What It Means to Lead a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
By Marcus Smiley, Epoch Concepts CEO
As we approach Veterans Day 2023, I am reflecting on what an honor and privilege it is to lead a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). I founded Epoch Concepts (Epoch) back in 2006 after working for many years in the IT industry. Prior to my career in IT, I served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm where I sustained a service-connected disability.
One of the things that the military taught me is that leadership and teamwork are essential in providing our customers the solutions they need to accomplish their objectives. At Epoch, we’re extremely fortunate to have a truly outstanding team of technical, sales, operations, and integration resources that work tirelessly together to provide our customers solutions and world class customer service in support of those objectives.
Our success wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration of our industry partners, and the strong relationships that we have formed in support of our customers. These strong partnerships enable us to deliver complex, enterprise solutions together that help our customers become more successful.
Many of the Epoch team members are also veterans, and I am extremely honored to work alongside them and the rest of the Epoch team as we continue to make our customers successful in ways that I couldn’t imagine when I founded the company.
I am proud to lead an SDVOSB and hope to empower the veteran community who might be facing challenges as they reenter into civilian life. Fellow veterans, serving in the armed forces gives you essential experience, skills, and values that make you stand apart from the crowd.
On this Veterans Day, I salute everyone who has served, and I thank those continuing to serve in combat, government, or partnership roles that empower the veteran community.