Name:  Trent Breland

Where were you born and raised?
Riverside, California. I remained in Riverside County for the most part, growing up in Corona, California.

What’s a short story around the biggest transition you’ve faced in life?
My retirement transition. My wife and I got into business about six years out from retirement. We had a couple of opportunities that we didn’t want to pass up. We ended up buying two businesses before I got out. I’m conflicted on this because it provided a transition plan and purpose, which was great, but it still kept us apart after so many years. We still have a long way to go in business, but this was particularly challenging in the early stages. Mainly, what I failed to see; my family was using my retirement as a “finish line” for finally being a “normal” family. No more “Daddy has to go to work for a while” conversations and missed birthdays.

We did well in business but were still far from a normal family. I wish I had seen things from my family’s perspective sooner. At the time, I didn’t know how demanding managing that schedule would be. It’s also what made me miss out on The Honor Foundation, which I now see was a huge miss. It’s hard to say I’d go back and change it, but this taught me some tough lessons that have helped me focus on family better now. I’m always working on being a better husband and father, but I have a feeling I’m going to wish I had some of that time back- on top of all the deployments.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a younger you?
Don’t buy that house in 2007, wait a few years. However, that same purchase led to a ton of knowledge that came in handy in subsequent years. There’s been a few more real estate deals and business acquisitions that benefitted from that early error. But My wife and I were young and excited. Should have leaned into mentors a bit more before making that initial leap.

Your Personal Why?
I didn’t come from much, and after 20 years of service, I still have a responsibility to serve, share, and lead. I match value and vision in our communities so that, together, we can secure our future through relationships and business as fiercely as we did on the battlefield.

How does your Why drive you to be a part of the THF Ecosystem?
THF provides a platform for me to exercise my why and continue my mission of service to others. This allows me to help secure our future by guiding high performers into key positions within our communities and high-value companies.

Military Connection or Why do you respect Special Operators?
I spent most of my 20-year career as a Special Forces Green Beret with 1 st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington.

Favorite THF Value, and why?
Bold Behavior. It’s never let me down, and I think it’s a requirement to do anything great.

Area/Industry of Expertise:
Leadership, Small Business Acquisition & Development. I’m still building a portfolio of award-winning small businesses with my wife primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact Trent directly at trent@honor.org.