Michael M. Dillard — May 28, 2020

Recently, I was having a conversation with a prominent business consultant for a national diversity supplier council. At the onset of our talk, he thanked me for my service with the US Navy and then made a remark which I had never given much thought to before. He said that it was his experience that veterans tended to make successful entrepreneurs after finishing their stint with the military. We kicked that topic around for about an hour and then ended our phone call. His earlier comment resonated with me so much that I decided to sit down and write this article to encourage my military brothers and sisters that are currently entrepreneurs or thinking about becoming one. Here are the Top 3 reasons veterans tend to make successful entrepreneurs:

Reason #1. Veterans Are Highly Disciplined

Without a doubt, military members are trained to be highly disciplined. From our earliest days at boot camp with those hideous haircuts, ungodly 3 am wake-ups, all of that marching around and seemingly non-stop PT (physical training) EVERYTHING was about discipline. And you know what? The expectation that I continued to be a highly disciplined person never diminished with my tenure; if anything, it increased. Successful entrepreneurs are also highly disciplined. Whereas an employee may be able to get away with not being so disciplined and continue receiving a paycheck, entrepreneurs have no such luxury. Everything ultimately rests on their broad shoulders. I know from experience how it feels to run a start-up. Think back to when you first started your company; how many times did you not feel like doing the things that would be vital to your success? In those moments, it was your self-discipline that pushed you forward. Without it, you wouldn’t be the successful man or woman you are today.

Reason #2. Veterans Are Committed

Try to imagine, if you can, a Navy SEAL or US Marine not completing the mission because their 8-hour shift was over! It’s an absurd notion that you probably can’t conceptualize; I know that I can’t. This is because we KNOW that these people are committed and accept their responsibility to complete the overall objective. While every member of the US Armed Forces does not serve on Special Forces, we are trained to be committed and to accept responsibility for the role we play in the overall success of the mission. Veterans are committed to the success of the command, its members and those the command serves. We never shirk our responsibility. We have been trained to succeed and to get the job done. No excuses. No matter what. For us, failure is simply not an option. Successful entrepreneurs share this same characteristic and are committed to taking the innermost dreams from the ether of their hearts and bringing them into reality. They understand that they are 100% responsible for their success. Failure simply cannot be a viable option. This is not to say that we as entrepreneurs won’t fail at some things; failure is a natural part of the human learning experience. Understand that when I say “failure”, I am referring to ultimate failure. Giving up and throwing in the towel-type failure. This type of failure is not an option for the successful entrepreneur.

Reason #3. Veterans Have A “Mission First” Mentality

In the military, everything ultimately revolved around the mission of the command. Whether it was engineering inspections, 4-hours of Field Day cleaning, classroom training or at-sea combat exercises with allied naval forces, at the heart of it all was our mission. Because of this, we developed a Mission First Mentality. Nothing was more important than the command’s mission. Our lifestyles were centered around it and all of our plans were made with regards to these milestone mission events. Successful entrepreneurs understand the need for such a mentality. Nothing is more important than successfully birthing their company and developing it into a thriving business. This attribute is closely associated with Reason #2, as it is a driving force that helps the entrepreneur to put things in proper perspective and keep moving forward. Every company begins with a particular mission in the heart of the entrepreneur. Another way to look at this is that your company began as a solution to a particular need. The mission is the “why” and successful entrepreneurs don’t lose sight of that. This is also the importance of having a clearly stated mission statement. A Mission First Mentality won’t allow you to be sidetracked and ultimately derailed from achieving your overall objectives.

Please remember, if you’ve served as an Armed Forces member, that you are a highly-skilled and resourceful individual. You have SO much inside of you to offer that will help you to succeed in your new mission. For you, failure is simply not an option.

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