it was ingrained in me that WE is stronger than I. This core belief carried over into my post military career. So much so that in many of my professional circles, where some folks are known for their finance expertise, litigation skills or oratory prowess, I am known for my ability to connect with people in a very meaningful way. It is not that I possess any sort of extraordinary charisma or ESP, but a firm belief in helping those around me is always better than helping myself first. Moreover, faith in helping everyone to the best of my ability selfishly ends up in some way or somehow helping myself later.
Recently, I had the good fortune to meet another Human Resources professional who was new to the Chicagoland area at a Roll Call event. After scheduling a meeting, I learned that not only did her global firm want to develop a strategy to hire veterans but their spouses as well. As her firm is IT focused and I knew a few non profit leaders who specialize in training veterans and spouses in technology, it seemed like a natural fit to connect these two. Together the three of us will create a pipeline to train and employ veterans. All it took was two emails and phone calls.
This is just one of hundreds of examples and it is just an easy thing to do if you don’t focus on “what’s in it for me”. We all know those folks that quickly size you up, and ask questions like “What did your company pull in last year”, “How many direct reports do you have?” or my personal favorite, “Who do you know at….?” These are short sighted folks and pretty transparent.
If I am known for being an authentic connector and networker then I proudly wear that banner. Recently it has helped me develop, build out and launch my dream of owning my own company. As mentioned in a previous blog, a colleague gave me the opportunity to consult with a financial institution which was incredibly rewarding. This was a taste of what I wanted to do. But now I was plagued and stressed by questions such as “How would I set up a website, develop a business plan, shoot a marketing video or get a business bank account?”. The most important of these is, “Who do I go to in order to make sure I wasn’t soup sandwich when I speak to my first client?”
They say it takes a village to raise a child, well I was pretty inexperienced in starting my business and can say with undying gratitude that my village came through for me. Thank you to the following people in my close network who rallied, invested their talents and offered all the support I could have ever asked for: Jim Vaselopulos, Dean Jaime Alonso Gomez, Scott Hardesty, Eric Lazar, Carter Davis, Casey McEuin, Branden Marty, Bob Hogan, Kirby Atwell, Ariel McGrew, Tim Malham, Megan Everett, Tem Frierson, Amber Roman, Brendan O’Brien, Alex Panosian, David Rader, Nicci Bosco, Freddie Kim and Matt Schachman. It goes without saying that I would not have had the courage without my wife Carla who has been at me for a year about doing this venture.
What is my company and what do we do? It is called Veteran Engagement Solutions. We do what I love and am passionate about. That is, teaching companies how to employ veterans and maximize their soft skills to create a catalyst for success. We do this by helping them qualify for the DOL Medallion program and providing other Human Resources consulting services.
