1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,620 What if we built a brand? 2 00:00:01,645 --> 00:00:04,610 And I thought back to the days of Crest and Tide and M&Ms? 3 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:09,380 And I also thought, what if, instead of what 97% of brands do and chase cheap 4 00:00:09,405 --> 00:00:12,580 labor overseas, what if we made the intentional choice to produce 5 00:00:12,605 --> 00:00:14,010 right here in the U.S.? 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:18,540 Welcome to the Veteran Led podcast where we talk with leaders who use their 7 00:00:18,565 --> 00:00:22,940 military experiences to develop great organizations and continue 8 00:00:22,965 --> 00:00:26,160 to serve their communities. 9 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,540 Today's guest is Dean Wegner. 10 00:00:29,565 --> 00:00:35,140 Dean is the founder of Authentically American, an apparel group of T-shirts and 11 00:00:35,165 --> 00:00:37,980 other items made here in the United States. 12 00:00:38,005 --> 00:00:43,220 Dean is a West Point graduate and was the 2024 Veteran Small Business Owner of the 13 00:00:43,245 --> 00:00:48,140 Year for the state of Tennessee out of 8,000 Veteran companies. 14 00:00:48,165 --> 00:00:49,735 Welcome to the show, Dean. 15 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,260 John, I'm honored to be here and I'm looking forward to a fantastic discussion 16 00:00:53,285 --> 00:00:55,460 with my fellow Veteran and Army Ranger. 17 00:00:55,485 --> 00:01:00,415 So Dean, you graduate from West Point, you serve about seven years in the military, 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,580 and then you get out to work for some big companies. 19 00:01:02,605 --> 00:01:04,210 Why? 20 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,460 So it really goes back to family. John. 21 00:01:06,485 --> 00:01:11,540 So, had an amazing dad growing up and he worked 30 years for a Fortune 500 company. 22 00:01:11,565 --> 00:01:13,180 So that's the quick background. 23 00:01:13,205 --> 00:01:17,930 And when I left the Army in 2000, I tell everybody now, I'm a Veteran and an 24 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:21,540 entrepreneur, but when I left in 2000, couldn't even spell "entrepreneur". 25 00:01:21,565 --> 00:01:24,060 Had no idea this world existed. 26 00:01:24,085 --> 00:01:25,780 And it goes back to my dad. 27 00:01:25,805 --> 00:01:28,980 He worked 30 years for a Fortune 500 company and that's what all his 28 00:01:29,005 --> 00:01:30,375 friends and our neighbors did. 29 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:31,780 So that's the only world I knew. 30 00:01:31,805 --> 00:01:33,135 So that's the path I went. 31 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,140 And you know, joined Procter & Gamble and Mars. 32 00:01:35,165 --> 00:01:39,380 When you joined the team, I mean, you joined I think, a very, in a very crucial 33 00:01:39,405 --> 00:01:42,620 position, strategy, marketing, development. 34 00:01:42,645 --> 00:01:46,140 So you got to learn some of those skills at a very high level. 35 00:01:46,165 --> 00:01:50,060 Did that help or hinder your ability to create Authentically American? 36 00:01:50,085 --> 00:01:53,740 I'll tell you, John, there was some good and bad, but I think overall all good. 37 00:01:53,765 --> 00:01:57,820 And some people may not recognize as much the name P&G and Mars, 38 00:01:57,845 --> 00:02:01,620 but I guarantee they recognize names like Crest and Tide and M&M. 39 00:02:01,645 --> 00:02:03,900 Tide and M&MS and Pedigree. 40 00:02:03,925 --> 00:02:08,080 I mean, both P&G and Mars are world class marketing and branding 41 00:02:08,105 --> 00:02:10,170 companies and I learned a ton. 42 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,700 But what really drives me is want to know I make a difference. 43 00:02:13,725 --> 00:02:16,100 And you mentioned echelons above corps. 44 00:02:16,125 --> 00:02:17,940 I mean it's the same way with P&G. 45 00:02:17,965 --> 00:02:22,660 But to put it in a revenue perspective, it was an 80 billion, $80 46 00:02:22,685 --> 00:02:24,660 billion company with a B. 47 00:02:24,685 --> 00:02:28,500 And what really drives me is knowing that I'm making a difference and really 48 00:02:28,525 --> 00:02:32,940 struggled in such a large company, feeling like a cog in the wheel. 49 00:02:32,965 --> 00:02:37,170 And so you decide to make an apparel company and take on the challenge of 50 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,100 having everything made here in the United States. 51 00:02:40,125 --> 00:02:42,730 So tell us about how challenging that is. 52 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,300 Well, let me share one intermediate step, because I mentioned not being 53 00:02:46,325 --> 00:02:48,900 able to spell entrepreneurs. 54 00:02:48,925 --> 00:02:52,460 When I decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur at Mars, I didn't think I had 55 00:02:52,485 --> 00:02:55,220 it in me to start a business from scratch. 56 00:02:55,245 --> 00:02:58,580 So I entered the entrepreneurial ranks through acquisition 57 00:02:58,605 --> 00:03:01,700 and bought my first business in 2012. 58 00:03:01,725 --> 00:03:05,100 And it was a business that no one has ever heard of, but it was a 59 00:03:05,125 --> 00:03:06,580 government contractor. 60 00:03:06,605 --> 00:03:09,900 And what we did was produce dress uniforms for the military. 61 00:03:09,925 --> 00:03:13,140 So, John, you remember the fancy ASU trousers with the gold braid 62 00:03:13,165 --> 00:03:15,375 that you wore in the Army? Oh, yeah. 63 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:16,900 So that was one of our contracts. 64 00:03:16,925 --> 00:03:20,815 So we produced thousands of uniforms every week for Army, Navy, 65 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:21,780 Air Force, and Marines. 66 00:03:21,805 --> 00:03:26,100 And having worn that exact same uniform before, I love being connected 67 00:03:26,125 --> 00:03:27,500 back to the military. 68 00:03:27,525 --> 00:03:32,460 And one of the things I learned was the tragic history of the apparel industry, 69 00:03:32,485 --> 00:03:36,180 which, to give you an idea of how rare American made is, when I graduated from 70 00:03:36,205 --> 00:03:40,740 West Point in 1993, over 50% of the apparel was made in the U.S.. 71 00:03:40,765 --> 00:03:42,920 Today, it's three. 72 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,180 3% is all that's made here. 73 00:03:45,205 --> 00:03:48,740 And something else I'm passionate about is creating American jobs. 74 00:03:48,765 --> 00:03:52,610 And back then, I was rather naive and didn't really understand how it worked 75 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,610 because the initial thought was, I want to win more contracts. 76 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:57,420 Then I thought, we'll create more jobs. 77 00:03:57,445 --> 00:04:01,300 But as I understand, started to better understand the area of government 78 00:04:01,325 --> 00:04:04,095 contracting I was in, it was really a bidding process. 79 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,320 For example, John, if you and I are bidding on a contract and you had it 80 00:04:07,345 --> 00:04:10,840 before, and I won, in essence, your job is transferred to me, and 81 00:04:10,865 --> 00:04:13,380 there's no real job creation. 82 00:04:13,405 --> 00:04:17,220 And that was that light bulb moment for me that said, what if? 83 00:04:17,245 --> 00:04:21,140 What if, instead of being a government contractor, what if we built a brand? 84 00:04:21,165 --> 00:04:24,140 And I thought back to the days of Crest and Tide and M&Ms. 85 00:04:24,165 --> 00:04:28,940 And I also thought, what if, instead of what 97% of brands do and chase cheap 86 00:04:28,965 --> 00:04:32,100 labor overseas, what if we made the intentional choice to produce 87 00:04:32,125 --> 00:04:33,580 right here in the U.S.? 88 00:04:33,605 --> 00:04:36,100 And that's where it started in 2017. 89 00:04:36,125 --> 00:04:40,860 From a blank sheet of paper with a vision to build this iconic American brand. 90 00:04:40,885 --> 00:04:41,880 And I'm exhausted. 91 00:04:41,905 --> 00:04:46,740 I mean, it's been the most challenging, most difficult thing I have ever done. 92 00:04:46,765 --> 00:04:50,420 But, you know, truly love what I'm doing, passionate about it, and truly believe 93 00:04:50,445 --> 00:04:53,620 in our mission of creating American jobs. Absolutely. 94 00:04:53,645 --> 00:04:57,380 And you have created those jobs through the growth of your organization. 95 00:04:57,405 --> 00:05:00,420 And as Veterans, we go back to our happiest days. 96 00:05:00,445 --> 00:05:03,740 And for me, it was leading a team and seeing the mission through, 97 00:05:03,765 --> 00:05:05,980 accomplishing the mission as a team. 98 00:05:06,005 --> 00:05:08,620 Do you get that same feeling today with your team? 99 00:05:08,645 --> 00:05:13,460 I think it's even more rewarding because when you join the military, I mean, it's 100 00:05:13,485 --> 00:05:17,140 existing as part of a team, something that's already there. 101 00:05:17,165 --> 00:05:20,480 But what I love as an entrepreneur, especially this phase of being an 102 00:05:20,505 --> 00:05:25,660 entrepreneur in 2017, I mean, you know, John, this was our business plan. 103 00:05:25,685 --> 00:05:29,580 I mean, it started from nothing, so it's literally been building from scratch. 104 00:05:29,605 --> 00:05:31,960 And it started with just my wife and I. 105 00:05:31,985 --> 00:05:35,055 And we continue to slowly grow and build. 106 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,980 Now that we really understand who our niche is, I mean, things are 107 00:05:38,005 --> 00:05:39,140 really starting to take off. 108 00:05:39,165 --> 00:05:42,620 And you and I both come in from that Army background and leadership 109 00:05:42,645 --> 00:05:44,060 being so critical. 110 00:05:44,085 --> 00:05:48,220 That is something I love right now, is having a mission that we all believe in 111 00:05:48,245 --> 00:05:53,700 around creating American jobs and building a team to help deliver on that vision. 112 00:05:53,725 --> 00:05:57,500 Yeah, and delivering on the vision is quite a different thing 113 00:05:57,525 --> 00:05:58,780 than having the vision. 114 00:05:58,805 --> 00:06:01,340 And I personally know about what it's taken for you. 115 00:06:01,365 --> 00:06:05,175 I remember a few years ago you reached out to me and said, hey, I noticed 116 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,380 you're a Veteran owned company. This is what we're doing. 117 00:06:07,405 --> 00:06:10,135 We're making American made products here, some for Veterans. 118 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,380 And at that point, we already had a supplier who I had a really 119 00:06:12,405 --> 00:06:13,495 good relationship with. 120 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,060 And I was like, no, you know, I'd love to, but this, we've got 121 00:06:16,085 --> 00:06:17,220 something lined up already. 122 00:06:17,245 --> 00:06:21,020 And then here we are several years later, and I run into Dean, and it's like, I need 123 00:06:21,045 --> 00:06:24,055 someone who can build the brand shirts. 124 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:25,740 And sure enough, there's Dean and his team. 125 00:06:25,765 --> 00:06:29,580 But I know that you went through a period where you had to go out and 126 00:06:29,605 --> 00:06:31,380 do and get in the dirt, right? 127 00:06:31,405 --> 00:06:36,020 Actually go out and sell, do the hard things that as a senior 128 00:06:36,045 --> 00:06:38,460 executive, most people never do. 129 00:06:38,485 --> 00:06:43,260 Spot on, John, because in 2017, I am the one that built the initial 130 00:06:43,285 --> 00:06:47,500 business plan, brought on investors, built the supply chain and everything, but I was 131 00:06:47,525 --> 00:06:52,780 also the one that scrubbed the toilets, whatever it took to make it happen. 132 00:06:52,805 --> 00:06:56,580 You asked before about, were there good things, bad things coming out of working 133 00:06:56,605 --> 00:06:59,260 with such big companies like P&G and Mars? 134 00:06:59,285 --> 00:07:03,020 I talked about what I learned from a marketing and branding standpoint. 135 00:07:03,045 --> 00:07:07,340 But what I took for granted was, you know, the need to focus. 136 00:07:07,365 --> 00:07:12,220 I mean, literally, back in the P&G and Mars days, we had Super Bowl ad budgets, 137 00:07:12,245 --> 00:07:14,980 my marketing budgets, about this big. 138 00:07:15,005 --> 00:07:18,700 And remember that old baseball movie, John, Field of Dreams? 139 00:07:18,725 --> 00:07:19,940 Yeah, absolutely. 140 00:07:19,965 --> 00:07:21,820 You know, build it, and they will come. 141 00:07:21,845 --> 00:07:24,260 Yeah, that's a lie. 142 00:07:24,285 --> 00:07:26,180 It does not exist. 143 00:07:26,205 --> 00:07:27,575 I mean, you have our shirts. 144 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,380 I mean, the feedback that Betsy and your team have shared, I mean, so 145 00:07:30,405 --> 00:07:32,580 incredibly soft and comfortable. 146 00:07:32,605 --> 00:07:36,260 And just the fact that we built it doesn't mean anyone's coming. 147 00:07:36,285 --> 00:07:40,300 And that's one of the things I took for granted, that when you're a new brand with 148 00:07:40,325 --> 00:07:43,660 a relatively small marketing budget, you need a niche. 149 00:07:43,685 --> 00:07:46,415 You really need to understand who your target customer is. 150 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,540 And that's something that we didn't have early on. 151 00:07:48,565 --> 00:07:51,500 I mean, we were trying to be all things to all people, and we were 152 00:07:51,525 --> 00:07:52,420 chasing a lot of things. 153 00:07:52,445 --> 00:07:57,500 But now that we understand, I mean, you're a perfect example of our target customer. 154 00:07:57,525 --> 00:08:01,700 It's that Veteran owned business who served their country, who loves this great 155 00:08:01,725 --> 00:08:05,180 nation of ours, does not want made in China, wants something 156 00:08:05,205 --> 00:08:06,500 that's American made. 157 00:08:06,525 --> 00:08:11,700 And as we look at the geopolitics right now, 158 00:08:11,725 --> 00:08:16,520 it's not a bad thing to have your stuff made in the United States. 159 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,820 Of course, you and I were in the oif oef era. 160 00:08:19,845 --> 00:08:22,100 But coming up, who knows what's coming up now? 161 00:08:22,125 --> 00:08:25,660 But we know that we're very dependent on foreign trade. 162 00:08:25,685 --> 00:08:31,780 And the amount of T-shirts, garments that are made in the United States is what. 163 00:08:31,805 --> 00:08:33,340 What percentage? 164 00:08:33,365 --> 00:08:35,260 So it's 3%. 165 00:08:35,285 --> 00:08:36,780 That is all that's made here. 166 00:08:36,805 --> 00:08:39,500 That total number is 3%. 167 00:08:39,525 --> 00:08:43,575 But you know what's interesting, John, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity 168 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:44,980 here, but you bring up a great point. 169 00:08:45,005 --> 00:08:48,820 I mean, one of the few good things that came out of COVID is, was our 170 00:08:48,845 --> 00:08:51,580 reliance on overseas manufacturing. 171 00:08:51,605 --> 00:08:55,935 I mean, from the chips that are in our phone, from the pills that we're ingesting 172 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:57,820 in our body to the shirt we're putting on our back. 173 00:08:57,845 --> 00:08:59,420 I mean, so much is made in China. 174 00:08:59,445 --> 00:09:01,020 So much is made overseas. 175 00:09:01,045 --> 00:09:05,220 And I think in some areas, we're starting to wake up that we need to fix that. 176 00:09:05,245 --> 00:09:09,940 We can't be reliant on our archenemy in China to produce everything. 177 00:09:09,965 --> 00:09:15,940 And I think what's exciting, just a couple weeks ago, Memorial Day weekend was back 178 00:09:15,965 --> 00:09:20,400 on national TV, was back on Fox & Friends, and they were showcasing our brand and a 179 00:09:20,425 --> 00:09:24,500 couple others who were very much Veteran owned and committed to American made. 180 00:09:24,525 --> 00:09:27,780 And the traffic to our website, I mean, it was incredible. 181 00:09:27,805 --> 00:09:29,295 The spike in traffic. 182 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:30,520 It was incredible, the interest. 183 00:09:30,545 --> 00:09:33,140 I mean, we have been slammed the last couple of weeks. 184 00:09:33,165 --> 00:09:36,215 Just go ahead and, you know, following up from all the interest 185 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:37,060 from that appearance. 186 00:09:37,085 --> 00:09:40,900 The end of the day, we have to be self sufficient to some degree. 187 00:09:40,925 --> 00:09:44,095 And if we rely on somebody else, then that is a weakness. 188 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,600 And we learned that in the military, we learned about our center of gravity, or 189 00:09:46,625 --> 00:09:48,800 the enemy center of gravity, where is it? 190 00:09:48,825 --> 00:09:50,140 Where we're weak and look. 191 00:09:50,165 --> 00:09:54,820 I had the fortune or misfortune of going from infantry to logistics. 192 00:09:54,845 --> 00:09:58,620 And so I learned all about supply chains and the challenges of. 193 00:09:58,645 --> 00:10:02,220 Of getting the stuff to the people who need it, when they need it. 194 00:10:02,245 --> 00:10:06,100 How have you learned about supply chain logistics in building your 195 00:10:06,125 --> 00:10:09,240 brand and building your apparel? 196 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:12,020 It was really, John, OJT, so on-the-job training. 197 00:10:12,045 --> 00:10:16,660 And that was the real benefit of the five years previous of owning that government 198 00:10:16,685 --> 00:10:21,140 contractor that produced dress uniforms, because what I was able to do was learn 199 00:10:21,165 --> 00:10:25,020 the apparel industry and understand how it works here in the U.S.. 200 00:10:25,045 --> 00:10:30,420 And when only 3% is American made, there's not many options available. 201 00:10:30,445 --> 00:10:32,860 But really, what happened in 2017? 202 00:10:32,885 --> 00:10:35,820 Switched from being a manufacturer to a brand. 203 00:10:35,845 --> 00:10:40,760 Switched from being in the production focus now to being more 204 00:10:40,785 --> 00:10:44,620 like a Nike or Lands' End, where we're focusing on the branding. 205 00:10:44,645 --> 00:10:50,280 And what those five years really allowed me to do is find the best darn T-shirt 206 00:10:50,305 --> 00:10:53,340 maker in the country, provide them our specifications 207 00:10:53,365 --> 00:10:55,740 and have them produce for us. 208 00:10:55,765 --> 00:10:59,775 Find the best darn sock maker in the country, which is in North Carolina, 209 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,860 provide them our specs, and have them produce for us. 210 00:11:01,885 --> 00:11:05,900 So it was really those five years, John, in that last company, that I really 211 00:11:05,925 --> 00:11:10,100 learned and understood the apparel industry and really took that knowledge 212 00:11:10,125 --> 00:11:12,500 and built the supply chain that we have right now. 213 00:11:12,525 --> 00:11:16,500 And instead of being made in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, all around the world, 214 00:11:16,525 --> 00:11:20,060 it's very intentionally, eleven states here in the U.S., the T-shirt 215 00:11:20,085 --> 00:11:21,600 that you ordered from us, right? 216 00:11:21,625 --> 00:11:25,540 In Texas, I mentioned the socks in North Carolina, we have polos 217 00:11:25,565 --> 00:11:26,820 we make in California. 218 00:11:26,845 --> 00:11:29,980 And very intentionally, that choice is all here in the U.S.. 219 00:11:30,005 --> 00:11:34,420 And you have the team that is designing it here in the U.S. as well, which is 220 00:11:34,445 --> 00:11:38,060 important, because a lot of times, companies will offshore 221 00:11:38,085 --> 00:11:39,540 that or near shore that. 222 00:11:39,565 --> 00:11:45,055 But when I talked to your team, or had my team talk to your team, they were 223 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:46,740 very complimentary about the process. 224 00:11:46,765 --> 00:11:49,060 Hey, this is the Veteran led logo. 225 00:11:49,085 --> 00:11:50,535 This is what we think we want. 226 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:51,900 Show us how it's going to look. 227 00:11:51,925 --> 00:11:53,580 And then they did a couple iterations. 228 00:11:53,605 --> 00:11:56,520 Your team helped us get exactly what we wanted, and then it shipped 229 00:11:56,545 --> 00:11:57,620 and we opened the box. 230 00:11:57,645 --> 00:12:01,460 It was there because as you probably know, there are some companies, especially 231 00:12:01,485 --> 00:12:04,300 outside the U.S., where you order something, and it's not the 232 00:12:04,325 --> 00:12:06,940 way it looked on the Internet. 233 00:12:06,965 --> 00:12:10,580 Well, John, you're highlighting two things that we very much believe in and 234 00:12:10,605 --> 00:12:12,900 that's all about the experience. 235 00:12:12,925 --> 00:12:16,020 The first one that's most important is that product experience. 236 00:12:16,045 --> 00:12:20,160 When you open up that T-shirt that I'm wearing, when you put it on your back, we 237 00:12:20,185 --> 00:12:23,300 want everyone to say, wow, that is so soft. 238 00:12:23,325 --> 00:12:25,380 It's so comfortable. You know what? 239 00:12:25,405 --> 00:12:27,860 I absolutely love it. It's my new favorite. 240 00:12:27,885 --> 00:12:32,580 And from a second standpoint, I'm glad to hear what your team shared because we also 241 00:12:32,605 --> 00:12:35,340 want to deliver an amazing customer experience. 242 00:12:35,365 --> 00:12:38,855 Remember that old staples commercial with the easy button, right? 243 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:40,660 Yep. That's what we want to try and deliver. 244 00:12:40,685 --> 00:12:44,660 We know the businesses and charities that we work with, they're extremely busy. 245 00:12:44,685 --> 00:12:47,695 And the best calls I get, John, is from somebody like you. 246 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,040 Somebody who's leading organization has worked with my team. 247 00:12:50,065 --> 00:12:51,660 And they say, Dean, you know what? 248 00:12:51,685 --> 00:12:53,380 You guys are an incredible partner. 249 00:12:53,405 --> 00:12:55,620 First and foremost, your product is amazing. 250 00:12:55,645 --> 00:12:57,860 It's America made. It's soft and comfortable. 251 00:12:57,885 --> 00:12:59,300 But your team was incredible. 252 00:12:59,325 --> 00:13:02,020 They made it so easy to work with. 253 00:13:02,045 --> 00:13:05,920 Well, and Dean, you, you not only take care of your team, but you 254 00:13:05,945 --> 00:13:07,060 take care of your peers. 255 00:13:07,085 --> 00:13:11,540 And in fact, at our last meeting in Dallas at CEO Circle, you won an award. 256 00:13:11,565 --> 00:13:14,040 Tell us about that award. 257 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,900 I don't even remember what it was called, John. 258 00:13:15,925 --> 00:13:20,540 But it was funny because it was really about recognizing somebody that embodies 259 00:13:20,565 --> 00:13:24,540 the values of CEO Circle and being involved, being active, being 260 00:13:24,565 --> 00:13:26,180 engaged and giving back. 261 00:13:26,205 --> 00:13:31,900 And the gentleman sitting right next to me, Alexe had asked, hey Dean, I'm looking 262 00:13:31,925 --> 00:13:34,420 for this kind of connection, can you help me out? 263 00:13:34,445 --> 00:13:36,260 And I was on my phone. 264 00:13:36,285 --> 00:13:38,015 Shame on me for not paying attention. 265 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:39,420 But I was getting him that contact. 266 00:13:39,445 --> 00:13:44,020 I just texted him and then I looked up and there was my picture on the floor. 267 00:13:44,045 --> 00:13:47,900 And we got quite a chuckle after that because that example is one 268 00:13:47,925 --> 00:13:49,940 that's been told countless times. 269 00:13:49,965 --> 00:13:54,820 I love CEO Circle, I love being part of it with you and 70, 80 other Veteran CEO's. 270 00:13:54,845 --> 00:13:57,300 Because it's all about that relationship. 271 00:13:57,325 --> 00:14:01,860 It's about that brotherhood, that common service that we had in country. 272 00:14:01,885 --> 00:14:04,620 And now we are all Veteran entrepreneurs together. 273 00:14:04,645 --> 00:14:08,220 And that's what I love is, John, if you have a need, I've got your back. 274 00:14:08,245 --> 00:14:11,655 I'm there for you. If Alex has a need, it's the same way. 275 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:14,220 And that's the way it should be that we all look out for each other. 276 00:14:14,245 --> 00:14:14,460 Yeah. 277 00:14:14,485 --> 00:14:19,420 And I've noticed that even though there are some CEO's in the same industry, it is 278 00:14:19,445 --> 00:14:22,900 all about collaboration and not competition. 279 00:14:22,925 --> 00:14:26,780 So often when we get from the military world to the civilian world, we see that 280 00:14:26,805 --> 00:14:31,415 it seems like nobody wants us to survive, nobody wants us to succeed. 281 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,060 But then when we start getting around our Veteran peers, there's a lot of synergy 282 00:14:35,085 --> 00:14:39,495 and camaraderie and positive attitudes where we want to share, we want 283 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,740 to help our fellow Veterans. 284 00:14:40,765 --> 00:14:45,180 We want to see those businesses succeed because they're one of us. 285 00:14:45,205 --> 00:14:47,740 To me, John, it's the whole rising tide theory. 286 00:14:47,765 --> 00:14:50,900 If you're getting a riser tide, it's not about how many pieces 287 00:14:50,925 --> 00:14:52,500 of the pie can I have? 288 00:14:52,525 --> 00:14:54,615 Let's keep making that pie bigger. 289 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,700 And that's really at the heart of what we're doing. 290 00:14:56,725 --> 00:14:59,700 I have had customers who very rarely. 291 00:14:59,725 --> 00:15:03,695 But if they're already ordering something American made, I'm equally happy 292 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:04,980 they don't have to order from us. 293 00:15:05,005 --> 00:15:08,140 Because you look on our website, you go to Authentically American us. 294 00:15:08,165 --> 00:15:12,100 The heart of our mission is our passion for creating American jobs. 295 00:15:12,125 --> 00:15:16,240 So if more companies come on board and start doing us, doing what we're doing and 296 00:15:16,265 --> 00:15:19,580 following our lead, that's just going to make the fulfillment of our 297 00:15:19,605 --> 00:15:21,100 mission even more possible. 298 00:15:21,125 --> 00:15:28,700 At what point did the U.S. economy shift to buying everything overseas? 299 00:15:28,725 --> 00:15:30,940 So it has been a precipitous decline. 300 00:15:30,965 --> 00:15:34,900 I mentioned 50% in 93, down to 3% now. 301 00:15:34,925 --> 00:15:40,295 But if you ask me for one catalyst, it was really NAFTA that agreement put in place 302 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,580 and said, you know what, we need to start opening our borders. 303 00:15:42,605 --> 00:15:46,840 And I think what happened then is people realized that, okay, the cost of labor in 304 00:15:46,865 --> 00:15:50,860 the U.S. is here, cost of labor in Mexico is here. 305 00:15:50,885 --> 00:15:55,660 But as people started to see what they could do from a margin standpoint, 306 00:15:55,685 --> 00:15:58,135 lowering their costs, they started looking elsewhere. 307 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,220 And that's where they went to China and saw, you know what, how much lower the 308 00:16:01,245 --> 00:16:03,935 cost is in China, even more so than Mexico. 309 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,740 And I think a lot of that was just corporate greed saying, you know what, 310 00:16:06,765 --> 00:16:11,340 we're just going to keep chasing cheap labor all around the world, 311 00:16:11,365 --> 00:16:13,260 trying to improve our bottom line. Yeah. 312 00:16:13,285 --> 00:16:17,295 And with labor, sometimes you get what you pay for. 313 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,000 You know, I certainly, I'm sure you've experienced some of the stuff that's 314 00:16:20,025 --> 00:16:21,220 been shipped overseas that was. 315 00:16:21,245 --> 00:16:23,740 That was low quality, some of it's been high quality. 316 00:16:23,765 --> 00:16:29,340 But I noticed what you can't ship and what you can't get through NAFTA, through trade 317 00:16:29,365 --> 00:16:34,095 agreements is dedication to mission accomplishment. 318 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,460 And I think that's where hiring Veterans comes in, because if you've got Veterans 319 00:16:37,485 --> 00:16:41,095 on your team, they understand there's a mission that, hey, this is the mission, 320 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:42,980 I'm told the who, what, when, where, and why. 321 00:16:43,005 --> 00:16:44,020 No one's telling me the how. 322 00:16:44,045 --> 00:16:46,720 But I'm going to figure it out and I'm going to do my job and I'm 323 00:16:46,745 --> 00:16:48,220 going to do it to standard. 324 00:16:48,245 --> 00:16:51,660 And I can tell you that if there's a shortage of anything in this 325 00:16:51,685 --> 00:16:54,060 country, it's a shortage of Veterans. 326 00:16:54,085 --> 00:16:57,400 John, I'll tell you, you're touching on something that's so critical. 327 00:16:57,425 --> 00:16:58,880 It's the power of story. 328 00:16:58,905 --> 00:17:00,680 We learned that in the military. 329 00:17:00,705 --> 00:17:02,760 You engage your troops with a story. 330 00:17:02,785 --> 00:17:05,160 And back in 2017, we had zero customers. 331 00:17:05,185 --> 00:17:08,440 Now we have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of businesses and 332 00:17:08,465 --> 00:17:09,920 charities that we work with. 333 00:17:09,945 --> 00:17:13,800 And all of them previously were ordering something made in China, made overseas. 334 00:17:13,825 --> 00:17:18,880 And here's the best compliment we get from a leader like you, John, a fellow CEO, a 335 00:17:18,905 --> 00:17:23,680 President, a GM, a marketing lead, when they say, "Dean, I love it when we partner 336 00:17:23,705 --> 00:17:28,160 with you because we had an event, we made everyone wear it on Friday, but 337 00:17:28,185 --> 00:17:30,240 they want to wear it on Saturday. 338 00:17:30,265 --> 00:17:34,400 It's their new favorite." And we just didn't go ahead and make the switch. 339 00:17:34,425 --> 00:17:36,800 What we did is we told them why. 340 00:17:36,825 --> 00:17:41,560 We told them why we wanted to partner with a better-known company, why we wanted to 341 00:17:41,585 --> 00:17:45,480 make that intentional choice for American made, why we wanted to help create 342 00:17:45,505 --> 00:17:48,160 American jobs, and why that aligns with our values. 343 00:17:48,185 --> 00:17:52,320 So that story that they tell is so important because when you share that 344 00:17:52,345 --> 00:17:55,320 story, you got an amazing soft shirt that they're wearing. 345 00:17:55,345 --> 00:17:57,120 That just leads to higher engagement. 346 00:17:57,145 --> 00:18:00,720 That leads to greater morale, and ultimately leads to lower turnover, which 347 00:18:00,745 --> 00:18:02,900 you know leads to a successful business. 348 00:18:02,925 --> 00:18:07,620 What was the struggle early on where you thought, man, this may not work? 349 00:18:07,645 --> 00:18:12,940 Well, it's funny, John, I'll share, first of all, a story back to our common bond 350 00:18:12,965 --> 00:18:16,900 with being Army and being a Ranger because a lot of people aren't familiar. 351 00:18:16,925 --> 00:18:21,280 And I didn't know it back then, back in 1994, but Ranger school was great 352 00:18:21,305 --> 00:18:23,010 training for leaving a startup. 353 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,090 It was no sleep and incredible stress. 354 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:27,180 And that's the life I've been living. 355 00:18:27,205 --> 00:18:32,090 But for those who are tuning in that aren't familiar, I remember, John, back on 356 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:38,495 day one for our class, class 1294, there were 340 of us, 340 on day one. 357 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,290 And as you know, there's a lot of military doctrine and tactics. 358 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,090 But at its core, Ranger school is a leadership course. 359 00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:48,660 And what they do is deprive you of everything you think you need to survive, 360 00:18:48,685 --> 00:18:52,660 namely food and sleep, and then put you in incredibly stressful situations. 361 00:18:52,685 --> 00:18:55,250 And I know for you and I was 72 days. 362 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,770 And if you make it straight through, you live on one meal a day and 363 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:00,140 two to 3 hours sleep a night. 364 00:19:00,165 --> 00:19:04,980 And, you know, during that time, we went from 340 down to 70 365 00:19:05,005 --> 00:19:07,290 and we lost 80% of our class. 366 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:08,620 And I learned two things. 367 00:19:08,645 --> 00:19:13,440 One, you know how far your body can be stretched, how far you can be pushed, and 368 00:19:13,465 --> 00:19:15,960 how strong your body has been designed. 369 00:19:15,985 --> 00:19:21,810 But the more important lesson is I had no business being in Ranger school, 370 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:23,380 being a flight suit wearing aviator. 371 00:19:23,405 --> 00:19:26,175 But Roy Backe was my ranger buddy. 372 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,460 And you remember, John, your Ranger buddy's assigned to have your back, to be 373 00:19:29,485 --> 00:19:31,500 there when you ever have a need to be there. 374 00:19:31,525 --> 00:19:34,570 And that's the lesson I learned that has stuck with me today. 375 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:38,760 If you're going through something tough, you're going through something challenging 376 00:19:38,785 --> 00:19:40,900 and difficult, don't do it alone. 377 00:19:40,925 --> 00:19:44,050 I mean, Roy and I, 30 years later, still keep in touch. 378 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,290 And that's the lesson that carries with me today. 379 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:50,050 So on this entrepreneur journey, that's something I share with everybody. 380 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,700 If you're going to start something challenging like being an entrepreneur, 381 00:19:52,725 --> 00:19:55,250 start a business from scratch, don't do it alone. 382 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,455 I mean, find that mentor, find that business partner, find that advisor that's 383 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:01,530 going to help you through this journey. Absolutely. 384 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:02,330 Absolutely. 385 00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:06,810 And then what happens when you hit that rough patch where it looks like 386 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:08,660 the sky is falling and this is it? 387 00:20:08,685 --> 00:20:12,380 I mean, that's when you pull up the bat phone and you reach out to that Ranger 388 00:20:12,405 --> 00:20:14,420 buddy in life and say, you know what, help. 389 00:20:14,445 --> 00:20:17,570 I mean, I need some perspective and I just don't have one. 390 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,050 John, I've been fortunate to have some incredible mentors and relationships. 391 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,940 So if I need some question, some perspective on marketing, 392 00:20:24,965 --> 00:20:27,250 I reach out to this friend. 393 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,460 If I've got another question on supply chain manufacturing, I reach 394 00:20:30,485 --> 00:20:31,700 out to a different friend. 395 00:20:31,725 --> 00:20:35,415 If you have a question on, you know, leadership, HR--it's somebody different. 396 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,330 And it's not to say, you know what, you can only have one Ranger buddy. 397 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:40,290 But I think the idea is that, you know what? 398 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,455 Build that collaboration, that teamwork, not only within the organization yourself, 399 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:46,620 but have people that you can reach out to as a leader. 400 00:20:46,645 --> 00:20:48,660 And how did you build that network? 401 00:20:48,685 --> 00:20:52,135 I mean, especially we're talking about American made apparel, which 402 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:53,420 there's not a lot out there. 403 00:20:53,445 --> 00:20:55,380 So there probably aren't a whole lot of mentors. 404 00:20:55,405 --> 00:20:59,290 So how did you find those mentors and how did you provide them value so that 405 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,010 they would continue to work with you? 406 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:06,560 So, John, it's less about the American made because to your point, there's 407 00:21:06,585 --> 00:21:08,980 not a lot of options out there. 408 00:21:09,005 --> 00:21:12,500 But, I mean, you're in the legal business, I'm in the apparel business. 409 00:21:12,525 --> 00:21:16,810 But if you and I sat down and compared notes, I mean, there's a lot of common 410 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,570 synergies between how you run and lead and have a successful organization. 411 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:26,460 And it's less about that for me, because apparel is a consumer product. 412 00:21:26,485 --> 00:21:28,660 M&Ms are a consumer product. 413 00:21:28,685 --> 00:21:30,290 Tide is a consumer product. 414 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,440 So all that time in consumer packaged goods, although it's not 415 00:21:34,465 --> 00:21:37,375 apparel, although it's different. 416 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,980 I mean, there's so many common similarities that, you know what? 417 00:21:40,005 --> 00:21:43,135 You can go ahead and draw upon those common experiences, and that's 418 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:44,500 where really it comes together. 419 00:21:44,525 --> 00:21:48,800 So from your past life, you made sure that you left on good terms and had those good 420 00:21:48,825 --> 00:21:52,260 relationships with the people from the Fortune 500 companies who 421 00:21:52,285 --> 00:21:54,780 knew what you needed to do. Absolutely, John. 422 00:21:54,805 --> 00:21:56,500 And I'll tell you one specific story. 423 00:21:56,525 --> 00:22:03,290 So, in 2017, when I was just figuring out how to spell "entrepreneur", 424 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,400 one of the things I realized, if we want to take the long term view, we got to 425 00:22:06,425 --> 00:22:09,900 raise some capital, and we needed to get some investors. 426 00:22:09,925 --> 00:22:14,860 So I have my MBA in finance, but I don't consider myself a finance expert 427 00:22:14,885 --> 00:22:16,290 and never have a finance role. 428 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,420 So I needed some help. 429 00:22:18,445 --> 00:22:22,810 So, very sheepishly, I reached out to three of my friends who were CFO's, and I 430 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,055 know how busy they are, and I was sheepish because I wasn't sure if 431 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:26,980 they'd be willing to help. 432 00:22:27,005 --> 00:22:30,135 And they said, "Dean, we would love to help you build that 433 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,180 business plan because you've always been there for me. 434 00:22:32,205 --> 00:22:33,180 You've gone out of your way. 435 00:22:33,205 --> 00:22:37,740 Whenever there's a need, you're there for me." And myself and these three CFO's 436 00:22:37,765 --> 00:22:43,700 built this whole business plan, built this pro forma three-year financial forecast. 437 00:22:43,725 --> 00:22:47,180 And at the end of it, I was wondering, "Shark Tank, like, how does it look? 438 00:22:47,205 --> 00:22:51,020 How does it feel?" And you've seen Shark Tank, and I was wondering, you know, 439 00:22:51,045 --> 00:22:53,220 what is the valuation we come up with? 440 00:22:53,245 --> 00:22:55,160 Is it a little too high? Is it too low? 441 00:22:55,185 --> 00:22:56,860 Or is it just about right? 442 00:22:56,885 --> 00:22:59,760 And one of them, John, said, "Dean, here's my thoughts. 443 00:22:59,785 --> 00:23:02,360 One, I feel incredible about the work we've done. 444 00:23:02,385 --> 00:23:06,695 We've spent a few months putting this together, and I feel really solid, and I 445 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:08,480 actually feel it's a little conservative. 446 00:23:08,505 --> 00:23:11,960 But here's why I feel so good, because here's your first check. 447 00:23:11,985 --> 00:23:14,090 I'm going to be your first investor." 448 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:16,940 Has he made his ROI back on that check yet? 449 00:23:16,965 --> 00:23:21,180 We haven't cashed out yet, but it's amazing, John, having that first one, 450 00:23:21,205 --> 00:23:25,940 because after having the business plan and everything prepared, I went to others and 451 00:23:25,965 --> 00:23:27,120 said, 452 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:36,280 "Okay, hey, here's the idea, here's the 453 00:23:36,305 --> 00:23:36,320 business, here's our brand, everything." And then the first question I got was, 454 00:23:36,345 --> 00:23:36,440 "Well, how did you come up with that evaluation?" I said, "Well, I already have 455 00:23:36,465 --> 00:23:36,480 the first check." And then it was like, "Well, I'm in, I'm number two." 456 00:23:36,505 --> 00:23:37,570 And Then it was like, well, I'm in. 457 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,140 I'm number two, and then the next one is number three. 458 00:23:40,165 --> 00:23:43,290 So having that first one is so critical. 459 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:44,330 And that didn't happen. 460 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:45,660 There's just three months ago. 461 00:23:45,685 --> 00:23:49,655 That happened 15 years ago when I first met these three gentlemen 462 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:50,330 and they helped me. 463 00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:54,255 It's investing those relationships early on and continue to maintain 464 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:55,900 that that made that difference. Yeah. 465 00:23:55,925 --> 00:24:00,020 A couple really important points there is that if you can't get someone to write a 466 00:24:00,045 --> 00:24:03,700 check for it, then the market, there might not be a market demand. 467 00:24:03,725 --> 00:24:05,290 So you've got that first check. 468 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:10,140 And then I noticed that momentum kicks in, and it's like, you remember the runaway 469 00:24:10,165 --> 00:24:13,620 gun, the runaway machine gun where they tell you to ride the lightning, even 470 00:24:13,645 --> 00:24:16,860 though you let go of the trigger and the gun keeps firing. 471 00:24:16,885 --> 00:24:20,680 And it seems like when that momentum comes and that first domino falls and then you 472 00:24:20,705 --> 00:24:25,260 just start seeing things fall into place, it takes off so quickly that you don't 473 00:24:25,285 --> 00:24:29,780 realize what's happening until you wake up one night in a cold sweat, oh, my 474 00:24:29,805 --> 00:24:31,855 gosh, this is all really happening. 475 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,420 And now you're even more scared because you're succeeding. 476 00:24:34,445 --> 00:24:36,090 It's that whole snowball effect. 477 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:39,540 I mean, just giving a different analogy because, you know, we've been pushing 478 00:24:39,565 --> 00:24:42,980 really hard and heavy as we're getting some momentum and getting more national tv 479 00:24:43,005 --> 00:24:46,615 appearances, we're, you know, honored to be a guest on your podcast and more 480 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,420 people around it is that snowball effect. 481 00:24:48,445 --> 00:24:51,080 It starts building, you get that momentum and, you know, that's when 482 00:24:51,105 --> 00:24:52,290 it really starts to take off. 483 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,220 And, you know, we've been at it seven years, John, and we're on the verge 484 00:24:55,245 --> 00:24:57,330 of being that overnight success story. 485 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,330 Seven years in the making. 486 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,520 Absolutely. And probably more than seven years. 487 00:25:02,545 --> 00:25:07,050 If we think about all your training on the job training from the Fortune 500 488 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,050 companies and everything that you learned that got you to this place. 489 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,810 And I think sometimes we get experiences and we think, well, that 490 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:14,330 wasn't a good experience. 491 00:25:14,360 --> 00:25:15,540 I didn't learn much. 492 00:25:15,565 --> 00:25:19,900 And then a few years later, we learned, wow, that was an incredible experience. 493 00:25:19,925 --> 00:25:23,570 And I learned something that helped either save or grow my business. 494 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,415 I mean, John, it goes back 30 years, which I don't feel like an old grad. 495 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,660 I still feel young at heart and still feel healthy. 496 00:25:30,685 --> 00:25:33,855 But to know that I've been out of West Point 30 years, I mean, 497 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:34,700 that's a long time. 498 00:25:34,725 --> 00:25:39,570 But going all the way back to West Point, days and graduation, some lessons learned 499 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,290 as a Second Lieutenant, all that experience is built to get 500 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:44,740 to the point where we're at right now. 501 00:25:44,765 --> 00:25:49,330 So I can't say I'd ever want to pursue a different journey than I have right now. 502 00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:52,495 I mean, each and every step has enabled me to build, to get to the 503 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:53,660 point we're at right now. 504 00:25:53,685 --> 00:25:57,570 Dean, that is a great segue into our After Action Review. 505 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,180 You probably remember the AAR--the three up, the three down. 506 00:26:01,205 --> 00:26:05,290 This is the leadership AAR from your entire career, from, we'll say, from 507 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,140 the day you started West Point till now. 508 00:26:07,165 --> 00:26:12,050 Three sustains--three examples of great leadership--and then three improves--three 509 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,140 examples of horrible leadership. 510 00:26:14,165 --> 00:26:19,980 Probably the first one, it's built around this saying that no one 511 00:26:20,005 --> 00:26:23,660 cares how much you know until they know how much you care. 512 00:26:23,685 --> 00:26:27,460 And some of the best leaders I have had and had the privilege of working 513 00:26:27,485 --> 00:26:30,780 for really genuinely cared about me. 514 00:26:30,805 --> 00:26:35,810 Wanted to meet my wife, Kelly, wanted to get to know my four kids and genuinely 515 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,290 wanted to go ahead and get to know me as a person first and foremost before 516 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:40,980 we even talked about business. 517 00:26:41,005 --> 00:26:43,380 And that's something I've tried to emulate as well. 518 00:26:43,405 --> 00:26:46,140 So I think that would be one. 519 00:26:46,165 --> 00:26:51,920 I think the second one, I've had leaders as well that 520 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,290 weren't afraid to get their hands dirty. 521 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,720 They were the ones that turned the lights on in the morning, turn the lights on at 522 00:26:58,745 --> 00:27:00,780 the end of the day, and they still took time for family. 523 00:27:00,805 --> 00:27:06,415 But when there was hard heavy lifting that needed to be done, they were there first. 524 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,810 They weren't there cutting out early when the heavy lifting and hard work was 525 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,090 needed, they were there, right there with me. 526 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:16,860 So I think that would be the second one, and I think the third one. 527 00:27:16,885 --> 00:27:20,980 And I think, like you, John, I'm very hard charging. 528 00:27:21,005 --> 00:27:21,980 I'm very driven. 529 00:27:22,005 --> 00:27:25,140 I'm very much want to accomplish and make things happen. 530 00:27:25,165 --> 00:27:30,980 I think too often when you're like that, people aren't as likely to give feedback. 531 00:27:31,005 --> 00:27:33,260 And I truly believe feedback is a gift. 532 00:27:33,285 --> 00:27:35,330 And you know what? 533 00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:39,695 Some of the best leaders I had would really sit down when we'd have 534 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,050 regular one on ones and say, dean, here's all the things I love that you're doing, 535 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,660 but here's a couple things that you can do to make it even better. 536 00:27:46,685 --> 00:27:48,535 And feedback sometimes can be hard. 537 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,780 So those would be the three that I would highlight. 538 00:27:50,805 --> 00:27:50,960 Yeah. 539 00:27:50,985 --> 00:27:56,460 It took me till I was in my forties to really accept that feedback is a gift, and 540 00:27:56,485 --> 00:27:58,375 sometimes it's tough to receive feedback. 541 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,570 But I've also been on the other end of it in the military, where it's tough to give 542 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:05,090 that feedback, especially to a senior officer. 543 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:08,020 So you're also looking for three on the opposite side. 544 00:28:08,045 --> 00:28:09,920 That's right. 545 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:14,460 I won't name names, but I remember this one as a Second Lieutenant, 546 00:28:14,485 --> 00:28:16,420 one of the Captains. 547 00:28:16,445 --> 00:28:19,570 And our unit was headed by a Major. 548 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:23,180 I remember having the office right next to him, and I heard him on the phone to his 549 00:28:23,205 --> 00:28:29,290 wife say, hey, honey, the boss has left, so I'm going to be coming home early. 550 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,960 And I think back, he was always the one. 551 00:28:31,985 --> 00:28:34,260 If the boss was there, he was sticking around. 552 00:28:34,285 --> 00:28:39,700 And this ties to my definition that I love of character, doing what's right 553 00:28:39,725 --> 00:28:41,940 when no one else is watching. 554 00:28:41,965 --> 00:28:44,380 I think that is the hallmark of a great leader. 555 00:28:44,405 --> 00:28:48,775 And so often when I see people falling short, they're looking over their 556 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:50,290 shoulder and wonders who's watching them. 557 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:52,780 Instead of focusing on, I want to do what's right. 558 00:28:52,805 --> 00:28:54,860 I want to do what I know needs to be done. 559 00:28:54,885 --> 00:28:58,620 I don't care who's watching because I'm all about character and doing it right. 560 00:28:58,645 --> 00:29:01,780 And I think, you know, I've seen this too often before. 561 00:29:01,805 --> 00:29:06,290 And a lot of them are corollaries from the positives where, you know, somebody that, 562 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:10,050 you know, is leading and, you know, gives a lot of great advice, gives 563 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:11,050 a lot of great strategy. 564 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,600 But when it comes to the heavy lifting, you're looking around 565 00:29:13,625 --> 00:29:15,500 like, where'd they go? 566 00:29:15,525 --> 00:29:16,740 Where did they go? 567 00:29:16,765 --> 00:29:18,420 You know, what happened? 568 00:29:18,445 --> 00:29:20,775 So I think that is one. I think the opposite. 569 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,420 I think the third one, you know, John, do you remember meals, for example, 570 00:29:23,445 --> 00:29:24,740 you know, at Ranger school? 571 00:29:24,765 --> 00:29:28,570 I mean, how few meals we had and one of those small things. 572 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:33,380 But I think it's a symbolic one is I always ate last. 573 00:29:33,405 --> 00:29:35,420 You always want your troops to eat last. 574 00:29:35,445 --> 00:29:39,500 And I have continued that even into the business world, that if we're 575 00:29:39,525 --> 00:29:40,980 at an event, we're at something. 576 00:29:41,005 --> 00:29:43,900 I mean, if there's a buffet, whatever it is, I will make sure that I'm 577 00:29:43,925 --> 00:29:45,500 always the one eating last. 578 00:29:45,525 --> 00:29:47,935 And I've had some leaders that, you know what? 579 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,520 When it's a great meal, when food is served, guess who's at 580 00:29:50,545 --> 00:29:52,480 the front of the line? 581 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,290 And I think it's the reverse. 582 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:59,780 And I think that's one of the things back to every step is built upon the way. 583 00:29:59,805 --> 00:30:04,090 I mean, some of those foundational lessons around leadership and character and being 584 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,720 a servant leader started back in the Army. Yeah, absolutely. 585 00:30:07,745 --> 00:30:10,120 I learned a lesson that was the opposite of that. 586 00:30:10,145 --> 00:30:13,480 The ROTC teaching was, yeah, leaders eat last, and so on and so forth. 587 00:30:13,505 --> 00:30:16,120 I remember we were doing this field problem in Fort Hood. 588 00:30:16,145 --> 00:30:19,175 We were probably about two weeks in, and we were getting ready to 589 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:20,160 plan our last operation. 590 00:30:20,185 --> 00:30:24,455 I get in the back of the chow line, and one of my squad leaders says, "Sir, what 591 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:26,160 are you doing?" "I'm waiting in line". 592 00:30:26,185 --> 00:30:28,320 And the First Sergeant is back there with him. 593 00:30:28,345 --> 00:30:29,760 He says, "No, you're not, sir. 594 00:30:29,785 --> 00:30:32,855 You get to the front line, you get that chow, you eat now. 595 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,240 Because we know how you get if you're not going to because everybody's tired, 596 00:30:36,265 --> 00:30:39,335 everybody's hungry, and you have to take an off order in an hour. 597 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,200 I can't have you standing in line here." I said, "But First Sergeant, I'm in charge." 598 00:30:43,225 --> 00:30:45,600 "Let me tell you something, Lieutenant, you're not in charge. 599 00:30:45,625 --> 00:30:47,735 If there's not enough food here, it's my fault. 600 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,920 I'm the First Sergeant. And are you doubting me? 601 00:30:49,945 --> 00:30:53,280 Are you doubting that I know how to plan to make sure there's enough 602 00:30:53,305 --> 00:30:54,895 rations for this company?" 603 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,000 "No, First Sergeant." That's right. He said, "You know what? 604 00:30:57,025 --> 00:31:01,440 If anybody doesn't eat, it will be me." And he says, "And believe me, I'm going to 605 00:31:01,465 --> 00:31:03,760 eat." So I got punked by the First Sergeant. 606 00:31:03,785 --> 00:31:07,960 I went to front line and got my food and then went to the OP Order. 607 00:31:07,985 --> 00:31:12,400 But what he was trying to teach me was, I think that sometimes as a leader, you 608 00:31:12,425 --> 00:31:14,480 have to take care of yourself as well. 609 00:31:14,505 --> 00:31:19,440 And if you're the last guy to eat and you don't eat and you get to that OP Order, 610 00:31:19,465 --> 00:31:23,575 the one thing I learned in Ranger School is if you get deprived of food and 611 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:25,160 sleep, you start making bad decisions. 612 00:31:25,185 --> 00:31:27,520 The brain isn't functioning the way it should anymore. 613 00:31:27,545 --> 00:31:31,935 I'm sure when you went through, you saw the same thing I did, which guys who I 614 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,560 highly admired seemed to lose their integrity when they became 615 00:31:34,585 --> 00:31:35,600 so sleep-deprived and hungry. 616 00:31:35,625 --> 00:31:39,240 I don't know if you saw the same thing, but guys, I remember that. 617 00:31:39,265 --> 00:31:41,600 And I was like, This guy's a great guy. 618 00:31:41,625 --> 00:31:43,415 I can't believe he just did that. 619 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,520 Some Blue Falcon move that you weren't expecting. 620 00:31:45,545 --> 00:31:47,380 You know what I'm talking about? 621 00:31:47,405 --> 00:31:48,620 I absolutely do, John. 622 00:31:48,645 --> 00:31:52,290 And that lack of integrity was a Ranger School story, because when you only get 623 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:56,700 one MRE, I mean, you want every last morsel in that. 624 00:31:56,725 --> 00:32:01,775 And one of the instances I remember is, you know, we had somebody steal some MREs. 625 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,120 We're out on patrol, and a number of people were back and they 626 00:32:04,145 --> 00:32:04,860 didn't know who it was. 627 00:32:04,885 --> 00:32:09,460 But, you know, for two nights in a row, we didn't sleep in a wink. 628 00:32:09,485 --> 00:32:11,460 They were trying to flush out who it was. 629 00:32:11,485 --> 00:32:15,050 And, you know, like you said, when there's lack of food, there's lack of sleep, 630 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:16,810 sometimes there's a lack of character. 631 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,380 And that was the first hand example that I experienced. 632 00:32:19,405 --> 00:32:20,460 Absolutely. Absolutely. 633 00:32:20,485 --> 00:32:25,090 Well, Dean, thank you so much for coming on to the Veteran led podcast today. 634 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:29,260 Please let our listeners know where they can learn more about your 635 00:32:29,285 --> 00:32:31,330 product, authentically Americana. 636 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,420 We'll have everything in the show notes, including your bio, but where 637 00:32:34,445 --> 00:32:36,860 can we learn about your product? 638 00:32:36,885 --> 00:32:40,680 So the best place, John, to go is our website, AuthenticallyAmerican. 639 00:32:40,705 --> 00:32:41,660 Us. 640 00:32:41,685 --> 00:32:46,090 And that us was an intentional choice given the equity of our brand. 641 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:50,290 So if you're an individual consumer and want to buy your new favorite polo, 642 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:53,810 T-shirt, socks, individual, just one, go to our website. 643 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,780 But if you are a business owner, if you're leading a charity and you are buying 644 00:32:57,805 --> 00:33:02,180 custom apparel and you don't like made in China, you want something that's American 645 00:33:02,205 --> 00:33:06,240 made, that is the same place to go as our website, and you'll see an opportunity to 646 00:33:06,265 --> 00:33:09,570 go and see how you can get custom apparel for your business. 647 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:10,140 It's great. 648 00:33:10,165 --> 00:33:13,290 And what I like about the logo, the logo is not overstated. 649 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,050 It's understated, but it's there. 650 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,460 Tell us a little bit about the choice for the logo. 651 00:33:18,485 --> 00:33:22,720 : We have two logos, so I'll highlight two of them, John. 652 00:33:22,745 --> 00:33:24,480 One is our inside tag. 653 00:33:24,505 --> 00:33:26,240 Actually, I'll hold it up. 654 00:33:26,265 --> 00:33:29,440 I've got one of my favorite Go Army shirts. 655 00:33:29,465 --> 00:33:32,960 But if you can see the Authentically American stamp logo. 656 00:33:32,985 --> 00:33:38,240 You mentioned this during our discussion, the days when they were Made in the USA, 657 00:33:38,265 --> 00:33:41,440 things would be stamped with Made in the USA. 658 00:33:41,465 --> 00:33:46,720 And that was the design behind that logo is everything that we produce, is stamped 659 00:33:46,745 --> 00:33:49,560 Authentically American to certify that it's American made. 660 00:33:49,585 --> 00:33:51,320 So that's the internal tag. 661 00:33:51,345 --> 00:33:56,240 The external one, it's white on the back of this shirt, but you can 662 00:33:56,265 --> 00:33:58,360 see that vintage US flag here. 663 00:33:58,385 --> 00:34:00,120 Go Army is front center. 664 00:34:00,145 --> 00:34:01,920 Veteran Led--Dominate is front center. 665 00:34:01,945 --> 00:34:06,480 But that vintage flag on the back is that subtle reinforcement, John, the 666 00:34:06,505 --> 00:34:09,415 intentional choice you made to choose American Made. 667 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:10,420 Thank you so much, Dean. 668 00:34:10,445 --> 00:34:14,880 And if you have one last piece of advice for those Veteran entrepreneurs that want 669 00:34:14,905 --> 00:34:18,170 to get in the game, what's the one question that they need to ask 670 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:20,440 themselves before starting? 671 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:25,650 So I mentioned the one that I always give is find that Ranger buddy in life. 672 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:30,170 But the second one, I would say, is find something that you truly love. 673 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,620 Find something that you're truly passionate about. 674 00:34:32,645 --> 00:34:35,900 Because, you know, John, it's not easy, you know, being an entrepreneur, 675 00:34:35,925 --> 00:34:37,780 it's not easy being a business owner. 676 00:34:37,805 --> 00:34:41,170 But if you are pursuing something that you love and you're passionate 677 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:42,460 about, it doesn't feel like life. 678 00:34:42,485 --> 00:34:43,780 It's just something that you're pursuing. 679 00:34:43,805 --> 00:34:45,960 It's your passion. 680 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,980 Thank you for joining us today on Veteran Led, where we pursue our mission of 681 00:34:55,005 --> 00:34:59,620 promoting Veteran leadership in business, strengthening the Veteran community, and 682 00:34:59,645 --> 00:35:03,580 getting Veterans all of the benefits that they earn. 683 00:35:03,605 --> 00:35:07,500 If you know a leader who should be on the Veteran Led podcast, report to our online 684 00:35:07,525 --> 00:35:11,580 community by searching "Veteran Led" on your favorite social channels 685 00:35:11,605 --> 00:35:12,980 and posting in the comments. 686 00:35:13,005 --> 00:35:17,420 We want to hear how your military challenges prepared you to lead your 687 00:35:17,445 --> 00:35:20,690 industry or community, and we will let the world know. 688 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:24,520 And of course, hit subscribe and join me next time on Veteran Led.