James DeVary
James DeVary is a dedicated US Army veteran who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). After a successful 17-year career on Wall Street, James transitioned to entrepreneurship, where he now leads Senior Helpers of Gilbert and Chandler, a thriving business with a team of 60-plus employees.
James was the 2024 GilbertChamber Emerging Business Leader Of The Year. A devoted husband and father of two, James enjoys taking on endurance challenges and races as a personal pursuit. In addition to professional and personal achievements, James serves as a passionate board member of veteran charity, reflecting a deep commitment to supporting fellow veterans and their communities.
Episode Transcription
Guiding Growth. Conversations with Community Leaders. In this podcast, we'll explore the human journey of leaders, their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know. This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, providing resources, connections and belonging for business professionals and modern moments, an event and meeting venue in the heart of Gilbert and at Gilbert Independent, your valley. net dedicated to serving readers with good community journalism. The Gilbert Independent is a nonpartisan newspaper, an online site that covers our town's institutions, development and events.
Subscribe and follow Your valley. net Daily to stay up to date with latest local news. We are in a new space today. Recording yet another podcast show. I know we are right here in the brand new catalyst, which is a pretty cool room. I must say this is actually I feel like I'm at a cafe, but yet I'm recording a show with, you know, it is amazing, especially because of the company we have today. And who is that not you? Today's guest is a US army veteran who proudly served in both operation, enduring freedom and operation, Iraqi freedom.
After a 282 year successful career on Wall Street, he made a bold transition into entrepreneurship, becoming the president of senior helpers of Gilbert and Chandler where he leads a team of over 219 employees, a passionate advocate for veterans. He's also actively involved as a board member of a veteran charity recently is the 203 Gilbert Chamber emerging business leader of the year. His story is one of resilience leadership and dedication. He is a proud husband and father of two young Children. Please welcome James Deve to the show. Hey, hey, well, hello, welcome to the show.
Thank you. We're glad you're here. Well, I'm excited to be here. So let's do what we always do, which is start with rapid fire and here we go. Your first. Would you rather travel to the past or to the future future? What is your hidden talent? Oh, good question. Dancing. Oh, would you rather attend a hip hop concert or a rock concert? Hip hop? Have you ever lived abroad in the army? Yes. Never as a civilian. Ok. I think we would. Yeah, that's abroad. What is your go to snack grapes, green grapes right now?
I should have guessed that one. What makes you hopeful people? Are you more of a thinker or a doer doer? Ok. This is a fun one. You already, if someone were to play you in a movie, who would you want that to be Ed Norton. You, you knew that but not your favorite, your hidden talent. I don know. I see myself in a movie. Well, I've been in the movie but somebody playing me one day. What is your favorite pastime or hobby? I like to hike now now.
But what was it? Running? Oh, now I'm lazy. So, I walk. Yeah. Last one. Here we go. Glass half full or half empty. I'm gonna say my wife will say it's empty. Do you ever feel like your business is stuck? It's time to get traction and move it forward. Call Chris Spear, your business coach and certified E US implementer. He'll help you use the entrepreneurial operating system to get traction and achieve your vision. Call Chris today at 204. That's 22006. Well, before we get into lazy hiking, I would like to first talk about you and what life looked like for you.
Um You have so many different experiences and journeys. Um I am curious what childhood looked like for you. Uh Childhood was crazy. Uh It started off with my parents and my brother having cancer. I was six months. So I went to the church and my parents went to Saint Jude's. So um yeah, that was childhood and then off and on. Um then got back, my brother's still alive. So he was given 225 hours to live at Saint Jude's. He's 173 lots of issues to this day, but just an amazing person.
So, yeah. So that's how it started. Um, and then had a good childhood. I grew up doing things in the community because my mom said we're always gonna get back. Where was this? Uh He was in, we were living in Louisiana at the time. So Baton Rouge, well, just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. So, and then moved from Louisiana to Delaware to finished, uh, school in high school. What did high school look like? A lot of fun? Uh, wrestled, played sports. What? Wait, so I was 217 and three.
My, uh, my freshman sophomore year was a, no, it all. So I quit the junior year and then went back for 25. My senior year, that's when I graduated 210. Yes. So, and then, uh, then tried college for a year north of Pittsburgh. Ended up back home because I enjoyed the party and then ended up in the Army, which was the best thing I ever did. Um, so just a really good stepping stone. So, back in high school. So this, this wrestling coach, did you have a kindred spirit with him or is there?
We did? He was a great guy. Uh, Dicky Howe, his, his brothers were big involved and, you know, they would just do anything for us. So I was just a know it all little punk. So I think now I always, I always ask these questions because it's true for me too. But I think about the coaches and teachers, any of them, like you think about the things you're doing now and how you are today, that kind of get 100%. I I've been very fortunate starting from my mother to be around good leaders. Right.
So might not always been a business leader, but just like, as showing you how to do something and do it the right way. Not just to do it because you're gonna gain from it. So, whether it was military high school coach or wrestling coach and even his brother, Dickie Howe's brother was our junior high coach. Right? So, there was a tradition there. So, just you and your brother? No, I have a sister. So I'm the youngest. Yeah. Yeah. So I have an older brother who's, uh, like I said, 49.
Now, my sister is a year older than me. I love to make fun of her. So, but yes. So the three of us. Ok. So military, um, that's because college was fun and you decided you just needed to do something different. And that was an, that's right. So, yeah, I went away to school for a year and then got kicked out of Slippery rock University because of grades and too much partying. That's right. And then ended up back in a local Delaware State University. And doing well, academic wise.
But I realized that I was going to go nowhere so decided to go into the army. So well, I mean, you make it sound like it was just a simple decision and one day you just, but what was it that you, I mean, really, how did you get there? So, I was an athlete but I had zero discipline. Right. So I just relied on natural talents to be good and play sports. But again, didn't have anyone really pushing me that I would listen to. Um, and then, you know, it was more of a lot of issues I was having with my, my parents moving back, you move out, you move back in and you're, you're like, I'm not gonna listen to anybody. Right?
I'm 19 year old punk. He had all the answers. I sure did. Yes and little did. I know. Um So, yeah, and that's what it was. I woke up one day I was partying with a friend. So I'm gonna go in the army. He was like, yeah, me too. So we went, signed up, we were recruiter was like, what do you want? You want college money? No, I'd like to shoot guns and I'd like to be outside. He said, you want to go into the infantry? I was like, what's that?
He was like, we'll send you to Georgia, you'll be outside and you can shoot all the guns you want. So like, camping. I was like, I'm in, so signed up four years and said I'll leave in January. This was in, like October. So that was it. And it was, it was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Yeah. Best thing I ever did in those first few months. Did you see that? It was the best thing you ever did. I, what are some of the things you went through?
I loved it. Basic training. I, I really was. That's who I was. I, I wanted to be outdoors. I wanted to be challenged. I wanted to challenge other people. I was a very aggressive, young man. Um, so infantry was perfect for me. I was gonna do a life in service and then I got to the 82nd. I love the 82nd infantry life. I didn't like the garrison life. So I went to Afghanistan and got out afterwards. So I can also imagine just knowing what I do about you as an achiever that, um, there was probably something that you wanted to live up to or maybe like, just be something bigger than, than what you were seeing. Yeah.
Yeah, definitely. Um, yeah, I mean, I have so many ways of going there but yeah, it's, um, you know, as you get older you learn why you do or you should be learning and I've been learning why I do certain things. Um, but yeah, it's more for me it's more of how I process my survivor guilt. I want to just keep accomplishing things and I think you should share a little bit about you shared with us some of your biggest success, but also some of the challenges you faced.
And so I'd love for you to share that with our listeners. Sure. Oh, it's a good question. So, are we talking about business or just life? Well, I think so. You shared your returning home from Iraq and, and that you came home alive and you came home with the lives of your, um, sorry that you came home, um, as a squad leader with 24 soldiers and, and what that looked like for you. Yeah. Um, so, so Afghanistan was, it was a lot of fun. It was a wild experience.
You know, I was 53. I was in charge of about 2425 guys in the infantry. We were shipped out to special operations team. I was not in special operations. We just supported them. So we got to run a lot of cool missions with them. Um, didn't really have much action outside of driving through minefield. So it was, you know, it was a different war for me than it was for and this was in 2002. So that we were the third wave into Afghanistan with big army. So it was a different war for me than most people when they went in like mid two thousands.
Um, so that wasn't much of a life changer in a sense outside of just rugged living, we had no running water, we had no electricity. We had zero phones. You were in the middle of nowhere with no one for you. It was just 40 of us on the ground. So you really learned a real bond. Um, then I thought I was gonna hide. So I joined the National Guard unit. Moved to New York City, got a finance, um, license to work on Wall Street because I was just fortunate to get a job because I was in the army.
Um, and then about a year into finance working on Wall Street because I was in the National Guard. I got reactivated and I went to Iraq. Um, so that's probably my biggest success is returning home and it's not so much because of me, it's just pure luck when you're in certain situations where you're just in the wrong spot at the wrong time when a bomb goes off. Right. But it was, it's a big accomplishment for me to be able to bring everybody home alive. We lost a, uh, it was a really, really hard trip in Iraq.
Um So, but yeah, that's my biggest accomplishment to the state. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thanks. Yeah, that's, uh, that a lot right there. So thank you for your service and I'm sure you have lots of stories to talk about that. But let's talk about some of the, the, the folks that were in that journey with you that maybe mentored you in that and like, what kind of things did you learn from that and other things that you might inspire others with that you learned? Yeah. Um So again, just being blessed in being in the right areas and having great leaders around me and you don't realize it when you're in the moment sometimes.
But looking back, I can see where the foundations were started. Um In Afghanistan, I was uh I worked underneath an individual. His name is um sergeant first class walker. He was a former Delta operator. He got injured. So he got sent down the the 82nd. He was my, he was my platoon sergeant. So I worked underneath him. And that's where I learned, you know, again, just being a young punk but successful because I was physically fit. I learned that you should always try to improve your local environment.
And that is the biggest thing I think I've ever learned. Um We recently lost them to suicide, which is really sad. Um But yeah, OK. So after service, um so you talked about New York and then you were called again and then did you go back to New York? And what did life look like? Yeah. So Iraq was really hard. So we lost 19 guys. So I got home, I uh tried to decompress. So I moved back to New York and then let me, sorry, let me back up.
So I got back to New York, got out of the, uh, the active mode of National Guard. You get activated to go overseas when you come back home, they put you back on National Guard status, which now you're a state asset, not a federal government. So once I got taken off that I was, then I, I just went back to North Carolina just to kind of figure out what was going on in life. So I took two months off and then went back to New York in January.
So that was October to January. I lived in North Carolina just trying to figure out life. So I went back to Wall Street, started working, just put my head down and then just started figuring out how I was gonna create a new career path and move on without, you know, what, what I had just gone through. I tried to do everything on my own. And then one day I got connected to a Vietnam veteran. I was like, hey, we do this lunch, you should come to it.
So I was like, all right, why not? So I went, went to the luncheon and just, just brought me back to where I needed to be. And that's why I learned where I process my, my survivor guilt and my issues is through helping others. So I just started working with wounded athletes, wounded veterans and just try different charities to figure out what it was, that really helped me inside. And that's why I think I really got to where I am because it was more the, I, I get more fulfillment of helping others.
So, ok. So you're in New York? Um, how long are you there? And what are you doing there? Sure. So, originally moved there in 03 and then, like I said, I was there for a year or so in 04, I got sent overseas and came back and really got back to New York City in 2006, January. And that's where I started working. Uh Actually the 25th of this month would be my five year anniversary in Arizona. So, yeah, we moved here five years ago. So uh very fortunate to meet a beautiful young lady in New York City and Laura.
And then uh we decided we had our first child there. Um in 2018, we decided to move here to be closer to family. So, yeah, I was there for about 17 years. So a lot of fun but great experience, I think I was there two years too long. But like I said, I loved it. What got you into that financial industry because it seems like when you took that break in North Carolina, you said took a couple of months off and you figure things out, you went back to financial, you didn't really talk about how you got into that into that uh just right place, right time.
So when I was in basic training, I met a guy from Queens, New York. We became really good friends. He had a seizure. I helped him. We just became good friends. He got medically put out of the service. We always stayed in touch. So when, when I would have breaks in the army before going to Afghanistan, I would always go to New York City instead of going to my family and hang out with him and party. Right. So then when I came home from Afghanistan, his uncle had a brokerage firm.
That's how I got my job. So because of that relationship, I knew nothing about finance. That's where I was going. I was like, do you have a background in this? Just got sucked. Just say, yes. You know, military people say, never volunteer. I disagree. I volunteered for airborne school, you know, again, just raise your hand, figure it out. You know, if you don't like it, don't do it again if you like it, keep doing it. But is there anything you miss about east coast living right now?
Not really. I love, I love it out here. There's a, you know, I'm a big outdoors person. I, after the service I grew up hunting and fishing and got in the service when I got out, I just didn't like it. But now I'm starting to, you know, miss that and, you know, again getting hiking and yeah, Grand Canyon's awesome. Just the outdoors out here. I love it. So, alright. So you did share an amazing true fact that you were one of three runners across the country selected by Under Armour to be featured in there.
First running line commercial. I raised my hand. So uh Under Armour, I forget what year it was, but they were going out to all the running clubs and saying, hey, we're gonna put out a running line if you have a hard workout, submit it and you know, you may get selected. So I submit. I literally that morning ran with a friend of mine in New York City and we had a pitcher because it was so cold. We had ice crystals over our eyes. So I submitted that and then I put in some of the workouts that I had been doing.
Um So then I had like four casting calls to go through and just made it. So it was a really cool experience. Ben also applied for that. He didn't get, I had cheeseburgers in my hand when I was running. They didn't like that apparently, but that's pretty talented if it is eat cheeseburgers and run at the same time, I tell you, I choke on water. Yeah. So OK. So how do you get involved in the company you're in today? So, was that something that you found once you were in Arizona?
It is. Yeah. Um So again, my brother having cancer. I was pretty much, my mom is a caregiver. Right. So, I just didn't know, you know, we survived on church friends and, and what you could do. Right. So, I didn't know it was a profession and then even through my process of, of working through charities, like I ran as a wounded veteran. Anytime a veteran was in New York City or even on the east coast and they needed somebody to run with or do something with. I would just go. Right.
Um, so I moved out here, I was talking to one of my neighbors. I was actually hosting a neighborhood event and I invited him over and he was like, well, any time I leave, I have to pay someone to come watch my wife because she had Alzheimer's. And that's when I learned that this was an actual business industry and the lights just came on because I was looking for something to do as far as a family business and it just made sense because we were already dealing with it.
So, yeah, so started looking at franchises and made the decision. That's what do you think you've learned over the years from the experiences that you've had through that business, uh through the senior helpers business. There's a lot of good people and there's a lot more people that need help than what we really think. Yeah, being a caregiver is just to be a good caregiver. It's just an amazing person because it's, again, it's the fulfillment that they're looking for. It's not the financial. So I think we missed the part about how you got to Arizona.
I have a beautiful young wife and I wanted to move to Texas and we don't have any family in Texas, so we decided to come here. So it was either either this area, the Phoenix area or, um, San Diego, lower California. And again, I was, I just like it out here. So that's how we got here. OK. Family. Yeah, that's cool. And then, so starting this thing, you said, you mentioned it was a franchise type thing that you maybe modeled into, is that right? But how did you discover that?
And what was someone helping you figure this stuff out? I'm always curious who helps doing these things because we as humans always look for help, right? Yeah. Yeah. So who, who's helping you in all this process? So good question. My background in finance, I started in just equities and then I started just primarily investing in mostly private investments. So I had a background in investing in, in my opinion, viewing private companies. So again, I was looking for a family investment for our family portfolio and I was looking at just different um um dry cleaners, just different industries.
And I spoke to the neighbor and learned that this was a business model and I just started reaching out to franchises and again, a lot of my younger years, I wouldn't listen to people. The military taught me, hey, I'll give you a path, follow it and you'll do well. So the franchise model for me works because I know the caregiver side, I know what it takes. I've seen my mom do it and I helped write, but it kind of gave you a playbook of like, here's. Exactly.
And that's why I knew for me, the franchise model was the best because I've got a coach and I speak to my coach. I've got a corporate office. They tell me XYZ and of course, they give me the flexibility to pick and choose who I want to work with. But they give me a really strong model and they give us a lot of support. So it just made sense and I know that, um, having involvement in the community is so important to you, what, um, nonprofits do you work with?
And, and what do they bring to you? Another good question. So, I'm still a board member of United War Veterans Council. It's a New York City organization. Um, I just, it's tough to, to break those roots. We produce the New York City Veterans Day parade and a bunch of other events throughout the year. Um, locally, honor Flights of Phoenix has been phenomenal. Um Yeah, there's just so many different ones that I'm part of a rotary. So we get involved in a lot of organizations and just the community themselves.
Uh, if I could put a plug in, we're doing a Veterans Day car drive. So the community makes cards for us. So, again, there's just a lot back to a lot of good people that want a purpose. And, you know, I think if you offer them good purpose, there's a lot of good people out there that'll help. Yeah, that's amazing. Ok. So let's talk about maybe where we're heading now with this journey. Let's come in next. What's down the road growth for the company? So we're franchise.
So as far as what we can do, we can provide care in Chandler and Gilbert and because there's no franchise owner south of us in Casa Grande Maricopa, we can go down there. So that's where the growth is because I really, for me, this business is just so fulfilling and I just want to grow as much as possible to provide what I believe we're doing for our team to more people. So is it, is it staff is the biggest blocker for growth or how, what's, what's, what, where was it?
Word, word of mouth, word of mouth. We have not had an issue hiring. I know it's a really big issue for a lot of people and I don't have the answer for every industry because I know it's hard. Um for us, like I said, it hasn't been an issue. So it's just getting the word out and letting people know everybody listening right now. Get the word out. Yeah. Yeah. And that's really what it is. So, how about for you? What is the, um, I mean, you have a beautiful family.
I know you're a busy dad. What does life look like for you and your family in the next 5, 10 years? Well, the kids and I, we just started fishing again. You might find us on one of the lakes around here because they're into it. Um But that's really where it is. We just wanna grow and be part of the actual community. So our kids can, we can ride our bikes down downtown Gilbert and have tacos when we want. Right. So that's, we just wanna live that nice suburban life where we're safe and everybody's happy and comfortable and we can see somebody at the coffee shop like we, I just ran into before I got here and say hi and just know people.
Yeah, that's a good feeling. And it's just to have a community that, you know, Gilbert's always been good for that and a safe place for our kids to live and for our families to be. So the kids don't have to leave and we don't have to worry about, you know, what's gonna happen when we close our doors. Absolutely. Well, this has been an incredible episode. Thank you for sharing your story and the journeys you've been on. Thank you for your service. We are honored to have you here with us today?
Thank you, Sarah. You have any final words. You always have final words. You, well, I'm, I'm proud of what you've done with your business and the way that you've served the business community as well and, and really how you've helped us to bridge veterans and business as well. So, congratulations to you and thank you for all that you do for the chamber. We appreciate it. Thank you guys. Yeah. So if you enjoyed this episode, which I know you did subscribe to our tribe, so you can get these in your inbox.
You can know when we send out another episode. And thanks for listening, guiding growth, conversations with community leaders. Ben, let me ask you a question. How do you see other community members being involved in this podcast? This is going to be a great opportunity for so many people in the community to have a chance to be heard if they want to tell their story or if they just want to be part of this journey with us and help sponsor in a way that helps bring more people to the table with us.
So I think there's many opportunities at hand whether you want to again be on the show, reach out to us, let us know what your story is and how you think you could be part of it. We'd love to hear from you. Reach out, let us know and we'll see if we can make that connection.
