Jordie Kern

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Helping military vets and their spouses get jobs

When Jordie Kern set out to start his company, 7 Eagle Group, his aims went beyond founding his business. He had a mission. Jordie, the son of a WWII vet, had regretted not joining the military out of high school and had tremendous respect for the men and women who serve our country. “I thought if I could create a business that helps connect military veterans and military spouses with companies that are looking for top talent – that could be amazing.”

Jordie felt confident that veterans, their spouses, and those transitioning out of the military could be an invaluable resource to corporate America, especially in the areas of cyber security and information technology. “They bring leadership skills, grit, dedication, and an incredible can-do attitude.” So in 2014 Jordie founded 7 Eagle Group and set to work helping these job seekers get careers in the civilian sector.

For the first five years, Jordie ran the company as a one-man business, but as things gained momentum, he started to bring on team members – and dream about growing even more.

“Over time I applied for loans from different banks – it can be an unbelievably painful process – and it would only be for, say, $5,000,” he recalls. “I got to the point where I just quit applying.”

New hires and fresh marketing campaigns

Jordie has been a satisfied American Express^® Card Member for 29 years and was using the Business Platinum Card^® for 7 Eagle Group when a representative reached out to tell him about the American Express Business Line of Credit. “I had been thinking about all these things I wanted to do for the business, and I said, ‘This is absolutely perfect for what I need right now!’”

“The application was straightforward– it was like night and day compared to what I had experienced elsewhere.” He soon had access to a line of credit, which was increased within a matter of months.

With his business line of credit, Jordie was able to gain the financial flexibility to hire a videographer and a Vice President of Recruiting, and to fund several direct mail campaigns. “These were all things I had been dreaming of doing – and they all paid for themselves.”

“American Express’s business line of credit really allowed me to put more muscle behind my business and level the playing field with some of my bigger competitors.”

Business success with far-reaching impact

7 Eagle Group is an example of its mission in action. Today they have more than 45 team members, the vast majority of whom are veterans, military spouses, or transitioning service members. And they speak to many candidates on any given day, as they fill scores of positions in any given year.

When asked what he found most valuable about having access to the American Express Business Line of Credit, Jordie didn’t hesitate. “It’s not the money. It’s that we’ve been able to put more military veterans to work because of this – they’re now in a rewarding and lucrative career path. And it doesn’t just affect those who get placed in the job – it’s also the spouse, the kids, the friends – when someone is passionate about going to work and making a good wage, what better result is there?”

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