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In April, Hiring Our Heroes announced 5 grant recipients for the Small Business Award for Veterans & Military Spouses , an initiative that provides a one-time $10,000 grant for selected military-connected entrepreneurs, thanks to the generosity of the FedEx Founder's Fund. Selected grant recipients displayed both business acumen as well as two key characteristics – a dedication to overcoming economic hardships and a commitment to giving back to their communities.
In our 5-part blog series, we'll be meeting these grant recipients and learning more about the inspirational businesses that they have built and the passion that fuels them daily.
The second grant recipient is Easy Day Sports, hailing from Coronado, Calif.
After being laid off at his job in endurance sports production eleven years ago, Jamie Monroe- U.S. Navy veteran, took a leap of faith and started his own business, Easy Day Sports. Easy Day Sports is a dynamic event production agency that focuses on premier, professionally managed endurance sports events. Today, Easy Day Sports has a team of six people--producing running, cycling, triathlon type events all over the country. The Easy Day Sports' business model is based on his experience as a Navy SEAL. One motto that rings true within Easy Day Sports is“we work harder, are more professional, and our attention to detail is bar none.”
The COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed the landscape for in-person meetings and events, forcing Monroe to pivot. Taking the challenge head on, Easy Day Sports shifted by hosting virtual running events-forcing the team to lean into this new space so that the virtual experience remained almost the same as in-person ones. Monroe hired software developers who wrote codes to create leaderboards and time verifications so that athletes could still feel a sense of competition. While many companies had to shut down during the pandemic, Monroe made it a priority to keep his team employed, ensuring they were well compensated and did not experience any additional hardships during those uncertain times.
When asked how the business has evolved over the years, Monroe shared that the growth of his team- expanding from one employee to six - may not seem huge, but those extra brains allow Easy Day Sports to work at its fullest potential and focus on even more growth in the future.
Monroe plans to use the money awarded via the FedEx Small Business Grant Fund on his employees. Before finding out about being selected as a recipient for the Small Business Grant Program, Monroe hired a Navy sailor and single mom who was discharged after a childbirth emergency. He notes that even without the grant money he would have hired her, but now he can use the money to subsidize her training and her salary.“I am trying to grow my business and make it more efficient, so it [was] pretty serendipitous that this money came through at the same time,” Monroe said.
Having encountered many obstacles throughout the process, Monroe credits his long-term success to commitment and devotion to his initial vision when starting the company.“For me, it's about creating athletic event experiences that our participants remember for a lifetime,” he said.
Visit FedExCares for additional feature stories about the other 2024 Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Award winners in the coming weeks.
Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.
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