Meet Charlie Crouse | Business Development and Strategy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlie Crouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I encourage risk both in my personal life and professional life, as it is the foundation for innovation and finding more effective ways of getting things done. There is a balance between being reckless and taking smart risks, and I think getting smart on the latter is huge for personal and professional development. Taking risks personally has been a huge factor in my individual success (and the success of the most effective teams I have worked with), and I try to link risk-taking to my work duties as much as possible to accelerate our organizational capabilities and team skills. These risks include pursuing new business that might not be part of my traditional portfolio, advocating for new methods of analysis to ease the burden of individual members of an organization all while becoming much more effective, and investing in markets that might be unknown or deemed too risky.

Getting to where I am today was not easy, and it came with a ton of hard work, doubt, and frustration, but I also acknowledge I got lucky and took some well-calculated risks. My path was challenging, as is the case for just about everyone, and I overcame the challenges with support from my wife, my peers, and my family, putting off a lot of short-term pleasure for long-term gain. I advise that everyone should take risks in their lives, whether it is building a business, developing a new skill, building a challenging but beneficial relationship, and much more.

In the space industry, which I work in, we have traditionally been risk-averse due to the very high-dollar value of most projects and the importance of protecting astronauts and the other men and women who make our space capabilities a reality, but risk has become more accepted recently and we must continue to do so in the face of domestic and international competition (as well as the next critical chapter in human development). This risk tolerance has been instrumental in lowering the cost of launch across the space industry, introducing various new companies and capabilities to the market without a drop in safety. As long as risk is respected and we do not get reckless, a higher risk-tolerance is beneficial across the board, in my opinion.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

As I alluded to in the final paragraph of the previous answer, I am in the space industry and have been for about three years at this point. I love it, and while I was always interested in space, I never anticipated I would be working in one of the industries that’s most vested in advancing humanity.

I currently work as a Business Development and Strategy Analyst for Lockheed Martin Space Special Programs, focusing primarily on small satellites, technology maturation, and cislunar/lunar development for a variety of customers, mainly the federal government. Previously to this current role, I was an estimator for the same line of business, estimating the cost of current and future programs and highlighting what taking on the new business would mean for the financials of the company.

Before joining Lockheed, I was an Intelligence Officer in the Air Force, focusing on VIP and mobility airlift, refueling operations, global threat analysis, and signals intelligence analysis and reporting. Since my degree in undergrad was in international affairs with a language minor, I had been training to be an intelligence officer for years, originally planning on working in embassies. However, with my wife and I focused on dual careers, I knew my time in the Air Force would come to a close eventually, and I focused on more general intelligence work and preparing for the private sector.

To get ready for the private sector, I got a couple of Masters degrees while still in the Air Force, one in Intelligence Studies to enhance my capabilities as an analyst (especially for classified material) and another degree in Business Administration, to provide a foundation for understanding the basics of for-profit enterprises.

Overall, I have very much enjoyed my nascent career and am excited to build my repertoire in business development while understanding the broader challenges and possible areas of success for the industry I support.

Regardless of the career path people find themselves on, I recommend to always be proud of where you are from and your background. None of us should be ashamed at our paths, and it’s good to acknowledge we had good and bad luck along the way. There is a lot of fun and doubt attached to moving across industries, and it’s important to learn from others as we go along, and I have been very fortunate to work with some of the smartest and most technically capable people around.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

It all depends on the person! If the person was more comfortable with downtown areas, I’d take them to LoDo, RiNo, Highlands, Larimer Square, and other areas in and around downtown. There are a lot of spots to explore in downtown Denver, from the various parks to the stadiums/arenas to the museums (starting with Denver Museum of Nature and Science) and restaurants and bars in between.

If the friend liked a more small-town feel, I’d take them to Golden, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, or even further into the mountains. One of my favorite stops in Boulder is the Dushanbe Teahouse, which was a gift from the people of Dushanbe, Tajikistan to their sister city of Boulder. If they wanted to get up into the mountains, you really can’t go wrong, but I would recommend Genesee, Nederland, Idaho Springs, Silverthorne, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen for great spots to explore, in order (roughly) of distance from Denver.

For pure views and exploring nature in an around Denver, there are hundreds of options, but for some of the best views of the city, I’d recommend 120^th Avenue and Quebec, 140^th Ave and Quebec in Thornton, Sloan Lake, North Table Mountain, and Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Some of the spots in Highlands Ranch that overlook the Front Range and the downtown area are also underrated spots, in my opinion. One of the most stunning locations that does not overlook downtown Denver but instead looks to the south towards Castle Rock, Rampart Range, Pikes Peak is Sanctuary, a golf course and event center located at Daniels Park. Some of my favorite spots to hike include the aforementioned Table Mountain and Rocky Mountain Arsenal, as well as Roxborough State Park, Eldorado Canyon, Big Easy Trailhead, and Ruth Roberts Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Djenita Svinjar (my wife)

Contact Info: 

• Linkedin: Charlie Crouse | LinkedIn