Find out how Army veteran Micah built his own business from the ground up and how problem-solving became the foundation of everything he's built.
Micah is a problem solver. He honed his problem-solving skills across numerous life and work experiences and applies them now to his own business. Micah was home-schooled and learned a lot about work from his dad who put him to work in his real estate and property management business. “He started finding properties that he could buy, fix up, rent out, and create income off of. And then I ended up being his tool boy. That’s how I got to spend time bonding with my dad, taking care of properties and fixing things.”
When he graduated from high school, Micah joined the U.S. Army. He trained in military intelligence, an area that he says taught him to “fix problems, put out fires, and deal with people.” He served as a security specialist in the military and remains a noncommissioned officer to this day. In his civilian life, he took a number of college courses and credits and obtained several certifications in real estate and maintenance. He worked in several small businesses, often moving quickly from line staff to management.
When Micah decided to start a property management company of his own, he had a lot of experience to draw on. “We manage the rent collection, we manage maintenance repairs, tenant turnover, signing the leases, showing the apartment, cleaning up after the old tenants... We do windows doors, drywall, like whatever can go wrong with the property. We’ll fix it if we can.” And yet, Micah encountered barriers due to his lack of a degree.
When applying for a manager position at one store, for example, he was told he might not be qualified, even though he runs his own business. “They wouldn’t consider that without a degree. Simply a paper that says I graduated.” That hasn’t stopped Micah. He emphasizes his leadership abilities, his problem solving skills, his ability to learn in any environment, and his ability to work under pressure. In the long term, Micah hopes to continue to grow his business and maybe even go back and get his bachelor’s degree.
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