We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mo, thanks for joining us today. Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.

There were several things that contributed to the start of my own company. The main factor was that I wanted to create a environment for veterans to grow and have a sense of belonging returned to them. The work is important and meaningful while simultaneously helping Americans who use our services. It started like a snowball effect. The places I worked began meaningfully and were engaging, but as time went on, the management, processes, and work environment was becoming bogged down in unnecessary processes, employee resentment, a disconnect from the admin versus the field and front desk. I have worked several places, each with its challenges, and some of those challenges were oddly similar. The largest affront was how they dealt with someone voicing a complaint or discrepancy. Even though it was valid, they would be ignored, reprimanded, or let go, because their “idea” was not important, only for the admin to circle back to the same idea as a dire attempt to save a project or customer relationship, and that idea really was the solution the whole time. I began to think common sense was lost. Small to large businesses were treating the employees as coins to spend, rather than an asset to deploy to fix in complex problems. That would be my strongest example and goal.

The challenges I faced were small and plenty but alien to me at the time. How to set up a business, banking, taxes, relationships, building a customer base, sales, websites, products, all of it was on me. No one else can do it, and its all on you. Bringing someone in to help has its struggles too. One thing I learned the hard way, and have seen it with other business owners and friends of mine is this; no one will see your vision the same way as you see it. There is nothing wrong with that, but understand it sooner than later so you don’t fall into anger over small things. There are several things to learn but most of them will be learned through experience. That is just the way it is. Just keep taking steps. Even the most successful CEOs still believe that they haven’t succeeded yet. There is something to that knowledge.

Mo, 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?

Through my extensive career in military service and law enforcement, I have built a robust network of colleagues, partners, and clients who have been instrumental in my success. These relationships have provided opportunities to serve and collaborate with agencies across the United States, Special Operations units, and global organizations, allowing me to showcase the comprehensive solutions offered by Haven Defense Group.

Haven Defense Group delivers expert technical and tactical services tailored to the needs of agencies, businesses, and individuals worldwide. Our offerings include firearms familiarization, advanced weapons manipulation, defensive and offensive tactical training, team-building exercises, and cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions supported by our dedicated training and cyber support teams. We design, develop, and implement customized solutions, including research and development, to meet the unique demands of every client. Our proven track record with domestic agencies, Special Operations units, and global organizations underscores our commitment to providing innovative, high-quality services to support our customers in any mission or challenge.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

When starting out, it has been word of mouth, mostly the connections we had created with our work ethic and comraderie. It has evolved into having teams at events to represent the company and becoming involved with the community. We also have been growing our online presence to expand our capabilities and services.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

We were deployed on the border together during Operation Lone Star with the Texas Army National Guard, during the course of our time, we conducted operations together daily and discovered the views we shared and how our future vision aligned. During that time, we would be reassigned to working closely with Special Operations groups, state tactical teams, and border patrol, among other agencies. Haven Defense Group was founded shortly after that deployment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://havendefensegroup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havendefensegroup/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/haven-defense-group-llc/
• Twitter: https://x.com/HavenDefenseG
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@havendefensegroup-ul4ob