Structure and service: How Navy veteran Blake LaPoint found purpose at Take 5
This Veteran's Day, we're proud to share the story of Navy veteran Blake LaPoint, who's journey reflects service, resilience, and a lifelong commitment to helping others grow.
Blake LaPoint always craved structure and discipline in life.
“That was an aspect of the military that appealed to me,” he reflected. “I always assumed I would join the Army or Marines because a lot of my family had been in the Marine Corps.”
But at 17, when his best friend said, “Let’s join the Navy,” Blake said yes and enlisted in 2004.
After leaving his small hometown in southeast Louisiana, Blake was first stationed at Naval Air Station in Lemoore, California, with a VFA-22 squadron attached to the USS Ronald Reagan. Three deployments in three years followed. Each was carrier-based, providing air support for special forces across the Middle East.
“A lot of times I honestly had no clue where we were at because that was all like highly sensitive information,” he said. “But we were there to support the boots on the ground.”
But his time in the armed forces also took him to many places he did know, including 11 countries and 35 states. These travels profoundly shaped his perspective on the world: “Going to some of these countries and seeing how people are literally living in tarp huts with tin roofs completely changed how I viewed life,” he said. “It made me eternally grateful for everything I had growing up.”
After four years, Blake exited active duty alongside his wife, who he met while stationed together. He pursued a career in welding and found success as a welding inspector, yet he always felt as if something was lacking in civilian life.
“Like a lot of vets, I had a hard time finding my place in the world, and I felt drawn back to what gave me that sense of purpose in the first place,” Blake recalled.
Regulatory barriers initially prevented him from re-enlisting, but in 2018, a Navy recruiter who he met by chance helped him return to the service via the reserves. Blake was first assigned to a cargo handling battalion in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he leveraged his ordnance expertise to build training programs. Then, in 2020, he was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, in support of Joint Special Operations Command.
That year overseas proved grueling: seven family deaths, including his stepmother and grandmother, coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency leave allowed attendance at funerals, but he finished the deployment stateside by providing operational support from Virginia.
By 2022, Blake decided it was time to once again part ways with the military due to personal and professional challenges. He wanted to be there for his two children and to find a place in the world that allowed him to excel in a career that also supported his mental wellbeing.
The next phase
While leaving the military did not look exactly the way he wanted, it ended up leading him to the next phase of life at Take 5 Oil Change.
“I was working the night shift welding and just exhausted,” Blake recalled. “A recruiter actually reached out to me on LinkedIn for an open shop manager position. I had never heard of Take 5 Oil Change before, but after I did a little research, I realized that this was a legitimate business with opportunities for me to grow.”
An interview with franchise operator David Barry sealed the deal for Blake: “From the beginning, it was obvious how people-focused the company is. That sold me.”
Blake completed training in Charlotte and assumed the shop manager role. Five months later, he advanced to district manager. In March 2023, his passion for mentorship led to the corporate training team where he runs the shop manager program. The program’s curriculum covers team development, sales growth, and operational excellence.
“At one point, I thought hard about becoming a teacher because some of the most influential people in my life have been teachers and coaches,” Blake said. “I love that I now get to work with others in this capacity where I help them develop the tools to reach their full potential.”
Four deployments, split service, welding rigs, and oil bays have forged a leader who knows structure, sacrifice, and second chances. Today, Blake continually finds himself leaning back into the discipline and structure that his time in the Navy taught him.
Except now, he’s using those skills to continue his service—being there for his family and mentoring the next generation of leaders at Take 5.