Former U.S. Air Force member Danielle Marshall is no stranger to schooling, but she knew it was a golden opportunity to join other vets at UCLA Anderson for the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). “I think the opportunity to grow personally and professionally was welcomed by us all,” she says. “It was so freeing to realize just how much we did not know prior to the start of the course and be open to all the information we would be given.”
Marshall was a clinical lab specialist at Travis Air Force Base between 1998 and 2004 working with the Blood Donor UTC Team, as well as a Phase II & Nurse Transition Program Phlebotomy Instructor, among other positions. Currently a business consultant who specializes in assisting small companies in business development, organizational management and leadership training, Marshall is looking to make a change—into fashion consulting. “Finding a style of my own during the beginning of my direct sales career prompted my love for fashion,” she says. “I saw it as a way for one to truly express themselves.”
While attending the Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship program at Syracuse University, Marshall heard about EBV, and knew it would help her with her career change. She came to EBV looking to gain further understanding of the business environment, practical information, industry mentors and, maybe most importantly for those on the entrepreneurial path, reassurance. She calls the EBV experience “humbling, invigorating, frightening and so encouraging at the same time. We were gifted the time of some amazing mentors, instructors and so much more in an environment with fellow veterans who understand the day-to-day struggles we experience.”
Now that EBV is complete, Marshall is earning a degree in fashion merchandising, and finalizing her business plan, seeking additional guidance for incorporation and becoming a certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Enterprise. Of EBV she says, “I love it. We gained so much knowledge and so much practical application. Learning the details is so crucial to be able to fill in the pieces of the puzzle and whittle down what you need to know.”
To learn more about the EBV program, visit the program page.
Comments