Air Force to Entrepreneurship: Lessons Learned

Having the desire to call something his own, Nate ventured into the world of entrepreneurship after his separation from active duty. Combining the mindset he learned from the military with his financial and business expertise, he has built a business that he is proud to call his own, The Driveway Company.   Among the lessons he learned as a sales executive and entrepreneur: Focus on what are you really good at and be the best at that Find a way to structure yourself around the things you aren't good at   In today’s episode of the ACCESS Points Podcast, our guest, Nate Cavender will talk about how his military experience helped him establish the mindset he needed to succeed in a civilian environment.  He will also discuss his journey as a sales executive and a business owner, as well as the lessons he learned from those experiences.   Nate Cavender is an Air Force Veteran and Pilot. He served eight years in the United States Air Force as an officer/pilot. His passion for helping others and his desire to build something to call his own, he founded The Driveway Company. It was also his passion for finance that inspired him to pursue a career in wealth management and join a wellness company that offers an integrated approach to overall well-being.   Enjoy!   This episode is brought to you by Vouris - Vouris.com Turn insights into action Your data tells a story –  We analyze your past data and understand what worked, what didn't, what to keep and what to improve. All based on data, specific to your business. Take your free sales assessment here: https://hubs.ly/H0N77qL0   In This Episode 2:59 - Backstory of Nate Cavender   4:39 - How Nate got his pilot's license   8:00 - What a C-17 aircraft is and why he enjoyed flying it   9:57 - Why Nate transitioned from the Air Force to building his own company   11:27 - The challenges of being back in the civilian sector   14:46 - His first job after the military and what he learned from it   16:38 - The lessons he learned during his tenure at Merrill Lynch   22:26 - What inspired him to become an entrepreneur   24:44 - How Nate balances his work as a sales executive, a business owner, a father, and a husband   34:47 -The marketing strategy that helped them boost their business   36:53 - How their business performed in its first six months of operation   39:56 - Tim Elliot's advice for all business owners   Favorite Quotes "One of the colonels, one of my mentors in the military, says something that stuck with me and I'll always remember, he said, 'Hey, one day the air force is going to be done with you. And so you better make sure that you take care of your family because they're going to be the ones that are there when the air force is done with you.' And I think that's the same for pretty much everything in life. Your family is going to be there, but one day, everything else is going to be done with you.” - Nate Cavender   "I think the comradery that you form with your fellow pilots or anybody, your subordinates, was pretty strong and it was special. You don't immediately get that as easily in the civilian sector." - Nate Cavender   "In the civilian sector, not everybody necessarily has the same mission in mind. You don't necessarily know where everybody's motivation lies." - Nate Cavender   "I think the coolest thing is seeing people when they have a plan for their children that comes true for their children. It's special." - Nate Cavender   "I really want to have something to call my own. And I felt like I could really be successful."  - Nate Cavender   "I didn't realize how hard it really is to start a business. I was really excited about building this and I cared about it so much that I started to feel that even though I didn't have time during the day to work on my company, I would at night do it. So even though that was super tiring, not to mention the family that you had to pay attention to as well, there's something that drove me to still do it. And it was mainly because I love doing it." - Nate Cavender   "I guess moving forward to now, it's kind of like what we were getting at. There are some really hard times and they're going to be some good times. But if you're working hard and you're paying attention to things, they'll get better. It's like those days when you're just really struggling with whatever it is, it always seems to figure itself out." - Nate Cavender   Visit Access EFM: Website Facebook LinkedIn Twitter   Click here to listen with Access Points Podcast