Adapt, Overcome, Persevere: Jeremy Magnuson’s Path to Independent Retail

From the Marine Corps to the Air Force to the home improvement channel, Jeremy Magnuson has built a career on leadership, flexibility and courage. 

Magnuson served in the military from 1996 to 2007, starting in the Marine Corps Reserve as an infantry rifleman. When he finished college, he joined the Air Force and was a K123RD Instructor Navigator. He spent the majority of his military journey serving in the Air Force. 

Magnuson was initially motivated to join as a way to pay for college. He looks back on his time in service with gratitude and appreciates all the people he worked with.

“I worked with some exceptionally smart people in the Air Force that have continued on to have great careers,” Magnuson says. 

After serving, Magnuson entered the home improvement channel. Today, he is the owner of Magnuson Ace Hardware in Friendswood, Texas. He says working in the channel is more difficult than expected but he enjoys the industry and the flexibility to run his store the way he wants to. 

“No one is looking over my shoulder telling me what to do or how to do it,” Magnuson says. “Being able to do what you want has its advantages.”

While Magnuson has been out of the military for some time, he still carries the skills, mindset and drive he learned during his time in service with him into other areas of his life. 

“We had a saying in the Marines: Adapt, Overcome, Persevere. In Marine lingo, this meant we were Semper Gumby, or always flexible,” Magnuson says. “Every day presents new challenges at the store, and if you don’t like change, you’ll be in a world of hurt.”

Magnuson believes veterans are a good fit for the home improvement channel, as a veteran’s unique life experience equips them to know how to handle a bad day, month or year, he says. 

“Put one foot in front of the other, keep your head down and eventually you will reach your destination,” Magnuson says. “Those attributes work well in an industry where you are constantly under pressure to deliver. Whether it’s keeping a customer happy, making sure your employees are paid or captaining your store in its future direction.”