Combat Boots to Popcorn Kernels

It’s an incredibly windy path from combat boots to popcorn kernels, but we’re so glad we took it!

If you had told 4-year infantry rifleman, Dan, that he would one day be a retired Marine Corps MSgt with a specialty popcorn shop, he never would have believed you. But that’s exactly what happened...and we wouldn’t have it any other way! We love operating a Veteran-owned business. How did it happen? You ask. Well, THAT’s a great story.

Dan joined the U.S. Army after high school hoping to strike out on his own and see the world. He served 4 years in the Army deploying to places such as Sinai, Egypt, and the DMZ area of South Korea. Then he transferred to the Army Reserves and served another 4 years while working as a construction engineer near Dallas. It was after his contract ended that things got interesting.

Dan enjoyed his service in the Army Reserves, but when it was time to reenlist neither he nor the reserves could produce some needed paperwork. So, he did just what any soldier would do—he marched next door and enlisted in the Marine Corps! Semper Fi.

Along with his new branch of service, Dan also took on a new MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) serving as a combat photographer, specializing in motion media, or as civilians would call him: a videographer.

It was 1998 when Dan’s path took the next big turn. He met Priscilla! And in 2000, they married.

Having grown up near military bases in the desert of southern California, Priscilla thought she had a pretty good idea of what life in the Marines would be like. But experiencing it was even more of a whirlwind. She found herself living in New York for a year, then back to California, and before she knew it, the morning of September 11, 2001, came and their winding path took a terrifying turn.

They went from a peacetime Marine Corps couple to a wartime Marine Corps family. In 2002 they welcomed their daughter Natalie into the world and in 2003, Dan deployed to Iraq for what felt like a very long 7-month tour. In 2005 their son, Justin was born, and in 2010 Mila completed their family of 5.

These years took the Schrubb family from Amarillo to Quantico and everywhere in between. It was while they were in Quantico that they began to ponder what the next chapter of their life would bring. Dan had begun to feel the urge to hang up his combat boots and become his own boss like his brother and brother-in-law. He always knew that someday he wanted to open a business, it was just a matter of what kind. Dan and Priscilla loved bouncing around ideas for what kind of Veteran-owned business would come “later.”

It was 2014 when “later” came knocking. Dan suffered a near heart attack and was non-deployable after the incident. Knowing that he would never deploy again made the decision to retire easy for Dan. And after 28 years of dedicated service, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, and camaraderie, he retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2014.

“Later” was now here and fortunately, some decisions were already made. They would retire in Texas and start a business. But what business? It was a question that still hadn’t been answered. Luckily, the Marine Corps stepped in one last time. A friend they made while stationed in Quantico introduced them to a retired Marine who owned a popcorn shop in Virginia. One conversation led to another and, well… you know the rest! They went from combat boots to popcorn kernels and never looked backed.

Looking for the secret code to earn 50% off? It’s COMBATBOOTS. (Use between now and Nov. 21st to stock up on snacks or get in some holiday shopping.)