Posted by Derek Herrera, Marine Special Operations Officer, CEO of RuckPack
Editor's note: As 11/11 rolls around each year, we’re reminded of the veterans who selflessly serve our nation with great honor. We’re especially inspired by the veterans who return to civilian life to build successful small businesses — the engine of our economy. To celebrate those who serve our country in more ways than one, we sat down with some vet-run companies to learn the stories behind their vision, the influence of the military on their business philosophy, and their advice for aspiring veteran entrepreneurs. Here, we hear from Derek Herrera, active duty Marine Special Operations Officer and CEO of RuckPack, a peak performance nutrition shot (you may also remember them from last year).
Two years ago, I was leading a Marines special operations team on patrol in Afghanistan when I was shot through the back by an enemy sniper and paralyzed from the chest down. I wanted to be in the military as long as I could physically serve, so when I suddenly lost that ability far earlier than I ever imagined, I was faced with a scary reality: I had to find something else that inspired the same passion and purpose that drove me in the Marines.
I returned to California and shifted my focus from physical service to physical rehab, but it didn’t take me long to realize the power of the military skillset in the business world. I’d learned to lead a team through chaos, to motivate and inspire the people around me despite the challenges ahead of us; I’d learned how to approach a mission by gathering as much information as possible and developing a well-informed strategy. In August of 2013, I enrolled in the Executive MBA program at UCLA, and this summer, took over the reins as CEO at
RuckPack — a peak performance nutrition shot founded by a fellow Marine, Rob Dyer, who I met in Marine Corps Special Operations Command.
Leading RuckPack brings back the passion and purpose I worried I’d never find after my injury. Its mission is as challenging and exciting as those I experienced in the Marines — a mission where I get to lead a team of really incredible people I trust and respect, a mission that’s equal parts exhilarating and daunting. I also couldn’t be more proud to be at the helm of a company that wasn’t just born on the battlefield, but also believes in supporting veterans who return from it: we have a Veteran Distributor Program, which allows any veteran to sell and make a 10% commission on RuckPack products, and we give 10% of our profits to military charities. That kind of philosophy that motivates me.
As the CEO, I represent the company externally, but to me my role is that of team leader — more about serving the company and its employees and making sure their success always come before my own. In the military, officers don’t eat until all of their troops have eaten; as CEO, I live by by the same servant-leader philosophy. To me, getting the team to feel as invested in the company and cause as you are ultimately builds the collective trust, earns you respect and builds a strong community.
Growing the RuckPack team is one of my top priorities as CEO, and my approach to hiring is inextricably linked to my experience in special ops. I saw firsthand the potential and power in smart people who learn quickly and adapt to the situations (and challenges) at hand. My team was assigned to missions and projects they had very little prior knowledge about — anything from building a self-sufficient local police force in Afghanistan to mapping night patrol plans — so they had to teach themselves everything about their mission at the time in order to succeed. They knew to identify the problems, gather information, identify potential solutions and determine a detailed action plan. That’s exactly the kind of mindset I want working with me on RuckPack. Experience in the industry isn’t a bad thing, but for me, it’s not the driving force in my hiring decisions.
Leaving the military for civilian life can be scary: you go from knowing your mission and having the support of people you trust with your life to being surrounded by people you don’t know and who don’t have the shared military experience. But there’s so much untapped potential in these vets, in the leadership and management experience they carry with them that the civilian world can benefit from. That’s the other reason I’m so proud to be CEO of RuckPack — I want to show other people, from vets to civilians to employers, the power of the military skillset in business.
