We were lucky to catch up with Leonard Casiple recently and have shared our conversation below.

Leonard, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Finding kind people had always been a priority. As the result of unaddressed trauma, I did not know true kindness. I did not realize that kindness begins with me, but the right people had to teach me how to find it.

In the past, I thought that kindness had strings attached. In my mind, kindness came with conditions, such as, “You do this for me, then will I do this for you.” “If you are this type of person, I will like you.” “If you change, I will love you.”

For instance, when I was 8, a Catholic priest thought that I was talking. He slapped me in front of the entire church. In reality, I was not talking. It was the kids behind me who were talking. At a young age, I learned that I should take the punishment, even if it was not my fault.

Later in life, I questioned a religious leader about undelivered promises. In response, he wrote a scathing email demanding that I apologized to the entire congregation. I was floored. I didn’t do or say anything wrong. I just asked a question. The words stung like the priest’s slap that I received as a child.

As an adult, I had a choice to make. Stay, or leave? Even though I was going to miss my group, I worked up the courage to leave.

Then, I met Chabad Rabbi Mendy Begun. Rabbi Mendy’s teachings showed me that kindness starts from within. His actions towards his family, to the community, and to strangers, are aligned. He is kind to everyone, the same way, the same level, every single time. I learned from Rabbi Mendy that true kindness, just like love, is whole, not partial, and not conditional. Rabbi Mendy taught me how to appreciate myself. When I learned to appreciate me, I became truly kind towards others.

Leonard, 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?

During low points in my life, I no longer believed in myself. Those low points were difficult and dark, but were actually opportunities to improve. Without the challenges, I would not be strong today.

Low Point #1:

As a child, I grew up traumatized and bullied. I felt like I didn’t deserve love or respect. I was ashamed of my trauma, as if I deserved the abuse. I did not trust the world. I stayed angry at myself and others. As a result, I did not know how to be kind to myself and others.

I no longer believed in myself and my actions proved it. I dropped out of high school, hung out with troubled people, and applied only for menial jobs. I was frustrated. I knew that I could do more, but my fear of success was more powerful than my drive.

Turnaround #1:

After I got tired of suffering, I enlisted in the U.S. Army with a GED and a Green Card. It changed my life.

Low Point #2:

After a few years in the Army, I applied for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course. But, I failed twice. I was laughed at, ridiculed, and shamed by fellow soldiers. One supervisor even said, “Leonard stepped off the porch and got bit.” Again, I internalized my pain. I did not know how to release it.

To add, by this time, my wife had already left me because I was toxic. I don’t blame her. All I knew was trauma. I didn’t know love. Who would want to be around that kind of person?

Turnaround #2:

After I got tired of being shamed, I tried out again for Special Forces Selection. On my 3rd attempt, I earned the Green Beret and became a member of the Special Forces Regiment where I served with distinction protecting American citizens and American interests overseas.

I also graduated from many Special Forces Advanced Skills Courses, including the 18-month Arabic language course. I became the only Green Beret in the entire Regiment with a near-native, simultaneous, multi-year full professional proficiency rating in Tagalog and Arabic.

I proved to myself that I could be my own hero – and that I can help defend those who were oppressed. The following year, I married Cecile.

Low Point #3:

After 21 years of service, I was medically retired from the Army. I went from elite to normal, from high-caliber to disabled. I was in denial, but the shock was real. I was no longer the hero that I worked hard to become. I could no longer defend myself, much less my family, or the community.

I isolated. I was afraid. I didn’t listen to music for almost four years. I did not leave the house. I no longer took care of myself. I spent years in surgery, physical rehabilitation, counseling, and healing programs. I felt lost and without purpose, like a helpless child again.

Turnaround #3:

After I got tired of suffering, I sought help. Then, I healed. I shed decades of trauma. My family was grateful that I was no longer angry. I was also surprised that I was no longer angry. All I had to do was share my grief at Save A Warrior in front of healed men. Easy, but really, really hard. Asking for help was the hardest step. Once I made the call, the rest was relatively easy.

Low Point #4:

One year later, my family was accepted into a 6-day retreat for veteran families in Colorado. This was my chance to heal the entire family from the secondary Post Traumatic Stress. However, during day 3, we imploded. They left the program on Day 4.

I was alone again. I cried and cried. I cried for me, and I cried that my family. It seemed that I could not do anything right. When I arrived home, my family asked me to leave the house. They needed a “win.” So, I left. I got a job at a warehouse in Ventura County.

Turnaround #4:

To stay busy, I went to school at night for my second graduate degree. I could not afford an apartment, so I rented a room from a retired Jewish lawyer.

I noticed that my landlord bought flowers every week. I asked why he did that because his wife had passed. He answered, “I used to buy flowers for my wife. Now, I buy flowers for myself. You should buy your wife flowers every week.”

Since December 2019, I have been buying flowers for my wife every single week. Buying flowers reminds me that I know love, and that my wife deserves love.

I continued going to school. On Saturday, May 15, 2021, I graduated with my second masters degree. What else is cool? It was also my 22nd wedding anniversary. And, it was Armed Forces Day. My wife watched me accept my diploma. I posted about it on LinkedIn. The post went viral with over 360K views, +8.6K reactions, and was shared 115 times.

Low Point #5:

Because I was absent from the workforce for a long time, I could not get a job. So, I sought help from the EDD. My EDD Counselor told me that I had to “prove to the VA that I was serious about getting a job” by taking a data entry job. What exactly did I have to prove? I have multiple joint replacements and could sit around and receive disability payments for the rest of my life. Instead, I chose to work. There is dignity in labor. But the wrong job is detrimental to physical and mental health

Turnaround #5:

Within 30 days of hearing the EDD Counselor’s words, in January 2022, I started my own business. Then, a few months after I established my company, the VA approved my request to earn a doctoral degree.

Today, at the same time that I am building my business, I am also a student at Northeastern University, one of the top universities in the country. I am enrolled in the Doctor of Law and Policy Program where my policy focus is the global water supply.

I want to remind everyone that no matter what happens:

1. You are worth it.
2. You are loved.
3. Within you, is love.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Lesson #1: Certifications are not enough.

I am in the government contracting space. Initially, I thought that earning certifications would get me in all doors.
Guess what? Everybody has the same certifications. I learned to differentiate my company from others.

Lesson #2: Cold calls in government sales are often met with cold answers.

To differentiate myself from the hundreds of firms with the same certifications, I started cold-calling and visiting government offices.
Guess what? Government employees, at least the ones who I contacted, did not like the cold call approach. I learned that trade shows are more effective than cold calls.

Lesson #3. It’s hard to stand out during Zoom sessions.

I started attending industry Zoom sessions. It’s really hard to stand out when there are over 100 Zoom participants. Even when commenting, decision makers won’t remember you.

Lesson #4. Display booths serve as a platform to tell your story.

To be face-to-face with clients, I set up display booths. I ordered nice table covers, mugs, pens. The events were helpful. It’s a great way to tell the “origin story” of my company. People remember stories.

Lesson #5. Join business organizations.

To further refine my face-to-face strategy, I joined business networks. Business networks have great energy. Being an entrepreneur is lonely. So being around other business owners is uplifting. My business network have given me great advice and pointed me towards opportunities.

Lesson #6. Refine, refine, refine.

Recently, a friend taught me that I can request a one-on-one session with Small Business Liaisons. This has been a wonderful piece of advice. By being one-on-one, I have their full attention. The clients remember me. They sense my sincerity and authenticity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I learned that authenticity is the best way to build a reputation. For many years, I did not know how to be authentic. I felt that I had to adjust who I was – so that I would be accepted. But every time I did that, I lost a part of myself. After years of faking it, I no longer knew the real me.

Today, I show up as I am. I am a high school drop out, a failure, a success, a divorcee, remarried and just hit our 25th year anniversary, a warrior, a diplomat, an academic, a competitor, volunteer, and entrepreneur.

Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. Give the business world a fresh face by showing up as you are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://publicvalue.space/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leo.casiple.58
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardcasiple/

Image Credits

1. Norman Arroyo.

2. Chabad of Chula Vista.