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Am I registered with the VA, Local Groups and national groups?: What Say You

Wednesday, June 03, 2020 16:47 | chad pearce

Membership in local/national groups are  important to me post military service.  I've wanted to invest my time in areas like this for a while.  What's been stopping me you might ask??? General life issues I guess. But, no excuses moving forward.  I have a lot to give and a lot to give back! I'm also motivated by the networking aspects and staying in tune/getting involved with what's going on in my local and national communities. 

I am registered with the VA but I don't have much of an affiliation with local and national groups.  I intend to take full advantage of all of my VA resources and get involved with the VA for volunteer opportunities. 

I am currently a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association. I would like to grow outside of that membership into other groups. 

So with that being said, I'd like this post to be more of a call for feedback and first hand information from my network who has first hand experience with local CA groups or national groups.

I am considering the following but I am open to any others I am not aware of.  Please let me know your thoughts, experiences, and feedback: 

WHAT SAY YOU COMMUNITY? 


Next post up: What does my network look like? Is it providing results? 

Chad 

Comments

  • Wednesday, June 03, 2020 17:45 | Christina Zepeda
    I say from my experience I started out going to every event I could then I started to realize I needed to narrow my time and effort.

    What events could I attend that I could benefit the most? What was my goal attending? To meet contractors? To build alliances/teaming opportunities with other business owners? To attract potential employees?

    As business owners our time is limited so narrowing it helps & having intentions that are clear. Prepare accordingly. Business cards. Employee fliers etc


    Most organizations have email lists (I made an email just for my extra stuff to not clog my main email address) for upcoming events and or calendars to view so you can see ahead of time what the cost is if any to attend, who’s attending, what day and time they’re having certain events?

    Now it’s so easy because a lot more orgs are hosting virtual/zoom etc gatherings BUT face to face to build that personable relationship has worked best in my experience.
    Link  •  Reply
    • Wednesday, June 03, 2020 18:20 | Bridgette Austin
      I must agree with Christina, be very stingy with your time and especially with your $$$. There will be plenty of time to spend your hard-earned money on the various organizations that you may or may not find helpful as you begin your journey. This includes trade shows and conferences all of which will happily take your money and provide an abundance of resources in return.

      My advice to you is to ensure the resources you pay for to attend such venues are to your benefit, which means do your research, utilize your mentors for guidance and ask the "dumb" questions, I guarantee you they won't be as dumb as you think.

      Most of the content you will be utilizing at this time should be free to browse which provides an opportunity to further discuss with your mentors/counselors.

      With regard to event attendance, as Christina noted, if your goal is met for one or all of your top 4 needs, then proceed with knowledge, research, and a stack of Capabilities Statements!

      Top 4 (your top may differ)
      1. Meet Contractors
      2. Build Alliances
      3. Teaming Opportunities
      4. Attract Potential Employees

      Congratulations on making this first step young Warrior!

      I'll be in touch!
      Link  •  Reply
      • Thursday, June 04, 2020 07:53 | chad pearce
        Bridgette,

        You bring up a great point, free is good and circling back to collaborate with mentors is a must! Be on the look out for my dumb questions ;)

        Thank you for your support!

        Chad
        Link  •  Reply
    • Thursday, June 04, 2020 07:49 | chad pearce
      Christina, you bring up so many great points! We must be efficient with our time which requires prioritization and organization. I am working on that daily. Thank you for your continued mentorship and guidance.

      Looking forward to our continued work on the 9th Annual Veteran and Small Business Summit.
      https://wherecommunitiesserveveterans.org/Annual-Business-Summit

      Chad
      Link  •  Reply
  • Thursday, June 04, 2020 13:29 | Donald Cantrell
    My best recommendation is for you to narrow your focus and efforts. After doing your due diligence and visiting these places to see if they fall in line with your values and goals commit to 1 or 2. Time is money; and you should invest it wisely.
    Link  •  Reply
    • Thursday, June 04, 2020 14:30 | chad pearce
      Copy that Don, 1 or 2 is all my current band width can take. I like the idea of getting involved with my local community, Chamber of Commerce is something we have past experience on from our days carrying the bag!
      Link  •  Reply
      • Saturday, June 06, 2020 18:15 | Deleted user
        Yes, I’d agree and confirm with Don. It’s ok to be selfish with your time especially in the beginning . As you grow and start delegating you can expand so you’re not spread too thin.

        I do appreciate you reminding me through your post to explore veteran communities. It’s only been a few years and something I should’ve done already.
        Link  •  Reply
        • Sunday, June 07, 2020 15:19 | chad pearce
          Anthony,

          The delegation of tasks as I grow my business will be key. Associations in groups are important, but I will be careful to manage my time.

          Thanks for your support!

          Chad
          Link  •  Reply
  • Wednesday, June 10, 2020 09:03 | Vance Jackson
    Giving Back! That's the key. I think the local organizations you listed are great starting points in order to begin giving back to the community. With all of your experience, I personally believe an organization such as the Menifee Chamber of Commerce would benefit tremendously. I'm also looking into the VA Registration and certain national and local associations. Great post! Lots of great resources listed. Thanks
    Link  •  Reply
  • Wednesday, June 10, 2020 11:43 | William West
    I am registered with the Texas Vet Commission, as well as American Legion and VFW.
    Link  •  Reply
    • Wednesday, June 10, 2020 12:23 | chad pearce
      Outstanding! Solid organizations. What has been your experience?
      Link  •  Reply
  • Wednesday, June 10, 2020 17:18 | Bethany Horgan
    While it may not be your first thought post military, I would encourage veterans seek out local networking groups within their community. We live in San Antonio, and my husband works for Black Rifle Coffee. Through his networking he was able to link up with a local veterans group that uses LinkedIn as their platform. LinkedIn Milcity is a military community centered meetup & networking group empowered by the people, for the people! They use their service as a common ground to bring together employers seeking employees and vice versa. Their events are engaging and full of information for the veteran community. They have special speakers and representatives from veterans organizations in attendance to answer questions. While I am neither an employer or an employee seeking a job, attending these local events has added value to my life and has introduced us to life long friends. I would encourage you to seek out these local military communities as well to aid in your transition journey.
    Link  •  Reply

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