Rex Black relied on the leadership training he received in the U.S. Army to make his AtWork franchise successful.
Valuable Military Training
Black enlisted in the Army directly out of high school to serve his country and pursue his passion for linguistics. Black had already spent time in high school learning both French and Russian.
After basic training, he went to Monterey, California, to attend the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. The school is a leading provider of foreign language instruction and teaches more than a dozen languages. As part of the year-long program, the school uses immersive learning techniques. Students spend time in an isolated environment at an offsite facility with their instructors and are not allowed to speak English. Black’s aptitude for linguistics prompted the military to task him with learning Korean.
During his six-year tenure in the military, Black held numerous posts. He was a member of the military police at Army posts in southern Germany and San Antonio, Texas. He spearheaded his brigade’s technology team, where he held top-secret clearance, and during Desert Storm, he volunteered for the Army’s Special Forces to prepare for deployment.
“The Army provided me with valuable training,” Black said. “To be successful, you’ve got to give 100%. Half measures don’t get the job done. Like I learned in the military, if you’ve got to take that hill, you do it.”
Part of Black’s Special Forces training included a leadership skills course. The knowledge he gleaned during that training provides him with the leadership acumen he needs to navigate entrepreneurship.
“I think my Special Forces training was invaluable. The leadership training has been useful ever since. Civilian life is not a rigid hierarchical structure like the military, but you still have to be able to lead effectively and have all of your employees focused on a single objective,” he added.
Successful High-Tech Career
When he exited the Army, Black decided to put down roots. He obtained his business degree, and his experience with computers in the military enabled him to pursue a successful career in software engineering. Black worked for companies in Texas, Kansas, and California, including big names such as Expedia, Dell Technologies, and Disney. He also dabbled in entrepreneurship by starting businesses for computer consulting and website hosting.
Franchising Accomplishes Mission
Despite his test run as a business owner, Black and his wife Debora had a passion for entrepreneurship. The pair wanted to take charge of their future and control their destiny. They searched for franchise opportunities with a proven track record and brand recognition. Investing in a turnkey business eliminated some of the challenges Black encountered with his startup ventures.
“Franchising gave me the structure and tools to succeed, which is what I’d been lacking before at the startups I created,” Black said.
Debora’s experience in recruiting prompted the couple to explore staffing franchises. Positive online reviews led them to sign a franchise deal in the Seattle area with AtWork, an award-winning staffing franchise.
AtWork is a leader in workforce solutions. The company has 30 years of industry experience helping entrepreneurs build successful staffing firms without starting from scratch. AtWork handles backroom accounting to allow owners to focus on scaling the business.
As co-owners, Debora spearheads day-to-day operations and Black tackles the company’s finances. Debora spent more than 10 years working in human resources and recruitment management. She has extensive experience supporting the staffing needs of Fortune 500 companies. Black is also a full-time lead software engineer at Salesforce.
AtWork’s robust training program gave him the tools to take over as the account manager when an employee left the company. Black secured one of their biggest clients, which enabled the company to extend its reach and add another territory while he was filling in as account manager.
“I attribute our company’s success to being able to follow the mission, pursue goals, and accomplish our objectives, “Black said. “Having a good, solid partner like my wife is also helpful.”
