My Military MBA.

I spent a few years bumming around and eventually made a decision that was bound to happen. I was sat in a pub on Saturday afternoon in Salisbury, Wiltshire and I announced that was going to join the army. My friends laughed and said I’d never make it…

6 months later I was stood in Lichfield with 7 other guys feeling anxious, no, fuck it! Scared! Although my Dad has been a soldier, he left when I was 17 and we never discussed it.

At 21, I was one of the older recruits. I had wanted a challenge, so I went to join the Parachute Regiment. A unit developed in the Second World War that took the fittest, toughest men from the rest of the British Army and was sent to disrupt and destroy the Axis forces. The Para’s were renowned for being tough, no nonsense warriors.

“If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.”

Who wants to be a Koala? Right! 7 months of training (I spent my 22nd birthday on P Company, the physical test every Airborne soldier must pass to earn the maroon beret and British Parachute wings).

I had learned a huge amount about myself already by this time. I learned that the body won’t give up, but the brain will tell you you’re done much earlier, I learned to ignore that and I learned that survival isn’t about being the best, it’s about still being there at the end.

There were guys much tougher looking, stronger and physically fitter. I learned it is much about the “complete package” rather than any one attribute.

I also learned that you have 2 ears and one mouth for a very good reason. Listen twice as much as you need to speak.

We also had to learn about our regimental history, the battle honours, personalities and most important to me, something that has stayed with me forever; the Parachute Regiment motto Untrinque Paratus – Ready for anything.

So many times, on courses, on exercises in the UK and abroad and on operational deployments across the world, I was constantly reminded of “Airborne Initiative” and the importance of being able to adapt and overcome.

I only spent 8 years in that fine Regiment with its cast of interesting characters from all over the world (my best friend to this day is from Johannesburg), I have laughed harder, drunk more and been saddened by their untimely losses. We truly were brothers in arms.

So, how did this aggressive Regiment prepare me for business?

I’ve managed to take my one man start up and consistently grow it over the past 4 years. I now own 2 businesses and have developed and successfully launched 2 online platforms, I have a modest income, only because I reinvest everything into my business. I love this game of business, the stakes are high but I can always say I’ve been in worse places, physically and emotionally.

The biggest thing to remember in your business, no matter what stage you’re at. No matter how bad it seems, nothing lasts forever.

Untrinque Paratus.

Lee Kennedy

lee.kennedy@canopysafety.com

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