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Veterans know how to lead. The lessons we learned in the military form the foundation for bigger successes in business, entrepreneurship and community.
Host John S Berry, CEO of Berry Law, served as an active-duty Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, finishing his military career with two deployments and retiring as a Battalion Commander in the National Guard. Today, his veteran led team at Berry Law, helps their clients fight some of the most important battles of their lives. Leading successful teams in the courtroom, the boardroom, and beyond, veteran leadership drives the firm’s rapid growth and business excellence.
Whether building teams, synchronizing operations, or refining tactics, we share our experiences, good and bad, to help you survive, thrive and dominate.
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[00:00:02.040] - Ron Moore
The company was mine, and then my father got cancer, and I was looking at the trust, and 2 months before he died, it was changed where his wife got everything. And his wife came to me and said, the company's mine.
[00:00:20.700] - John S. Berry
Welcome to Veteran Led. Today's guest is Ron Moore. Now, this is an exciting story that starts off as an Army veteran, becomes a deputy sheriff, and then goes into the family business for about 21 years and has to start all over. So, let's go into the business. Let's talk about that.
[00:00:36.290] - Ron Moore
Well, we, after the military and joining the sheriff's department, I was working for my father's flooring company. And we were one of the biggest in California and started off as the warehouse kid after, you know, 23 years old, going to college and 21 years took me to become president of the company. We expanded the company, we got big, the company was mine, the buildings were mine, and then my father got cancer. And it was real quick, pancreatic cancer, and it hit him within 11 months, he died. And I was looking at the trust, and 2 months before he died, it was changed where his wife got everything. And his wife came to me and said, "The company's mine, and you can buy it from me." And I told her, have a nice life. And I left the company as president of the company and went to work with two friends of mine that owned a construction company and, um, became a partner there. And over 7 years, we went to from $3 million to $30 million a year. And I realized that that wasn't the life I wanted. So, I told my wife at 54 years old, I'm gonna start my own company, Veteran-owned, And she had faith in me, and we got a HELOC on our house because we were broke.
[00:01:54.090] - Ron Moore
And the first 2 months I took out a couple hundred thousand dollars and 6 months later we had the HELOC paid off and we have money in the bank and now we're probably 10 times bigger than the family business was and we're nationally and doing some work internationally and it's a great legacy and my children love it, but It's not my true legacy. My true legacy is all about helping Veterans. And I push for a lot of Veterans' help. We just finished building 2 houses through Habitat for Humanity. Didn't make a penny. And we're not residential, we're commercial contractors, but those 2 houses went to 2 disabled Veterans free of charge. And then I'm on a couple of different boards where we help Veterans at a couple colleges. We give scholarships toVeterans. And you know, when You get out of the military, you have the GI Bill. So, the GI Bill pays for your school. Well, that's what I had, but I was starving. So, our scholarships pays their light bills, pays their car payments, pays for food. It keeps them going to school, so they're not worried about how am I gonna survive.
[00:03:00.880] - Ron Moore
And it's turning out great. And it's my true legacy to help. I meet with congress people all the time and tell them how can we help Vets. Coming to the VetEdge and the CEO Circle. I'm here to help my company to be strong, but not to build our company up bigger. It's to how can I support more Vets and how can I bring business to vets throughout the country? So, it seems to be working out pretty well.
[00:03:25.120] - Freddie Kim
Awesome. So, with your, I mean, needless to say, you probably never visited or revisited your stepmother and situation. What happened to that company though? I'm curious.
[00:03:37.500] - Ron Moore
She sold it like 4 years later for pennies on the dollar. And, and the guy that bought it, I knew him and I wish him well. I wish he'd take my family name off the company, but I wish him well. I have no malice, no malice towards her. It's, it's too, it's toxic. So, I just, I keep driving on what I do and what I know best.
[00:03:59.950] - Freddie Kim
Ron, when you pivoted twice now, 2 different companies. Like, you were, you were, you thought you had something going on. What was your mindset like when you're starting over again and at a HELOC and at that age?
[00:04:14.790] - Ron Moore
Being a military Veteran, we never gave up, no matter how bad, how horrible it got. My children had to know that I'd never give up. I've never given up, never will. I went to, I never said I knew everything. I went to my mentors. Little ones that I had and just figured out how am I going to make this work? And no matter what, I didn't roll up. I could have rolled up in a ball after my dad died. And I said, that's not going to happen. The next day I was out pounding and my clients with the service that I've given my clients over 30 years, they all, every one of them told me, we weren't doing business with the company. We were doing business with you. And they all came with me. And you guys know that through business, it's the relationships you built. And I just, you know, 20-hour days and traveling all over the country and, and it turned out great. And, you know, the biggest thing is how my wife and my daughter and my son see me. That's the most important thing to me because you can't take it with you.
[00:05:13.200] - Ron Moore
But it's how they— what they think of me. So, it's turned out really good.
[00:05:16.950] - John S. Berry
Outstanding. That takes us to the after-action review. Your examples of great leadership and horrible leadership.
[00:05:23.210] - Ron Moore
Horrible leadership, I would have to say, is seeing a lot, I've seen a lot of my friends that think they know everything and won't take instruction from somebody that's been in the trenches. And I've seen a lot of them just fall apart. And great leadership's the exact opposite of that. I'm no better than anybody in my company. And I learn from every one of my partners that, how can we better our company? Monthly we meet and we have a round table and everybody's equal. And I'm like, give me insight of what your thoughts are. A lot of times I'll agree. A lot of times I won't agree. But it's built our company up where we've diversified our company. We're not just general contractors. We have a flooring division that's nationally— we're even international. We have a lighting division where we've diversified the company. So, we're not just one little thing and we keep growing. And now I have a joint venture partner from CEO Circle and we're going to be doing work in the Bahamas and throughout the South. And it's just learning from them and teaching what I know. So, it's worked out pretty good.
[00:06:27.910] - John S. Berry
Ron, where can Veterans learn more about you and your company?
[00:06:30.960] - Ron Moore
On our website, mooreunited.com, and my phone numbers on it. I have people call me all the time and I mentor even out here. I've seen some guys that have smaller companies, not even doing what I do. And I'm like, I know one of the guys who works with hospitals. I'm all, my wife's a director of a hospital. Let me get you in touch with her. And it's Veterans that we try to help out. My wife truly believes, you know, Veterans. Our family has been, my dad's side, since World War I, every man's been in the military. My son right now is in charge of a drone unit in Germany. And it's, you know, we help Veterans wherever we can. I have a good feel with people all over the country, and I just want to help Veterans get it. And it's not to help me, it's just to help them.
[00:07:13.710] - John S. Berry
Yeah, we're here at Veteran Edge right now, and it's full of Veterans who want to help other Veterans. And that's the great thing is we aren't jealous of each other's success. We want to see each other succeed. Exactly. You obviously have embodied that and personified that by what you do, going way out of your way to not only partner with veterans but to help Veterans build homes for Veterans and show them the bigger, better future after service. So, thank you for all you do, Ron.
[00:07:34.500] - Ron Moore
Thank you. I appreciate it. I really do, guys.
[00:07:42.140] - John S. Berry
Thank you for joining us today on Veteran Led, where we seek to help Veterans build an even bigger, better future after military service. Unfortunately for some of our Veterans, the roadblock to a better future is that they are not receiving all of the benefits that they earned. If you need help appealing a VA disability decision, contact Berry Law.