Denver Ockerman: Turning Military Experience into Entrepreneurial Success

by Ben Heinemann “It felt like there was nothing that I couldn’t do,” said Denver Ockerman, recalling the emotions he felt upon exiting the US Marine Corps, ater having been through basic training and a year of active duty. “That’s the mindset they instill – that anything is accomplishable. And I felt that way.” For Ockerman, joining the Marine Corps was his own choice. No one in his family had served before he decided to enlist in college, the result of recognizing that he didn’t have the discipline he thought he needed to focus and excel in school. “I didn’t always feel like I could do anything, and when I got to college, I knew I needed to make a change.” Ockerman met with all the services before choosing the Marine Corps. Known for being one of the most elite and fierce fighting forces, he chose it for the challenge and the honor of belonging to this group. Ockerman signed his name, and he was off to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot located in Parris Island, South Carolina. Boot camp proved to be an eye opening experience for Ockerman, however he enjoyed the experience as he has always had a competitive spirit. “I felt like I had failed a little bit as a young man, and this was my chance to prove to myself that I could do something bigger than myself.” Ockerman’s assignment was to operate and repair ground radios and electronics for the Corps. After completing boot camp as an honor graduate, Ockerman was sent to Twentynine Palms, California, where he completed electronics school and learned desert warfare. Ockerman says he was blessed to serve during a time of no conflict, finishing his year of active duty while stationed in Portland, Oregon. Now was the time to put all that he had learned from his experience with the Corps into action, as he oversaw governmental affairs, construction and safety for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Now the owner of House Doctors of Central Kentucky, Ockerman knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without his experience in the Marine Corps. “Out of everything that I’ve been through in life, I’ve used what I learned in the Marine Corps more than anything else. It’s the most valuable education I’ve ever received, even though I went back and got my four year degree. The principles that the Corps instilled in me are the same ones I live by and will live by for the rest of my life. It’s where my leadership skills come from, it’s how I’ve formed my team at House Doctors – everything that we do is based on the Corps.” True to this spirit, Ockerman gives a 10% discount to families and individuals that are either attached to a currently serving member of the family or are veterans themselves. “My motto has always been this – do the right thing, and that’s because it’s the right thing to do.” --Ben Heinemann