Kevin Couvillon

From Texas to Charlottesville is a long distance, especially when you have to be routed through dozens of cities that span the globe. Houston was only the starting point of my journey here, but distance is not measured by only miles but what has been learned while experiencing them. Qualities come from this things learned from success and failures, experiences that mold me into who I am. They are rooted in faith, led by the Spirit, and cultivated by the life I live.

Compassion is about thinking of others, looking outside of yourself to those in need. It is also foundational as a Christian. For some, this term is replaced by the term driven, or passionate. This describes a strong desire to improve their own situation, which often is polar opposite. That is not me. I choose compassionate over these terms because my goal is to serve others. I am not driven by what I can get, but how I can serve. This extends to all areas, whether for a business I work for, the people around me at the grocery store, or those that I cannot see who struggle to even live. I put this first for that reason, because you cannot live a Christian life, or even build a business, thinking only of yourself. This direction stems from my faith, and covers all other areas.

Creativity is not about being different. Let’s face it, if everyone wants to be different then no one would like anything that they did not do themselves. Creativity is using tools that are given and molding them into something useful, expandable, and beautiful. This is shown differently depending on the situation. Where my creativity shines is problem-solving. How can you transform A into B? I use this in my code as well as my personal hobbies, whether it is building a website, building a garden, or fixing my car.

Sports have more than one inning or period. This is not to make the game longer, but to reveal that the team can stand the test of time. Can they maintain strength to finish the game well? Success in life and business is the same way. Diligence is about not giving up when it gets tough, but finishing the job at hand. For instance, anyone can plant a flower. Just dig a hole, drop it in, fill it back in. But people still hire gardeners because you also must do it right for it to live past one season. This includes making sure you have the right amount of sun, ph levels, nutrients, water, and so on. And so diligence is not about doing a job, but making sure it is done right.

Some people shine at building, I shine at building with the wrong tool. Sound strange? Yes. One of the best tools I have learned in Scouting, and then the Navy, is that sometime you must use the tools that you have whether it was meant to work or not. All it takes is creativity, patience, and determination. But I do know that this is not always the best, or wisest, thing to do. Resourcefulness is also not only about seeing the tools that can be used and knowing how to use them, but understanding when you should not even try. You just need to have the forethought on which option to use.

Leadership is hard for an introvert, but effective. A true leader is not just about boldly leading but about inspiration. You must allow those below you to see the direction you wish to go and lead accordingly according to what drives them. This requires more than saying the right thing, but a great deal of listening as well. I have had the privilege of using these tools in the Navy, and cultivate it into a quality I can use in the future.

Each quality represents some of the areas that I have cultivated over the years. But the good things about cultivation is that you can grow many different crops, and even have some unexpected additions that make your crops unique. Though everyone has crops, they do not all taste the same, making the created end something special to reveal to the world. Sometimes it can be hard to see what you cultivate, but I can still look back to who I once was and see how far I have come by seeing those areas that I have grown in, and those areas I still need help. But in the end, this all makes little difference unless you understand who it is you ultimately serve. Since 2005 I have been following a new master, and I look back at what He has done for me with a grateful heart. But how can I remain grateful and not point to the one who is responsible for it? If you would like to know more about my faith, I encourage you to read my blog at: