How did your military experience shape the way you lead your business today? Are there specific lessons or habits from your service that continue to influence your day-to-day decision-making as a business owner?
Dan: My military experience emphasized understanding the mission. Everything else flowed from that. Mission preparedness included my training both technically and managerially and sharing my experience and knowledge with the team. My team has always included people who have had their own perspective and expertise to help us achieve the mission. I’ve taken those practices and shared them with my current team. Our mission is different, but the training, development and exchange of ideas, has helped build commitment to the mission, enhancing the services that we provide to our customers. Our team training includes repetition of basic skills and safety protocols as well as exploring ways to more efficiently accomplish our services.
Luis: My time in the Navy taught me discipline, accountability, and the importance of teamwork under pressure. In the restoration industry, every job requires precision, quick firm decisions, and clear communication with the customers, just like in the military service. I still rely on the same structure and problem-solving mindset I learned during my times during my military service to lead with confidence and stay mission-focused no matter the challenge.
What has been the most rewarding part of building your own business after leaving the military – personally or professionally?
Dan: The most rewarding part is the immediate feedback that we get from our customers when we’ve solved their problem. Much of my military time was spent practicing skills and procedures in case they were needed. In the restoration industry, we practice our skills every day, meet our challenges every day and create satisfied customers every day. I find that most rewarding.
Luis: The most rewarding part has been serving my community again, this time by helping families and businesses recover from disaster, big or small. Seeing our work make a real difference and building a reliable, integrity-driven team gives me the same sense of pride and purpose I felt while serving.
For other veterans who may be considering a new mission in business ownership, what advice would you share about specifically moving into the restoration industry?
Dan: We all want to make a difference in our world and a great way to do that is through business ownership. I find the restoration industry fulfilling, as I play a part in helping my team grow and as we all work to help our clients through their challenges. This industry offers direct interaction with coworkers and clients, in person and real time. Many aspects of this business can’t be performed remotely or with automation and there is always a need for our expertise.
Luis: Use your military training to your advantage. Your leadership, work ethic, and ability to stay calm in chaos are exactly what this industry needs. Learn the technical side, invest in good people, and treat every job like a mission: complete it with excellence, take care of your team, and always be proud of what you do.
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