Meet Daniel Lowen

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Lowen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.

Hi Daniel, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?

So, I would have to say that my self-discipline came from my time that I served in the US Navy. The military taught me a lot, one main example for me is timeliness, the military says if you are on time, you are late, if you are early, you are on time, but I like to think if I am less than 10 minutes early then I consider myself to be late. With that discipline that responsibility has transferred over to the after-military life to where I am able to be there for my brothers and sisters. Whether it be somebody just needing an ear or somebody getting ready to submit a disability claim for the VA. Which is where this brand was born, “Cien Por Ciento” which in English means 100 percent. When a member discharges from the military, their ultimate goal in the aftermath of having physical and/or mental ailments is to find the courage to apply for the benefits one has earned and entitled too. Which is to then to work on their disability claim and work their way to become a 100 percent disabled veteran. This doesn’t mean that they are fully disabled, but it does show that they have various ailments from their time served while in the military. Going through the process myself I saw how hard it gets and the wear and tear that it takes on us Veterans mentally. After I was able to get to 100%, it has been my goal to assist my brothers and sisters as I know the stress that they will soon endure while going through this process. Seeing the final outcome of them fighting that battle in victory makes it all worth that fight.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I signed up to join the military the while I was a senior in high school at 17 years old, under what is called DEP (delayed entry program). This decision ultimately changed the course of my life. I was able to become disciplined in everything I did, I would go on to travel the world and form relationships with my fellow shipmates who I have considered to be more so family. Bonds that only come with military service, since you are with them for months on end when you are deployed. I got to see firsthand the physical and mental conditions that came with serving our country. I have also seen the struggles for military members who are getting out the service and how difficult it was to adapt to civilian life as well as seeking and obtaining the medical attention needed to function as a civilian again. After serving the military you are so used to that lifestyle that it does take time, and nobody knows how long it will take each person. At the time of my Military separation, I quickly realized I too would need to seek medical attention, which meant applying for disability benefits that I hardly knew how to do so let alone even know anything about. It is a daunting process with not very members talking about how to do it or the struggles in applying for them. Without my family’s support throughout the process, I would have given up. When my claim was finally approved and I became a 100 percent disabled Veteran that is when I knew that I would use the knowledge of what I learned to help as many of my fellow veterans get the help they need, without the stress of not knowing how to attain the information or where to even start. That is when the idea came to my head of creating “Cien Por Ciento”. I knew I wanted this brand to be something that would be aimed towards Veterans of the past, present and future as well as their families.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would have to say that the brotherhood that I gained from the military has assisted me as being a part of my support system. Another is to be able to create something that is or could be beneficial to those that are going through what I have been through and to have an outlet for me to not only express myself but also to get away from stressful environments for example, releasing the stressors that are obtained from my PTSD. One last thing would be to learn not only from your own situations but to also listen and learn from others around you that have gone through situations as well that may be of help to you or somebody else in the future. Some advice I would give is to use the negatives that you have experienced and find a way to turn them into a positive outcome. Find an outlet that lets you express yourself in ways people may not be able to see you but once they see the final product they will the true meanings behind your creativity. Another piece of advice I would give is to ensure you have a support group of friends and family. This way when you do have those times when you are feeling down and out, they will be there to help get you through the hard times and assist in getting you into a better place mentally.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

I would have to say that the ideal client for this would be someone who is a Veteran themself, the supporting cast of a Veteran, or someone who respects the services and the time that Veterans have given to this country. Anyone knowing what goes into the life of a Veteran knows the outcomes that a Veteran can experience and are willing to take the time to assist them in any way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: cienporciento_100percent