How This MARSOC Raider Went from the Battlefield to COO

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MARSOC veteran Chayse Roth is president and chief operating officer of JDog Carpet Cleaning. (Photo courtesy of JDog Brands)

When Chayse Roth transitioned out of the Marine Corps after serving as a Marine Corps Special Operations Raider, he tried his hand as an entrepreneur ... and failed.

But instead of giving up, he did what any Marine would do. He executed an after-action review, learned from his mistakes and tried again.

"I had been in a profession for my entire adult life, and my hard skills were not directly translatable to the civilian workforce," Roth said. "I knew I wanted to go into business for myself, but knew nothing about business and had no idea what kind of business would be a good fit for my family. I had a lot to learn."

His next attempt hit gold. He started a carpet cleaning business with his brother-in-law, relying on the professionalism and grit he learned in the Marines, and soon they were running a profitable business.

Related: Search for Veteran Jobs

When the business began to grow, Roth, like many owners, struggled to scale the company while maintaining the professional integrity his company had built. He heard about JDog Junk Removal and Hauling and learned they were looking to expand on the franchises in their family of brands. Not long after a deal was struck, Roth became the president and chief operating officer of JDog Carpet Cleaning.

"As the President and COO of JDog Carpet Cleaning, I wake up every day with that mission in mind and get to be an active force of change," Roth said. "We're always looking for veterans and military family members who are interested in business ownership."

Roth said many customers trust their brand well enough to leave their home in the hands of their workers without worrying about loss or damages and that "people want to hire veterans, and that's part of the power of JDog."

JDog is one of the few franchises that are only available to veterans and their family members. As such, many franchise owners say that it's an easy transition since you're welcomed into an organization that's built on the same values as the military community.

Beyond its profitable operating model, JDog also provides thorough training, opportunities to serve the community and the avenue to hire other veterans, according to Jerry Flanagan, JDog chief executive officer (CEO). JDog Carpet Cleaning lets you get into business quickly with low startup costs and high margins, compared to other similar businesses.

"Veterans are a perfect fit for JDog franchises," Roth said. "They've undoubtedly been responsible for managing and overseeing operations that apply to business: balancing a budget, completing a mission, training and managing personnel, etc. These are transferable skills that lend themselves to success in the civilian world."

Since it was founded in 2011 by Flanagan, an Army veteran, and his wife Tracy, JDog Junk Removal and Hauling has more than 200 active franchises owned and operated by veterans and military family members in 31 states. Another 300 are slated to come on board in the next couple of years.

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