Resilience in 60 Seconds: My Elevator Pitch for Resilience Repurposed LLC

If you had just one minute to share your business’s mission, value, and unique impact, what would you say?

That’s the question behind the classic elevator pitch, and in both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, it’s one of the most powerful tools you can master. Whether you’re at a networking event, pitching to investors, or simply explaining your work to someone new, those 60 seconds can open doors… or close them.

For Resilience Repurposed LLC, my focus has always been on sustainable, adaptive, and veteran-led innovation. Our work bridges 3D printing, laser engraving, and other advanced manufacturing processes to create purpose-driven solutions for small businesses, custom projects, and sustainability initiatives.

In this elevator pitch, I wanted to do three things:

1. Communicate who we are and why our mission matters.
2. Highlight the practical value we deliver to customers.
3. Leave the listener with a clear next step if they want to connect.

🎧 Listen to the pitch here: Resilience Repurposed LLC Elevator Pitch – Spotify

I approach an elevator pitch like a living asset, something that should evolve as your business grows. The version you hear today isn’t set in stone. It’s informed by the work we’re doing now, the customers we’re serving, and the opportunities we’re pursuing in sustainable manufacturing. A year from now, the language may be sharper, the focus narrower, or the audience more specialized.

If you’re working on your own pitch, here’s what I’ve learned from refining mine:

• Lead with clarity. Avoid jargon. A clear message is far more valuable than a clever one.
• Anchor it in purpose. Why you exist matters as much as what you do.
• Make it easy to share. Your pitch should be short enough that someone else can repeat it to their network without losing key details.

I believe a good elevator pitch isn’t just a tool; it’s a reflection of the current state of your business identity. It’s a way to test your messaging in real time and see if people light up when they hear it.

So… what’s your story in 60 seconds?

💬 Drop your elevator pitch in the comments or send me a message, I’d love to hear how you’re telling your story.

SEO Keywords: Elevator Pitch, Entrepreneur Marketing, Sustainable Manufacturing, Veteran-Owned Business, Resilience Repurposed LLC, 3D Printing, Laser Engraving, Business Networking

Blog Post Draft

Title: Elevator Pitch – Resilience Repurposed LLC

Intro Paragraph:

At Resilience Repurposed LLC, we specialize in transforming ideas into tangible, sustainable products through advanced 3D printing, precision laser cutting, and custom design. As a veteran-owned business, our mission is to combine innovation, craftsmanship, and eco-conscious practices to create solutions that last.

Embedded Audio / Download Link:

Transcript:

“Hi, I’m Brent Parker, founder of Resilience Repurposed LLC — a veteran-owned business specializing in sustainable, precision manufacturing. We use advanced 3D printing, laser cutting, and custom design to help individuals and small businesses bring big ideas to life. Whether it’s a one-off prototype or a full production run, we deliver high-quality, eco-conscious solutions that are built to last. My mission is to combine innovation, craftsmanship, and sustainability to create products that make a real impact — and to help other entrepreneurs turn vision into reality.”

Closing Line:

This elevator pitch reflects the heart of Resilience Repurposed LLC — where innovation meets purpose, and every project is built with precision, sustainability, and care.

Behind the Logo: The Process That Built a Brand That Works

Before you ever build a brand that grows, you have to build one that fits. Not just visually—but strategically, functionally, and personally. This is the story behind the logo I chose for Resilience Repurposed LLC, and what it taught me about alignment, systems, and sustainable identity.

🎯 From Too Many Ideas to One Aligned Identity

When I started Resilience Repurposed LLC, I didn’t expect the hardest design choice to be my logo. Over the span of a year, I created over 78 drafts—some clean, some raw, and most of them wrong.

At first, I tried fun symbols, abstract icons, and edgy graphics. They looked cool—but when I mocked them up on product packaging or laser engravings, something felt off. They didn’t say “this is a business that uses engineering, design, and advanced manufacturing to solve real-world problems.” They said, “this might look good on a sticker.” And I needed more than that.

So I went through every version—erased parts, repurposed lines, simplified shapes. I took notes. I tested how they looked on screens, in vector files, and on real-world items like business cards and workshop signage. One by one, I ruled out every option that didn’t reflect what I actually do.

Eventually, I landed on a design that looked like a 3D printer head—but also resembled a CNC router and laser engraving tool. It worked across every service I offer. And it was simple, strong, and scalable.

I chose red, white, and blue not just for contrast, but because of what they stand for. As a U.S. Army veteran, that color palette connects to my roots. The text below the symbol lays it out clearly: 3D modeling & printing, laser engraving & cutting, programming & consulting.

This logo now lives on my products, proposals, and professional identity. And it’s working—because it does what every good system does: it communicates clearly, performs consistently, and grows with purpose.

💡 Final Takeaway

A logo isn’t just a design. It’s a decision. If your branding doesn’t communicate who you are and what you deliver, it’s just decoration. Form follows function—even in business identity.

🔁 Coming Next

I’ll be sharing the principles behind how I systemize my work—from custom fabrication to client onboarding—and how these systems support my mission to serve veteran entrepreneurs and small businesses alike.

💬 Share This With a Future Founder

Know someone struggling with branding? Send this their way. Especially if they’re caught up in “cool-looking” instead of “clear-working.”

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Want insights on sustainable manufacturing, veteran entrepreneurship, and building systems that scale?

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Strategic Media Plan for Resilience Repurposed LLC

Introduction:
At Resilience Repurposed LLC, careful planning and strategic media use are key to growing our brand in a competitive landscape. This Strategic Media Plan outlines how we will leverage blogging, podcasting, YouTube, email, and social media between May 1 and May 31, 2025 to expand visibility, engage audiences, and support business growth—all while maintaining a lean marketing budget.

You can view the full overview in the screencast below, and review the full media plan directly embedded beneath the video.

🎬 Watch the Screencast Walkthrough

📊 Full Strategic Media Plan Table

Closing Statement:

This Strategic Media Plan positions Resilience Repurposed LLC for a strong post-course marketing launch, focusing on quality content, audience engagement, and efficient resource use.
Thank you for reviewing the plan!

All content © 2025 Brent Parker | Resilience Repurposed LLC

The Resilience Repurposed Podcast

Episode: Veteran Resilience, Innovation, and Leadership – An Interview with Brent Parker

Host: Jeff McDaniel
Guest: Brent Parker, Owner of Resilience Repurposed LLC

🎧 Listen to the Interview

🎙️ Introduction

In this episode, Jeff McDaniel interviews Brent Parker, a combat veteran, engineer, and founder of Resilience Repurposed LLC. Brent shares the journey from military service to engineering leadership and small business ownership. They explore how military training, adversity, and a mindset of constant adaptation shape resilience, innovation, and entrepreneurial success.

🌱 Icebreakers & Personal Passions

Brent discusses his love for plants, art, reading, and spending time with family. He talks about how a bonsai tree helps him gauge his mental health and how creativity, nature, and service ground him outside of work. If he could travel anywhere, he’d visit Sri Lanka to reconnect with a friend and gain fresh perspective.

🪖 From Infantry to Engineering

Brent explains how infantry life instilled a mindset of “adapt and overcome,” essential to problem-solving in engineering and business. He draws parallels between military patrols and real-world manufacturing: planning, improvising, and stretching resources when needed.

🧠 Intelligence & Operational Planning in Business

His background in HUMINT and SIGINT taught him how to gather information before acting. Brent applies this to project planning through tools like mind mapping—especially helpful in managing ADHD and organizing engineering tasks in civilian roles and entrepreneurship.

🏗️ The Launch of Resilience Repurposed LLC

Initially starting in software consulting, Brent shifted toward physical product creation to feel more connected to his work. Today, his business spans 3D printing, laser etching, and CNC prototyping using plastics, polymers, metals, and more.

🎓 Educational & Technical Foundation

Brent holds an AAS in Welding and Building Construction and a BS in Welding Engineering Technology from Ferris State University. Inspired by material science and exposure to innovators like Mike Rowe, he pursued welding as a medium for applied science, not just skilled labor.

🤖 Robotics, CNC, and AI Integration

The conversation shifts into future tech: Brent’s building multi-axis robots, automating manufacturing, and helping family businesses evolve. He discusses cobots, collaborative design, and the potential of AI to close the skill gap in the trades.

💡 Translating Complexity for Clients

Brent explains how he breaks down technical solutions for customers by adapting to their communication style. Using analogies and sketches, he transforms client ideas into tangible CAD models and iterative prototypes they understand and trust.

🌍 Veteran Perspective & Leadership

He reflects on how military hierarchy shaped his approach to leadership, collaboration, and emotional intelligence—emphasizing learning from both good and bad leaders. Brent believes strongly in treating everyone with respect and humility, regardless of rank or title.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Business, Family, and Personal Growth

Brent discusses the balance between running a business and honoring family. After experiencing divorce, loss, and caretaking, he’s learned the importance of putting on his own “oxygen mask” first—taking care of himself to better serve others. He now helps his father and sister expand their own businesses through automation and engineering support.

⚖️ Reflections on Service, Struggle, and Self-Worth

Brent emphasizes that real strength comes from knowing when to step back, be kind to yourself, and cut ties with people or systems that no longer serve your growth. His story is one of learning through hardship, leveraging trauma into innovation, and creating meaning through service and resilience.

📌 Final Takeaway

This conversation captures what it means to be a veteran, an innovator, and a lifelong learner. Brent's journey reminds us that healing, building, and leading are not separate paths—they’re part of the same mission.

Recorded and transcribed with permission. Podcast produced by Resilience Repurposed LLC.

Situation Analysis of Resilience Repurposed LLC

Written by: Brent Parker
Business: Resilience Repurposed LLC
Program: ENT 610 – Entrepreneurial Creation
Date: April 2025

🎬 Introduction

Welcome to my situational analysis of Resilience Repurposed LLC, my entrepreneurial venture based on engineering-driven innovation, advanced fabrication technology, and creative problem-solving.

This blog provides a complete business strategy breakdown using SWOT, PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and Porter’s Value Chain frameworks. It also includes embedded screencasts for each section, designed to educate and inform anyone interested in small-batch manufacturing or entrepreneurship.

🔍 Value Proposition

Resilience Repurposed LLC delivers custom-engineered, high-performance products using advanced 3D printing and CO₂ laser cutting techniques. We focus on precision, adaptability, and rapid turnaround and serve small businesses and individual innovators looking for low-volume, high-impact solutions.

This includes prototypes, tooling, personalized items, and batch production—all from a workshop rooted in lean systems, technical expertise, and quality-first values.

Reference: Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.

✅ SWOT Analysis

• Strengths: Engineering and manufacturing experience, advanced 3D printing and laser technologies, customization, speed, and small-batch flexibility
• Weaknesses: Limited startup capital, small team, early-stage brand visibility
• Opportunities: Growth in demand for unique, custom-manufactured goods, local partnerships and small business collaboration, expansion into short-run production services
• Threats: Supply chain disruptions, competition in the maker/manufacturing space, shifting economic conditions impacting consumer spending

Reference: Gurel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: A theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research.

🌐 PESTLE Analysis

• Political: Tariffs and regulations affecting imported materials, incentives for reshoring manufacturing
• Economic: Inflation and material price volatility, demand shifts in small-scale fabrication
• Social: Preference for locally made, custom products, growing interest in DIY and maker culture
• Technological: Advances in additive manufacturing and CAD tools, expansion of material options
• Legal: IP considerations, compliance with safety labeling and digital delivery
• Environmental: Interest in sustainable materials, low-waste production processes

Reference: Aguilar, F. J. (1967). Scanning the Business Environment. Macmillan.

🏁 Porter’s Five Forces

• Threat of New Entrants: Moderate – accessible tools, but experience and quality are differentiators
• Supplier Power: Moderate – reliance on niche materials affects price and delivery timelines
• Buyer Power: Moderate to high – customers expect precision, customization, and competitive pricing
• Threat of Substitutes: Low – few off-the-shelf alternatives meet the same level of personalization
• Industry Rivalry: High – crowded space with makers, engineers, and Etsy-style operations

Reference: Porter, M. E. (1979). How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review.

⚙️ Porter’s Value Chain

Primary Activities:

• Inbound Logistics: Specialty filaments, substrates, and tooling
• Operations: 3D printing, CAD design, and CO₂ laser cutting
• Outbound Logistics: Shipping, digital delivery, and local drop-offs
• Marketing & Sales: Word-of-mouth, blog content, and local outreach
• Service: Consultations, customer support, and feedback loops

Support Activities:

• Procurement: Reliable sourcing at scale
• Technology: CAD software, machine calibration, and upgrades
• HR Management: Solo operator with expansion potential
• Infrastructure: Lean, workshop-based production model

Reference: Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.

📈 Strategic Summary & Outlook

Resilience Repurposed LLC is strategically positioned to thrive in a market that values customization, speed, and technical precision. With a lean infrastructure and high-performance tools, the company is designed for agile production without compromising quality.

Future goals include increasing local visibility, building partnerships with creative agencies and product designers, and expanding into short-run commercial fabrication.

This situation analysis has helped me refine my roadmap, and I hope it will help you better understand how to evaluate your business using these proven models.

All screencasts and visuals created by Brent Parker. Citations follow APA style.

How to Choose the Right 3D Printing Material

 Introduction

Choosing the right material for 3D printing isn’t just about picking what’s available—it’s about finding the perfect match between your design, application, and budget. Whether you’re printing a functional prototype, a consumer product, or an artistic display, the material you select plays a critical role in determining the strength, appearance, and performance of the final part (Gibson, Rosen, & Stucker, 2021). This article breaks down the most common types of 3D printing materials, their benefits, limitations, and how to make wise choices based on your project’s needs.

 The Big Four: Plastics, Resins, Composites, and Metal Filaments

 Thermoplastics: The Everyday Workhorse

Thermoplastics are the most common materials in 3D printing, especially for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers. Popular options include:

PLA (Polylactic Acid) is easy to print, biodegradable, and cost-effective. It is ideal for prototypes, decorative items, and non-functional parts.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is stronger and more heat-resistant than PLA but is prone to warping without a heated bed. ABS is common in automotive parts and functional prototypes.

PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) is a material that combines strength, flexibility, and minimal warping. It is excellent for parts exposed to moderate stress and wear.

 Photopolymer Resins: High Detail and Smooth Finish

Resins are primarily used in SLA (Stereolithography) and DLP (Digital Light Processing) printers. They offer excellent surface finish and detail resolution.

- Standard Resin: Great for highly detailed models, miniatures, or display pieces.

- Tough Resin: Offers better impact resistance for functional parts.

- Flexible Resin: Used for parts that require bending or slight deformation.

Resin prints typically require post-processing (washing and UV curing) but offer unmatched detail (Criswell, 2020).

 Composite Filaments: Strength with a Twist

Composites are filaments blended with other materials to enhance mechanical properties or visual appeal.

Carbon Fiber-Filled Filament is exceptionally rigid and lightweight, ideal for drones, RC components, and structural parts.

Wood-filled filament contains wood fibers for a realistic wooden texture and appearance. It is commonly used in decor and crafts.

Metal-filled filament is infused with metal powder for added weight and a metallic finish. It is popular for aesthetic parts and jewelry.

 Metal Filaments: Beyond Plastics

Metal 3D printing is typically reserved for Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) or Metal Fused Filament Fabrication (Metal FFF) processes.

- Stainless Steel: Common in tooling, fixtures, and even jewelry.

- Aluminum and Titanium: Used in aerospace and high-performance applications.

These processes require specialized printers and post-processing but produce functional metal parts suitable for demanding applications (Gibson et al., 2021).

 How to Choose the Right Material

When selecting a 3D printing material, consider:

1. Functionality: Will the part endure mechanical stress, heat, or wear? For strength, consider ABS, PETG, or carbon fiber composites.
2. Detail & Finish: Resins outperform most thermoplastics for smooth surfaces and fine detail.
3. Budget: PLA is affordable and sufficient for many prototypes and non-load-bearing components.
4. Post-Processing: Resins may require extra steps like curing, while thermoplastics often need minimal finishing.
5. End Use: Consider the part's lifespan, environmental exposure, and appearance needs.

Material Selection Examples

 Conclusion

The variety of 3D printing materials available today allows designers and manufacturers to tailor each print to its intended use. By understanding each material's properties, costs, and processing requirements, you can make smarter decisions and achieve better outcomes for your projects.

 About This Blog

This blog explores topics related to additive manufacturing, digital fabrication, and modern production techniques. It is designed to help makers, engineers, and small businesses navigate the ever-evolving world of manufacturing.

 About This Writer

Lewis Brent Parker, Jr., is an engineer, veteran, and entrepreneur who specializes in manufacturing and digital fabrication. Through his work in engineering and small business leadership, he shares practical insights into modern production methods and innovative design practices.

 References

- Criswell, A. (2020). Small Business Prototyping: Tools for Designers and Makers. Maker Media.

- Gibson, I., Rosen, D. W., & Stucker, B. (2021). Additive Manufacturing Technologies: 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, and Direct Digital Manufacturing (3rd ed.). Springer.