John Cacolice with Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Houston, Texas. It’s time for Houston Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Trisha Stetzel: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio Beyond the Uniform series. I have a very good friend of mine on with me today. We’ve got something very special to talk about. John Cacolice, vice president of the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to the show.

John Cacolice: Thanks, Trisha, I appreciate it. So glad to be here with you. Always a pleasure. We don’t do this often enough, to be perfectly honest.

Trisha Stetzel: Oh we don’t. It’s so hard for us to get together. It’s terrible.

John Cacolice: It’s trying to get our schedules all lined up. Doesn’t work all the time.

Trisha Stetzel: Uh, all right, so we’re both surveying the chamber. Um, a lot of people who already know me and follow me know that I’ve been involved with the chamber since. I think Dennis and I were members five and six. You and.

John Cacolice: Dave. I think you’re actually three and four, to be perfectly honest.

Trisha Stetzel: And your lovely wife was the one that introduced all of us. Um, so I’m so glad that she did that. She actually, I think, brought the core of us together from the very beginning. And I really appreciate all the work that you’re doing in the chamber. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that you also have a business. So can can we start there and then we’ll move our way into talking about the chamber and the event that’s coming up?

John Cacolice: Certainly, ma’am. So I own a real estate brokerage in South Houston with another Army veteran. Uh, Ben Ramos is actually my brother from a different mother. I couldn’t have done it without him. I’ve known him longer than I’ve known my wife. And so we started. We’ve always known we wanted to do something. And he got into real estate a few years ago, and he dragged me kicking him about eight years ago. And we can never look back. It’s been a great ride, and I don’t know that I could work for anybody else. To be perfectly honest. I’m kind of kind of ingrained in my own habits. But yeah, so I do real estate anywhere, basically south of I-10. Um, that’s my bailiwick I can do anywhere else in Texas. I choose not to, uh, it’s a certain level of customer service I like to provide. That’s why I’d rather farm it out to a veteran real estate agent somewhere else. And, um, let them do let this be the subject matter expert for that area. But anything south of I-10, I got you.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that, and you can find John all over social media. I’m sure he’s out there. It’s very busy. Yeah, exactly. Um, so, John, before we jump into chamber stuff, I’d really be interested in your take on how your military service set you up to be a great business owner.

John Cacolice: That’s a great. You know, so let’s let’s rephrase the question a little bit. So let’s take a 23 year old college grad and put him out in the open market. What does he really know? He knows high school. He knows college. He knows how to study. Right? He knows how to pass tests. Now I take a 23 year old Army specialist, Army E-6, and I put him against him. This guy’s been in command of something. Has been in charge of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars of equipment and to include human lives, most likely. So I would leverage his skill set against any other 2023 year olds out there. Now, now, my military service, Trisha, I was an army officer. I was an Army combat engineer. Um, what that taught me. I’m a school trained mechanical engineer. Army combat engineer. What those skill sets have taught me is how to be, um, tenacious. I do not fail. I would rather work around or plow through than give up. And one of the bulwarks of my my business acumen is that, um. And I ask everybody is what is the opposite of success? And most everybody. And I’ve asked this question almost half, 500,000 times.

John Cacolice: Um, the opposite of success is failure. Said no, no, indeed it is not. It is quitting. The opposite of success is quick, and if you’re not willing to fail, fail hard and fail fast, you will never be able to succeed. And I think that’s the hallmark of the military is we don’t mind failing. We don’t mind running hard at an idea and getting it done. And if it doesn’t work, we just pick up the pieces and move out. And that is what military personnel are really good at is improvising, adapting and overcoming situations that are thrown at them. So you take that out of the military and you change the uniform a little bit, and then you apply that to the civilian sector. We’re a force to be reckoned with. Trisha. Um, I don’t know of many military veterans who are willing to just roll over and play dead. That just doesn’t happen. I don’t know it. So, um, what as far as what the military has brought me, that is easily it that we are to be counted. And we are a force multiplier. Period. Full stop.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. And you know all of this. Then John plays into the mission behind the chamber and really finding our brothers and sisters out there who have not yet stepped forward and said, I’m a veteran and I own a business. You and I, we’ve talked a lot about this, right? We spent years not talking, not leading with I’m a veteran and I own a business. And it wasn’t because either of us were embarrassed or didn’t want to talk about it. It just wasn’t part of our identity at the time. Right. Right. Until we got involved in the chamber, did we start finally leading with that? And, you know, it’s such an interesting thing, and I don’t think people think about it this way, but I believe that our, the veteran community is the largest minority or the most diverse minority, excuse me, the most diverse minority out there, because we’re all so different, yet we speak the same language and we know how to support each other. And we never quit. And that’s we never quit. I appreciate you bringing that in. Yeah. All right. Let’s jump in to then. I’m so glad you came on the show today. Like I’m just enlightened hearing you say that already, I’m like, I’m going to have such a great afternoon. Um, let’s talk about the chamber. So Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce serves small business owners in basically, I feel like it’s across all of the all of the all of North America because we even have members in California, right? PaTrisha, I’d.

John Cacolice: Bring up the map and our map goes across. We have members in California. We have members in in Minnesota. I mean, go figure.

Trisha Stetzel: We’re here to support.

John Cacolice: Right? Well, so the message is the same no matter where you go. The fact that we’re in Houston is almost irrelevant. Most of the things we do and advocate for will transplant to anywhere you you go. There are programs and opportunities in every one of those cities. The question is, how do you find them? How do you plug into them? And if you find the one that lives in Houston, chances are they can connect you to the one where you live. And so our our the location for the Veterans Chamber of Commerce is agnostic. Wherever you are, there’s something there that can support you, that can do what we do here. You can do it there, too. Um, it is frustrating, though, Trisha, that we as a nation over 250 years old, we’re just now recognizing this. We’re only three and a half years old. And when we started this thing three and a half years ago, I looked at Dave and we said, surely there’s something like this already in existence. We just know we are the second largest or the fourth largest metropolis in the United States, second largest veteran population. And no one thought to do this. What this is, that’s the one time.

John Cacolice: Yeah. So. So, Trisha, what we do is and you’ve alluded to it, but what we do is we help and I don’t want to say small businesses because we have some very large businesses that are veteran owned and operated. What we help them do is one, recognize that they are veteran. That’s a message. That’s a that’s a thing. People want to support the veteran owned business. They just don’t know where to find this. And that’s our fault. That’s our fault. And you know what? Let’s let’s put a for instance, the guy next door says, oh my gosh, I just started a business and I got a great business coach. You may know him. So you didn’t even think to hire me. Well, he may not have known your business coach because you didn’t tell him. Whose fault is that? Right? Whose fault is that? Right. Um, the guy across the street puts it, puts his home up for sale, and puts another realtor’s sign in the yard. Drives me nuts, because why? Whose fault is that? Every day I back out of my driveway. You see that sign? I think you know what? I never had that conversation with that guy. Whose fault is it? Well, here I am, veteran owned business.

John Cacolice: They’re like, oh, I’d love to support a veteran owned business, but I don’t know where to find him. Whose fault is that? That is our fault. And so we help that veteran owned business recognize themselves, stand up and say, hey, I am here to be counted. I at one time I raised my hand and I swore an oath to my nation up to and including my life. And that is worth something. And most people recognize that. I think the challenge we have is the veteran is you don’t suit yourself as. Hey, I’m. You know. Trisha Stetzel results extreme. And I used to be a and I used to do this. And previous to that, I was a navy. We just don’t go there. Right? I don’t talk about my, you know, the fact that I was a manager for Cintas uniforms or the fact that I just it was a thing I did, I don’t do anymore. So why talk about it? Right? But it is so much more than that. It is a sworn and solemn oath. We swore an oath. How many things in your life have you sworn an oath to?

John Cacolice: Probably your God. Probably your husband and your nation. What else? Yeah. That’s it.

Trisha Stetzel: It’s huge.

John Cacolice: It’s kind of a big deal and we just don’t know it. Who cares. No, no everybody cares.

John Cacolice: Everybody cares.

Trisha Stetzel: They do.

John Cacolice: And that’s where we approach it.

Trisha Stetzel: And I think so many I run into so many veterans that don’t even see themselves as veterans. Many of them. Oh, I was just in the reserves or oh, I only served two years. Aw. Oh. Mhm. Stop. You’re a veteran. You took the oath and you served your country in some way. You’re a veteran. So the mission of our chamber is to get out and make sure that business owners who are veterans, one, they know about us. Right. And that they speak up. We got to get them on the map and we want to get them connected. It’s not hear me say this. It is not about handouts. It is not about handouts. And I think often as a veteran, I don’t ask for help because I don’t need a handout. I’m not going to quit and I’m just going to go do it myself. Right. I know you’re laughing, but it’s you.

John Cacolice: Know, I will throw more rocks on my rucksack. I’ll do more pushups. I will outwork the problem before I ask for help.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. And that’s not what this is about. This is about creating a community of people all moving in the same direction, which is creating this beautiful ecosystem of veterans, supporting veterans, and even bringing In, um, what do we call them? Passionate patriots to support veterans as well. Right. Which is going to lead me into Wings Over Houston.

John Cacolice: I love it.

Trisha Stetzel: Yes, yes. Because Bill Roache, uh, serves as a passionate, a passionate patriot on our board, uh, for the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce. But he is also, I believe, is it executive director? I don’t know, his title for.

John Cacolice: The executive director for Wings Over Houston has been for at least 20 years now.

Trisha Stetzel: Yes. So let’s talk about what Wings Over Houston and the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce are doing. And this is in October. So let’s give the date and let’s talk about how we get people involved.

John Cacolice: Absolutely. So, Trisha, Wings of Wings Over Houston is the largest air show on the Gulf Coast. Um, it is on 26 and 27th October, and it will bring through, on average, about 100,000 people a day will come to this this event. It is massive. It occupies all of Ellington Field and it is a force to be reckoned with. It is a show. Of of shows. It is amazing. And this year I think we have the Blue Angels. So and matter of fact, the Veterans Chamber is actually doing all the graphics for Windsor this year. So if you see those posters and stuff, know that we did that. Uh, but what what we did a few years ago was actually last year we actually had a Veterans Business expo at the George R Brown. And we thought, man, this is such a fantastic idea that was spawned from this event from years previous. We actually brought veteran businesses to a table. When we started, we had one booth and we had eight veteran owned businesses in this one booth, and everyone thought that was such a great idea. And the next year we said, well, let’s make it bigger.

John Cacolice: And so we had a 20 by ten booth and we brought 20 veteran owned businesses. And everyone’s like, this is amazing. So last year we did a 20 by I’m sorry, 40 by 60 booth. And we had 40, almost 40 veteran owned businesses in that booth. And we had 10,000 people a day come running to that booth, both veterans and civilians alike, coming through passionate patriots. They were just ecstatic that there was veterans who were doing commerce in Houston. There was a guy, Trisha, I kid you not. And no hyperbole whatsoever. This guy drove from Minnesota, and he brought a trailer full of woodworking gear and all of the stuff that he had spent months preparing, and he was going to hit our trade show, hopefully do some commerce there, and then hit about six other trade shows on his way home. We were the first in line. He sold almost $25,000 on $11,000 on Saturday. And by the time he was done on Sunday, $25,000. And he had nothing left. He had to cancel two of the trade shows because he sold out.

John Cacolice: Yeah. And so we actually made his month both. We paid for the trip, paid for the gas, paid for the hotel and made his month in profit at on Saturday. Everything else was icing on the cake. And he said, listen, when you do this again, you call me because I’m calling back. And he’s he was first to sign up for this year. Come. He drives in from Minnesota. I mean.

Trisha Stetzel: So you shared with me that this year it’s even bigger.

John Cacolice: Yeah, it’s even bigger.

John Cacolice: Last year we had a 40 by 60. This year it’s 40 by 120. So we took a $1,600 booth and we blew it up. And because of Bill Roach’s generosity, we made it a 40 by 120. Now, let’s be honest, we’re paying for this booth. It’s a very expensive booth. And so we’re only charging each veteran business instead of the $1,600 per booth that everybody else at Windsor used to charge us for our membership. It’s $300, and for nonmembers, it’s only $400. Wow. We’re not trying to turn a profit. We’re just covering the insurance, heat, light music. And for that price, you would get two a table, two chairs, two lunches per day. You get a your own VIP area where you can go, you know, sometimes you just need a break, right? It’s a long day. Let’s go take a break. So we got snacks, drinks, waters and all the things back in the VIP area. And then we have our own secluded backyard. It’s fenced off. Nobody else comes through our backyard where you can sit and watch the air show if you want to. Oh my God. And by the way, we are smack dab. You don’t get more geographically centered into Houston than our booth. It is the center of Houston. And so the Blue Angels come streaking right over our head every year. And it is fantastic. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, John. So if I heard you correctly, uh, Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce members only pay $300 for a table at Wings over Houston for two days.

John Cacolice: For two days.

Trisha Stetzel: And if you’re not a member, it’s only $400.

John Cacolice: It’s only $400. And for that you get lunches, you get over $100 in lunches.

Trisha Stetzel: And you get to see the show. Uh, all right. How many tables do we have available?

John Cacolice: And we pay for your event insurance, by the way, which is a thing.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow. That’s awesome.

Trisha Stetzel: That is amazing. All right. How many?

John Cacolice: So we have about 20 tables sold. We need about 20 more and they’re going fast because we we just lowered the price to $300. That was our presale price. It went up and we said, you know what? We don’t need to make a profit off this. We just need to showcase the veteran-owned business. That’s what this is about. So let’s go back to our presale price and just run hard at it and do for Houston what the veteran did for the nation.

Speaker4: I love that. Right.

John Cacolice: And serve.

Trisha Stetzel: Um, amazing. All right. Wings over Houston. 25th and 26th.

John Cacolice: 26th and.

Speaker4: 27th.

Trisha Stetzel: 26th and 27th of October. In order to secure the table, I’m assuming they can go to the Houston Regional Veterans Chamber of Commerce website.

John Cacolice: Correct, ma’am.

Trisha Stetzel: And find if.

John Cacolice: They go to the events calendar.

Speaker4: Go to the events click on.

John Cacolice: 26th October. It will pop right up and they can register right there.

Trisha Stetzel: That is so easy. I’m going to put that in the show notes as well. So anybody who’s watching or listening go click on the link and sign up. And by the way, if you’re not a veteran but you know one, Please, please, please pass this information along to them because we need to have a really big showing at Wings Over Houston.

Speaker4: It’s important.

Trisha Stetzel: I’m so excited that you came on with me today. Any thank you. Any words of wisdom as we close up?

John Cacolice: So I want to talk about two things. Actually, Trisha, you brought up one earlier. There’s there are veterans out there who said, hey, I was just a pack clerk or I just heard righteous. I really just wasn’t wasn’t a combat veteran. Listen, did you serve your nation honorably? Did you go where you were told? Did you do what you were ordered to do? Okay. Where you went and what you did was not up to you. You followed orders. You you moved out and drew fire. That’s what you were ordered to do. And so you were at every bit of veteran as the guy missing two limbs. And you know, who jumped out of aircraft and did went into harm’s way. You were very much a veteran as that guy, and I would don’t discount yourself. You served your nation honorably. And that’s that’s all I need to know about you. Everything else I’ll figure it out on the fly. Let’s go. And as far as the veteran owned businesses, I want you to understand that it is not necessarily for you that you get this boost. Because let me tell you, a lot of veterans come through that booth and they want their, their, their slave to the grind. They’re working for somebody else and they have an idea. There’s a spark in there that they want to start a business. They don’t know how or what or why. It is important that every veteran owned business gets in this booth and gets a booth and talks about their experience, because that’s what we have in common, right? You and I can talk Navy, Army all we want and we get it. We can use three letter acronyms. We can have a whole conversation. Nobody else gets it. But we’re laughing.

Speaker4: Right? Yeah, that’s the.

John Cacolice: Key. And so when that veteran comes through and sees Trisha standing behind the table and he’s got it, you got your tchotchkes out there and you’re doing commerce, you’re conducting business and you’re supporting yourself. That spark becomes reality. He says, I can do this. I too can do this. And we’ve just created a business owner in that former employee, former veteran or now veteran. We’ve changed that guy’s trajectory. That soldier, now civilian, now gets to do for himself what he’s been doing for others all along. And that is inspiring. And to watch somebody call me and say, John, I have an idea. How do I start this thing? I’ve got you, I’ve got you. Yeah. Here’s where you’re going to do. And I give him the step by step plan. First thing you’re going to do is, is get your letters of incorporation done, and you’re going to call my dear friend Greg and Austin. He’s going to hook you up, and then you’re going to go, and then you’re going to I want you to done with that. You’re going to go talk to Robbie, and you’re going to go through an entrepreneurship class for free. And then, oh my gosh, you see this guy’s head pop off because he didn’t know any of this was here. And it has all existed the entire time. No one knew about it.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Well and and we built it. Right. And now we want people to come. We built it now they should come.

John Cacolice: We created a framework, an ecosystem that you can now operate in as an army, as a military veteran, as a military veteran that you can operate in and be successful. And to many of us, Trisha, were are geared to do it by ourselves when in the Navy. Were you ever sent anywhere by yourself to do anything?

Speaker4: Never. You just. You pop.

John Cacolice: Yeah. You pop out as a civilian and say, well, let me throw the blinders on, I got this. Are you out of your mind? You’ve never been trained for this. And you? Right. I’m in your foxhole already. Just look left. Look right and ask for help. I got you, I got you, man. Give me your rucksack. I’ll carry it for a mile. Then you can carry mine for a mile. We’ll go. We got this.

Speaker4: Feels like home.

John Cacolice: It does. It does feel like home.

Trisha Stetzel: It does. Jon, thanks so much for being on the show with me today.

Speaker4: Any time, man. I know it’s.

Trisha Stetzel: Hard to pin you down.

Speaker4: I know.

John Cacolice: There’s no moss growing on me.

Speaker4: So. Yeah, I.

Trisha Stetzel: Know we’re all busy. Well, thank you, I appreciate it, you guys. If you’re interested in being a part of this event at Wings Over Houston, please go to the website. I’ve put it in the show notes. Point, click and register. And please, for God’s sake, share it with all of the people that you know and get them to share it with their friends. All right, Mr. Kakalios, thanks again.

John Cacolice: Thank you ma’am. I appreciate you so very much. And all of you have done for the chamber. You and your husband are generous. Support you actually, as sitting as the president of the board. You are chairman of the board. Excuse me. You are a force to be reckoned with in your own self. And you also own multiple businesses. So. Yeah. Don’t anybody keep you down. You got this.

Trisha Stetzel: Thanks, John. That’s all the time we have for today’s show. Join us next time for another exciting episode of Houston Business Radio. Until then, stay tuned, stay inspired, and keep thriving in the Houston business community.