26 minute read
SHIP AHOY
‘ship ahoy’ An unexpected assignment creates a unique opportunity
By Doug Kelly
Michael Kennedy suddenly found himself in a quandary that was not of his own making.
A 15-year veteran of the United States Navy, Kennedy had been deployed for overseas duty five times prior. For the most part, his previous deployments’ timing coincided nicely with a second passion of his, football officiating. He has worked with and trained new officials in the greater Hampton Roads-Tidewater area of Virginia.
Yet his sixth deployment, one that would come on short notice, which at the time bothered him considerably due to its timing, came in December 2018. Assigned to the USS Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group, Kennedy soon found he would serve in the Middle East from the end of last year until this past July. He presently is the Current Operations Officer [COPS] at Commander, Amphibious Squadron SIX since September ‘18
This unexpected assignment meant Kennedy would have to forego his spring officials’ training classes. “We always started in early May of each year, and went until August, when the [high school and college] scrimmages began,” he said. Thus, he figured, there would be no spring football for him in 2019 and he would not be able to train new officials until he returned.
32 WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / APRIL 2020 Kennedy, who enlisted in the Navy in 2004, set sail in December, as scheduled, but quickly developed a rapport with several sailors who’d be serving with him.
“I like training other people. Like it’s been said, in learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn.” Kennedy said.
Just to be safe and to pass the time, Kennedy took his rule book, old game and instructional films, and whatever else he thought he would need aboard ship to keep his mind engaged in regards to football.
“Early on, I talked to a lot of the guys, and I found most of them liked football. More than a few said, ‘I’d like to learn how to be an official. It might be something I can do when my service commitment is up.’”
So Kennedy ran two introductory presentations on football officiating, using the ‘Battlefields 2 Ballfields’ training program.
This past April “Twenty-one sailors and marines came out for the classes.” Meetings were held on Saturday mornings in the ship’s classroom from 10 am to noon. There was a reason for the timing. Naval ships generally observe Sunday mornings as ‘Holiday Routine’ that allows for church services, personal time, etc.
“So the ship moved our ‘Holiday Routine’ to Saturday mornings until noon. This way, most ship activities were already kept to a minimum and prevented other required ship events from conflicting with our classes.
“We broke the classes up into different phases of the game. We started everyone off with game administration, then covered the pre-snap phase, then the run play phase, pass play phase, kicking game phase, and covered all the mechanics and rules that were associated with each phase.
“Game film was the last hour each Saturday morning. The biggest thing I tried to get across as they watched the tape was how officials positioned themselves, how they moved. Now, we obviously weren’t able to get out on a field, but seeing the video at least gave them a feel for what goes on out there and how to apply the mechanics we were reviewing in the presentations.”
Since 2016, Kennedy has been a college game official in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference [MEAC]. The MEAC and Southwestern Athletic Conference [SWAC] both feature colleges from the historically black colleges and universities. The champions of each meet every December in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, televised nationally by ABC.
His current responsibility is as a Back Judge, though he has officiated all over the field during his career. He’s also the Training Coordinator for the Southeastern Football Officials Association [SEFOA], the local association that officiates high school football in the Hampton Roads area. Kennedy’s ‘ship ahoy’ class lasted eight weeks and 17 aspirants completed all eight. “When we pulled into Jordan, we set up a flag tournament for all the Sailors and Marines on board,” he continued. “Our class got to work flag ball. When they started out, some were a bit timid about the rules and having to officiate in front of their peers.
“These were the same people that they ate, slept and worked with for the last seven months. But, by the end of the tournament, they really were managing the game and the players and coaches really respected the role they held as football officials. It was really great to see them grow on the field as officials.
“A week later, guys were ready to sign up for another flag football tournament, so we ran a second event. Everyone had a blast. The tournament was a success. “Each of the seventeen also did well in the testing part, when it came to the rules. Guys would test each other, emailing questions back and forth from the weekly tests from the material we reviewed the week before.
What is he most proud of, now that his faraway-lands training has ‘recruited’ some up-and-coming officials? “Just the fact that the majority of the guys stuck it out, and it’s beginning to pay off for them. Some of them have now started the preseason with a lot of high school teams.
“Seeing some of the excitement they have after walking off the field at the end of a scrimmage is awesome for me. They’ll continue to improve working scrimmages and attending our training meetings and they’ll be ready by September. People don’t realize that July and August are not just training for the players. It’s for officials, too, and I think we are going to see some good ones down the road just from this class alone.”
WHAT’S NEXT Transition to Civilian Life By Eve Nasby
Let’s Go For Ride
Job Search
Going a little stir crazy? Trying to find work in these tumultuous times? Now more than ever you have time to look for work, but you are just not seeing results. To make matters worse, the nation has a soaring un employment rate, complicating your job search further.
Don’t despair. As in all things, this too shall pass and things will turn around for the better.
As you wait for things to normalize, how can you intelligently and productively continue in your job search? What real steps forward can you take as the world lies in limbo?
In addition to home projects, crafts, and homeschooling the kids, make time to work on your future.
Resume Review
Now is an ideal time to socialize your resume to friends, family members and colleagues to review. They have time. Contact HR professionals who will, for free, analyze your resume and make suggestions. Refresh and renew your resume for each role you are applying for. Experiment with different formats. Take an honest look at it and make changes. Interview Practice
Looking for a fun game to play with your kids? Write down these frequently asked interview questions on a 3x5 cards and hand them to your kids.
1. What is the greatest asset you will bring to our company? 2. What makes you stand out amongst your peers? 3. Give me an example of how you overcame a challenge without losing your initiative. 4. How did you save your previous company time or money?
Have them sit across the table from you as if you were in a panel interview. Answer the questions in the STAR format. It’s great practice and fun to get the kids involved in your career search. Plus, when you are in a real interview and the client asks you one of those, it may bring a smile to your face to remember a young jelly smeared face asking you the same question.
Don’t have kids or ones that would find this fun? FaceTime or Zoom friends to do the same. Sans the jelly. Develop Yourself
Make time to take online courses. There are free resources available to learn a new skill.
Dave Grundies https://www.edx.org/ offers 2500+ online courses from 140 institutions like Harvard, Berkley and MIT for free. The opportunities are limitless. Set aside an hour a day to teach yourself something new and useful. Invest in YOU.
I recently spoke with a representative from LinkedIn who noted that its activity has exploded since the virus has quarantined our nation.
Now is the time to expand your network. People are connecting now more than ever via social media channels and now is your time to take advantage of it. Dig around on your profile and network and invite people to connect who have a role that you are interested in. Initiate a conversation with them about what they like and don’t like about their role. Investigate for yourself if this is a role you would truly like.
Connect with Human Resources professionals and people in leadership roles at companies that you want to work for.
Find out what they like about the company. Find out what roles they know are coming up and uncover what they believe the successful candidate would need to possess in order to be hired.
Then work on those skills.
One of our favorite contributors, Rachelle Snook, Global Talent Director at WD40 Company, suggests to also to, “take a step back and analyze the needs of our nation right now. See what the employment need is and fill that need. Don’t be afraid to take a role that may not be exactly what you are looking for, but may give you experience in something new.
You don’t have to stick with it forever, just give it a try.” She also suggests volunteering. It’s a great way to get experience in areas you may not otherwise have opportunity to.
This is not ‘The end of the world as we know it’ but just the beginning of something new.
Embrace the change and leverage your time now to be successful in the future.
Need free help with your resume?
Want to run through a mock interview?
Connect with Eve at….. Eve@infused.work or connect with her at LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/eve-nasby-given-0050452
The transition from military service to civilian life can be a difficult one, especially when it comes to your career.
That’s why a growing number of veterans choose to forge their own path and become entrepreneurs after leaving the Armed Forces.
While starting a business comes with numerous challenges, former service members do have one distinct advantage: the veteran community.
“The strength and power of veteran entrepreneurs comes from other veteran entrepreneurs”
Unlike most highly competitive entrepreneurial environments, veteran entrepreneurs share information much more easily.
If you or someone you know is a veteran looking to start a business, please feel free to contact Vicki Garcia.
Vicki is the Co-Founder of Operation Vetrepreneur & President of Marketing Impressions, a 33+ -year- old marketing consulting firm. If you want support for starting up a business, email her at vicki@veteransinbiz.com.
For advice, tips and programs you can read Vicki’s monthly column at Homeland Magazine or visit www.HomelandMagazine.com and click on the banner:
Surviving the Pandemic Unknown Zone
OK, this is the strangest, most shocking, mind-blowing experience in recent history. The last person who could remember a plague like the Coronavirus was my grandmother and she’s been deceased for 50 years. File this under “Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures.” That phrase, probably originating in Latin as “extremis malis extrema remedia,” appeared in print as early as 1596. You can always trust the Romans for good advice.
You Need a Strategy Look at it this way. This pandemic is like a forest fire. Lots of weak competitors have been siphoning off small or even large numbers of your customers in the marketplace. This is going to be a test of your ability to hunker down and survive until it blows over when you can pop back up and thrive. The ONLY thing that counts is survival.
You may want to take care of your employees. You probably have debts you would like to pay. You had plans to grow. A brand you’ve laboriously built over time needs protection. Sales were in the pipeline. You were proud of your great credit score. Now, all that has come to a screeching halt. Like Rod Serling used to say, you’re entering the Twilight Zone, or for our purposes the Unknown Zone. (cue creepy music)
All the above needs to be temporarily stopped until we can figure out where this is going. If you want to survive, which should be your only priority, you probably will need to compromise some of your values. Owning a business means making hard decisions. A strategic retreat means you live to fight another day.
36 WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / APRIL 2020 CASH IS KING Admittedly I’m writing this from the small, microentrepreneurial perspective. Most of these enterprises don’t have much in the way of reserves. Call it selfish. Call it immoral. Call it self-interested. I don’t care what you call it. The driving principle is that if you go under, no matter your well-meaning impulses, nobody will benefit. So…
1. Conserve Your Cash. Spend money only on what is absolutely critical to surviving. Make a list of your priorities. This could last a lot longer than you expect and you need to be a pinchpenny. You can always rebuild your credit later, catch up on payments to vendors and rehire employees.
2. Get Really Clear on Need vs Want. Yes, you like that magazine, but do you need it right now? When was the last time you used your newspaper subscription? Think back to when you started your business and had to determine what was critical as opposed to what you could do without. Bring back that thinking.
3. Kill the Ants That are Nibbling You to Death. Go through your P&L and dig down in your expenses. You’re not going to discover anyone big thing you can stop spending precious cash on. You’re more likely to discover 10 little things you can kill off. We all pick up little (frequently monthly) expenditures that sneak through unnoticed, but they add up. A short call to www.GoDaddy.com showed me how my spending with them had gotten out of control. It all sounded critical at the time I took it on, but now some difficult decisions to jettison certain services, domains and emails had to be made. I can always pick them back up later when things are better.
COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE
Things are happening so quickly that it is difficult to say exactly what will be happening by the time you read this. The important thing is to keep in communication with customers, creditors and employees you had to let go.
Be sure to let customers know you will be back or you’re there to help them FOR FREE if they need you. This is a prime opportunity to build customer loyalty. Send out a press release on how you’re helping…the media is hungry for that kind of info.
1. Call Your Mortgage Lender and Ask for a Suspension. Fortune says “Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both have ordered lenders to be more flexible with borrowers, reducing or suspending payments for up to 12 months. A better bet is to request a mortgage modification. This enables you to skip payments for a set period, then pay them back in a variety of different ways. Foreclosure sales and evictions have been halted and delinquent payments will not be reported to credit bureau.” If you rent space, call your landlord and negotiate with her/him. Be nice. This person may also be cash strapped.
2. Get in Touch with Your Tax Advisor. See if you qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) The Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC or EIC, is a benefit for working people, including small business owners, with low to moderate income. Go to the IRS website for a surprisingly easy to understand explanation at www.irs.gov
3. Get on The Phone and Call Your Creditors. Many of them understand the circumstances and have emergency policies available. Can you get a forbearance on that loan? Negotiate a lower interest rate? Would you rather feed the kids or pay your credit cards? My bet is that dings to your credit score will be forgivable once the storm passes.
4. Go After Any Receivables. We all hate doing this, but some small businesses have thousands of dollars outstanding because they have avoided this task. Offer any customer, client or patient who pays up NOW a sweet deal. And, I mean an offer they can’t refuse. Something they would be stupid to turn down. If they don’t pay now, you will be back and go after the full amount.
5. Look for Random, Popup “Private” Responses to Help Small Businesses. Facebook is offering $100M cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries. They are meant to 1. Keep your workforce going. 2. Help with the rent 3. Connect with Customers, 4. Cover operational costs. Eligibility is currently undetermined but you should go to www.facebook.com/business/boost/grants and sign up for updates.
6. Get Creative. This might be the time to move to more online sales or communication tools. You could offer workshops on Zoom.com, open an Etsy store, or write informative booklets on https://tinyurl.com/wexqf25. ( I love Simplebooklet, and you can look at one of mine called Selling for People Who Don’t Like Selling at https://simplebooklet.com
7. Look for an Appropriate Loan. I really don’t like this idea because it means taking on a debt load that may cripple you once you get back on your feet. Explore Fintech disruptive business models that include peer to peer lending and small ticket loans. Fintech is the term used to refer to innovations in the financial and technology crossover space, and typically refers to services that use technology to provide financial services to businesses. Go here for more info - www.boardofinnovation.com
8. Take a Temporary Job. A zillion places are hiring. Amazon, Walmart, all the grocery and drug stores are looking for people. Nothing to be ashamed of. You can do both…be an entrepreneur and employee at the same time.
There are many websites cranking up right now to give you direction, suggestions and support. Everyone is thinking up ways to help. Hang on and don’t give up.
A City of San Diego grant has paid for Operation Vetrepreneur to help launch and support veteran (Military & Spouse) startups and growing businesses. Working with highly experienced entrepreneurs, and using a unique brainstorming high-touch model, you get mentoring and info while in the company of other like-minded veterans. Tell us about yourself at www. veteransinbiz.com, sign up for a workshop or mentoring at www.meetup.com/Operation-Vetrepreneur-San-Diego/
WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / APRIL 2020 37 Vicki Garcia is the Co-Founder of Operation Vetrepreneur & President of Marketing Impressions, a 30+ -year- old marketing consulting firm. Apply to join Operation Vetrepreneur’s FREE Think Tank Groups or one-on-one mentoring at www.veteransinbiz.com.
legal Eagle By Kelly Bagla, Esq. Straight-forward legal tips for Military and Veteran Business Owners
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INVENTION
As an inventor, one of the best ways to make money is to license your invention to other companies that will manufacture and sell the invention. By shopping your invention around, however, you may be putting your rights to that invention in jeopardy. The move you reveal about your invention, the more likely it is that it will be stolen or copied. So, what’s the best way to protect your invention? Provisional patent applications and nondisclosure agreements are two important strategies for safeguarding your rights.
FILING A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION
A provisional patent application (PPA) is a patent application that can be used to secure a filing date. Additionally, if a nonprovisional application is filed within one year from the filing date of the PPA, the nonprovisional application may claim the benefit of the filing date of the PPA. Why are filing dates important?
38 WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / APRIL 2020 On March 16, 2013, the U.S. adopted a first-to-file system. Under this system, the first to file an application usually gets the patent. A PPA essentially provides a one-year extension as to the filing of a nonprovisional patent application. In doing so, a PPA provides an applicant with an additional year to experiment, perfect an invention, find investment money, and find interested parties for licensing.
Here are some facts you need to know about PPAs: • A PPA expires after one year • You cannot extent a PPA • You cannot renew a PPA • APPA will never become a patent • You cannot file a PPA for a design • You can use the term “patent pending”
If your invention potentially qualifies for a patent, it may be worth your while to file a PPA and obtain “patent pending” status.
This will allow you to establish an effective date for your invention. Most often, filing a PPA will deter others from copying your invention and provides an advantage in protecting your legal rights.
USING NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS
If you determine that your invention is not patentable, the most effective way to protect your invention is to have prospective licensees sign a nondisclosure agreement before you share your invention. This document is sometimes called an “NDA” or a “Confidentiality Agreement.” This agreement must be signed before you disclose any secrets to a third party. If someone signs a nondisclosure agreement and later uses your secret without authorization, you can sue for damages.
The nondisclosure agreements should contain the following important elements:
• A definition of what is and what is not confidential information; • Obligation of the party receiving confidential information; and • Applicable time periods.
It is always safe to get a prospective licensee to sign a nondisclosure agreement, but you may not always be able to convince the person or company to do so. When that happens, you are left in a somewhat vulnerable position. If you disclose crucial information without the agreement, you risk losing your rights to the invention, as well as the ability to file a patent if it is considered a “public disclosure” under the firstto-file rules. If you don’t disclose it, you risk losing a business opportunity. In these situations, you can still protect your invention by presenting your secret in a way that does not allow for the disclosure of your trade secrets. Be brief and general. The most important factor to consider is the reputation of the person or the company you’re dealing with. If the company has a poor reputation, the dangers or losing your secrets outweigh the business opportunity.
As an inventor and a legal expert, I had the pleasure of being part of a reality show called www.EverydayEdisons.com that cater towards helping everyday people with their extraordinary ideas. For four seasons beginning in 2006, Everyday Edisons thrilled audiences nationwide, giving them a front row seat to the triumphs and challenges of everyday inventors working to bring their innovative products to market. Now Edison Nation is relaunching the Emmy and Telly Award winning show where inventors will compete to have their products supported by Edison Nation.
I am one of the lead judges and you can watch the new session on www.Crackel.com.
I’m the CEO of www.GoLegalYourself.com where we provide legal tools for savvy entrepreneurs and I’m proud to provide a limited time offer of 15% discount on our Startup Essentials Package. Please use the code Startup15 at checkout.
For more information on how to legally protect your business please buy a copy of my bestselling book: ‘Go Legal Yourself’ on Amazon or visit my website at www.golegalyourself.com
Disclaimer: This information is made available by Bagla Law Firm, APC for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, and not to provide specific legal advice. This information should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.
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Veterans Chamber of Commerce By Joseph Molina www.vccsd.org
VETERAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Just as the number of women who serve in the military year by year has increased, so did the number of female veterans in business. More than 11.6 million firms are owned by women, employing nearly 9 million people, and generating $1.7 trillion in sales as of 2017 according to NAWBO. In addition, according to a report published by the National Women Business Council - There were over 383,302 women in businesses in the US, by 2012 a jump from 97000 just a few years back in 2007.
Year by year, the number has continued to increase as more veterans come out of service and move into the business world. Statistics have shown that female veterans are surpassing other females when it comes to starting new businesses.
When in the military, you tend to learn how to work together as a team, how to survive in difficult situations, how to see and think differently and many more skills. These skills are very important in the military and can also be very helpful when starting a business. New Entrepreneurs who learn “How To” use these skills are more likely to overcome business challenges.
A set of skills needed in the private sector: Networking, Leadership and Communication.
Networking: In the military one is trained to be clear, concise and to the point, address the issue and move on. Networking in the business world is Not like that, business owners do not network to educate others, or to sell a product, but to develop relationships. Establish bonds and create resources networks. Networking to sell, has the opposite result.
Leadership: Entrepreneurs must learn to Lead employees and customers. Provide a clear vision and have the ability to get a “buy-in” from employees and customers.
Communication: Communication in business is crucial. Having the ability to present an idea to potential investors or bankers; present the benefits of the product or service to consumers; and the ability to negotiate contracts, etc. These are all communication components critical to the success of every business.
40 WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / APRIL 2020 The Census Bureau Statistics after far-reaching research in 2015 concludes that out of the total veteran-owned businesses, Women Veteran-owned Businesses (WVOBs) make up 15.2%. 97% of of non-employer businesses (those that do not have employees). Female VeteranOwned Business have a positive success record.
Below are some famous female veteran-own companies:
Phyllis Newhouse After a 22year career in the military, Phyllis Newhouse started Xtreme Solutions a successful company. Based in Atlanta, named one of 50 fastest growing woman-owned companies.
Louisa Long Jaffe Following a 28year career with the U.S. Army, She is the cofounder of Technical and Project Engineering, providing solutions for government agencies. The company has received a number of awards and recognitions, for example the company received the Smart CEO’s “Future 50 Award” and the CRN “Top 500 Solutions Provider” to name a few.
Dawn Halfaker A Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient founded Halfaker and Associates, started a professional service company exploding with revenue from the start. The company grossed 30000 during their first year in operation. This female veteran has received multiple awards and recognitions and she is true testament to the value of a veteran serving as a true inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Female veterans continue to make contributions to every industry and will continue to serve as major influencers serving as a true inspiration to many. It is an honor to be able to recognize and bring some spotlight to female veterans who are leading the charge and have decided to move forward in search of their dream!!!
The Veterans Chamber of commerce would like to recognize every female veteran entrepreneur and to offer any support and guidance needed to new female entrepreneurs. The Veterans Chamber Entrepreneurship Academy is committed to supporting our fellow veterans with Support, Guidance, Coaching Scholarships to help you get started.
While in my final semester of my bachelor’s degree at Cal State, I was working and taking a full load of classes while raising my son by myself. I had trouble paying for my child’s extended daycare hours, and with weeks left to complete my degree, Foundation for Women Warriors covered the cost of care.
I used to be afraid to ask for help, but Foundation for Women Warriors didn’t make me feel ashamed for asking for assistance when my child and I needed it most.
As a Veteran, many of us get lost transitioning to the civilian world. Often, we don’t have mentors to turn to while navigating higher education. We’ve usually taken a less traveled route of serving our country first, then attending college.
FFWW reassured me that I have a support team, encouraging me to accomplish my education goals. I have mentors in this foundation I can call on day or night. They’ve also helped me meet other women veterans and assisted me in finding employment.
I found like-minded women that have been through similar life events: deployment, relocating, and answering the call to serve their country.
I feel a great deal of pride calling FFWW my family. They’ve mentored me, fed me, and treated my son as their own. I’ve made invaluable life connections with women that lift me up and encourage me.
- Rebecca, USMC veteran
Foundation for Women Warriors is a 501 (c3) nonprofit, honoring the service and empowering women veterans.
FFWW programs help women successfully navigate transitioning from military careers to civilian life. The only organization of its kind, FFWW assists more than 1,100 women and children annually with life-changing services, enhancing personal and fiscal well-being, and enabling them to reach their full potential. Learn more: https://foundationforwomenwarriors.org/
Foundation for Women Warriors is committed to the safety and well-being of our warriors, families, supporters and staff during the Covid-19 pandemic and always. Detailed information regarding resources are available at: https://foundationforwomenwarriors.org/resources
