Cyber Monday Holiday Gift Guide – Veteran Owned Small Businesses

Anyone who knows me or follows me on social media knows I love being an entrepreneur. They also know I’m all about promoting and buying from other veteran and military spouse owned businesses.

My support goes beyond just sharing a post here or there and purchasing occasionally. I am passionate about helping other veterans, military spouses, and their family members realize their dreams to become entrepreneurs as well. I’m honored to be alongside other veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs as a co-founder of Action Zone. At Action Zone we specialize in helping entrepreneurs to validate their business ideas, discover who their customer really is, and give them all the tools needed to succeed as entrepreneurs.  The curriculum not only teaches the business basics to launch, scale, and grow their business it also assists the entrepreneur transition from the military mindset to the entrepreneur mindset.

This team of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs are running their own businesses and volunteer selflessly to this passion, Rosie Lee - The Notary Place - George Zwierko, Rumbo and Three Chairs Production, Dr. Russ Barnes -  Systro Solutions, April Caldwell - Fayven, Bill Quigley - Gorilla Guru, Wally Carmichael - Wally Carmichael, Jeremy Lavin - Luminary Global as well as veterans Donnie Nurnberger Jeff Mong and Matt Palm. This year in midst of COVID we opened “Action Zone’s Sunday Morning Marketing”. A post encouraging business owner in the military connected community to share their businesses with our audience. The overwhelming response led to the creation of the Veteran Owned Business Directory https://www.actionzonetampa.com/vob-directory of nearly 300 businesses from across the country plus Canada and Japan.

In addition to Action Zone, I am extremely grateful for my involvement with Bunker labs. I have been a volunteer for just over a year and have been afforded the opportunity to grow with this organization helping the military connected community of entrepreneurs across the nation. It’s a blessing to be a part of an organization that allows me to help others do what we do at Luminary Global…..realize the American Dream. Our nation was built on the backs of entrepreneurs and it is the entrepreneur that will continue to make this country great! After WWII nearly 50% of service members leaving service became entrepreneurs today it is less than 4%. It is my honor to have a small part in helping to expose the veteran community to the possibilities of being an entrepreneur with the goal of increase the number of military entrepreneurs to match the numbers of the past.

This year Bunker Labs released its inaugural Holiday Gift Giving Guide. I am proud to have Luminary Global featured with other Patriot Americans who have served their country and found economic success post service as amazingly successful entrepreneurs. I will continue to shop small business and support as many military entrepreneurs as my wallet allows, I hope you will too.

Instead of shopping on Amazon or major department store I ask you to please take the opportunity to shop at the incredible businesses in the Action Zone VOB Directory or the Bunker Labs Holiday Gift Giving Guide made up of veterans, some still serving, their spouses and even their children.  I am certain you will find the perfect holiday gift and even something for yourself!

Valerie Ellis Lavin

CEO, Luminary Global
First Sergeant
U.S. Army (Retired)