06/18/2026
Over the last 2 weeks, I stepped away from the desk and hopped back on the sticks completing my annual Active Duty Training with the United States Coast Guard Reserve. It's a two-week requirement each year, and the reason things have been a little quieter than normal around here.
For those who may not know, right out of college, I spent 10 years on active duty in the Coast Guard before transitioning into civilian life. Those years shaped who I am as a husband, father, and business owner far more than I probably realized at the time.
One of the questions I get asked most often is, "Do you miss it?"
The easy answer is yes.
There's a saying that goes, "You miss the monkeys, but not the zoo," and there's certainly truth to that. The Coast Guard is its own world. The pace, the teamwork, the sense of purpose, and the community are difficult to replicate anywhere else. One of the hardest parts of transitioning out wasn't the work itself. It was losing the daily collaboration, banter and camaraderie that had become normal for a decade.
Looking back, I think that's one of the reasons entrepreneurship ended up being such a natural fit for me.
While the setting looks different these days, the mission feels familiar. I still get to work alongside people, solve problems, bring order to chaos, and help others move toward their goals. The uniform may have changed, but the fulfillment that comes from serving others never really went away.
Bookkeeping might be a quieter role than having the watch or responding to middle of the night calls, but every time I help a business owner gain clarity, reduce stress, or make a better decision for their company, that cup gets filled all the same.
KFG. 🤙🏽
