1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,640 All across America and around the world, this is Veterans Radio. 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,920 This is Veterans Radio. 3 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:17,840 Welcome to Veterans Radio. 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,520 I am Jim Fossone. 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,840 I'm the officer of the deck today. 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,720 We've got some great programs for you. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:29,520 We always want to remind you you can find more about Veterans Radio at its Facebook 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:35,240 site or at the web veteransradio.org where we're on the web 24-7. 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,360 You can find a lot of our podcasts there as well. 10 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:45,040 We post new ones every Tuesday so you can get a new story, a new interview, something 11 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,600 you didn't know before by going to veteransradio.org. 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,040 And before we get started we want to thank our sponsors. 13 00:00:53,040 --> 00:01:00,880 Next up we want to thank National Veteran Business Development Council, NVBDC.org. 14 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:06,560 It was established to certify both service disabled and veteran owned businesses. 15 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:13,080 You'll find out how they can help your business by going to NVBDC.org. 16 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,600 We want to thank Legal Help for Veterans. 17 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:22,120 Legal Help for Veterans fights for veterans disability rights all across the nation. 18 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:33,240 You can reach them at 800-693-4800 or on the web at legalhelpforveterans.com. 19 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,040 And finally, PuroClean. 20 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,680 PuroClean is the paramedics of property damage. 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:44,560 It provides water damage remediation, flood water removal, fire and smoke damage remediation, 22 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,000 mold removal, biohazard cleanup. 23 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,280 It also has a focus on veteran franchisees. 24 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:59,840 You can learn more about them by going to puroclean.com. 25 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:05,200 Welcome I am Jim Fosso and this is Veterans Radio Spotlight on National Veterans Business 26 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:10,840 Development Council, better known as NVBDC.org. 27 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:16,160 Veterans Radio America Nonprofit has a partnership with NVBDC, which is the nation's leading 28 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:21,600 third party authority for certification of veteran owned businesses of really all sizes. 29 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:28,040 This 501C3 non-profit was established in 2013 and addressed the growing need to identify 30 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:33,680 and certify both service disabled and veteran owned businesses in the commercial or corporate 31 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,400 marketplace as well as for government work. 32 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,800 It administers a vigorous certification process designed to withstand scrutiny of governmental 33 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:45,840 and corporate entities seeking to utilize certified veteran owned businesses. 34 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,960 We are really pleased today of all the interviews we have done on NVBDC. 35 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:57,040 We have never spoken to its current president, Reg. Gen. Richard S. Miller, retired. 36 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,360 Dick Miller, welcome to Veterans Radio. 37 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,640 Thank you for having me. 38 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:07,280 Well it has been an effort to get on each other's schedule to get this done. 39 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:13,600 We have had the opportunity to speak with NVBDC's founder Keith King many times. 40 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,440 You have been involved for quite a while. 41 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:21,240 Tell us how you got involved with NVBDC. 42 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:26,640 Well I like to say that if you look at the organizational chart, I am employee number 43 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:27,640 one. 44 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,680 There you go. 45 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:38,720 I met Keith at a meeting and I had just retired and I had been out floundering around trying 46 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,600 to find something to do. 47 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,120 My lovely wife suggested I get out of her kitchen. 48 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,600 So that is a true story. 49 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:53,920 But anyway at the end of the day Keith and I met at a Starbucks at 12 mile and mound 50 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:55,480 in Detroit. 51 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,560 And he said look I am starting up this organization to help our fellow veterans and would you 52 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,200 be willing to join me. 53 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,200 And I said yeah why not. 54 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:06,840 It is a good program and I like what he is doing. 55 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,320 So he and I joined forces and the rest is history. 56 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,040 Well and timing was everything here. 57 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,120 You had just retired in 2012. 58 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:20,720 You had done some consulting and sales work and getting familiar with the business world 59 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:21,720 again. 60 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:30,720 And as we said earlier NVBDC started in 2013 which is how you became employee number one. 61 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:38,200 But why don't you talk about the vision that was now a decade ago as you guys were starting 62 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:43,160 this up and saying what are we trying to accomplish here with NVBDC. 63 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:50,760 Well corporate America at that time was frustrated by certification agencies or groups because 64 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:52,520 of fraud. 65 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,400 And there wasn't a lot of accountability for these people. 66 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:02,360 You know you could just say you were XYZ and there was no way to verify it. 67 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:07,240 So they suggested to us and I am talking about as a matter of fact it was GM Chrysler and 68 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:15,840 Ford that we take a look at we bank the NVBDC Minority Supplier Development Council and 69 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:19,960 pattern ourselves after them. 70 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,600 Their certification programs were vetted. 71 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:23,600 They were accepted. 72 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,520 And if we patterned ourselves after them we would be in good shape. 73 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,960 And we did just that. 74 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:36,960 We banked the women's organization mentored us, helped us develop our policy procedures 75 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,800 and we did just that. 76 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:46,800 Keith and I did it and it was just him and I at the time and they were really gracious 77 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,720 about helping us through that process. 78 00:05:49,720 --> 00:06:02,280 So we ended up having a group, I mean this was GM Chrysler Ford, Consumers Energy, Kellogs, 79 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:09,440 all came to our facility and we actually vetted three companies. 80 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,240 I can't remember who they were at the time. 81 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:13,240 They are now. 82 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,200 But anyway we vetted three companies. 83 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:21,920 They approved our process and that is when the spigot turned on and we went forward from 84 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:22,920 there. 85 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:29,120 But the whole process and the vision was to assist our fellow veterans with the certification 86 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,200 process with corporate America. 87 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:39,160 And you know I got to tell you we did everything by hand. 88 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:46,640 All the applications, the processing was all done by hand and now we are at a point where 89 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,560 we have a very sophisticated computer system. 90 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:57,200 But the one thing that the corporate America wanted was access to our database. 91 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:02,280 You know when they became sponsors of ours we would give them access to all these veterans. 92 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:10,000 Yeah and that is sort of the interesting thing about NVBDC is there are two sides to this. 93 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:17,520 There is the corporate partners who had a need to fill that you guys filled and then 94 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:27,800 the members of who go and get certified and then have the ability to connect, network. 95 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,200 Talk about each side of this equation. 96 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:37,480 Well the one thing we kept hearing from corporate America was we want to do business with veterans 97 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,760 but we can't find them. 98 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,640 Where do we go to find a veteran? 99 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:47,000 Well you know that sounds easy on the surface but they were 100% correct. 100 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,880 You may have what we will tell you Ford Motor Company for example. 101 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:58,680 They had a number of veteran owned businesses in their database for suppliers. 102 00:07:58,680 --> 00:07:59,920 They didn't know they were. 103 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:05,640 They didn't know they were veterans and so we helped them vet that list. 104 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:11,040 We went through and we identified all these veteran owned businesses and Son of a gun 105 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,800 it was like 40 million dollars worth of spend. 106 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:20,800 That they were already spending with veteran owned businesses who needed to be vetted or 107 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,600 certified so you could recognize that spend then. 108 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:25,600 Exactly. 109 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:31,200 And then that was like the light bulb moment that maybe there's a whole bunch of other 110 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,400 people out there have that same situation. 111 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:43,880 And then I will tell you that you're probably more aware than most but we fast forward now 112 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:50,880 as of last year we have just revised the numbers from the billion dollar round table. 113 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:58,480 They have spent $6 billion with our certified vendors or suppliers. 114 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,560 That's an amazing number. 115 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:04,120 $6 billion with a B. 116 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:05,120 That's correct. 117 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,960 And how many corporate well first of all let me stick with this. 118 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,360 The billion dollar round table is not all of corporate America. 119 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,400 It's sort of the big guys right. 120 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,800 Oh most of the big guys they spend they call the billion dollar round table because they 121 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:27,840 spend a billion dollars every single year with supplier diversity suppliers I guess. 122 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:28,840 Diversity suppliers. 123 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:37,880 And you have corporate program partners who are in the billion dollar round table but 124 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:42,040 you have a much broader list of partners. 125 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,480 Tell us a little bit about that. 126 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:49,800 There are currently 37 corporations that are in the billion dollar round table. 127 00:09:49,800 --> 00:10:00,400 We have currently 187 corporate America or corporate partners if you will and it is a 128 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,840 who's who of America. 129 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,760 I mean my goodness it's here. 130 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:13,960 If you look at the people that we have as our supplier or sponsors you know Amazon. 131 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:15,600 And Express. 132 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:16,600 Best Buy. 133 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:17,600 BMW. 134 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,640 I'm just looking at the list here. 135 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:24,480 I played this game with Keith a while ago and I said well A to Z who's Z and he actually 136 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,680 he knew who Z was so it was pretty funny. 137 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:36,680 It's 187 corporate sponsors and those are the people who wanted who want access to meet 138 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:43,480 with NVBDC certified companies and hopefully place work with them. 139 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,640 And how many companies have been certified? 140 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:53,080 We have over 3,000 at this point. 141 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:57,120 And as I mentioned at the outset it's a rigorous process. 142 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,720 The veteran really has to own it. 143 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,400 You get into the corporate records. 144 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,800 You figure out do they have all the articles and bylaws and operating agreements in place 145 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:11,400 to protect the veteran and make sure he's not just being scammed. 146 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,000 But it's not just big companies. 147 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:14,840 I want to get across to people. 148 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:21,720 You don't have to be a $10 million company to be with NVBDC. 149 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:26,080 You're able to certify smaller companies and help them network and grow if I understand 150 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:27,080 it. 151 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:28,080 Absolutely. 152 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:29,080 Absolutely. 153 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,320 As a matter of fact I'm just making this number up. 154 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:38,280 But probably 70, 75% of all our members are small business. 155 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:43,560 And I think that's important for folks who are out there maybe just starting their veteran 156 00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:44,560 owned business. 157 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:45,560 It's not generational. 158 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:48,440 And they're going well, I don't know if it's for me. 159 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,280 I think this is one of those groups that's for you. 160 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:56,680 There's going to be a cost associated with doing it, both internal and external costs. 161 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:59,960 But there's a lot of value that can be received. 162 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:06,600 Talk a little bit, Dick Miller, president of NVBDC, retired Brigadier General. 163 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:12,600 US Army, tell us a little bit about the benefits that members do get. 164 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:19,240 Well, the members, we do, well, for example, this Thursday we have what we call a jump 165 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,480 start. 166 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,120 And we have a number of corporations. 167 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,040 I mentioned all those corporations. 168 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:33,000 And we have a how to do business with these people. 169 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,800 And well, for example, Eli Lilly, they'll be on their corporate purchasing folks will 170 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:39,720 be on the line. 171 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:44,160 We typically end up about 40, 50 people that are on these webinars. 172 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:49,640 And they basically tell the company, young, they take the deep dive into how do you do 173 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,480 business with Eli Lilly? 174 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,160 We have a supplier portal. 175 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:56,720 You can do all these things. 176 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:02,240 And the people that show up to these webinars, the corporate purchasing people take the 177 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:08,920 time to talk to them, to help them and understand and help them with their process. 178 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,240 For example, capability statements, different things. 179 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,160 And we've been doing this for a couple of three years now. 180 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:16,160 It's free. 181 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:17,760 We just do it to be supportive. 182 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:21,760 Yeah, that's one of the things that things really great about NVBDC is they don't just 183 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:26,280 certify you, patch on the button and say good luck. 184 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:31,200 There's a whole method here for, hey, if you want to participate and you want to grow and 185 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:36,520 you want to seize maybe some opportunities outside the box, use the certification by 186 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:41,040 being with NVBDC on these networking and marketing opportunities. 187 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:48,640 Dick, if somebody is interested in either being a corporate sponsor or being a member 188 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:53,160 of NVBDC, what's the best way for them to get some information? 189 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:59,440 Just go out to our website, NVBDC.org. 190 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:01,840 And everything you need is there. 191 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:02,840 It is correct, yes. 192 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:03,840 And you can call in. 193 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:05,280 The staff is extremely helpful. 194 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,520 So don't be put off by the process. 195 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:13,320 I'd encourage our veteran radio listeners to dive in and see if it's something that 196 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:14,840 their company should do. 197 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:20,680 Dick, thanks for your time today to put a spotlight on NVBDC.org. 198 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:21,800 Well thank you for having me. 199 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:28,160 And we're all about serving our fellow veterans. 200 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,080 And I want to thank everybody for listening to Veterans Radio today. 201 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,680 I am Jim Fawcone. 202 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,960 It's been a pleasure to be your host. 203 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,840 I'm a Veterans Disability Lawyer at Legal Help for Veterans. 204 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:47,240 And you can reach us at 800-693-4800 or legalhelpforveterans.com on the web. 205 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:52,160 You can follow Veterans Radio on Facebook and listen to its podcasts and internet radio 206 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:53,160 shows. 207 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:59,360 By visiting us at veteransradio.org, that's veteransradio.org. 208 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:04,960 We again want to thank our national sponsors, the National Veterans Business Development 209 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,920 Council, NVBDC.org. 210 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:15,840 Legal Help for Veterans, a Veterans Disability Law Firm with a national practice before the 211 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:21,040 VA can help you on your claims and your appeals. 212 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:29,840 Preparations can be reached at legalhelpforveterans.com or 1-800-693-4800. 213 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:34,640 And PuroClean, a leader in property emergency services. 214 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:40,880 It's the paramedics of property damage, providing water damage remediation, flood water removal, 215 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:46,560 fire and smoke damage remediation, mold and biohazard cleanups. 216 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:54,880 You can reach them at puroclean.com or 800-775-7876. 217 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,800 We also want to thank our local sponsors. 218 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:05,640 This would include the Charles S. Kettles chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, 219 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,480 that's chapter 310. 220 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:14,960 VFW, Graff O'Hara post 423, the American Legion, Irwin Preskin post 46 in Ann Arbor 221 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:20,960 as well, the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and certainly the National Vietnam Veterans 222 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,160 of America Association. 223 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:30,360 You can be a sponsor by going to veteransradio.org, clicking on the about us and our sponsors, 224 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:31,360 and help us out. 225 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:36,960 Keep this program alive for the 21 and 22 years. 226 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:38,560 Keep us going for another 20. 227 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:46,560 Thank you.