Antwon Person
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| Antwon Person | |
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| Born | January 24, 1980 |
| Place of Birth | Boykins, Virginia, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, Business Coach, Investor, Retired U.S. Army Officer |
| Website | www |
Antwon Person, popularly referred to as "The Skillful Advisor," is an American entrepreneur, investor, business coach, and retired officer of the United States Army. With more than twenty years of leadership experience across the Department of Defense and the private sector, he has built a reputation for championing operational discipline, developing leaders, and promoting a systems-driven approach to building businesses. He is the founder and principal of Skillful Brands, a business growth consultancy dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the United States.
Early Life and Education
Person was born on January 24, 1980, and grew up in Boykins, Virginia. He completed his secondary education at Southampton High School before enrolling at Virginia State University for his undergraduate studies. He subsequently pursued graduate-level academic and professional military education at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and Florida State University.
Military Career
Person commissioned as an officer in the United States Army and went on to serve for more than two decades, overseeing complex organizations across multiple commands within the Department of Defense. Throughout his service, he built considerable expertise in operational leadership, institutional systems, and crisis response management.
He earned distinction for his command responsibilities spanning the company to the battalion level, where he directed thousands of military personnel and oversaw expansive operational programs.
A defining moment in his career came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Person's strategic planning and command decisions proved essential to maintaining military readiness while safeguarding service members stationed in South Korea. Drawing on his background as a senior logistics and supply chain leader, he wrote and published an article titled Korean Pandemic Epicenter: Sustaining, Protecting the Force Amid COVID-19 in Army Sustainment magazine.[1] The piece documented the measures taken by his unit to sustain combat effectiveness while navigating one of the most demanding global health emergencies in modern history.
In 2024, Person concluded his active duty military service and turned his attention to entrepreneurship, channeling the leadership principles refined over his military career into the business world.
Entrepreneurial Career
Skillful Brands
After retiring from the U.S. Army, Person established Skillful Brands, a business growth firm whose mission is to help entrepreneurs and small business owners cut through complexity and build clear, scalable pathways to sustained success.
At the heart of Person's business philosophy is the conviction that long-term growth depends on sound systems and the capacity to lead an organization without becoming its operational chokepoint — a principle he summarizes as "letting go to scale faster."
Business Coaching and Advisory Work
In his capacity as a business coach and advisor, Person partners with entrepreneurs and corporate executives who are navigating the transition from early-stage operations to growth-ready enterprises. He is widely recognized for his ability to adapt military leadership frameworks into actionable business methodologies, with particular emphasis on organizational structure, high-stakes decision-making, and cultivating self-sufficient, high-performing teams.
Media Appearances and Podcasts
Person has appeared across a range of entrepreneurship-focused media outlets and podcast programs:
- Scaling Faster Starts with Letting Go — A YouTube interview in which Person discusses the leadership mindset required to delegate effectively and scale a business beyond the founder's direct involvement.[2]
- Simplify to Scale – Military Leadership Lessons for Entrepreneurs — An episode of the A Coffee with Karen podcast, where Person explores how military leadership principles can be applied to entrepreneurial growth.[3]
- The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Moving From Side Hustle to Company — A feature on the Develpreneur platform discussing the mindset shift required to move from freelancing or side projects to building a structured business.[4]
- From Army Leadership to Entrepreneurial Excellence — An interview on The Tron Podcast, where Person reflects on his military career and its influence on his entrepreneurial philosophy.[5]
Philosophy and Approach
Person's work as a coach and advisor is rooted in the belief that unnecessary complexity is the single greatest barrier to business growth. Informed by years of leading military units in high-pressure environments, he advocates for lean operating systems, transparent communication frameworks, and delegation structures that allow organizations to scale sustainably. His personal brand identity as "The Skillful Advisor" underscores a commitment to delivering grounded, skills-focused counsel rather than abstract or purely motivational messaging.
Affiliations
Outside of his professional work, Person maintains active involvement in civic and fraternal life as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Tulsa Initiative, Inc.
References
- ↑ Korean Pandemic Epicenter: Sustaining, Protecting the Force Amid COVID-19, Army Sustainment
- ↑ Scaling Faster Starts with Letting Go with Antwon Person, YouTube
- ↑ Simplify to Scale – Military Leadership Lessons for Entrepreneurs, A Coffee with Karen podcast
- ↑ The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Moving From Side Hustle to Company, Develpreneur
- ↑ From Army Leadership to Entrepreneurial Excellence, The Tron Podcast