We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steve Kreider . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steve below.

Steve , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

When I’m not mentoring my adult children, producing TV shows, or being a court mediator, I collaborate with other veterans who are passionate about Veteran affairs, and the plight of the homeless who served in the Armed Forces. I am very passionate about these causes, and I have spent countless hours committed to helping homeless Veterans, reconnecting them with family and loved ones. I co-founded two nonprofits dedicated to ending Veteran homelessness. One in L.A. called the Vet Hunters Project (VetHunters.org) and one in Atlanta is called the Shadow Warrior Foundation (ShadowWarriorFoundation.org). Both organizations have been recognized both locally and nationally for the efforts towards ending veteran homelessness.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a retired US Army First Sergeant serving over 25 years receiving a Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge during deployment to Iraq in 2004. In my Army career, I’ve had a wide array of experience that includes serving as the Material, Contracting and Accounting Sergeant, US Army Recruiter, Communications Chief and First Sergeant for the 172nd Command Support Group while deployed in Balad, Iraq and as Logistic Operations Sergeant. I served as the First Sergeant for the 304th Logistical Sustainment Brigade in Riverside, CA, the largest Sustainment Brigade in the United States Army Reserves. I was responsible for over 450 soldiers and their families.

I have received numerous recognitions from both military and civilian leadership to include Certificate of Appreciation from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA), former Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, and a Certificate of Appreciation from President Barack Obama in 2013.

I volunteered in the non-profit sector helping veterans transition from homelessness back into society. I have worked in the entertainment industry, producing and consulting film and television on shows such as Starting Strong, Duck Dynasty, Flea Market Fanatics and on the feature film Pitch Perfect 3. I started a mediation firm in the Great Houston area performing civil and family mediations for disputing parties. I teach the Basic and Advanced Family mediation courses to people that want to become mediators or increase their dispute resolution skills at the current employment or both. I also volunteer as a mediator for the Brazos County and Harris County Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) to help resolve a multitude of disputes.

The combination of my formal education, mediation training, military training, and overall experience, I now specialize in assisting families, individuals, and companies that are involved in disputes. I am a neutral third party and assist in negotiating conflicts whether it is a divorce, child support, visitation access, employment, civil, property, debt, or custody.

To learn about mediation or mediation training, please visit Kreidermediation.com

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to pivot several times to change the career path that I was on because of one event or another. After serving 25 years in the United States Army, I decided to retire in the Fall of 2013. Luckily enough, I was able to transition from working in the Army to working in Hollywood as a reality show producer. I worked as a producer for five years which included  starting my own production company called Hollywood Top LLC. In 2018, I had the opportunity to become the custodial parent for my teenage son in Richmond, Tx. I quit my Hollywood producer career to raise my son while he navigated through high school and graduated in 2022. He recently graduated from Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as a Combat Engineer.

I didn’t work when I moved to Texas in the Fall of 2018. I discovered in 2019 that I could train to become a certified mediator without having a law degree. I attended the necessary 40 Hour Basic Mediation Course and 30 Hr Advanced Family Mediation Course in March 2019 to become certified. I began volunteering with the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) by mediating small claims cases. I also started spreading my brand…Kreider Mediation by interacting with different people when I did their mediations. My name quickly spread in the mediation world. I also became a 40 Hour Basic Mediation and 30 Hr Advanced Family Mediation Course Trainer. I have trained over 100 business owners, doctors, educators, lawyers, retirees and college students etc since I started in 2020.

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

I find that volunteering my services has helped spread my name as a professional mediator. I also have a great website that is easy to navigate as a customer. I advertise on social media, and I pay for ads on InstaGram and Google that bring many new clients. I believe being a professional mediator has given me the luxury to have a very relaxed schedule while making a great salary. I would recommend that if someone is looking to change careers or augment the career they have now they should consider becoming trained as a mediator.

Contact Info:

• Website: kreidermediation.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-kreider-13957931/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1F_yhiF7u4