In 2008, Nick Baucom returned from active duty as an infantryman in Iraq only to find out that his career prospects were few and far between.
"I couldn't find a job. I was nearly a broke," Baucom says on CNBC's "Blue Collar Millionaires." And he needed work: "My wife at the time was pregnant and I needed to put food on the table."
Every so often his neighbors in Alexandria, VA, would ask him to help them during moves. He realized he could make a business out of that.
So on November 10th, 2008, the day the Marine Corps was founded in 1775, Baucom started Two Marines Moving, a moving company that only hires U.S. veterans.
Now he's worth $10 million and employs 100 other vets.
"The biggest thing that separates me from my competition is who we hire. They're Marines, they're Army, they're Navy, they're Air Force," says Baucom, who co-owns the company along with his ex-wife Christy Gutmann.
"If they're a veteran and they work hard, I'm willing to hire them."
Baucom's commitment to supporting other veterans has been crucial to the company's success. In fact, one of his first moving requests was from former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
In the first year of business, the company made $600,000 in revenue. In 2017, Two Marines Moving is expected to add another zero to that figure; they hope to bring in revenues of $6 million.
For Baucom, Two Marines Moving has become more than a means of income.
"I could have retired years ago, but I didn't because this company is bigger than me," he says. "Even though I'm no longer active duty, I can service my country and my community by helping people move."
Baucom sponsors Luke's Wings, a charity that supports families of injured veterans by covering airfare costs associated with visiting them at hospitals.
The company operates in Virginia, Washington DC, Miami, Florida and will soon be expanding to other regions as well.
Check out how one couple turned $20,000 in savings into a net worth of $8 million.
