VA Home Loan Centers recognizes the work and contributions of numerous organizations and individuals.
For his successful transition from Air Force 2nd Lieutenant during Operation Iraqi Freedom to small business owner and entrepreneur, Anthony Tran has been named the recipient of the VAHLC Honor Roll.
Following his discharge, Tran spent time working in corporate America, ascending to a senior management position at a fortune 500 Company. Dissatisfied with how the position restricted him in terms of travelling and spending time with his family, Anthony worked tirelessly to create the company Marketing Access Pass.
MAP is a valuable resource to entrepreneurs building online businesses. Brands need ways to connect with their audience. Traditional methods of marketing are becoming a fossil in the digital age. Recent figures illustrate this, YouGov cited an 86 percent skip rate of television ads among consumers with a digital video recorder and a $40 billion dollar loss among U.S. newspapers over the previous decade. Content marketing is filling this void. The mission of Marketing Access Pass is to provide the best marketing training and services to help entrepreneurs build a successful online business. Services provided include email marketing, social media marketing, pay per click advertising, SEO services and website development.
In 2011, President Obama was quoted as saying “If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming. If you can oversee millions of dollars of assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home.”
Anthony Tran exemplifies how the skills acquired in service carry over into a corporate setting. With less than half of veterans reporting that they have effectively translated their military skills to a non military setting, this type of leading by example has taken on a critical importance.
Recently, we caught up with Anthony and talked about his military career, Marketing Access Pass and how his service has influenced his post military life.
VAHLC: Can you give us a brief overview of your military career? Where and when did you serve and in what capacity?
Anthony Tran: My military career started at San Diego State University Air Force ROTC Detachment 075. During my time as a cadet I served in various leadership positions such as Cadet Wing Commander, Honor Guard Commander, Flight Commander etc. I received a 3-year ROTC scholarship and was given the opportunity to train at Ft. Benning Georgia at Army Airborne School.
After I graduated in 2003, I was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force and was selected to be a Logistics Readiness Officer (21R3) at Shaw AFB, in South Carolina. During my time at Shaw I was the Officer in Charge of Vehicle Maintenance and Vehicle Operations.
I was deployed to Iraq in 2005 as the Chief Deployment Officer for the 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group in Balad, Air Base Iraq. During this time I was responsible for the deployment and redeployment of 1,180 military personnel performing missions supporting the United States Army convoy operations.
During my last year at Shaw, I was also the Installation Deployment Officer for the Readiness Flight. I was responsible for the detailed planning for deployment, sustainment, and redeployment of the Mission Support Group, Medical Group, Operations Group and Maintenance Group, 3 Fighter Squadrons composed of 81 x F-16CJ fighter jets, 16 support squadrons and 2,755 associate support forces.
For my service I was awarded an Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 device, a Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
In 2006, I joined the inactive reserve Logistics Readiness Squadron at March ARB, CA. In 2007, I was promoted to the rank of Captain (O-3).
VAHLC: When, how and why did you become interested in serving? Did you feel that a career in the military was a calling? In talking with veterans we often hear about having an “aha moment” that draws them towards the military, can you relate to this?
Anthony Tran: I was interested in serving in the military in 1999 when I visited my first AFROTC orientation meeting at San Diego State. When I was sitting in the crowd listening to the Cadre and cadets speak about their experience and the many benefits that the program had offered them, I knew then and there that this was something that I wanted to be a part of. Not only did the military offer great educational benefits which helped support my college education, but they also provided leadership and career education that I knew would help me when I transitioned out of the military.
On September 11, 2011, I remember watching the attacks on the World Trade Center unfold on television. At that moment I knew that I had a higher calling and that I wanted to do my part to protect and serve my country. Thus, when it was time to volunteer to deploy to Iraq I proudly raised my hand and elected to go and represent my squadron.
VAHLC: What was your transition like from California kid to active duty service in Iraq? What were the challenges you faced in acclimating to military life?
Anthony Tran: The military had prepared me well for the transition from living in California to active duty service in Iraq. Having gone through various military training camps like Army Airborne School, Basic Military Training, and Logistics Officer School I had a solid foundation of leadership, discipline, and the ability to work in stressful environments. Shaw AFB also frequently conducted exercises on base to prepare me for real world deployment situations.
The challenges that I faced when acclimating to military life from being a cadet to becoming an officer was learning how to conduct business at Shaw and in Iraq. I’ve learned that every base and every deployment has their own unique way of doing business. There are standard operating procedures for everything in the military. However, there are times when you have to improvise based on your current environment to make the situation work for you with the resources that you have.
VAHLC: In looking back on your time in service what are you most proud of?
Anthony Tran: Looking back at my military career, I am most proud of serving my country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was an honor to serve next to brave men and women on the front line. The ability to help them and support the mission brought great satisfaction and closure for my military career.
VAHLC: Does your time in the military continue to influence your life today? Do you apply anything from that time to your day-to-day life now?
Anthony Tran: The many lessons I learned in the military continue to have great influence in my life today. I never take my freedom and privileges that we have in this country for granted. The ability to handle stressful situations and times of uncertainty is something that I apply to my life everyday. Time management and planning are skills that have helped me in my civilian life and entrepreneurial business venture.
VAHLC: As an entrepreneur and business owner you have clearly had a successful transition from active duty to civilian, for many, this transition is an incredibly challenging period, what was your transition like? Were there any factors in your personal life that played a role in your successful transition that may be absent in the lives of others? What would you say is the biggest obstacle for veterans in successfully transitioning? Are there any specific programs out there that you think transitioning veterans should take advantage of?
Anthony Tran: Starting a business from scratch is definitely not an easy feat. It took lots of careful planning, preparation, and consistent execution to make things work. Building an online business requires a lot of tenacity and the ability to endure uncertainty in many situations. Unlike the military, being an entrepreneur has limited structure. You have to create your own systems, standard operating procedures, and workflow from scratch. But, the ability to be your own boss, make your own rules, and create a lifestyle that you enjoy is very rewarding.
I would definitely say that having a supporting wife really helped me with my transition to entrepreneurship. My wife provided me moral support and helped take on certain responsibilities of the business during my first year of building my business. I know that if I didn’t have her support it would have made things a lot more difficult.
I believe the biggest obstacle for veterans during the transition to civilian life is rediscovering their identity. When you’re in the military you have a defined title, role and position. Thus, you develop a certain routine and living status. When you transition out of the military it can be difficult to find that routine and learn how you fit into society. You no longer have a certain level of status and essentially can blend in with the crowd because you no longer have a uniform or rank to provide that for you.
There are many programs out there that can help with military transition. One organization that I highly recommend is Lucas Group. Lucas Group is a military talent and acquisition company. They provide a free service to military veterans to help them with job placement with companies that are specifically seeking military experienced personnel. Another program I highly recommend veterans take advantage of is the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This is a great program for veterans who want to continue their education after the military. This VA benefit helped pay for my M.A. in Management and Leadership graduate studies program and covered my cost for books and some housing expenses.
VAHLC: A few years ago, the think tank CNAS conducted interviews of 69 different companies, 80% of respondents cited incompatible skill sets as the reason why they would not hire a veteran. We imagine the exact opposite to be true; did the skills you acquired in service help you successfully navigate the corporate world? From the perspective of veteran and business owner do you think veterans are stigmatized at all by potential employers?
Anthony Tran: I personally feel that statistics like this can be skewed. If I hand selected 69 military friendly companies that statistic would be the exact opposite. I definitely feel that the skills I acquired in the service helped me successfully transition to the corporate world. The military trained me in various skills such as: public speaking, writing performance reports, time-management, personnel conflict management, communication skills at all levels, stress management, punctuality, dress and appearance, etc. Without the military I would not have learned the skills that allowed me to be successfully promoted to a Senior Management position at a Fortune 500 company within 10 months of being hired. I’ve only experienced positive stigmas for veterans with employers.
VAHLC: You have previously talked about the difference between leading and managing in a military environment versus a corporate environment, can you talk a little about that?
Anthony Tran: I believe that there is a difference in the way that you lead and manage in the military versus a corporate environment. In the military you are taught to obey the orders of your superiors. Thus, as an officer the decisions that you make are carried out by your troops without question. However, in the corporate environment as a manager you often times have to explain your reasoning to get your team members to “buy-in” to your plan. Thus, you have to adjust your leadership style to accommodate for civilian life.
VAHLC: Can you talk a little bit about Marketing Access Pass? Can you give us an overview of what your company does and the services you provide to your clients?
Anthony Tran: Marketing Access Pass is an All-in-One Online Marketing Training and Services website. My mission is to provide the best marketing training and services to help entrepreneurs build a successful online business. I share everything from tips, training, and resources to help a beginner get started with internet marketing. I also offer various Internet Marketing Services to include: Website Development, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Video Editing, and SEO Consulting. You can watch free video tutorials, read blog posts, and listen to podcasts about online marketing all-in-one simple place at MarketingAccessPass.com
VAHLC: How did you conceptualize Marketing Access Pass, and then take it from the idea stage and make it a reality?
Anthony Tran: Marketing Access Pass was based off of concepts and ideas that were fostered through my frustrations of starting an online business. When I was first learning about online marketing it was hard to find all the answers I needed in one simple place. Often times, I would come to a website that would only teach me one element of online marketing for example “blogging.” But, I quickly realized to create a successful blog I needed to learn about email marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, etc. Thus, I wanted to create a business that would help solve the problems that most entrepreneurs face when starting an online business.
After developing my business plan, I decided to take massive action to make my business ideas a reality. I quit my full-time corporate job to dedicate myself completely into making this startup a successful one. I hired several successful entrepreneurs to coach me for the first couple months to help me avoid the common pitfalls of starting a business. I also joined a Mastermind Group of like-minded entrepreneurs to help hold me accountable and support my vision when I had questions. Lastly, I worked hard and stuck to my plan and had a relentless drive to make the business thrive.
VAHLC: What advice do you have for veterans who were recently discharged or who are on the verge of a discharge?
Anthony Tran: I recommend to all veterans that they embrace their military experience because it is truly an honor to serve and the sacrifices they made are well respected in this country. Veterans can also take the many skills that they have learned in the military and continue to apply it in their life and new career. These skills and life lessons will help them stand-out amongst the crowd.
Lastly, there is nothing that you can’t accomplish in life as long as you believe in yourself and never quit. I always go in with the mindset and like to say, “Failure is Not an Option.”
VAHLC: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Anthony! For more information about Anthony Tran and Marketing Access Pass as well as Anthony’s Podcast, check out “http://marketingaccesspass.com/”
Do you know a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to the service personnel of the U.S. Armed Forces? Click here to make a nomination for our Honor Role.
