An entrepreneur who credits his success in business and life to his military learnings, Ethan Bavuu’s story is more interesting than it sounds. Here’s Bavuu himself sharing how being in the military transformed him and key takeaways.
One of the biggest things Bavuu learned from serving in the army is “overcoming the fear.” This refers to the importance of taking calculated risks and finding solutions to setbacks. Ethan urges everyone to treat fear as a stepping stone to success. A hurdle which one needs to jump over (rather than an obstacle) to cross the finishing line and embrace victory with open hands.
Bavuu wanted to start a business back then, but he had one fear – how to start a business and run it successfully with no formal experience? It seemed like an uphill task for Bavuu. When asked what made him take the plunge, Bavuu says, “It was a formidable task, but my army mentality and a persevering mindset saw me through.”
In the military, there is a common saying by the name – ‘Charlie Mike.’ This phrase refers to continuing the mission without aborting it, no matter what the obstacle is. This particular learning saw Bavuu through as he went about many unrewarding jobs after serving in the military. He kept at his mission – to try and do something creative and disruptive and never choose to abort it – just like he was taught in the army. One day, Bavuu decided to start his own e-commerce business. He had no relevant business degree, no experience in this field, and didn’t even know a thing about creating a website and marketing. What he did know was how to get the job done, no matter what it was. And that’s what helped Bavuu attain success.
Bavuu shares that after going through years of trial-and-error during his journey as a businessman, his mind soared to previously unattainable heights of insight and learning. One of them was a ‘strong mindset.’ Bavuu has realized that at the end of the day, no matter what, if there’s a will, there is a way. Having a strong mindset and total willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission makes all the difference.
