John Corcoran 07:20
And there were probably 19 or something like that. You know.
Jon Bunten 07:24
These were guys that, you know, were like 24 years old that were you know, second lieutenants and but they were they told me, like, John, you don’t belong as an enlisted soldier. You gotta go get a college degree and become an officer. And so they helped me get a scholarship. I ended up with a full scholarship to school through the ROTC and commissioned into the reserves. I spent 14 years as an officer. I was a finance officer, finance and contracting officer, did some time in Germany doing contracting. And then ultimately I ended up, you know, as a civilian, progressing in the military. and ended up as a small hospital company commander. And then I when I started my first or my second company, Recargar, I just, I knew that it was going to be too difficult to, to continue to be an officer. So I resigned my commission.
John Corcoran 08:17
Yeah. And yeah, I’m curious about this. The military tends to be in some ways your your life is laid out for you. Like if you if you are moved, if your company is moved. The military takes care of everything for your move in entrepreneurship. You have to figure stuff out. So in some ways it’s very different. And there isn’t this set of rules. There isn’t this hierarchy like there is in the military. But on the other hand, the discipline that military life can teach you can be really helpful in the world of entrepreneurship. Just reflect a little bit on on some of those ways in which your background in the military Harry was relevant in the world of entrepreneurship.
Jon Bunten 09:01
Yeah, that’s a really great question. For me, the military was so helpful in providing structure and discipline to me in like helping me think in different ways and also to be able to develop muscle memory around, around the development of processes and systems. So, you know, in the military, you know, one of the greatest things that the military does is is really ingrained training into people. And so it becomes like a pilot where you’re trained so well that when something happens, you don’t have to think about it anymore. It’s a muscle memory. And so for that in that perspective, that helped to translate things over for me in terms of business, to create systems and processes and efficiencies and train on them, do rehearsals and things of that nature that make it to where business operates, that people are. People are clear on their accountabilities. The structure is clear, processes are clear. And then also from the officer lens, you know, they did teach us to think very creatively about problem solving. You know, yes, there were specific kind of sets of decisions that were like, if X happens, then you should consider this. But a lot of the times it was very creative decision making process. So for me, the military was helpful in instilling discipline, but also helping me to think creatively and also put around, you know, there’s a process in the military called military military decision making process to put very delineated thought into terms of how we make decisions. And so that was also helpful to me.
John Corcoran 10:32
You joined the Army in was it 2001?
Jon Bunten 10:36
Yes.
John Corcoran 10:37
Right before 9/11.
Jon Bunten 10:39
Correct. Yep.
John Corcoran 10:40
What was that like being active duty in the Army at the time of 9/11? What was going through your head at that time?
Jon Bunten 10:48
Yeah. You know, John, I’ve talked to some people about this recently, you know, during that period of nine over 11 and the years after, It was, I think, one of the last times that this country was really it felt like it was really together and it was, you know, there was no matter what your political affiliation or leanings. It was a time where people were coming together to support each other. And so for me, it was as a young man, it was there was a lot of patriotism that was happening at that time, especially within the branches of the service. You know, the military itself is the bulk of the fighting forces are made up of of kids from 18 to 23. And so you, you know, you got it was a it was a motivational time period. But I also feel like on the macro sense, it was it was a time that people were thinking about how do we behave as a society together, as Americans. And I and I was really I felt a lot of pride at that time to be to be a member of the military and to be and to be an American.
John Corcoran 11:50
Yeah. There’s a lot of kind of different turns in your story here. As you said, you were a medic and you ran a hospital company in the army. So naturally your next step after that is running sales for Smuckers. How did that happen? How did you end up going in that direction?
Jon Bunten 12:08
Well, when I was a finance officer, when I was in New York, I started my career out right out of college. I got I got recruited through a group. At the time it was called Students in Free Enterprise. And so I was I was the president of the Students in Free Enterprise at our, at my college. And in that program, you would put together different events and that would help the community really understand the tenets of free market economics. And so once you did this through the year, you would put together these annual reports, and then you’d go to these competitions around the country and present them. And so I ended up for the last two years of my, of my college, really going to these events and then where they would have recruiters that were all fortune 500, you know, C-suite executives that would be at these conferences. And we would furnish these these lists of, you know, our short bios headshots. And if people like how you spoke and liked your messaging, they’d they’d circle your headshot and they’d come find you afterwards. And so I ended up with a couple of job offers right before I graduated. The first one was with a company called Dell Labs, and which was in New York. They provided six months before I graduated. I ended up accepting their offer to go into finance, and they gave me a full moving package to New York. I was super stoked and excited, and so I ended up going to work for Dell, really working in finance at the time and.
John Corcoran 13:39
Just not related to Michael Dell, the computer company, or.
Jon Bunten 13:43
A different Dell Labs. Yeah, it was a beauty company, and we made all sorts of nail clippers and nail polishes and all sorts of kind of niche items. I went to work in finance for them initially, but I had a knack for telling stories with numbers, and so I ended up pioneering a trade marketing group within that kind of a sales finance group. And then I got recruited, or actually we got purchased by a larger entity called Cody, which is a gigantic fragrance and cosmetics producer also that’s based in the US in New York. I ended up working for them and then recruited by Smuckers, and then I ended up moving to Cleveland and taking a role within the sales finance trade marketing group there.
John Corcoran 14:28
And that eventually led to you starting Recor. And you saw an opportunity where a need wasn’t being met in the marketplace. So take us through that.
Jon Bunten 14:41
Yeah. So at Smuckers, you know, we our sales and sales team was represented by a sales broker. So brokerage companies, they represent brands like Smuckers. And then they’ll act as the outsourced sales and marketing team for that company. And they’ll they’ll make the calls on retailers. So I was managing the grocery side of the business. And so calling on big, big grocery chains like Albertsons, Safeway, WinCo, places like that. So I was managing out in the West and ended up seeing this huge, gaping opportunity from the company that we were working with, which is a large company. They’re around $5 billion in sales. You know, as a company, we were paying them tens of millions of dollars in brokerage and not getting what we needed. We were it was like pulling teeth to get what we needed, even though we were in their, you know, top five clients. So I saw this huge opportunity to do things differently. And those companies really are really the the same playbook for all the big guys, the big brokerage companies, they’re all debt levered and owned by private equity and have been and been levered and flipped multiple times. So every time that happened, more skin would come off the bone. And really, at the end of the day, these are people, businesses. And so the expenses you end up cutting are people. So what we continue to see was, was as these companies grow and they continue to get debt levered and flipped, there was just an inability to serve at the ground floor. And so I saw this as an opportunity myself and my Co-founder Mark, we saw a huge opportunity to do it differently, to prioritize white glove service and to really create and build a company that people want to work for, that they that they love being a part of, that had a broader mission to it. And that, number one, we served our client to the very best of our ability. And so that’s what we we set out to create almost 11 years ago. And and we have continued to grow year over year double digits. We’re looking at transformational growth in the next in the next 3 to 7 years, continue to expand beyond our geographical boundaries and enhancing and growing our customer base.
John Corcoran 16:58
Now, the last time you mentioned geography, you mentioned Cleveland. How did you end up back in Idaho where you’re from?
Jon Bunten 17:05
Yeah, yeah. So when I was with Smuckers, I was working in the sales finance group. I had an opportunity to take over the West Region and ended up moving out to Idaho. Really? Because at the time I was traveling about 40 weeks a year, and they really didn’t care where I was going to be based at. So I was from Idaho originally, and my ex-wife and I were getting ready to start a family, and so it just made sense for us to relocate there.
John Corcoran 17:33
And what was it like for you? You mentioned, you know, growing up in this abusive home, some people don’t want to go back to where they’re from.
Jon Bunten 17:39
Sure. Yeah, that’s a great question. You know. At the time, I think I, I had come, you know, made a lot of peace with my past and had really found a place of of peace and forgiveness in my life and was excited to get back. Get back home to Idaho. You know, had lived in in a number of places and around the country. And at that time was ready to to go to a little more quiet place. With great cost of living and great quality of life. And so that we found ourselves back there.
John Corcoran 18:13
I spent some time last summer in went through Boise and then McCall, Idaho. Beautiful area and gorgeous Idaho. You know, I never went there until around Covid actually for the first time. And it’s a great place. You know. Oh, I wanted to ask you, you know, as I get older, the more I realize that everyone’s carrying something a burden. So many people have suffered various different traumas in their lives. For you, you mentioned, you know, getting past this previous, you know, abusive home that you built that you, that you grew up in. What were some things that you did and what would you would you advise for others to help them get through some rough upbringing like that?
Jon Bunten 18:59
Yeah. You know, I think for me, you know, going through my divorce, you know, almost six years ago now was actually the most devastating point of my life. It was a place that I got to as a, as an adult man who thought he had everything. And really came to a realization that I wasn’t really I was really unhappy in my life. I had, you know, on the on the surface, I had everything that I ever wanted. And I remember I was on a bike packing trip and just had, you know, like three days into my trip, I was in Montana, and I remember staring up at the, at the sky and having this overwhelming sense come over me of, you have everything you want, but you but you have a big gaping hole inside of you right now. And I remember coming back from that In feeling really unhappy in my marriage, and I remember sharing that with my ex-wife, and I took her to dinner and shared with her. I’m feeling really unhappy. I’d like to. I’d like to, you know, prioritize us and work on our marriage. And I just remember she told me, she said, and I’ll never forget she said, that sounds like a you problem, and you should figure that out. And so to your earlier question that’s really launched me into deep self work. So I spent another two years really in therapy in all sorts of retreats, technologies, biohacking, to really come to a place of of understanding that it wasn’t just a me problem, it was a we problem. And in that process, though, it helped me really get clear about the things that I wanted out of my life. You know, I developed developed a deep meditation practice. I really became, you know, going through my divorce was the lowest point of my life. You know, it was a point where I felt like it was the bottom. Like, I didn’t think that there was a coming back from it. From that. Was.
John Corcoran 21:06
And you have three kids, right? That I’m sure that had a big part role to play in it. Yeah.
Jon Bunten 21:12
Yeah for sure. So it was a point where my identity was rocked. I didn’t I felt that, you know, it was to your point with my kids, I had I had, you know, always been around with them or around them and it was just a very difficult time. So but what it did do was it created a space of humility for me to really recognize and to come to a place of, of really letting go. Like, it was a point in my life that I realized, you know what I shared with you before that I had I had this mantra that if it was up to me, if it’s if it’s meant to be, it’s up to me. Wasn’t working for me anymore. This. This life of forceful doing and And making willing things into existence, into existence wasn’t working for me. And so it was in this like letting go and trusting that the universe had my back and that all was going to be well, was where I found peace. And once I hit that place, that was it was a transformational time period for me and continues to persist in my own self-actualization and and the things that my wife and I do. My, my current wife and I do to today. Our practices around self-care, reflection, meditation are really crucial for us.
John Corcoran 22:29
You also joined Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Looks like in 2018. What role did EO play for you as you were going through these struggles?
Jon Bunten 22:39
Oh my gosh yeah. You know, you know, for me, at the time that I joined, I remember going to an EO meeting and the president of the Idaho chapter at the time, Joel Flake, he he I remember him saying in the intro, if you feel overwhelmed and stressed out and like you can’t add one single additional thing to your plate, then this is the right group for you. And I remember thinking, okay, well, you know what? That’s an interesting way to frame that. And he was right. What it did do was it helped me connect with a group of folks that helped me transform my thinking around business, and helped me to find resources and think about resourcing in a different way. You know, it led me down the path of scaling up and then to EOS in our subsequent years. That really helped me create these, create a really delineated framework for our business that’s allowed us to scale and to grow, and for me to really step out a lot of the day to day of our business. So for me, it was probably one of the best business decisions I ever made.
John Corcoran 23:47
All right.
Jon Bunten 23:47
Let’s first of all say.
John Corcoran 23:49
Yeah, no, I want to get to that. So 2022, you head had to a conference in Huntington Beach, and I was privileged to be there. I don’t think I’ve ever been there. Another time where two people met and then got married. And it was a fun evening. We were all out having fun. I was staying in a house with your now wife, Shama, and a bunch of other, you know, San Francisco members. And there was this guy John. This is my side of the story now. But then I want to hear your side of the story. But there’s this guy, John we met from Idaho who just kept on hanging around and.
Jon Bunten 24:21
Yeah.
John Corcoran 24:23
And and then I remember hearing from Syama a week later that you guys had been on phone basically every day for a week. But but so tell me your side of the story. What was that like?
Jon Bunten 24:34
Yeah, sure. You know, it was really wonderful. You know, I ended up going to the alchemy event in Huntington Beach. Was not expecting to to find my soulmate at that conference. And in fact, I had really I was at a place where I was not looking at all And sat down at the table the first night, and Syama was two seats over, and her and another woman, Stephanie from the Seattle chapter, were engaged in a conversation around spirituality and business. And it piqued my interest and I so I injected myself in the conversation and and we just ended up having this great dialogue. And, you know, she asked me at one point, you know, we she asked me some couple of distinct questions. One of them, which was what what content are you consuming right now? And if you know, Syama, that’s a great question that she likes to ask. But she asked that question. And so she kind of gained insight into what I was reading. And then she asked me the question, who are you? And I knew the question that she was actually really asking me. And so I responded to her and I said, I said, I’m pure consciousness. And so that was enough. I think she was very, you know, intrigued with who is this guy anyways? And so we ended up spending, like you said, you know, we got to know each other through the course of the conference. Spend some time together. And then we didn’t see each other for a month because I was gone to New York for a week afterwards. And then I was traveling. I was sailing for three weeks up the coast of Canada, and but as soon as I got back to Seattle, I flew right to San Francisco. And we had been talking on the phone every night for like 3 to 5 hours almost every night. So we got to really, intimately know each other before we really had any a physical, you know, relationship. And once I reconnected with Sharma, it was it was, I think ten weeks later that we were married. We got married in Venice, Italy.
John Corcoran 26:31
If I remember, I think you were engaged within a month, maybe five weeks or something like that, and then I didn’t. You get married that Thanksgiving. So like maybe. Yeah, ten weeks later or something like that.
Jon Bunten 26:41
That’s right. Yeah.
John Corcoran 26:42
Yeah, it was a little it was a little nutty at the time. But here we’re, we’re two and a half years later.
Jon Bunten 26:47
That’s right. Yeah. And just we’re I mean it’s just incredible. You know we later in your life as you, as you age, I think you just become very clear about what you want. And Syama had gone through her own, you know, soul searching and and her divorce kind of around the same time as mine. And, and so she got really clear about what she wanted. And I’m a firm believer, John, that your your soulmate exists. They are out there and you don’t have to do anything to find them.
John Corcoran 27:17
That’s cool. What a great story. Yeah, it’s a it’s one I’ve told so many people that are involved in neo about that. So it’s really cool to hear your side of the story. John, thank you so much for your time here today. Where can people go to learn more about you? And I know you and Syama actually launched a new business called Big Delta Capital, which is about the intersection of women and wealth. And you’re producing some conferences that are coming up. So tell us a little bit about those.
Jon Bunten 27:43
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So Syama and I have co-founded a company, Big Delta Capital. We are working at the intersection of women and wealth. So the mission of this company is really to create curated networks for women to have expansion opportunities and other networking with women, to have access to education and then tangible opportunities to generate wealth. And then by taking that wealth and then using capital to really change the world and create a vision of the world that women want to see. And so part of this, the pillars of this ecosystem are we have two conferences, one on March 27th in the Presidio in San Francisco and one on May 13th in New York. And you can find information about that at www.women.win And you can find me on LinkedIn.
John Corcoran 28:34
Awesome. Jon, thanks so much.
Jon Bunten 28:37
Thanks, John.
Outro 28:38
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