ENLISTED TO ENTREPRENEUR By Vicki Garcia
Active Duty Entrepreneur Imagine you’re in a remote, obscure corner of the world with the mission of making sure military aircraft can fly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Plus, you’re tasked with making sure those under your command have everything they need to do their jobs. And now, imagine, if you can, that you’re running an active business in San Diego. Easy huh? Not really. Kevin Post is one of those guys who knows anything is possible if you believe in yourself and find your purpose in life. And Kevin is leading a big, purposeful life. Kevin Eats Challenges for Breakfast He enlisted in the Marines in June of 2007 out of Toms River, NJ, and quickly found himself in San Diego training to become an Avionics Tech for the MV-22B Osprey. He knew nothing about airplanes. Now he holds almost all the qualifications possible on his aircraft. When Kevin decided to enlist in the Marines, he thought all Marines just went to the front lines and had infantry type jobs, slept in the dirt, showered every few days, and only ate when food was available. He had heard all the horror stories about the Marines. Because few can do it was exactly what attracted him to the challenge. He quickly discovered that despite all those stories being true, it was not as bad as everyone made it out to be. The Marines do go to war and expect a lot from you. But this assignment took him to over 13 different countries and introduced him to hundreds of different cultures “It allowed me to encounter many unique people from many diverse places,” he says. After 13 years and now on his fourth deployment, Kevin started thinking about life post-separation when he leaves in November 2020. While home in March 2019, Kevin returned to look for a place to live with a few Marine roommates. Sharon Rios, a long-time native of San Diego, happened by with some friends and offered them unused furniture. Kismet, fate, destiny…. long story short, Sharon and Kevin became fast friends.
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Together Sharon and Kevin built their company, Esteemed Movers, a residential and commercial moving company from the ground up, dedicated to customer satisfaction. Sharon literally “holds down the fort” while Kevin is deployed. Always interested in business, she obtained her degree in that field. She had been a contract specialist for a big company for 8 years where she bid on and won over 100 million dollars’ worth of contracts including a contract for over 20 million dollars for work on Camp Pendleton. Sharon comes from a family of entrepreneurs. A highly motivated person, she sets her goals extremely high (like a Marine) and Kevin trusts her with the operation while he is gone. Applying Military Experience to the Business World Being able to command Marines from different backgrounds and leading them in different situations all over the world has helped him in business. In 2014 the Corps decided that Kevin would make a great Marine Corps recruiter. Serving as a recruiter from August 2014 until August 2017 in Burlington County, NJ helped him network with like-minded individuals as well allowing him how to meet civilians unfamiliar with the military. All the military jargon spoken in the Marines had to give way to improving his communication skills. It also taught him how to network, build his brand, and interact with clients. Becoming a veteran, active military, or civilian entrepreneur has its challenges. Kevin says “getting into something I had never ever done before, taking the risk that many are scared to take, and starting a company from nothing” were in his way. He overcame those internal roadblocks through the perseverance learned in the Marines. It’s not over. It’s not ever over when you own a business. You’ve got to learn to oversee the cash flow while investing in the company, paying bills, and managing payroll for your employees. Figuring out the complex world of marketing is a work in progress. Relying on his Marine experience Kevin set out to build a team. It might look easy, but it requires finding the right employees whose values align with the company. Keen on hiring veterans, their “top guy” is a Marine. They instinctively continue to lead and train their team to be the best they can be. The goal is to grow their company big enough to have a staff full of veterans.
