You've Got to Have GUTS

Martha Daniel is being honored as a Women Veteran Leaders Champion of Change.

Serving my community has always been an important part of my personal and professional life. As a veteran entrepreneur, I founded our Orange County, California chapter of the Elite SDVOB Network. We are actively working towards helping other veterans establish new businesses and grow their current businesses.

Last year, we established a Concierge Program for our veterans returning home. If they need a bank, lawyer, or help understanding how much they should spend on marketing, this program gives them a chance to get “one-on-one” interface with professionals and agencies that have signed up to help other veterans.  

I also believe that it is critical to inspire our youth to achieve academic success. I speak to girls through organizations like Girls Inc, Girl Scouts of America, Young Ladies with Potential, and college students. I have sat on the advisory board of EmpowHer Institute, and I am a national speaker supporting the education initiative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), which encourages girls and women to pursue education and careers in STEM fields. I try to teach women and girls to know their worth so that they can embrace their dreams with boldness, confidence, and a level of certainty that success can be achieved.

As I mentor individuals, I share with them a quote by Dolly Parton that I love. She said, “if you want the rainbow, sometimes you gotta put up with the rain.” That’s one of my favorite quotes that I live by. I say that the first order is to understand that you are going to have some rainy days. 

Over the years, I have developed another belief that is very important in order to be successful. GUTS is an acronym I use to describe it. You’ve got to have what I call GUTS. This is what I tell other entrepreneurs, girls, or women who want to step out to achieve their dreams.

G = Greedy: You can’t be greedy. You just have to know that there is enough opportunity and success out there for everyone. You don’t have to take someone else’s idea; you don’t have to do wrong things. You just have to know that there are enough opportunities so that when you decide to move into your space, you can do it and not be greedy.

U = Unity: You cannot discriminate or segregate yourself. No person is an island, and you cannot build your success alone. Your network is extremely important. The way you can avoid many errors and making mistakes in life is by talking with others who have gone before you who can share their experiences and wisdom.

T = Trustworthy: Say what you mean, mean what you say. Be dependable, be responsible, be honorable, be faithful, and do a good job. You will always have your reputation, so make it a good one!

S = Spiritual: As an ordained minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, I believe in God. I encourage all that I come into contact with to step out on faith and trust in the Almighty, because there are some things you just can’t fix alone. It is important to know that there will be trials, challenges, and decisions that you will have to make that no one in the human race can help you with; it’s going to take divine intervention. 

Martha Daniel is the Founder, President and CEO of Information Management Resources, Inc, a Service Disabled Veteran and Woman Owned Small Business that delivers cyber security, program management, engineering, and technology support to federal and state government agencies and commercial business enterprises.