Brandon Griess
Major Brandon Griess was initially hired by exploration and production company Monadnock Resources on a contract basis. However, the company quickly made him an offer of full-time employment. That offer was due in large part to Griess bringing the qualities that are associated with military leaders—dedication, loyalty, integrity and hard work—to his role at Monadnock.
It was not always an easy path to get to where he is now, however. “Probably the most surprising aspect of my career and life is how it turned around,” Griess said. “During 2008-2009 several consequences of past behaviors in my life began to come to fruition. As a result, I began to self-destruct my career and personal life. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom, and I began to listen to honest, real friends who told me about Christ that my life turned around. The incredible and surprising part is how God can change your life.”
Now, Griess credits his faith for helping him to navigate the challenges that have come his way.
“Since then, I’ve been laid off in the price crash in 2014 and worked for another start-up that didn’t take off,” he said. “I’ve been unemployed twice in the last two years. It was a rough time. However, without faith and knowing what is truly important, I would have been prone to self-destructing during those hard time. It’s incredible that it didn’t happen.”
Griess is an Army infantry officer who has served 16 years in the Army and Texas Army National Guard. During his Army career he completed the Army’s Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, FRIES Master, and the Command and General Staff College courses. He also attended Ranger School and was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course. Griess deployed to Iraq in 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and supported the National Guard’s operations during Hurricane Harvey in Texas. During his service, Griess has held various positions of leadership, including Company Command of a dismounted reconnaissance company. He is currently serving as the Brigade Operations Officer for the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Houston, Texas.
In addition to currently serving as an infantry officer Major with the Texas Army National Guard, Griess has earned his CPA and MBA, and is currently a CFA Level II candidate.
For Griess, a number of things he has learned from his military experience can also be applied to corporate life. These include ‘Stay alert, stay alive’—or the importance of attention to detail.
“Overlooking little things can kill you,” he said.
Another is, ‘Two is one, one is none.’ “Remember your battle buddy—you may need help,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for it. You need a good mentor and network.”
Griess has supported various military organizations including Carry the Load in Dallas, Texas, and Watermark Community Church’s Military Ministry. He and his wife Bonnie are also the host couple for a military family camp each summer at Sky Ranch’s Ute Trail camp in Colorado. Griess serves as a mentor to military veterans through Watermark Community Church and was active in mentoring transitioning veterans while attending Southern Methodist University.
Despite having so many activities to focus on, it is important to Griess to prioritize his family, and he cites this as a major influence on how his career has developed.
“If I have 100 things to do today and I don’t do any of them, but I serve my wife and kids well, then it was a successful day,” he said. “If I get all of the other 98 things done. But get those two things wrong, then it was an unsuccessful day.”
—Anna Kachkova