About the Owner
Shane Whitecloud is a man who has overcome much adversity in his life. He is a service-connected disabled Navy veteran (which means that he was injured while in active military duty for this country). He is also a father of three boys and the owner of Team Valor, an online shop that sells uniquely crafted items to those who appreciate great design and craftsmanship and promotional items to companies large and small. He started The Unsung Hero Project as a way to give back even more to the families of his veteran community and first responders.
"I was asked to engrave a flag case for a close friend's father who was a Marine and had passed away. Their emotional reaction upon receiving the finished product is what convinced me that this needed to happen. I have the tools and the desire, so why not?"
There is nothing like hearing his story in his own words and luckily, Shane had recently given a Ted Talk. From foster home to lead singer to business owner, his journey is an epic one. His story is exceptional, terrifying, gripping, and of course, absolutely moving. He credits all of his successes to a loving family, strong friends, and of course, his newfound faith in Christ. See and hear it for yourself:
Shane’s Ted Talk
Shane now works as a Public Affairs Officer and Chief of Medical Media at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Houston, Texas. He also created a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Veteran Development Group Inc. (opemploy.org) that focuses on assisting Veterans who are going through treatment court with costs tied to their substance rehabilitation, counseling, and substance screening. His organization also assists Veterans with finding and procuring gainful employment.
More about Shane
As you can imagine, Shane is not new to helping Veterans.
Prior to starting his organization, Shane was head of public relations for the Veterans Resource Centers of America, working with and assiting with housing homeless veterans while also being a rock radio personality on the FM station, Rock 104.5 for more than two decades.
He even had his own radio show-style podcast on iTunes, American Warfighter Radio with his close friend, Boone Cutler.
He is a Public Speaker and subject matter expert on suicide, substance abuse, homelessness, and military sexual trauma, and he is currently serving on the Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention workgroup under the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to help protect staff and Veterans attending any VA facility.
A published author in national magazines and websites, Shane is currently (and slowly) writing his first book titled after his 2021 TED Talk, “The Path to Empathy”.
And if that wasn’t enough, just wait...there is more!
Shane is also the lead singer/frontman in a rock band called Seasons of Insanity.
He is a blessed husband and the proud father of 3 boys ranging from 28 to 6 and grandfather of one, soon to be two (but we don’t mention the G-word!)
What motivates Shane
What drives Shane? What makes him get out of bed and tap dance to work each morning?
"Over the past three years, being creative has been my therapy, my way of saving $40 an hour on a shrink! Being able to make other people happy has been my reward, and in that way, I am selfish. I also love the idea of building something up from my garage into something that I can one day hand down to my children."
Satisfaction from creating something new is a deeply ingrained human instinct.
Shane’s Shops, YouTube, and Facebook Page
Currently, Shane is doing a lot. He has the equipment and skill to do all of the following: 3D printing, powder coating, sublimation, CO2 laser engraving and cutting (hoping to get a fiber laser soon as well), DTG (direct to garment), DTF (direct to film), screen printing, and at the end of this month he’ll be receiving his 20-needle embroidery machine.
If you have not already, check out his online shop: (which is still new and items are being added as he builds it, so check back often!)
https://www.teamvalormerchandising.com/
There, you can find customer engraved drinkware like tumblers and bottles and exquisite cutting boards.
Don’t forget to check out his Facebook page, and make sure to “like” it!
https://www.facebook.com/teamvalorllc
Team Valor Merchandising
Learn more about Shane's veteran-owned business, Team Valor Merchandising here: teamvalormerchandising.com
Thank you for always supporting our uniforms! - Shane Whitecloud, Owner