The (Red, White and) Blueprint for Greatness:

How Veterans are Powering the Nation’s Most Innovative Home Remodeling Company

On any given day at corporate headquarters across America, senior leaders are summoned to the boardroom for an impromptu meeting to discuss a new change in the market. Millennials and Gen Z customers are flexing more of their economic muscles. They are signalling a clear interest in brands that align with their values and demonstrate corporate social responsibility. Gone are the days when making the best sandwich, tennis racquet or lawnmower was the key to customer conversion. Now, they need to know your company cares about their world.

Leaders are asked to present ideas for corporate philanthropy that both do good and make the company look good. There will be discussions of volunteerism and sponsorships. Someone will pitch a warm and fuzzy news story. The overachiever of the group will pitch a signature charity event with a clever twist on the corporate name, and a logo sketched on the back of a napkin. And someone will inevitably bring up the philanthropic silver bullet…veterans.

“We should do something with veterans — donate a puppy; write letters to them; sponsor their parade” (all good intentioned ideas by the way). But if the premise is to continue growing and supercharging your business while also doing good, then the most effective strategy is easy and proven: hire us.

Where companies go wrong is when they confine strategies to engage veterans to the philanthropic conversations instead of aligning those strategies with the business objectives such as human capital, innovation, revenue, and growth. Think about it: at a young age, military candidates are immersed in an intense experience that builds qualities like leadership, integrity, accountability, grit, camaraderie, and calm under fire; qualities being taught right now at West Point just as much as Wharton. So why does it take such a leap of faith to connect military training with the demands of the business world?

I’m happy to answer that, but to be transparent, I work at a company that considers veterans assets not leaps of faith. In 2015, Power Home Remodeling had the same conversations many have about what we should do for veterans. When examining the numbers, we realized that veterans were out-performing their civilian peers. They were leading teams, advancing quickly in sales and marketing roles, and growing the business by supporting our westward expansion, all the while delivering that perfect combination of speed and precision that we learn so early in our military careers.

What happened next would contribute to a new and energized period of exponential growth at Power, the establishment of our formalized Military Affairs department. In just two years we’ve quadrupled the percentage of our military spouse or veteran population. Additionally, the revenue generated has returned revenue of nearly ten times that of the initial investment, annually.

To accomplish this, we made every decision in regards to our initiative like we would any other..as a business decision. This is an area where many employers’ military initiatives fall short. They fail to make the valuable connection between military training and current business needs. Instead, veterans are viewed as philanthropic endeavors not solutions to business challenges. Over the next several months, I’d like to share with you our blueprint for an impactful veterans initiative that drives revenue not just good intentions. We hope you’ll replicate it at your company, and create an infrastructure that fuels your growth and puts my comrades in roles they have already been trained to thrive in.

In the meantime, you can learn more about our initiative at www.PowerVeterans.com

Onwards.......