‘The best of both worlds’: Military and corporate life with Captain Collis Martin
We’re honored to share the story and experience of our teammate Collis Martin, who has served his country at home and overseas.
For Captain Collis Martin, joining the military impacted the course of his personal and professional life.
He comes from a military family, so “the bug” had always been in his ear to join the armed forces. While playing football and studying accounting at Newbury College, Collis joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and fell in love with it.
“It’s funny how things have a way of working out,” Collis recalls. “It wasn’t in the original plan, but it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
That decision to join ROTC led him to joining the Army National Guard in 2012. He earned his commission as an officer after graduating college. Since then, he’s served his country at home during natural disasters and overseas during deployment to the Middle East.
While he committed to the military, Collis also felt drawn to continue pursuing a profession outside of the armed forces.
“A lot of people think that once you transition from active duty to the civilian world that you have to let the armed forces go,” says Collis. “That’s not true. I’m in the National Guard and feel like I get the best of both worlds.”
Once a month, Collis travels to Orangeburg, South Carolina for drilling and other training duties with the South Carolina Army National Guard. The rest of the time - he supports the corporate segment at Driven Brands as a senior manager in corporate planning.
After returning from deployment, he found himself in the Charlotte area and looking for the next step in civilian career.
“I was kind of in a limbo about where I wanted to go,” Collis says. “I took a job with a company in Charlotte as a financial analyst, but it just wasn’t the right fit.”
Collis wanted to find a place that offered a supportive and collaborative environment while valuing his commitment to the Army National Guard. He found that with Driven Brands.
“The culture at Driven is one of the best I’ve ever been a part of,” says Collis. “It’s sociable and collaborative. It's not a conflict type of space, which I really enjoy.”
In 2021, he joined the Driven Brands corporate office and hit the ground running. Working in a fast-paced environment gave him the opportunity to use one of the most valuable skills that the military taught him – time management.
“In the military, you have to hit deadlines. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts, and that’s a mindset I brought with me to Driven,” says Collis.
Time management is also useful as Collis balances his military obligations with his professional workload. However, he’s felt nothing but support from the Driven team as he juggles the two.
“The fact that Driven supports me in my endeavors is outstanding,” says Collis. “They know that being in the military is part of me and it allows me to continue to do these two things that I love.”