Tips from Veterans and Entrepreneurs: featuring Mercadies George, OVC General Manager, and other veteran entrepreneurs

It can be difficult to assimilate back into civilian life after completing military service, but after graduating from Ohio University, these heroes became entrepreneurs. They used their skills in the military--like perseverance, leadership, or quick thinking--to take on one of the most exciting and risky job choices: starting your own business.

Meet Mercadies George, a Marine Corps veteran and the current General Manager of Ornery Vets Cafe. Mercadies is a shining star and hard worker. Immediately upon entering OVC, she creates an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere. While serving as a Marine, Mercadies dealt with nonstop challenges and through them, learned the importance of perseverance. One of these challenges stemmed from gender. She said, “Being a woman in the Marine Corps--it’s very difficult. You’re in a predominantly male-driven job… a lot of times when you’re a woman, they want to chalk up your success to who helped and guided you.” She never let this discrimination bring her down and had a very successful experience in the Marine Corps. After completing her service, she took everything she learned and applied it to opening a business. She spoke with many female entrepreneurs and other female veterans in this field to gain insight. One of her goals, as well as the OVC team goals, is to welcome people of all physical and mental differences. She is the General Manager at Ornery Vets Cafe now. You can head into OVC and Mercadies will whip up the best coffee you can ask for! If you’d like to learn more about how Mercadies created an inclusive cafe in Athens, OH, check out the article here! A final tip Mercadies offered to both those considering joining the military or becoming an entrepreneur is: “Do your research… Believe in yourself. You’re so much more capable and so much more powerful than you realize.”

Meet Eric May, an Army veteran, former aviation operations specialist and current entrepreneur. During Eric’s time in service, he spent one year in South Korea on active duty with the 2nd Infantry Division, two years on active duty in Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division, and one year in Iraq. Throughout his experience, he learned the importance of teamwork, personal and professional responsibility. He learned how to let go of an ego, and how to understand and work with different cultures. Because of these experiences, when he became an entrepreneur, he was prepared mentally and was able to better bounce back from failure. In particular, having enough money as an entrepreneur is vital; he used every penny of his GI Bill for his education at OU and at OSU. Eric has always struggled with anxiety. He might think he left something behind and end up checking that he had the item up to three or four times. To cope with this, he works out, does yoga, and meditates. Like the military, he says, “Entrepreneurs would do well to find a support network and practice techniques to recognize anxious tendencies to overcome them.”

Meet Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kathy Lowrey Gallowitz, Air Force veteran as a nurse and entrepreneur of Vanguard Veteran, LLC. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kathy grew up in a Navy family and lived in many communities throughout her life. She went to a college in Munich, Germany for Air Force nursing. In her military experience, she was on active duty for six years, the Air Force Reserve, and the Air National Guard for a total of 29 years of military service. In 2004, she earned her third master's degree, this one from Ohio University and focused on Political Science, Emphasis on Public Administration. When Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kathy discussed a challenge that comes from the military and from being an entrepreneur, she said, “The work / life balance has always been the hardest part for me… you really have to work at taking care of yourself.” She advised others to find a balance that works for them; for her, that means balancing a career, being a mother and a wife, and taking care of yourself. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kathy said, “Upon my retirement in 2016 from the Ohio Air National Guard as the Director of Community Outreach, I started my business, Vanguard Veteran: to equip civilians to become veteran champions.” In addition to her job, she is part of the Governor of Arizona’s Veterans Service Advisory Commission, appointed as the state wide representative of the veteran community to share the voice of veterans with the governor of the state. She even met Thom Stevenson, one of the founders of Ornery Vets Cafe (link to OVC article) through clergy outreach. Her tip to those considering joining the military or becoming an entrepreneur is: “Take care of yourself… Stay fit… Avoid bad habits.”

Meet A-Jay Orr, Army veteran as a Communications Specialist, CEO of Simple Plan IT, and the Ambassador for the Leadership Team of Ohio for Bunker Labs. Born in Columbus, OH and raised in Kentucky, A-Jay grew up in a military family. Although not an OU alum, he has been to OU and loves Ohio. A-Jay joined the Army at a young age, learning a lot about life along the way. He learned to work in a team and to work with people with different backgrounds and beliefs. When asked what he learned from the military, A-Jay replied, “Everything. I give the military a lot of credit for shaping me into the person that I am.” After his experience in the military, he experienced a variety of different jobs before he started working for an IT company. At the IT company, he learned the value of honesty and integrity, and people soon started seeking his advice. He said, “I saw the gap and I started to fill it.” He helps people with cyber security, ensuring companies are protected against hackers, viruses, data breaches and more. To those considering joining the military or becoming an entrepreneur, A-Jay recommends: “Maximize your opportunity.” You never know who you’ll meet--make sure to network. And, he added that now is the time to start your business--don’t wait until too late in life. He concluded, “Don’t be afraid to fail.” Failure teaches us lessons, and oftentimes, they’re the most valuable ones.

Meet Carl Grant, an Army veteran who served in the National Guard reserves and in the infantry branch. He is currently an entrepreneur and manages a business development team at Cooley. Carl was a public affairs officer for the 29th Infantry Division, which consisted of five states and 11,000 soldiers. In the reserves, he was the Generals Aid for two and a half years in a two star role. In reflection, Carl took many things away from the military, including living up to the respect people give you when in uniform, survival skills, and of course, how to cut his hair. After his time in service, he started a business with his dad as well as two venture-backed startups. Just like Eric May, Carl learned about the importance of funding. Sometimes, even when you have raised $36 million like Carl did for the company, if the economy crashes, it can wipe out your business. Carl says, “Entrepreneurship is the riskiest thing you can do. But, it is the most rewarding if you’re successful.” He added, “Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.”
 

Meet Larry Hess, a Navy veteran photographer and the entrepreneur for River Roasters Coffee Co. During his experience in the military photo lab, he learned very quickly about high turnover. Working in the labs was primarily a temporary duty station for people in the Navy. Due to the high turnover, they had perfected the training for all of the specialty topics, from basic camera techniques to advanced instructional design. Larry was at the forefront of this training, from creating it to the delivery. This experience helped him as he navigated the workforce, and he found that he had a passion for education, as he understood the importance and significance of training. Just like many other entrepreneurs, finding funding was a challenge. He sold his home and personal possessions in order to have enough money for the down payment and banking approval. In the end, Larry’s advice to those considering joining the military or becoming an entrepreneur, is quite simply: “Stop thinking about it and do it.”

 Meet Eric Metcalf, a Navy veteran who was a nuclear mechanic and later switched to a meteorology and oceanography officer and is the current entrepreneur of FishMySpot and Keeping It Native Land Management. In the Navy, Eric deployed around the world with small teams doing water hydrography and bathymetry onboard jet skis. He also completed another deployment in 2010 before reporting to Key West, Florida for a shore tour. He later transitioned from active duty to Navy Reserves with several leadership roles in various units. Currently, he is working with a unit out of Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. He was able to use the GI Bill to go to OSU for a dual masters in Natural Resources and Wildlife and Public Policy. In the military, he learned three things, all of which he has been able to apply to entrepreneurship: “being able and willing to have the tough conversations… delegate and empower people that you work with… and not being afraid to make timely decisions.” As an entrepreneur, Eric recognizes the importance of networking and being social, despite being an introvert. For FishMySpot, he was actually able to partner with students at Ohio University, where he received consultation and advice from student interns. He has also leaned on other veterans and entrepreneurs for advice, which has given great results. Eric’s advice for those considering joining the military or becoming an entrepreneur: “Semper gumby,” an informal phrase that suggests being “always flexible.”