THE RECAP
In this episode, serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Chris J. Snook welcomes to the podcast U.S. Marine and Chief Operating Officer at Troops Direct, Jake Jones. Chris and Jake talk about the call Jake felt to serve in the US military and the impact that had on his career. Jake expounds on the work he has done with Troops Direct and the passion he feels for this organization. Finally, Jake speaks to the importance of doing the right thing regardless of the personal and professional ramifications that may follow.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- 01:06 – Introducing today’s guest, Jake Jones
- 02:27 – Jake’s nontraditional path to the private sector
- 04:27 – How the Eagle Scouts laid the foundation for Jake’s future business endeavors
- 06:11 – The decision to join the military
- 08:20 – Servant leadership
- 08:51 – Jake reflects on some of the highs from his business journey
- 10:25 – Jake’s experience in Special Ops
- 11:40 – What attracted Jake to Troops Direct
- 13:26 – Making the most with limited resources
- 15:54 – Jake speaks to the gamut of equipment that Troops Direct provides
- 19:29 – How troops find and contact Jake and his team at Troops Direct
- 21:13 – What makes Troops Direct effective and agile
- 23:15 – Quantifying the results
- 24:30 – Lessons Jake has learned from failures
- 28:49 – Jake talks about some successful events Troops Direct has held
- 31:31 – Jake recalls a time when brutal honesty was necessary to find a solution
- 33:25 – Building and expanding a network to the East Coast
- 35:25 – Jake’s commitment to being a steward of donations made to Troops Direct
- 37:33 – Doing what’s right
- 38:51 – Where listeners can support Jake and the Troops Direct organization
- 39:55 – Chris thanks Jake for joining the show
TWEETABLE QUOTES
- “The Boy Scouts kinda gave me that framework to be who I wanna be and to be basically the captain of yourself.” (05:39)
- “I think from a very young age, that service above self, service to others is greater than one person and greater than you as an individual…I really believed that for me to be the greatest servant of my nation, I had to put on a uniform.” (07:19)
- “I think the biggest thing for any leader, their proudest moment should be the successes of their subordinates. That means that you’re an effective leader.” (09:14)
- “Our saying is, ‘We ship anything that doesn’t go boom or bang.’” (17:56)
- “You just have to persevere. You’re not gonna succeed in every venture that you take. You gotta lick your wounds, realize that you’re a capable entrepreneur, you’re a capable businessperson. And, if you’re not, you need to seek counsel from those that you trust and then build a better business plan.” (26:48)
- “What I’m focusing on now is attacking the East Coast to saturate the market with our mission and just grow awareness for our brand and get it out there.” (33:44)
- “We have a saying in the military, ‘There’s the hard right or the easy wrong.’ And that’s where I’ve always kind of nested myself is making that hard right decision no matter what the cost.” (37:59)
LINKS MENTIONED
Jake’s Email – jake@troopsdirect.org
Enroll in an "Operator Weekend" at TroopsDirect.org/events
