07/24/2026
Met him on stage as the MC & a speaker 3 years since YR 2024 now. Very inspired one.
Dan Charlier: When I was stationed in Marine Barracks in DC, I was around a lot of civilians, and I was around a lot of Marines that had retired. I had an experience with a very well-known Sergeant Major that was a hero of mine. He had retired and said he was now working at a school, and then it really hit me hard. This guy had about 30 years in the Marine Corps and was every Marine’s idol. And after 30 years, he’s working at a school. And this isn’t from a judgmental standpoint, but I remember being disturbed by it. Then I met Ed Mylett in 1998 when he was 29-years-old. He was making over $50,000 a month and I was barely making $3,000 a month at 33-years-old. And I always had different jobs. I was at the air crash fire rescue, I worked 10-hour days at construction, and worked at Sam’s Club. Yet, I still found myself living paycheck to paycheck. I then realized I didn’t understand anything about the financial industry. I didn’t understand anything about entrepreneurship. But I understood if I associated myself with the right mentor and the right opportunity then I could learn those skills. So, it stemmed from not knowing what I wanted, but knowing what I no longer wanted.
That was probably one of the toughest decisions I had to make too. I was one of those guys that bleed green and wanted to serve for 30 years. Making the decision to leave the military to become an entrepreneur was a very emotional decision for me, but I got the courage from my mom. I thought of her strength. I thought to myself, if she can do that, I can do this. Cited by
Dan Charlier, Senior Executive Vice Chairman, shares his journey from growing up in Haiti to becoming a Marine and financial leader. Founder of the Black Excellence Leadership Network, he empowers others to seize opportunities. Learn how Charlier’s dedication to leadership, mentorship, and communi...
