Dean Wegner attended West Point because he was recruited to play Div I Hockey. Once there, he realized there was much more to it and began to have aspirations about becoming a high-ranking officer. In order to make that happen, he had to make the right choices upon his graduation in 1993. He opted to go the aviation route, even though the typical choice was infantry. Then a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose. The infantry Special Forces Ranger school had opened one slot for an aviation candidate to join the next cohort. It is a leadership program that tests your ability to survive under the most extreme conditions. Dean wanted to know how the ‘other half’ lived so he competed for the spot and was the one selected. He said his experience at infantry Special Forces Ranger school was “so bad that I loved it.” Dean’s cohort started with 342 participants and 72 days later, he was one of 70 who finished it. Dean served for seven years in the US Army as a helicopter pilot and Army Ranger. After the Army, he earned his MBA in finance from California State University and launched his career with the former big five firm, KPMG Consulting as a project manager. For more than a decade, Dean was in the consumer packaged goods industry at Procter & Gamble and Mars, Inc. in business development, sales, marketing, and strategy.  In 2017, Dean created Authentically American® to help bring manufacturing jobs back to America by selling premium, competitively priced, apparel that is all made in the USA. Prior to starting Authentically American®, Dean was the CEO/owner of Omega Apparel for five years, a leading supplier of dress uniforms for the US military. His experience in the apparel industry, coupled with his passion for America, provided all the incentive he needed to create a brand that aims to set the standard for premium American-made merchandise while delivering a significant impact on US job creation.  In this week’s learn more about Dean’s  journey: Dean serves on the board of several for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He donates 10% of Authentically American® profits to veteran and first responder charities.  Learn more and connect with Dean here: Special DIscount for Work From The Inside Out listeners: SHOP Authentically American: *Discount Code: FOUNDER = 25% off total purchase*one-time only purchase Our Story: Feature Article in Appearance on