Slow progress is better than no progress.
That's the mantra David Kendrick repeated to himself for two and a half years as the Iraq war veteran recovered from the attack that nearly ended his life when he was 20.
Now it's a message he shares to encourage people with disabilities like himself and the public at large, including attendees of the National Contract Management Association's World Congress in Chicago. Kendrick is stepping up to the podium Monday, July 23 at 2:45 p.m. to share his journey from wounded warrior to small business owner.
"Really, it's about making progress every single day on whatever goal you want to accomplish," Kendrick said.
Kendrick recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his survival. He almost died June 17, 2007, when a sniper shot him in both legs. One bullet shattered his left femur and damaged his femoral artery. A second shot injured his right leg. The attack left him with permanent disabilities and ended his military career.
As he recovered and sought employment in the civilian sector, the Purple Heart recipient encountered obstacles. He considered suicide and was homeless as he struggled with the transition.
"I compared leaving the Army to quitting drugs cold-turkey," he said. "It felt like such a quick transition. I went from serving my country and having people respect me to being unemployed and homeless."
After months of living in his car, Kendrick worked up the courage to contact retired Army Gen. Robert Mixon, who was then working at Unistel Industries, a member of the SourceAmerica nonprofit network. Through his organization, Mixon helped Kendrick find a job and other supports for transitioning veterans.
Kendrick continued his slow progress, but he saw first-hand the difficulties veterans and people with disabilities face as they seek employment.
"When you're filling out a job application, they always ask, ‘Do you have a disability?' Sometimes I'm hesitant to answer that," he said. "I wonder if I'm eliminating myself. When do I disclose (my disability)? You can't see it. I think, OK, are people going to believe me? Do I have to present medical records? Are people going to think I'm faking it?"
As he worked, Kendrick studied. He read up on public speaking, resume writing, interview skills and other job-related topics. He joined the SourceAmerica Speakers Bureau in 2011 to share his story with a range of audiences. That planted the seed of a dream to start his own business as a speaker and job coach.
He attended a program from Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans, which trains post-9/11 veterans on launching their own businesses. It was there Kendrick came up with the name for his dream: Lion Speaking Agency.
"The world is basically a big jungle," he said. "When you're an individual and you're trying to get the word out, your voice really doesn't have too much power. You really aren't heard. When you have power behind your voice and you get other people to believe in your call, your voice has more power like the roar of a lion."
Kendrick turned to the Atlanta-area Small Business Administration for more the next steps in launching his company. Through that SBA and his local chapter of Service Corps of Retired Executives, Kendrick found the mentoring and resources that helped him launch Lion Speaking Agency.
"They have free courses, free business plan templates, free counseling with experts," he said. "I had a mentor when I first moved to Atlanta. They helped me along the way getting access to funds, being able to register my business as veteran-owned, minority-owned, getting my business license, being able to incorporate as an LLC and get free legal advice."
Over the past five years, Kendrick has continued to rely on SBA and SCORE as he built his company and worked as a call center supervisor. Two months ago, he quit his job to go fulltime with Lion Speaking Agency. The move was frightening and exciting, he said, but one he felt prepared to make after years of study, mentoring and dogged hard work.
"If you want to launch a business, you really have to believe in it," he said. "You can't just look at it as a way to make money. You really have to have a passion for what you're doing. If you're going to leave your 9-5 to pursue your dream, you have to be your own biggest fan."