We recently connected with John Cockerill and have shared our conversation below.

John , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Am I happier as a business owner? Yes—but not in a way that’s always easy or predictable.

There are moments when I think about what it would be like to have a regular job. The last time that thought came up was late at night, sitting alone in my living room with my laptop in hand, after a day that refused to end cleanly. The screen was still glowing, notes were scattered, and I was staring at a project that needed one more decision—except every decision felt like it carried weight beyond just that moment. That’s the part of ownership people don’t always talk about: there’s no off switch. No one else to pass the final call to. No easy way out.

In that moment, I caught myself imagining how simple it might be to clock in, do the work, and clock out. To not be responsible for the vision, the execution, and the outcome all at once. To exist inside a structure instead of constantly building one.

What makes that thought interesting is my background. I came from law enforcement and the military—careers built on structure, hierarchy, and clear lines of authority. I understand discipline, accountability, and what it means to operate inside a system where the rules are already written and the mission is defined. For a long time, that structure made sense. It shaped me. It taught me resilience and responsibility.

But if I’m being honest, knowing what I know now, I would have traded that certainty to work for myself sooner.

Because as I sat with that late-night thought, I realized I wasn’t wishing for a different life—I was just tired. The reason I started my business was to create differently. My work focuses on subtlety—on making things that blend into their environment rather than demand attention. That philosophy mirrors how I want to live and work: intentionally, quietly confident, and on my own terms.

When I imagine returning to a traditional role, I know I’d feel constrained. I’d miss building something from nothing. I’d miss solving problems in unconventional ways. I’d miss having full ownership—not just of the outcome, but of the process and the growth that comes with it.

Being a business owner doesn’t make me happy every single day. Some days are heavy. Some days are lonely. Some days test every ounce of confidence I have. But overall, I’m more fulfilled. I’m building something that reflects who I am now, shaped by where I’ve been, but no longer limited by it.

Now, when the idea of a regular job crosses my mind, I don’t see it as doubt. I see it as a signal to slow down, reset, and protect the parts of myself that make this work meaningful. I don’t want easier. I want purpose. And this path—even on its hardest days—continues to be the right one for me.

John , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I come from a background that might seem unconventional for the creative industry—I spent years in law enforcement and the military. Those experiences shaped how I see the world: attention to detail matters, discipline matters, and intention matters. But over time, I realized I was drawn less to rigid systems and more to problem-solving, innovation, and creating things that didn’t already exist. That pull eventually led me into building my own business.

I’m the founder of Tri Fusion LLC, a brand built around a simple but uncommon idea: creating graphics and visual elements that blend into their environment instead of standing out from it. In a world where everything competes for attention, I focus on subtlety, integration, and precision. My work is designed to disappear into its surroundings while still being impactful—something people notice because it feels right, not because it’s loud.

What sets Tri Fusion LLC apart is that my process isn’t printing, sublimation, or laser engraving. I developed a proprietary three-part fusion method that allows graphics to become part of the surface itself rather than sitting on top of it. The result is a high-end, seamless finish that doesn’t look applied—it looks inherent. This approach solves a common problem for clients who want branding or visual elements without compromising the integrity, texture, or aesthetic of the space or object.

I work with clients who care deeply about quality and intention—people who don’t want cookie-cutter solutions. Whether it’s custom graphics, specialty applications, or branded elements, my role is to translate their vision into something that feels natural, refined, and lasting. I solve the problem of “standing out the wrong way” by creating work that belongs.

What I’m most proud of isn’t just the finished product—it’s the fact that I built this from scratch by trusting my instincts and refusing to follow a traditional blueprint. I didn’t see many examples of businesses doing what I do, which meant I had to create the process, refine it through trial and error, and stand confidently behind something that didn’t have an obvious comparison point.

The main thing I want people to know about me and my brand is that everything I create is intentional. I don’t rush work, and I don’t cut corners. Every project is approached with the same care and precision that shaped me in my earlier career, combined with the creative freedom I fought hard to earn. If someone is looking for work that blends craftsmanship, innovation, and restraint—work that feels elevated rather than excessive—then Tri Fusion LLC was built for them.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The biggest pivot of my life didn’t start as a business decision—it started as survival.

When I first launched my business, things moved fast. I had developed a unique process that caught the attention of multiple large companies. Conversations quickly turned into acquisition offers—companies wanted to buy out my process entirely. On paper, it looked like momentum. Like I had “made it” early. Everything I had built was finally being seen and validated.

And then my life changed.

I went through a divorce that forced everything to stop. Not slow down—stop. For two years, all business momentum was put on hold while I focused on navigating a complete personal and financial reset. During that time, those acquisition conversations disappeared. The contracts I had worked so hard to secure were lost—not because the work wasn’t valuable, but because timing doesn’t pause just because life does.

At the same time, I became the sole provider for my son.

In a very short window, I lost my pension, my retirement, my savings, my home, and the business I had been building. Everything I thought was “secure” vanished. I went from negotiating with large corporations to starting over from absolute ground zero—with real responsibility attached, not just to myself, but to a child who depended on me.

That was the pivot.

I didn’t get to rebuild from a place of comfort or stability. I rebuilt from necessity. From resilience. From the understanding that quitting wasn’t an option, even when starting over felt unfair and exhausting. I had to strip everything down to its core—what I was truly good at, what I could control, and what kind of future I wanted to create.

What came out of that reset was clarity. I rebuilt my business with stronger boundaries, deeper intention, and full ownership of my process. I stopped chasing validation through deals and focused instead on building something sustainable, protected, and aligned with my values. Losing everything forced me to design my business—and my life—more deliberately the second time around.

That experience changed how I define success. It’s no longer about speed, scale, or outside approval. It’s about resilience, autonomy, and creating something that can withstand real life—not just ideal circumstances.

Starting over wasn’t part of the plan. But it became the foundation of everything I’m building now.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience, for me, hasn’t looked like one dramatic moment—it’s looked like showing up when everything familiar was gone.

After my divorce, I found myself rebuilding from zero while being the sole provider for my son. I had lost my home, my savings, my retirement, and the business momentum I had spent years creating. What I didn’t lose was the responsibility to keep going. There wasn’t room for pause or self-pity. Every decision mattered, and every day required follow-through.

I remember working late nights after my son was asleep, rebuilding processes from memory, refining ideas that had once been on the verge of acquisition, and figuring out how to make progress with limited resources. There were no guarantees—only the quiet pressure of knowing that consistency, even on the hardest days, was the difference between moving forward and falling behind.

What stands out most from that time isn’t exhaustion—it’s focus. I learned how to break overwhelming situations into manageable steps. I learned how to operate without safety nets. I learned how to trust myself again, even after losing so much. That period forced me to rely on discipline and adaptability in a way nothing else ever had.

Resilience wasn’t a mindset shift—it was a daily practice. It was choosing to build instead of freeze, to problem-solve instead of panic, and to keep my standards high even when circumstances were stripped down to the basics.

Looking back, that season reshaped how I approach both life and business. I no longer fear starting over, because I know I can. I don’t chase stability—I build it. And the confidence that comes from surviving that chapter has become one of the strongest foundations I carry forward, both as a business owner and as a parent.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Trifusionllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trifusionco?igsh=NHk1NjVvdm83NG80&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: Https://facebook.com/TriFusionCo