Helping Everyone Remain Operational With Mike De Geus
Helping Everyone Remain Operational With Mike De Geus
FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO 12 YEARS IN THE SECRET SERVICE
Mike De Geus grew up in a tiny town. He and his four brothers all found their ways into lives of public service. Mike, after building success as an entrepreneur, found his outlet to public service through becoming a Secret Service Agent. For 12 years, Mike traveled the world on special assignments or dug in to his own town to act as the Lead Agent on a presidential detail.
Mike has since left the Secret Service to return to his entrepreneurial calling – but he brought his sense of service with him. His two companies are centered on providing invaluable support and protection to those who find themselves in life-or-death situations, or are reeling from the economic fallout from mandated COVID lockdowns.
Mike was still working for the Secret Service when he saw footage of a campus shooting.
Coupled with the story his own brother shared from a shooting incident he experienced as a police officer, Mike felt a bolt of inspiration as to how he could be a part of saving lives in incidents like that.
It struck Mike that almost every student shown fleeing the campus shooter had a backpack on. What if, thought Mike, those students could have used their backpacks as protection?
Leatherback Gear was conceptualized at that moment. Today it is securely established as an innovative and essential company providing protection to otherwise defenseless students.
It’s not a “fix” to the real issue of violence, but it is a step toward decreasing the casualties in those incidents.
In addition to Leatherback Gear, Mike De Geus launched HERO Beverage.
HERO stands for Help Keep Everyone Operational. The company crafts specialty coffees geared to help people raise money and support their communities. By donating a portion of proceeds to designated charities, Mike is able to fulfill some of the requests for help that pour in on a regular basis.
Advocates like Taya Kyle have joined Mike’s team. Taya is the widow of Chris Kyle, best known as The American Sniper. She’s dedicated herself to serving the marriages of veterans, law enforcement, and first responder communities. Mike created a specialty coffee called the “Legend Blend.” A portion of the proceeds from each purchase of this blend will be donated to the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation.
HERO Beverage has other blends available that will benefit other causes. Mike is committed to creating several such blends to impact as many communities as he can.
In this episode of American Snippets, Mike shares his story of leaving his small town life to live globally, talks about the ins and outs of working in the Secret Service, and explains how the work he is doing now can impact the lives of struggling or vulnerable Americans.
If you enjoy intrigue but also want to know some of the reality behind that intrigue, you want to listen to Mike’s interview about life in the Secret Service. If you have ever felt like your world is too small but don’t know how to escape that bubble, Mike’s insight on initiative and opportunity is a must-hear for you.
And if you have ever sought inspiration as to how you can use your gifts to build a business that not only supports you but creates an impact, then you must absolutely let Mike serve as that inspiration.
All of that and more is shared in this episode of American Snippets!
Here are some of the Topics we discussed with mike de geus:
Advice for anyone interested in joining the Secret Service
Functions of the Secret Service
How to take initiative in your personal and professional life
Two traits a person needs to succeed in the Secret Service
What a parent can do to help protect their child from an active shooting situation
Here are some of the questions we asked mike:
What are some of the lesser known functions of the Secret Service?
What is the familial impact of working for the Secret Service?
Can you share an example of a memorable event during your Secret Service years?
What gave you the willpower to leave a career you loved so much?
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