On the ground with Grunt Style

When you combine sweat, tears, and the red, white, and blue values with skills of transitioning soldiers you get incredible growth for a small business. We are motivated by Grunt Style – and we’ll help them build on their pillars of military values and capture the best of their company’s culture as they move into their next phase of development.

The first thing you’ll notice about the company founded in November 2009 by SGT Daniel Alarik is that it doesn’t describe itself solely based on its product. Rather, Grunt Style is about its people first: the strength they generate in their sum and the culture they are defining together; then their quality product backed by customer service. While some aspects of Grunt Style are unique, their fundamentals are the core of what a business should be: people.

What can your business learn from Grunt Style? First: the tenacious, creative, problem-solving nature of American military veterans is second to none. Bringing Veterans into your team elevates leadership and moves toward action more quickly. Secondly, as a small business owner or a Veteran, you have the opportunity to create or choose the culture that supports your business goals.  While he was developing his business, Alarik thought, “Military skills & concepts –while incredibly valuable — do not necessarily translate well into the civilian workforce” so he and his wife Elizabeth created the environment they sought. One that builds and instills the values provided by the American military experience. There was no need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, that working wheel could be added to another vehicle and driven toward success.

Two weeks ago Mike Ferriter visited Grunt Style in Chicago to see this culture of success in person. He and CSM Earl Rice met with leadership, squad and team leaders, and customer service gurus who make Grunt Style a productive team. Next month, the Ferriter Group will return to Grunt Style with a Hands-On Inspired Leadership program focused around the needs surfaced in his visit.