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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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[00:00:01.00] - Curtez Riggs
You won't believe the places that people see me in and won't speak to me because I'm not dressed like them. You won't believe the places I go to, where until I grab a microphone, people don't acknowledge me. Don't discount the people sitting next to you. You never know who has the ability to change your life by asking them a simple question. And so, for me, it's like as I look here now, I'm constantly thinking, who can I have a conversation with that could have a dynamic effect or an impact on myself or somebody I love and care about?
[00:00:30.00] - John S. Berry
Welcome to the Veteran Led podcast. Our guest today is Curtez Riggs. For those of you here today at the Military Influencer Conference, he's the one that made it happen. This is the ninth year, but this isn't all that he does. He's also the co-founder of Triple Nickel Lifestyle brand and is the Director of Military Events at Recurrent Ventures and a former US Army first sergeant.
[00:01:00.00] - Curtez Riggs
Awesome. Thanks for having me.
[00:01:02.13] - John S. Berry
Welcome to the show. So, Curtez, here we are, coming to the end of the ninth Military Influencer Conference. I believe there's been approximately 3,000 people here.
[00:01:15.23] - Curtez Riggs
Your number's a little high. We had about 2,800 people registered, 2,200 actually came to the doors in order to participate in this week's festivities.
[00:01:23.20] - John S. Berry
Now, one thing that you pointed out at the beginning of this is that when we talk about a military influencer conference, this isn't about a bunch of people on TikTok who have no real skills. You know what we see now. This is about when Curtez started this nine years ago, it was about Veterans and the military influencing our communities and influencing each other to do better. Tell us, where did the genesis or the origin of this great vision come from?
[00:01:49.07] - Curtez Riggs
Like I said on stage at the start of this, leadership is the process of influencing others. To me, that has been a pillar or a tenet of my entire lifestyle. I want to constantly inspire others to reach greatness, but the best way to do that is by influencing them as a leader. When I think of the word leader and I think of the word influencer, I put an equal sign in between both of them because they mean the same thing to me. I get it since 2015 when I had this concept of what it is now, the definition of an influencer has shifted just like the time has. But for me and my heart, at the core of this, at the core of the Military Influencer Conference is a group of leaders who come together to shape and impact those that are following in our footsteps. Consider it a conference for mentors where leaders come to give back to those that are following in our footsteps.
[00:02:34.19] - John S. Berry
What I like about this is this is true leadership by example. This isn't just some guy who puts a conference together to have a conference because I've seen that, but you also have the Triple Nickel Lifestyle brand. In other words, He's doing what we are all doing here. He is running a company and doing many things, also with Recurrent Ventures, doing the things that I think for a lot of us, it's the multitasking, it's all the responsibilities. Here you are, you're not in the military anymore, and yet you're still carrying that high work level, that high workload. How do you balance it?
[00:03:06.19] - Curtez Riggs
You don't. So, for me, it's like I have great team members that support me. I have great cofounders who play their roles better than I ever could have imagined. And so, when you have great people that are surrounding you with complementary skill sets, the sky's the limit on what you can accomplish. So, all of us have our specialty, those core things that we're good at. And a lot of my skills came from exactly the lessons I learned in service. I was an army recruiter. It taught me community development. It taught me how to sail. It taught me how to cultivate and nurture relationships. All you see here is me, the culmination of years' worth of relationships coming together around a central topic. As I'm sitting here now, I see people from all over the country that I have relationships with. At a drop of a dime, if I reached out and say, hey, look, I have a need, in most cases, those individuals will be in a position where they want to give back because they see that I have a heart for serving others. So, the battle doesn't stop. I recently found out that I have an adult version of ADHD.
[00:04:05.05] - Curtez Riggs
And so that keeps my brain going to the wee hours of the morning so that I'm able to do multiple things, but also, most importantly, produce great results and also guide a team to get the things that they need to get done also. And the other part of this is none of this can be done without outstanding leadership. So I see a senior leader right in front of me. He can tell you this stuff better than I could. I ever can, right? So for me, it's like it starts at the top. I have a great leader who leads and advise and coaches me and makes me better. And in turn, we're able to do that with the team members who also support us.
[00:04:36.19] - John S. Berry
I was a company commander. You were a first sergeant. And I think of how nothing would have gotten done without the first sergeant. And a lot of us entrepreneurs, we have these fantasies, and we call them visions. But unless we have strong NCOs who can execute, they never happen. So how did you make that transition from being a first sergeant, that ability to execute, to move that into the civilian world where you've done that even more, I think, impressively than we see in the military.
[00:05:04.12] - Curtez Riggs
Great question. Just to take you back a few years, I've always had a desire for more. That could be more financial resources. It could be a larger house. You can consider it however you want to. I've always had a desire for more. And so inside this military bubble, I'm not afraid to say it, I was institutionalized. I joined the military at 18 years old, and I left when I was 38. Everything I knew as an adult male was taught to me by other men that wore a uniform that didn't share a similar background to me. Those lessons that I learned helped to shape who I am as a grown man now. I'm 46 years old, and I'm constantly in a position, and I'm always thinking forward because the mission never stops. There's always going to be a tug, and I refer to it as a PCS mentality. In the military, we were guaranteed every 2-3 years, we would be PCS into a new job at a new location where you have to grow and advance your skill sets in order to do your job and more or less complete the mission. For me, I'm in this same position now.
[00:06:01.03] - Curtez Riggs
I'm constantly thinking forward on how can I get the job done, how can I do more? Because for whatever's wrong with me, call it my personal disability, my brain doesn't stop, and I'm always driving with the ambition to do more and accomplish more. But at the core of it, it's all about giving back to either underrepresented communities. I can't change the color of my skin. It doesn't wash off. But at the same time, I've been blessed and fortunate enough to have a voice. I have to use it more because there are other people that look like me that don't have the same opportunities that I have, and they I don't really see it. I'm from Flint, Michigan. What you know about Flint, Michigan, most of you know the water situation, but we can really take it way back to NAFTA. Flint was known as the largest automotive manufacturing city in the nation, and it lasted for years. All of a sudden, there was this thing called NAFTA. I'm going to say a thing called NAFTA that came in. My uncles that were making $40 and $50 an hour pushing buttons and doing this. I'm being serious when I say that.
[00:06:55.12] - Curtez Riggs
They had worked in a shop for years. I was led to believe as a young high school student that when I got to that point, when I graduated from school, I needed that piece of paper. College was never in the goals for me. I needed a piece of paper. I could get a job at a factory. I could get a job at the shop. I would be on that pathway where I could retire with a pension in 30 years just like the rest of my family did. Well, little did I know, the administration at the time made a decision that completely decimated the city of Flint and also Detroit to a fair extent. Those jobs, that outlook, that positive future that I thought I had lined up for myself quickly evaporated. It disappeared. I looked to the Army because the Army was the second family that really came in and taught me how to be a man, taught me the soft skills that I needed to survive. Everything I know today, I don't have a fancy education. I don't have major certifications. I am just an ordinary soldier that enlisted in the Army looking for a better opportunity, but I was constantly sucking up information while I was serving that allowed me to do more.
[00:07:53.17] - Curtez Riggs
Everything that you see here, the army taught me how to do this. Ain't nothing fancy. I learned how to do what I do now from the ranks of the Army.
[00:08:00.18] - John S. Berry
And so, a Veteran Led, we are looking to show Veterans the bigger, better future after military service, and you've brought thousands of them right here. What is your advice for those Veterans right now that are struggling, that are here, that are, hey, I want to find that bigger future. I'm committed to it. But how do I start? Where do I get started?
[00:08:20.06] - Curtez Riggs
You get started by looking at your battle buddy to the left and your right. You won't believe the places that people see me in and won't speak to me because I'm not dressed like them. You won't believe the places I go to where until I grab a microphone, people don't acknowledge me. You won't believe the places that I have access to where I can walk around a room and just because people choose not to talk to me, they never get to understand the value that I bring to the table. And so, I'm a humble guy. I sit in the background. I don't have to say nothing to anybody. I walk into a room, I suck up what I need from it, and I transition to my next stop. So, what I would just tell everybody here is don't discount the people sitting next to you. You never know who has the ability to change your life by asking them a simple question. You never know who can be a future mentor or resource to you, but a hungry dog don't get fed. And so for me, it's like as I look here now, I'm constantly thinking, who can I have a conversation with that could have a dynamic effect or an impact on myself or somebody I love and care about?
[00:09:17.23] - John S. Berry
As you've approached that, you've been able to grow as a very humble leader, and rumor has a very quiet leader. Has your leadership philosophy changed over the past decade that did you run this conference?
[00:09:31.11] - Curtez Riggs
No, it's pretty consistent. You take care of people, people take care of you. And so the T-shirts, who has a T-shirt on here from the conference? Charlinda Scales coined that term years ago, and it's not like-minded, like-hearted. So our country is in shambles right now, and I don't mean that any more than what I'm saying. We have problems as a nation, and we're thinking with like minds. We're not thinking with like hearts. And so, for me, I want people here we curate an atmosphere where people are like-hearted, not like-minded. I can't think like the people I grew up with. I have to think like the people as an adult male who share the same heart that I do. I want to be around like-hearted people because those are the people that can shape and change those that are following behind us.
[00:10:17.14] - John S. Berry
I think that's amazing to be able to evolve, but keep that same philosophy. Now, some of your team members have told me you're a genius because you have this vision and you're able to just connect all the dots. What is your vision for the future of the Military Influencer Conference?
[00:10:33.20] - Curtez Riggs
People also assume and make the false impression that it's Curtez's vision that drives the future of MIC. Cathy Torres-Pommel, she's a general manager for Recurrent. Just think of her, ignore the word general manager for all intents and purposes. She's our CEO. I may have the vision, but it's like she keeps me in focus to make sure that the things that we do in the future not only we're being mindful of the resources we're spending to get it done, but most importantly, we're continuing to shape operations that can be most impactful for those that need us the most. And so, yes, some people have asked questions like, why we don't bring major speakers in at MIC anymore? The reality is you guys don't want to hear from them. You want to hear from authentic people that truly connect to the community. So, for us, we're looking for creative ways to open MIC up, to have more like-hearted people take the stage, to share their stories, to talk about their impact so we can collectively grow. Curtez doesn't ever need a microphone in his hand. I don't. If you've heard me speak once, I pretty much say the same thing every time I talk.
[00:11:40.13] - Curtez Riggs
But there's somebody here in front of me right now that have given the opportunity, they have the ability to change lives. We want MIC to be a platform where underrepresented people in communities have a chance to connect on a larger capacity. But most importantly, we can be focused on the impact because of the words that they're saying, the actions that they're taking, and the community that they're specifically bringing to the table to get an opportunity. And that's what we want MIC to be. We want it to be accessible. We want it to be a place where opportunities continue to grow and thrive. But most importantly, we want those stories to also come back to us. I'm always amazed after the fact when someone says, Hey, I went to MIC, I met this person, and this is the work that we're doing today. Donnell, you're one of them. You came to MIC years ago with an idea, and look at the great work he's doing in the DMV footprint. He's the only one face that I see out in front of me right now. So all I want MIC to do is continue to be an incubator for fresh ideas.
[00:12:30.01] - Curtez Riggs
I want it to be an incubator for people to collaborate, and I want it to be a safe place for people to grow their brand, their business, and the culture that they can take back into the corporate America and continue to look out for those that are following in our footsteps. When I say those that are following in our footsteps, think about it. I was an 18-year-old kid, joining the Army for the first time. I didn't know how to shave my face. I didn't have a man in my life that taught me how to shave. I learned how to shave my face from somebody that didn't know anything about the type of skin I had. I'm still wearing the marks of that. So, the people that are following in our footsteps is that young private that's getting ready to enlist right now. It's that sergeant first class that don't know what the future is going to look like. It's that Marine Corps gunnery sergeant that's still unsure about what he wants his next step to do, but for whatever reason, he has to leave the military effective immediately. We want to create a pathway where people can see there's other opportunities, in some cases that's nontraditional.
[00:13:23.23] - Curtez Riggs
I often say this, I don't have a college degree. Let me rephrase that. I don't have a valid college degree. I went to a school where I answered some basic questions and they gave me a degree at the end of the day. I needed it to get promoted, but I don't have a fancy education. I've never, never had a job interview. I've never written a resume. My nontraditional approach to success, I want to be in a position where I can teach it to other people because we see enough individuals out here taught that they need a degree. They need to learn all these fancy things in order to get a job, and they're still not happy. I'm happy. I'm at my most happiest when I'm seeing other people and the impact that I have on them. Let me just say this last thing. When I talk about impact, that isn't because they connected with me, that's because they connected with somebody else that has impacted them.
[00:14:11.00] - John S. Berry
Now, you've given us a glimpse into the future, but now it's time for the After Action Review, where we talk about leadership of the past. Please give us your best example of great leadership and the worst example of leadership. Don't have to name names, but please give us the lesson so that we don't have to get the scar.
[00:14:27.07] - Curtez Riggs
Man, you should have asked me this question or sent this ahead of time. It requires some thought process. The best example of a leader I'm going to come from current. Change is never easy, especially when you're operating at the level some of us function at. She's going to hate me for saying this, but Cathy Torres-Pommel, she's one of the best leaders that I have the opportunity to serve underneath. She brings a fresh perspective to the table, and she's always willing to listen. Most importantly, when she's wrong, she addresses it. She doesn't have pride, she doesn't have ego. At the end of the day, she's in a position where she wants to change lives and impact people, and she's curating the right team to do that and get it done. The worst example of leadership without me saying names is I'm constantly around people that think of themselves before they think of the people that they're serving. We think about servant leaders. I was taught as a young noncommission officer that I eat last. In our space today, think about who eats first. Think about it. In most cases, it's your leaders who are always at the front of the line.
[00:15:39.14] - Curtez Riggs
It shouldn't be like that. I'm not going to name names, but we see too many people in this space that want to be the first to grab a microphone and talk about themselves, and they're not thinking about the people that they're really supposed to be serving.
[00:15:51.06] - John S. Berry
Well, thank you. I know you don't give a lot of interviews, so I am honored that you would take the time here to talk with me in this group here at MIC. I want to make that veterans who maybe don't know about you or haven't heard about this, where can they learn more about Curtez Riggs, where can they learn more about Recurrent Media, and more importantly, where can they learn about the next Military Influencer Conference, where it's going to be and anything that they need to know about it.
[00:16:17.13] - Curtez Riggs
Sorry, I'll just say it. We're going to Tampa next year. We'll be there from the 23rd to the 26th of September. It's going to be the 10th anniversary of the Military Influencer Conference. It's going to be an engaging experience. It's going to be fun. Of course, we're going to be steep in military tradition being right there in Tampa. To start, don't look for me. You can look for me on LinkedIn. You'll start a conversation. I'll reply at some point. What I'll say is start at recurrentmilitary.com. At recurrentmilitary.com, you'll learn big picture about who we are, the brands we have, and how best to connect with us. If you want to drill down a little further, all of our brands from We are the Mighty, The Warzone, and Task & Purpose to Mill Spouse and MIC is listed on the website. Click any of the banners. We'll take you to the appropriate website where you want to learn more about what we're specifically doing, and then we can continue a conversation there. So appreciate the opportunity, and thank you for just giving me a microphone and an opportunity just to talk a little bit about myself.
[00:17:17.17] - John S. Berry
And one more thing, Triple Nickel. If somebody likes the hat or they like what they see, where can they learn more about your military lifestyle apparel?
[00:17:27.04] - Curtez Riggs
So Ruben, Chris, Rod, none of them are here right now, but Triple Nickel. We started this company in 2021. Right after COVID ended, I found myself in a situation. I said this earlier, I can't change the color of my skin. When I was looking for an apparel brand to bring into MIC, every brand in our space had a very firm position about where they stood politically, and I didn't feel represented. So what we thought was, we all came together, we all had our own version of the same idea. Chris McFee connected us after an introduction from Danell. Danell sparked a conversation that led to the four of us coming together to launch an apparel brand where we focus on telling the stories of underrepresented communities. Once again, we're impacting, we're changing lives, and we're creating apparel that just has a different tone than a militant vibe that we tend to see by some of the other brands in our space.
[00:18:20.02] - John S. Berry
Outstanding. Well, Curtez, thank you so much for the stories, your time, and for sharing with the audience here. It's been an honor.
[00:18:26.01] - Curtez Riggs
Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.
[00:18:35.23] - 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.