On National Hire a Veteran Day (July 25), we recognize the incredible servicemen and women who help Nutrabolt further our mission to innovate, inspire and make products that maximize human potential accessible to all.
As Divisional Vice President of National Accounts, Greg Moran has played an integral role within Nutrabolt’s fast-growing beverage team, focusing on building out our retail footprint.
With more than 20 years of industry experience, what some may not know is that Greg also served in the United States Army before jumpstarting his career.
How did you come to join the military?
GM: It’s a funny story. I was getting ready to attend Longwood College, but the summer after I graduated high school, I got free-spirited and decided I didn’t want to go anymore. Instead, I took the year off. Eight months in, my parents said I needed to straighten up and the next day, a recruiter called. I had no plans to join the military and I kind of said yes just to prove a point!
Was that a wake-up moment for you?
GM: Like most kids out of high school, you don’t want to admit that you’re lost or have no idea what you want out of life. That’s why I think the military was actually a really good thing for me. It forced me to be responsible for myself and made me grow up very quickly.
What was life for you like growing up?
GM: I grew up on a farm in a small rural town outside of Roanoke, Virginia, part of a huge Irish family, but wasn’t exposed to a lot of diversity growing up. When I joined the military, all of that changed.
I was suddenly walking alongside people from every nationality, male, female, culture, the whole nine yards, and it helped me be much more open-minded.
How did you begin your career in sales?
GM: A similar story, I accidentally fell into the beverage industry. Once I left the military, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do because my career didn’t set me up for a great job in the real world. I mean, who was looking for a nuclear missile launcher?
I was so used to having a regimented schedule, so I spent about 7 months waiting tables until I met a guy at a convenience store who offered me a job as a merchandiser.
I must have shown some promise because after about two months, they moved me into a sales rep role and the rest was history.
How did your experience prepare you for today?
GM: In the beverage industry, you hear a lot of “no’s.” Instead of accepting defeat, you have to view everything as an opportunity to come back with a creative solution. I sometimes think of it as a battle.
There are people who try to find their way around a problem, but in the military, you’re taught to tackle and conquer challenges head-on. There is no going around it. You don’t give up. You have to address it head-on, come up with a new plan, and find a way to win the account.
What advice would you give to someone entering the industry?
GM: I have truly climbed the ladder to be where I’m at. I don’t think any degree could have solely helped me get here because it required a little bit of everything. You have to have a personality and be adaptable while still being true to yourself. It’s those skills and characteristics that I believe you can only get through true-life experiences.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned?
GM: The military is very structured and there are different degrees of leadership. But what it’s taught me is that no one person can get the job done by themselves. It takes every single one of us, working together.
It’s the same on our beverage team at Nutrabolt. With our focus on One Team, we do a great job of making people feel like they are a part of something bigger — a cog in a larger wheel. If we’re not working together, we won’t succeed and that’s the only way we’ll win.
What the value of hiring a veteran?
GM: You can assume that someone with a military background is well rounded, self-reliant, self-motivated, and respectful of those in leadership positions.
You’re also considering someone who has a background working with a diverse group of people. When you think about it, the military is one giant melting pot. Diversity is not only about your skin color, your race, or your gender, but also about how you were raised.
At the end of the day, being in the military was the best thing I could have done. It not only made me love the person I have become, but also the people I served alongside.
