Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Wong.
Brandon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a Father, Husband, Marine and Founder of Veteran Circles as well as Veteran Realty Group. I got started in entrepreneurship in 2008 when I read a copy of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad during a sand storm in Ramadi, Iraq. This book inspired a matrix-like awakening in me, leading me into entrepreneurship.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This first business started was in real estate. I hit many “land mines” that cost me a lot of money which I could ill-afford in the beginning. For example, in 2010 the first property I flipped (a condo I purchased at auction in Las Vegas) went south when we had to evict a hostile former-owner and it ended up costing me and my business partner $5,000 when all was said and done. Another deal I did in Maryland, cost me $12,000 of my initial investment. These landmines later turned into lessons and examples that I could use to teach and mentor others who sought my counsel in real estate investment. I didn’t let these painful mistakes stop me from continuing on my path and I continue to invest in and broker real estate to this day. My most recent investment in 2017 was as a passive partner in a 94-unit apartment complex in DFW with a large group of investors. As an entrepreneur, I believe in creating multiple streams of income. True financial security is based on your ability to learn, experiment with new ideas, leverage old ones, and create value for people and not on your ability to keep a 9-5 job.
Please tell us about Veteran Circles.
Veteran Circles is my community-based marketing and support platform for veterans and veteran business owners. As of this writing we have a national chapter on Facebook with over 2200 members and we exchange business leads as well as information resources for veterans once they leave the military helping them to more easily transition into the civilian world. We are also developing chapters in other cities including Austin, Des Moines, and the Bay Area. Ultimately, we want a nationwide network where veterans can plug in be successful anywhere they go.
We try to cultivate an environment that helps veterans network, learn, and grow both as individuals and entrepreneurs. A few of the things we offer are business leads, words of encouragement, entrepreneurial education and inside veteran humor. We are a “tribe” and we look after one another. Membership is restricted to veterans or civilians who run veteran-centric non-profits. We provide businesses with a combination of free and paid Facebook advertising and referrals through www.vetsharks.com and www.veteranbusinessnetwork.com.
The same tribe concept applies to Veteran Realty Group, a Fort Worth-based, Veteran-centric Real Estate Brokerage which I co-founded with my business partner Tommy Whitmore (Marine) in 2015. Everything we do is in support of the veteran and his family, VRG just happens to specialize in helping with Real Estate needs. As a brokerage, we try to hire veteran Realtors and contractors whenever possible as well as support veteran non-profits. I am also involved to varying degrees with Cowtown Warriors, Veterans Coalition of Tarrant County, and GallantFew.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing really, I have no regrets on the way things have turned out.
Contact Info:
- Address: Veteran Circles
8553 North Beach Street #208 - Website: www.veterancircles.com
- Phone: 6822307324
- Email: brandonw@veterancircles.com
- Instagram: veteranbusinessnetwork.com
- Facebook: vetsharks.com
- Twitter: dfw.vetsharks.com
Image Credit:
Photo of man shaking woman’s hand: Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
