Meet James Soldner | Founder of 66th Degree Enterprises, LLC

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

Hi James, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I do not really like the idea of working for someone else and filling their pockets. I feel I would rather contribute to things I am passionate about and be compensated financially for my time and efforts.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I spent just shy of nine years in the Army, and I initially joined with the intention of committing to the full 20+ years and retiring out of the Army. During the course of life and my Army career, my priorities shifted, and my wife and I decided it would be best for me to pursue a civilian career. I am proud of the people I was able to lead and influence daily, but I decided I wanted to do things my way. The name of my business, 66th Degree Enterprises, stems from the fact that my final position in the Army was the Commander for the 66th Military Police Company based out of Joint Base-Lewis McChord in Washington State. Additionally, my business is located in Colorado Springs, and if you take the absolute values of the latitude and longitude of the city, it equals 66.

I am still employed through a different company at the moment, but I have five and ten year plans/visions that include me managing and operating my own business full time. It has been incredibly difficult to get things started and off the ground with a family, a full time job, and various other commitments, but anything worth achieving is worth working diligently toward in my mind. My company thus far has launched an app for law enforcement to use called “SFST Elevate” (available for Android and iOS) which assists law enforcement with their standard field sobriety tests digitally. Aside from the digital application, my focus has been on getting janitorial service contracts for professional/office buildings. This is extremely stressful and time-consuming initially, but I enjoy getting the proper systems and processes in place to best serve my customers! I’ve adapted this to be my main line of effort moving forward- app development was not as enjoyable to me as I originally thought it would be.

I am proud to contribute to my family’s provision and future in much greater ways than before. It has not been easy, and I definitely underestimated much of the startup costs associated with starting a small business. It has taught me a lot about patience and planning the timing of things, while still being able to seize opportunities as they come my way. I am an extremely passionate and driven leader that is continuously looking for ways to improve any systems and processes I can or fill any gaps in the market.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a friend were to visit Colorado Springs, I would try to balance their wants/needs with things that are a little off the beaten path. Places like Garden of the Gods, Red Rocks Open Space, Pikes Peak, and the Olympic Training Center would be at the top of the list. I would take them to the Paint Mines out in Calhan as well. I relaxing day at Cottonwood Creek Park or Memorial Park would be a great way to spend an afternoon together, and possibly have a picnic while we’re there. A scenic drive to Salida or Buena Vista while getting local food there would be something I would propose to them as well!

The restaurants that I would take my friend would be Urban Egg, Pepper Tree Restaurant, Flying Horse Steakhouse, Paravicini’s, Fountain Winery and Eatery, and Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant since I live out in Peyton. Additionally, if we walk around downtown, we would have to stop in at Mountain Mary’s Cookies!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am an Army Veteran, and there were great leaders that I had the pleasure of working for and alongside during my time in the Army. A few that I would like to specifically thank are Shannon-Mikal Lucas, Andrew Sargent, Rob Eyman, Jeff Nerone, Torrian Peterson, Chad Sorentino, Scott Morgan, Shawn Yonkin, and Chris Treuting.

Website: https://66thdegree.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/66thdegreeenterprises?igsh=MWN0ODByOWdjc2Z5MQ==