From Enlisted to Executive: Leadership, Technical Mastery, and Building a Multi-Million Dollar Veteran-Led Company with John W. Brewster

0:01John Lee Dumas:Who's ready to rock today, Fire Nation? JLD here, and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire, brought to you by High Level, the all-in-one sales and marketing platform. Today, we'll be breaking down going from enlisted to executive, leadership, technical mastery, and building a multi-million dollar veteran-led company. And to drop these value bombs, I brought John W. Brewster into EO Fire Studios. John is a service-disabled Air Force veteran, NICET level four expert, former master instructor, UFC contributor, and CEO of ITM4G, leading multimillion dollar contracts with top federal agencies. And today we talk about going from enlisted to CEO, lessons from the workforce, reality of partnerships, military versus college, certifications that matter, and oh, so much more.

0:43John Lee Dumas:And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to John and our sponsors. If you are building a real business, you need real infrastructure. High Level gives you website hosting, funnels, email marketing, automation, calendar booking, payments and course hosting all on one platform, plus award-winning 24-7 support. Get a 30-day free trial and my full bonus stack that includes a 50-minute private call with me and much more at highlevelfire.com, highlevelfire.com. Fire Nation, 50 days will fly right on by. The only question is, will you have something to show for it? I created a free YouTube series called 50 Days to Something, a step-by-step path to build a real product, service, or offer in just 50 focused days.

1:27John Lee Dumas:Start today for free at eofire.com slash YouTube. John, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. Good afternoon. And thanks for having me. One of the things that I believe that, you know, an entrepreneur starts off with is that they have to know everything and have all the knowledge to start off with. And one of the things that I've learned trying to go through this is that you don't have to be a college graduate with a major degree in business and understanding of how everything works. But if you have common sense, I think that leads you through life in a whole different direction.

2:10John Lee Dumas:Especially when they say common sense doesn't often lead to common practice. It's just a reality fire nation, which is why we're talking about going from enlisted to executive leadership, technical mastery, and building a multi-million dollar veteran-led company. So I want to talk, John, first about going from enlisted to CEO. How did your military experience shape your journey from enlisted service to becoming the CEO of a multi-million dollar company? Well, one of the things that I believe that the military actually helps you do is that they take you and they teach you a skill. No matter what skill it is, they teach you a skill, and you start out as an apprentice.

2:47And as you go through your military career and make rank, then you step up and become the next version of yourself. And when you do that, you're actually learning not only the trade that you've been taught, but you're learning managerial skills. You're learning how to deal with people and how to work with different types of people as you go through your military career. And that has led me to understand that through all my military career now through this, that, you know, you're going to meet different people throughout your life. And some of them are going to bring good things to you and some bad.

3:21And from that, you're going to, you know, you shape how you view people in your day-to-day life. And one of the things that I guess that's helped me is that I became, went from an apprentice to a manager of shops throughout my military career. And then from that, I worked with the different companies after I retired and then started my own company. And Dylan, knowing that that's how you have to treat people with respect, like you would people in the military. And that takes you a long way.

3:51John Lee Dumas:It really does. I mean, I can remember being fresh out of college. I just graduated and was commissioned a U.S. officer after four years of ROTC. And here I am, a butter bar. I'm a second lieutenant. And I walk into my tank platoon, you know, four tanks, 16 men. And I walk up to my 40-year-old platoon sergeant. And at this time, I'm like, this is the oldest man in the military. It must be. And now I'm 46 years old. So I kind of cringe at that memory, but here's my platoon sergeant. How dumb would it have been? Cause obviously I outranked him as an officer for me to be like, all right, platoon sergeant, I know everything.

4:24John Lee Dumas:You basically know nothing. You need to salute me and listen to everything that I do. That would have been the dumbest thing I could do. This guy had 18 years of experience in armor, in tanks, leading this platoon for many, many years, actually at this point as the platoon sergeant. So I put my hat in my hand. I said, platoon sergeant, I need to learn from you. Like that was great. I was taught and led by great people before me who said, come hat in hand and learn from those who have come before you, no matter where they came from or what they're doing, those with experience that's invaluable.

4:58John Lee Dumas:So I kind of want to move that John into lessons from the workforce, because before starting your own business, I mean, you for other companies. So what did that teach you, especially about how not to treat employees? That's one of the things I, I, I guess I also learned in the military and then going out working for civilians is that you want to treat your employees like you'd want to be treated. And I've noticed that a lot of the companies make employees just a number or just somebody doing a job and you got to make everybody feel like, like they're the most important part of your company. And it doesn't matter how small of a job that they do, but if you can make them feel respected, make them feel their self-worth.

5:43And at least at the end of the day, always thank them for the hard work that they're putting in because no matter how small it is, everybody working together makes a company grow and make it, makes it more profitable. It's just that when you don't treat your employees like that, then they, one, they're going to start looking for other work, other places. They're going to look for other avenues to get their self-worth. And again, you have to treat people like you'd want to be treated. And I've worked at a different company and different companies, and they either use my certifications to get ahead and, you know, not thanking me for able to do that, or they've, you know, undervalued my, my knowledge that I've had and then turn around and come like, oh yeah, we should have listened to you because this is, you know, now we're in this position.

6:31And I went, well, I told you not to do that. And we have to move forward from that. Let's, let's work together. And some employers are not willing to do that. And that's why I treat all my employees with the, with the respect that they bring to the job site. And again, even if they don't feel like they're worth, I make them value that everything that they do on a day-to-day basis helps us grow as a company.

6:52John Lee Dumas:Now, I want to talk about the reality of partnerships, because I will tell you that a lot of people in my audience, entrepreneurs, small business owners, they struggle with partnerships. Should I get into a partnership if I'm already in one? Like, how does it work the best? So what did you learn, John, from working with a business partner, especially when it came to recognizing both imbalance and ownership? Well, one of the things that when I started the company, I thought I needed this person to cover the areas that I didn't know or didn't understand. And when you start out, you're going like, let's get this company started.

7:28And you want to trust and believe that that person's invested in growing the company as much as you are. and one of the things that I came to realize is that everything that we were growing the company on is all my experience all my background and all my being a veteran and everything else and he was basically just along for the ride and what little bit that he took care of at the end when you you know looking back on it this is 13 years later he really didn't do that much it was all my my certifications, my experience, my hard work and effort that I put in that he just didn't do. And when you do think about going into business with a partner, you have to ask, is that person going to put in, you know, a hundred percent like you're putting in every day or are they just there trying to, you know, try to get along for a lot ride and enjoy the, reap the benefits of your hard work.

8:25And I kind of recognized that a little bit after several years and decided it was best to part ways. And now the company is 100 % ownership by me alone. And we've done great. We've grown. We've actually went from over 50 employees. We're up to 62 employees. So it makes it, you know, it gives you that self-worth that, yeah, I really didn't need him. We're actually growing better without him.

8:51John Lee Dumas:Fire Nation, this is powerful stuff. Again, learning from people who have the experience, who have made the mistakes. We don't emulate mistakes. We learn from them. We follow success. We find that success. And we have a lot more to talk about military versus college, certifications that matter, and more when we get back from thanking our sponsors. Fire Nation, if you are building a real business, you need real infrastructure. That is why High Level is Entrepreneur on Fire's featured partner. High Level gives you a website builder and host funnels and landing pages, email marketing, appointment scheduling, payment processing, course and membership hosting, and so much more.

9:26John Lee Dumas:Everything you need to succeed all under one roof. No duct tape, no juggling five platforms, just one clean system for your business. And their award-winning 24-7 support has your back when you need it most. When you sign up at highlevelfire.com, you also get my exclusive bonus stack, a 30-day free trial, a private 15-minute call with me, JLD, access to my weekly live office hours, a digital copy of my book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, my 50 Days to Something Execution Roadmap, and more. Visit highlevelfire.com and start building your something today. Fire Nation, if you've ever thought, I know I'm capable of more, but you're not sure where to start, I've created something for you.

10:11John Lee Dumas:It's called 50 Days to Something. Not 50 Days to Perfection, not 50 Days to Overnight Millions, just 50 focused days to build something that matters. Maybe a product, a service, a course, a coaching offer, something real, and something that will generate real revenue. 50 Days to Something is my passion project. Each video is short, is tactical, and it's designed for you to take one meaningful step forward each day. Picture this, in just 50 days, you will have built an asset. And the best part, it's completely free. and it's on my YouTube channel right now. If you are ready to create something that matters, visit eofire.com slash YouTube.

10:49John Lee Dumas:That's eofire.com slash YouTube, and start your 50-day journey today. 50 days will pass in the blink of an eye. The question is, will you have something to show for it? John, we're back, and I want to talk about military versus college. I personally did both, but why do you believe your military experience prepared you more for success than college? And how can others unlock their potential regardless of their path? I look at it this way. I tried to college route when I first got out of high school. I took a couple of classes and realized it wasn't for me. I wasn't just, I wasn't that great a student in school, which is, you know, something that you probably don't learn until later on in life.

11:31But I learned that the military experience has actually taken and they give you the education to do well in a field, whether it could be whatever it is your field is. Mine happened to be working as an electrician and then later on as a fire protection person, that learning those different skills and then, again, taking those skills and trying to be the best person you can be and the best technician, the best person, and realizing, hey, now let me try to go to college. I did finish, I do have two associate's degrees, but I learned that later on in life that now that I've got my skills behind me, that yes, I can go back to the school and actually apply and take the time to when I was maybe younger and it wasn't the right best fit for me, but later on, go get those college classes and move as much as far as you want with them.

12:30I do think that college is important. Again, it's not for everybody. And I think that statistics has proven that a lot of the trades throughout the years has never been one of those that you can, you know, put behind a college class and go, well, we're going to teach you this trade. And then from that, you're going to, you know, be very successful in life because you've got to get out there and work. And one of the things that hard work brings to you is your self-worth that, hey, look, I accomplished this. And because I accomplished this, now what else can I accomplish? And when you do that, then you go, all right, let me try to go back to college and maybe be successful in that.

13:09But either path you choose, you, again, you want to try to make sure that it fits your need and your best interest. Because to me, it didn't fit mine. Later on, it did in life. And not that I got a bachelor's degree. I got two associate's degrees. But, you know, it's one of those things that I think that everybody needs to find out where they're at. One of the things that schools are missing today is that they've done away with the shop classes and all these other classes and trying to push everybody into college. And it's just not for everybody. And kids think later on in life that because they didn't go to college that they're not successful.

13:48I became very successful and I didn't go to school, didn't go to college until I was in my late mid-30s. So it's one of those things that, you know, people have to find their path and their path has to be the one that best fits them and not just a cookie cutter that everybody has to do one thing.

14:08John Lee Dumas:Well, I will tell you, my son is two and a half years old, so things could change. But unless things change, I'm going to tell him basically, Bo, like unless you want to party for four years, drink beer, sleep in late, and have very little responsibility in life, college may not be the best option for you because we live in a world now where you can get going now. Like I fully expect my son, Beau, to be starting a business at 10 years old, 12 years old, 14 years old. I mean, with AI, with the world we live in now, especially with his father as an entrepreneur, I mean, this kid can do anything he wants.

14:43John Lee Dumas:And if that's go to college when he's 18 years old to go party and go to football games and basketball, maybe we talk about it then because that's, you know, it was the best four years of my life. My lifelong friends come from there. But man, I'm not going to send him to school for education, for skill learning. No, no, no. Like that's where you go learn what was maybe relevant four years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and it's only getting worse. But I want to talk about certifications that matter, John. For technicians with real-world experience but no formal degree, what certifications can help them improve their skills and advance their careers?

15:21Well, one of the career fields like mine, I work in fire protection. We install fire alarm systems, life safety systems, mass location systems. And after 9-11, we found out that those things, those skills, or those mass location areas are really high quality that you need to have in all buildings today. Because you have active shooters, you have bad weather coming in, you have fire alarm systems going off. You have to be able to let people know. And one of the things that as a fire alarm technician, they have this field or the certification is called NISET. This stands for National Institute for Certifying in Engineering Technologies.

16:03And basically what it does is that you as a fire alarm technician, for example, there's four different levels. Level one is mostly covered by an apprentice. And basically by that, instead of you just going to a job and learning from one of the old cronies on, you know, that said, well, this is the way I've been doing it for 20 years. You actually have to take tests and basically go to the National Fire Protection Codebook and says the code says this and you can have to get a test on that. And by doing that, you're actually not only learning what you do in the field, but then you're actually getting the certification to back it up.

16:38and then as a level two you got to have two years in the field a level three you got to have five years in the field and you have to pass all these tests but then you also have to back it up with years of experience in the field that that is verifiable my i have the highest level which is nice at level four and basically i have the same credentials as an i set level four as a fire protection engineer the only difference is a fire protection engineer can go to college get out of high school, go to college, get their engineering degree, and then go to work for and pass their engineering test and then go, okay, well now I'm, I'm ready to go to work.

17:12And the only difference is I have 10 years experience or more to have my NYSET level four that I've been out in the field. I've been working, I've seen things. I have to submit projects to the NYSET to actually, they review and go, oh yeah, he has done this. Yes, he has. And I have 10 years of verifiable experience out in the field. And by doing that, it actually gives that person that's been working in the field, one, the certification that has almost the same credentials as a fire protection engineer. But not only that, it has the years of experience to back it up and it's verifiable. So I think that for real world people, if they have something that says, yes, I didn't go to college, but yet I have all this experience.

17:57And one of the things that the military does, as far as even government contracting, they actually have it now to where you can't just work on a military base as a fire alarm person, unless you have this nice experience. So I think it, I think it actually proves two different things. One, they've, they can take tests and pass by this, knowing their code books and two, they've got the years of experience to back them up.

18:25John Lee Dumas:John, let's talk about what sets you apart. What does your company bring to the table that makes a difference, especially when it comes to developing and investing in your team? One of the things that sets us apart is we try to ensure that all our technicians are, again, like I said, NYSET certified, because we want to instill in them that, hey, not only are you going to learn out in the field, but you're going to be able to understand the code book, understand the, and, and be able to pass the test. But I invest all my efforts into making sure all my, all my technicians are go to school to whatever class they want to go to, whatever, and help get them the training that they need to.

19:07The other thing that sets us apart is a fire alarm technician, for example, may go out and go, I tested that smoke detector. And yeah, it worked. But one of my team goes out there and looks at it and goes, yes, the smoke detector worked, but it wasn't installed correctly according to code. So it may not work as designed if there comes a real world fire. And that becomes a key to when we go out and do testing and stuff like that on systems. You look at it and go, is that installed correctly? Not just did it work. Is it installed correctly? And then when they look at our, the, when I take over a contract from a previous person or company and I go on a military base and I go, look, this is how we set the sets us apart.

19:52And then we start doing the tests and we can start pointing out things that the last company didn't know that. Well, how come they didn't tell us that? And I went, because our guys are nice that certified. They know the code. They know how things are supposed to be installed. And then that gives our employees a self-worth going like, wow, look, we're pointing all this stuff out that these people missed and helping to make sure their life safety in those buildings so that when somebody goes into a building, they can actually say, yes, I feel safe. So we invest in our team to make sure that they have that certification to back up all their, what they're saying.

20:28And the other thing is we don't just say, hey, that's installed wrong. We actually be able, our team is able to go, it's installed wrong according to this code. And we pointed out in our, in our documentation. So our, our team together and we help support each other as we go through and we learn everybody else's trade. So not only are you a fire alarm technician, you may be a sprinkler technician, but you're learning both to help you become a better all around technician out in the field. John, take us home.

20:58John Lee Dumas:We've talked about a lot of great stuff here today. If there's one thing you want our listeners to walk away with, what would that one thing be? Everybody has potential in life. And I think everybody should try to find what actually makes them happy. And if you're not doing something that makes you happy, then maybe that's not the best thing for you. There's people that go to college and spend four years and then they get out and they go, well, I was going to go in this career field and now it's overmanned and now I can't find a job. But you still have the opportunity to find what makes you happy and finding a job that makes you want to go to work every day.

21:33And one of the things that I believe that in my own company is I make sure that everybody feels their self-worth, make sure that they want to get them to go to work every day and enjoy doing the work that they're doing. And if everybody, you know, does that in life, you know, it makes your home life a little bit better, makes everybody's life a little bit better.

21:52John Lee Dumas:John, if Fire Nation wants to connect with you, wants to learn more about what you have going on, what is your call to action for our listeners today? Well, you can also reach me at, we have a website, it's called itm4g.com. You can reach out to that. We can look about, learn about our company. And also there is a connect with that. So you can click on the link and send me a message through that. And that's the best way. And my, if I also have, you know, an email, phone number is also built into that. So you can pick up the phone and call me, or you can go to the website and send an email. Fire Nation, you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

22:28John Lee Dumas:You've been hanging out with JWB and JLD today, so keep up that heat. For links to everything we talked about, visit eofire.com. Type John in the search bar and the show notes page will pop right up. And John, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you very much. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and John for sponsoring today's episode. and Fire Nation. Are you an entrepreneur on fire who's looking to share your amazing message with the world? If yes, we are now accepting applications for EO Fire.

23:01John Lee Dumas:To learn more about becoming a guest, visit eofire.com slash guest and we'll catch you there or on the flippity flip side. If you are building a real business, you need real infrastructure. High Level gives you website hosting, funnels, email marketing, automation, calendar booking, payments, and course hosting all on one platform plus award-winning 24-7 support. Get a 30-day free trial and my full bonus stack that includes a 50-minute private call with me and much more at highlevelfire.com, highlevelfire.com. Fire Nation, 50 days will fly right on by. The only question is, will you have something to show for it?

23:36John Lee Dumas:I created a free YouTube series called 50 Days to Something, a step-by-step path to build a real product, service, or offer in just 50 focused days. Start today for free at eofire.com slash YouTube. Thank you.