How military skills can help you start a business
If you feel your military training was so specific you aren't qualified for anything outside your chosen field, you might be completely wrong. Bryan Rosendale, former U.S. Submarine Electronics Technician Second Class Petty Officer, found a way to pursue both his electronics training and his personal passion using the training he received in the Navy.
Rosendale, who once served onboard the USS Honolulu and instructed at the Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific, is now owner and operator of 8ovation LLC, parent company to green-living nutrition outfit Greevi. He talked to us recently about how his military background helped him get where he is:
CareerBuilder: What is your current role at your company, and what does it entail?
Bryan Rosendale: I've started up a green company currently focusing on nutrition and healthy green living for consumers. I'm the creative director of this company and handle product innovation and marketing. This includes coming up with new products and researching manufacturers and raw material suppliers to ensure our sources are renewable and natural or organically certified, and that manufacturing is done according to Good Manufacturing Practices using eco-friendly processes. I also develop marketing plans and control funding for all corporate investments.
CB: How did being in the military prepare you for this?
BR: Military training can mean a lot of things. For me it meant job security upon leaving. Finding a good job with my background in electronics wasn't difficult as so many employers look for military to fill positions. They know that our basic training and work ethic will allow us to excel in just about any position. For me it meant attending business school part time until I finished my degree in management.
Using my electronics experience combined with my new management degree I was able to score a great job with a great salary. A great salary in the power industry enabled me to set aside money to follow my dream of starting my own company. My work ethic, instilled in me through years of military training, forced me to accomplish my goals and strive to succeed in college, in work, and then in my company.
CB: While you were in the service, did you know what type of work you would pursue upon leaving?
BR: I knew I would be completing my degree, but I did not know that I would become a successful business owner. I considered various different career choices. It was my military experience in electronics that enabled me to find successful employment while pursuing my dreams.
CB: Did you pursue any additional education after you were discharged?
BR: Yes, I completed my bachelor's in management upon being honorably discharged. I used my Montgomery G.I. Bill as well as my Illinois Veterans Grant. Today's MGI benefits are very valuable as they cover school costs and many living expenses, allowing a student to concentrate on schoolwork instead of having to get a part-time job or worrying about paying back loans.
CB: What skills do you feel are most important when starting your own business?
BR: Starting your own business is difficult. You have to be dedicated to overcome obstacle after obstacle. This means you must have the self-confidence to succeed. Self-confidence is built into us in the military at boot camp, when we're broken down and then succeed in graduating. From there, military men and women are rewarded for their successes throughout their tours, further increasing their self-confidence.
Another very important skill in starting a business today is technological savvy. Being tech-savvy allows businesses to keep an efficient edge on their competition. For instance, as an electronics technician in the Navy, I was in control of ordering parts and keeping parts inventory using software that was far ahead of what many companies in the public sector were using at the time. Whether the technology is as simple as email or as sophisticated as point-of-sale inventory control systems, the further ahead you are the better chance you have of succeeding.