“I wanted to start something where I start something, where I could build it, see the fruits of my labour, learn things that I could utilise going forward.”

These words come from Duncan Grocock, former Operations Officer for the British Army and Nicky Haley’s guest for this episode of Little Big Vets, who moved from law school and a stint as a semi-pro rugby player to full-time military service and eventually entrepreneurship.

Duncan shares his personal story and talks insights from his time in the military and his transition to civilian life, including the founding of Cannonball Coffee, Duncan’s own high-caffeine coffee company. He goes on to talk about the trials, tribulations and lessons learnt from running a business and his current role in freelance strategic communications and as a Communications Planner for the military reserves.

In this episode, your three important takeaways are:

1. It’s Who You Know: Duncan swears on the power of networking. Build professional relationships and keep at it. From leveraging connections to explore career options post-military, to partnering with a local roastery for his coffee business, Duncan’s journey demonstrates how effective networking can open doors and provide support.

2. Know Your Niche: Duncan’s experience founding Cannonball Coffee underscores the power of identifying and catering to a specific target audience when starting a business. Thorough market research and understanding customers’ needs can set you apart and drive growth!

3. Bounce Back Stronger: Duncan’s story is a masterclass in resilience – a key trait in veterans. Exploring business challenges head on, learning from failures, anticipating obstacles and staying flexible can transform setbacks into stepping stones. Try, fail and grow.