H2F, Value, & the Entrepreneurial Spirit

H2F, Value, & the Entrepreneurial Spirit

A while back I had the blessing of learning the importance of value from my Old Man.

Thank you Smitty.

Smitty came from an "old world" that operated based off value. In construction, in takes a lifetime to develop your value; a process that never sleeps. From a journey-person or tradesperson type position, to working on a crew, to becoming supervisor, to facing that age-old question of do you start your own business or continue to work for someone else.

Most chase that dream of starting their own business, making their own rules, their own hours, owning that F-350 diesel and slapping your company logo with the lighthouse on the driver side door.

Your own survival in the game depends on the value you bring to the table for the very simple fact that your professional reputation depends on your ability to produce products that are of high value in the eyes of your customers.

The difficult part here is deciding on and defining what that value is and how you are going to defend it going forward.

For example, value can change depending on the perception of what "value" the customer wants to pay for.

During my time owning my own painting businesses and working for others, I discovered that some customers want to pay for work speed even if quality of the work is not what YOU would consider "high". As long they see a change of color on the wall and the holes in the ceiling patched up, that is what makes them happy.

Then conversely, there are some that don't care for speed but for "high-quality" work because they value a product that is perfect and meets the standards that match what YOU know to be the most complete way of doing the job.

Making sure the preparatory work is done prior to just changing the color simply because this type of customer knows, that if the preparation work is done correctly even if the job takes longer, that higher quality of work will make the finished product last longer without having to come back for touch ups.

So as a contractor you have a few options here based of these examples:

1. You can decide to be the professional that works fast but sacrifices quality.
2. You can decide to be the professional that works slow but delivers higher quality.
3. You can be flexible in the sense of adjusting your quality based off what someone is willing to pay for the product.
4. You can decide to be the professional that works at the appropriate speed to deliver the highest quality product regardless of what the customers "perception" of quality is.

Smitty chose the number 4 option and honestly its not ever easy this way. It takes grit.

My Dad could have easily lowered the quality of his work to get more customers and make more money but he couldn't bring himself to that over the years.

As the years went by, times got tough as they usually do. People sought lower quality and faster completion times which ultimately drove my Dad to diversify his work and begin to make money in more ways than just painting (carpentry, plumbing, masonry, etc.).

My Dad supported his family with a paintbrush for most of my childhood, until he switched gears and got into the property management business. Picking up skills along the way from being surrounded by experienced professionals in other fields of the construction world tends to add extreme "range" to those ready to absorb that wisdom. To those that see its value.

Despite the ups and downs, there is one thing that never changed with Smitty, he would die on the hill of providing the highest quality of products using the highest quality of materials no matter what.

After some time, he began to build up a cliental that wanted this exactly.

And it took time.

What I learned from Smitty is "stubborn determination".

And a thought that often comes through my head is what would happen if we lived in a world where everyone just went with option number 1?

What happens when we live in a world that gives up on value because the majority of people that could have been warriors for value simply decided to walk away from the fight because it was too difficult or not fair?

When you look up the definition of "value" you will find a handful of interesting images from the Oxford Languages that I want to highlight before we continue:

1. The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
2. A persons principles or standards of behavior; one's judgement of what is important in life.
3. Estimate the monetary worth of something.
4. Consider (someone or something) to be important of beneficial; have a high opinion.

As a leader FOR others in Tactical Strength & Conditioning I have noticed a few scenarios that seem to be taking place across the world of H2F that I am sure a lot of us can relate to experiencing in some form or another.

1. Holding the line hard in regards to performing the minimum requirements in terms of duties and responsibilities.
2. Demanding more money immediately based off a plethora of varying reasons (having a degree, prior experience in an internship, doing more than others, more perceived experience, or because times are tough in the world).
3. Not getting "buy in" from leaders or Soldiers because it is perceived they don't value H2F so why should we go out of our way to continue to show them what H2F can be or meet them where they are at currently?
4. Not having the "right equipment" to do our jobs so why should we "re-think" another path that our jobs can be done on?
5. Because thats not our job.

I am sure there are more but we can probably finish there for now.

Do you notice a common theme between these scenarios?

Every single one of the scenarios above is a CHOICE not to add value because either something is "not my job" or "I don't have what I need to do my job".

H2F is still in a similar position to where it was years ago when we started on the pilot program; a system that is in need of the development of its systems within the Army.

H2F is still not in a position in many ways where a Strength & Conditioning professional or Athletic Trainer can simple show up on day one and hit the ground running in an established system of SOPs developed by their respective H2F teams.

H2F demands an "entrepreneurial approach" then and it still does now; it will continue to need one until it doesn't (training facilities, ease of access to funding to support H2F, etc.)

This means a few things for me in my experience.

1. Those that do not understand this approach are going to be forces that stunt the growth of value across the H2F system.
2. Job duties and responsibilities need to be met of course, however, if you are not showing up to work everyday thinking of creative ways to cultivate and grow your culture, brand, and business, you are failing yourself, your team and the H2F system as a whole.
3. H2F needs those willing to take the "grass roots" approach. Thinking outside the box in order to exemplify what high quality value professionals can bring to the table ESPECIALLY in the face of adversity (varying salaries, limited equipment, no facilities, etc.)
4. The entrepreneur is a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal risks in order to do so; in this, value will shine bright and in my experience that light is extremely hard to ignore forever. This is how trust is created, relationships are strengthened, partnerships are formed, buy in is acquired, and cultures are changed.

Now don't get me wrong, H2F needs a balance of professionals willing to move the dirt and do that day in and day out grind as far as Coaching groups and seeing patients goes, however, moving dirt alone does not build a system out of H2F.

The man in the arena needs support from outside the colosseum walls.

H2F needs creators and those willing to present the visions of what is built as the dirt is being moved, why it is being built, what is left behind after the dirt has been moved, and what will be the driving force that keeps these structures strong for future generations of H2F professionals.

Is it a sticker, t-shirt, symbol, a philosophy, a culture, an image, or a battle cry?

Value comes in the simplest of forms and is easily dismissed to those that don't understand how powerful attention to detail can be to those paying attention to detail.

When you walk into a new house or apartment and look around at the ceiling and walls you may see colors and straight lines but Smitty could show you the imperfections, the paint flashing on ceiling, the the flat paint that was used on the trim instead of semi-gloss, the window trim that wasn't caulked correctly, or the patch over a hole in the wall that wasn't sanded prior to adding a finished coat.

Smitty could tell you why these things matter but it would be up to you to decide if they matter to you as well or would you rather just react to the scenarios that would occur down the road because the quality was low.

Imagine taking the same approach as a Coach. Noticing a dysfunction in a squat pattern but ignoring it for now because the Soldier wasn't currently in pain because of it so there is no reason to address it.

Or not creating a mission statement or philosophy or symbol to represent your team because you don't value it but then question why your growing team lacks connection, integration with each other, and shared purpose so you simply blame them for not being "quality employees"?

Perhaps deciding not to create a PT Extender course because you feel as though the information is "too much" for Soldiers to handle and they wouldn't understand it based off your perception of what Soldiers need.

Continuing to add value to yourself is a lifelong commitment to grow outside of comfort zones and thats difficult sometimes but so is building something from the ground up with a lack of support and equipment.

So I would simply just ask you.

If you are not willing to be a force for the positive change and growth of H2F.

Why are you even here?

Perhaps there is a better role for you somewhere else that is more established.

I don't know what the answer is for you.

But I can tell you.

There are those of us that are willing to fight and die on the hill to see this kingdom built in order to provide the highest quality of care, education, professionalism, service and VALUE to our Service Members no matter the sacrifice.

We will see it through.

One team, one fight,

Coach B