Veteran's Day Appreciation

Veteran’s Day Appreciation

This post is a little different from what I usually share, but I wanted to take a moment to reflect on something that has shaped who I am and how I lead today. Since it’s Veteran’s Day, and just a day after the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday, it feels right to pause and look back on the lessons I took from my time in the United States Marine Corps and how they continue to guide my life as a coach.

I served six years in the Marine Corps, achieving the rank of Sergeant as a Fire Support Man (0861). My role was to plan, observe, and coordinate ground and air support fires, connecting ground units with artillery, naval gunfire, and close air support. It was an intense, high-responsibility job that taught me the value of precision, teamwork, and calm under pressure.

When I first left the Marines in 2013, everything felt raw. I could only see the hard parts of service, the exhaustion, the stress, the fuck fuck games, and the weight of constant responsibility. But with time, I gained perspective. Now, more than a decade later, I see how much that experience built me into the man and coach I am today.

Lessons in Leadership and Community

One of the most powerful influences during my service was Chief Warrant Officer Ojeda. He embodied what true leadership looks like. He held us accountable, demanded excellence, but also made sure we were equipped and supported to succeed. He understood that if he took care of us, we would take care of the mission, and by extension, him.

That lesson has never left me. Today, in my gym, I strive to do the same. I aim to raise the skill level of every athlete I work with, to give them both the tools and the freedom to grow. When my lifters feel trusted and valued, they perform at their best. Just like in the Marine Corps, I’ve learned that great leadership isn’t about control. It’s about creating an environment where people can excel.

The Marine Corps also showed me the power of diversity within a shared mission. Marines come from every background imaginable, yet when the mission is clear, those differences become strengths. I’ve built my gym around that same principle: a community of individuals with unique experiences and beliefs, united by the goal of becoming the strongest versions of themselves. When people with different strengths pull in the same direction, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish together.

The Enduring Lesson: Resiliency

If there’s one lesson the Marine Corps burned into me, it’s resiliency. There will always be hard times in training, in business, and in life. Challenges and uncertainty are inevitable. What matters is how you respond when they come.

The Marines taught me that even when you’re afraid, you don’t freeze. You move forward. You trust the skills you’ve built, your ability to learn what you don’t yet know, and the people around you who can help you bridge the gap. That mindset, that combination of confidence, adaptability, and grit, is the backbone of everything I teach as a coach.

Whether it’s a lifter facing a heavy bar, a coach developing their craft, or someone fighting through life’s inevitable setbacks, resiliency is what keeps us moving. You don’t quit. You adjust, you push, and you find a way through.

So today, on Veteran’s Day, I want to honor not only those who have served but also the lessons their service carries into the world beyond the uniform. The Marine Corps gave me confidence, community, and a deep sense of purpose, gifts that I now try to pass on to every athlete who walks through my doors.

To my fellow veterans: thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your example.

And to my community, thank you for giving me the opportunity to keep serving, in a different way, every single day.