We recently connected with Jovon Quarles and have shared our conversation below.

Jovon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Being Born & raised in Washington DC by my grandparents that pushed me into the military due to having two kids as a teenager in High School was a challenge in June 1999. I wasnt doing great in school and after having two kids my grandmother felt the best thing for me is to go into the Navy. None of the family agreed on this during that time nor did I. I couldnt see what her purpose of this idea was but i eventually broke and agreed. Came into the navy still not doing well personally and my first career job i got kicked out due to academic performance and my negative attitude and was forced to do another job chosen by the Navy. I did ok with this job at first but wasnt happy as i realized i messed up a good thing and now i didnt feel fullfilled in anyway other than the idea that my grandmother was happy and i was able to provide for my kids. Then one day i got a chance to work with the Navy SEALs. My eyes were opened at the meaning of life would mean for me if i could become something that had a huge impact on the world ESPECIALLY after 911. Knowing this was something out of my normal coming from the City of Washington DC not much being in the ocean or in the wild like the program described was going to be the most intense training on land and at sea. Grandmother did not want me going into that program as she just wanted me to be safe by just joining the Navy but not getting too involved with wars and other things. BUT i had to do it, i had to show her i could do something no one in our family or friends in our hometown has ever done. To me this was more than just about me, this was about purpose, being able to help others in a direct way, showing my kids their dad is something special and making a impact on the world leaving a legacy one day for others to follow. So i applied, and it was the HARDEST thing i had ever seen or been involved with. Made it all the way to a portion of the training called HELL WEEK (5 straight days Sun-Frid morning only 3 hours of sleep total, very little food and water). This was meant to put you at your breaking point to see how you would respond. To my embarrassment by Tuesday night i QUIT. Then i saw myself as a failure as someone who wasnt enough. But in that same breath i felt my POWER & i would not rest until i had a second chance to show my grandmother, my kids their grandson and father is not a quitter. Luckily i reapplied, fought through some challenges as my application got denied but finally i was able to get one approved. My grandmother told me when i quit the first time WELL MAYBE ITS NOT FOR YOU but be proud you tried. It wasnt enough for me to just say I TRIED. so when i went back i went in with a vengeance. i wasnt the fastest swimmer, runner or completed the obstacles in the front or anything as the best in the class. BUT i was heard my presence was made, i worked harder than anyone and became the leader of the class and by the HELL WEEK time again i went in with all the pain and struggles even mentally wanted to quit again when things were at its worst but i didnt give up. By graduation i finished voted by my peers and instructor staff as the Class HONORMAN (top of the Class) award. Known as the first Black man to graduate that portion of Navy SEAL training as the TOP. But this didnt go without the hardest of challenges as in the middle of training my Grandmother that raised me passed away. So she wasnt there to see me finish Number 1, she didnt get to hear my speech at graduation in front of Admirals. and others. When she passed it was hard as she was my mom, but i had to make the decision to not allow that to break me and put my head down and crush this to make her proud. Not only did i graduate that portion as top in my class but i also finished the next 6 months of training before officially becoming a Navy SEAL in a school called SQT (Seal Qualification Training) i also graduated Top of my class. So for the first 6 months of training which is called BUDs(Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL) i graduated top of my class and the last 6 months of SQT I did it again. Now after retiring of 22 years in the Navy i am running a fitness program called ELITESEALFIT.COM where i help men and woman look and feel their best inside and out. I am also a public speaker and a currently writing a book to become a author on coming from nothing and being something more than just me. The goal is to have an impact on millions in this world.

Jovon, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

One of the things i want people to really understand and know about me is where im from, the journey that i’ve been through of being raised by grandparents due to my mothers drug addiction/prison time and not knowing who my father is. My life changed when my grandmother convinced me that i should join the navy being a teenage parent as a senior in high school. Eventually agreed and my life changed from there. Eventually i found the NAVY SEAL teams and applied. Mentally i thought i was ready but i went up against the biggest challenge ive ever faced and i ended up quitting. This can be related to all of us when we face something challenging that makes us question who we are and then doubt if what we are trying to do is meant for us. That only leads to most of us making excuses to justify the quitting, which really is not the answer. SO I WAS DETERMINED to finish what i started and not let the challenge deter my goals. I didnt want to believing that just because something is hard that it means maybe this is the wrong path. i realized that anything worth having you have to work hard for it. So i went back and not only did i graduated with some of the same challenges as before and some even worst like my grandmother dying before i graduated but i ended up graduating as the TOP Graduate in my class with honors as the BUDs (Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL) training HONORMAN GRADUATE for being the best leader in the program. All the discipline i had in me it took to complete this training mentally and physically. Being recognized as the first Black man to graduate that training Top of the class was a huge accomplishment but not without trials and struggles and heartbreak. Now after 22 years of active service i and the Co-Founder of a incredible and 1st of its kind Navy SEAL fitness program in bodybuilding & Sculpting at EliteSEALFit.com. I’ve also partnered with one of the best Celebrity Nutritionist in the world who has two NYT Best selling books in nutrition so together im able to offer not just a fitness program but a incredible nutrition program that is educational and not a FAD diet that is too restrictive and hard on your body long term. Our nutrition program helps people eat the things they want without taking away the things they love and its easily able to follow for a habitual life long response. For the fitness program its meant to make you look amazing by body sculpting your physique so you look and feel your very best at any age. Along with our nutrition program we have the very best in nutrition supplements to help fill in the nutritional gaps people do NOT receive through food alone. More than anything some of my best accomplishments started from taking the leap of doing something different when i applied for the SEAL Teams, then graduating top of my class, then accomplishing my dream of graduating college with a bachelors in Organizational Leadership, then retiring after 22 years and trying to find a way i can still help people with their life and realizing it by starting ELITESEALFIT.COM and seeing my company grow and expand to every in the United States and overseas. I want to help everyone with my fitness and nutrition program so they can live better healthier and live a happy long life. We will be having ESF gear coming soon but most importantly we want to help you all that is reading this article. The goal is to impact 1 million lives by the time mines is called home. I would say my last goal is to get on the Oprah Show to really get my story to the public on coming from nothing and understanding that if you want something bad enough to just put your head down and go after it. it may take you years of your life, it may take till your in your 30’s or 40’s or 50’s to get that thing but it can be done. So i am currently writing a book of the story so that people realize it can be done and i want it in every school across the world. You can follow me on social media at FB: Jovon P Quarles, IG: Elitesealfit and also on LinkedIn: Jovon P Quarles. ” Not everyone can be a Navy SEAL, but everyone can carry the weight of the Trident in their lives” By Jovon P Quarles.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The moment in my journey that really demonstrates my resilience is when i allowed myself to get in my head negatively and when i quit the Navy SEAL training called BUDs. I took ever negative thought and justified it as reality and common sense and gave up on my dreams. Immediately i realized the mistake i made and re-applied and went back and when those same thoughts came to mind i realized it maybe hte hardest thing ive ever done in my life but the challenge of it, the idea of graduating, the significance it can have on my family, friends and community were moreso important that i was able to push through all the struggles of it and graduate TOP of my class.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the cliche statements that we are raised in that if something is too hard for you that maybe its not MEANT for you. well when i understood that if anything that is worth having comes with a challenge/price thats when i understood that the challenge is what makes it worth it. The process of anything has a result on the backside of it that if its meant to be its really UP TO ME. How much are you willing to sacrifice for that thing, what are you willing to give up to have it. understanding that short term pain for long term gain is significant and worth going through the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: elitesealfit.com
• Instagram: elitesealfit
• Facebook: jovon p quarles
• Linkedin: jovon p quarles

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