01 / FRAGRANCE
NEED
Born From Adversity. Created With Purpose. Worn With Confidence.
A fragrance concept shaped by the universal human need for hope, belonging, dignity, and confidence.
THE OFFICIAL STORY OF JEFF POWELL ✦ U.S. NAVY VETERAN · FATHER · AUTHOR
A life interrupted.
A promise
unbroken.
A Navy veteran. A devoted father. A son who chose forgiveness. Jeff Powell’s story follows a life interrupted by trauma—and the love, faith, and therapeutic hobbies that helped him keep a promise to those who served.
“A veteran’s life cannot be measured by someone who doesn’t understand them.”
Family, service, and the search for purpose—told through personal memories, archival photographs, and published milestones.
Personal experiences are attributed to Jeff. Published reporting and source notes accompany the story.
A father's love • From the beginning
Chapter One · Before the uniform
THE FIRST PROMISE WAS MADE IN ACTION
ARCHIVAL PRESS CLIPPING · SAVING A LIFE
AUGUST 31 · HIGH-SCHOOL YEARS (CIRCA 1985–1986)
01 / THE BEGINNING
Before he knew how to save himself, he helped save someone else.
As a teenager searching for a new direction, Jeff says an emergency at school transformed the course of his life. Drawing on CPR training from ROTC, he helped save a student who was choking. He later received the ROTC Medal of Heroism and recognition from the governor — an experience he recounts in his published chapter “The Entrepreneur Inside.”
That moment didn't erase the grief he carried. His father, a Vietnam veteran, was murdered when Jeff was nine. Years later, he unexpectedly encountered the man responsible. Rather than retaliate, Jeff helped him unlock a car and change a flat tire — then chose not to reveal who he was. In his chapter, Jeff describes the decision as a profound act of forgiveness.
“I had forgiven this man.” — Jeff Powell, “The Entrepreneur Inside,” The Soul of Success, Vol. 2
Sources: Jeff Powell, “The Entrepreneur Inside,” pp. 107–108; archival rescue clipping supplied by Jeff. The clipping refers to an August 31 rescue; its exact publication year has not been confirmed.
Chapter Two · The invisible aftermath
Survival was not the end of the story.
Survival was not the end of the story.
It was the beginning of another battle.
In Jeff's account, a life-altering 2001 encounter during his Navy service left consequences that have followed him through more than two decades of rebuilding.
2001 AND THE YEARS AFTER
The uniform came off. The aftermath stayed.
Jeff describes a serious 2001 encounter with law enforcement during his Navy service as a turning point with lasting physical and psychological consequences. He was medically retired and says he had to relearn walking, eating, reading, and bathing.
The years that followed brought anxiety, sleepless nights, periods of homelessness, and the responsibility of raising a child. The aftermath did not disappear simply because he found moments of joy.
THERAPEUTIC HOBBIES · A WAY TO COPE
Writing, painting, gardening, and cooking became ways to express what was difficult to put into words.
Jeff describes these activities as therapeutic hobbies, not evidence of recovery or an ability to sustain employment. His account of the 2001 incident remains a personal account; supporting records require separate review.
The promise that outlived the uniform
“Sir, yes sir,”
“Sir, yes sir,”
“I will do my best.”
Before leaving the Navy, Jeff recounts that his commanding officer asked him to continue supporting the men and women who served. The response appears in his published chapter. It became a promise he would return to, even after homelessness, disability and loss made the path anything but straightforward.
— Jeff Powell · The Entrepreneur Inside · The Soul of Success, Vol. 2HER LOVE · HIS DEVOTION
his mother
In loving memory
A smile that lives on
By her side · love in action
JULY 4, 2014 · FOREVER IN HIS HEART
Chapter Three · A son's devotion
For the woman who gave him life,
For the woman who gave him life,
he gave the gift of his presence.
In the months before his mother's passing, the roles of parent and child were transformed by love and responsibility.
A February 28, 2018 letter from Four Seasons Hospice documents that Jeff was his mother’s primary caregiver from March 2014 until her death on July 4, 2014. He prepared meals, helped with personal care, administered medications, and advocated for her comfort.
He stayed beside her through her final breath. What a letter records as caregiving, he remembers as a son’s devotion.
THE WORDS HE CARRIED FORWARD
“Keep up your good work, my son. Our country is proud of you!”
Words attributed to his mother in Jeff's published author biography, The Soul of Success, Vol. 2, p. 114.
Chapter Four · The reason to rise again
When the world saw limitations,
When the world saw limitations,
a little boy saw his father.
The most important legacy Jeff hopes to leave is not a fragrance, a book, or a website. It is the example he hopes to set for his son Jeremiah: that love, fatherhood, dignity, and perseverance matter—even when a life has not gone as planned.
Growing together · lessons in the kitchen
The years pass · the bond remains
There were medical challenges, judgment, and uncertainty. There were also meals prepared together, lessons learned, and ordinary days worth remembering. Jeff’s hope is that Jeremiah will remember a father who loved deeply and kept showing up.
In the news · independent coverage
Read the reporting.
Read the reporting.
Examine the history.
Independent coverage traces Jeff’s veteran-support ideas, publishing milestone, and father-and-son garden across more than a decade.
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
The Story of Jeff Powell and His 4Veterans Movement
July 17, 2014
Read original coverage ↗
The Urban News
Books4Veterans Creator Jeff Powell Signs Publishing Deal
June 11, 2015
Read original coverage ↗
WLOS News 13 · Carolina Moment
Veteran Digs In to Help Fellow Veterans with a Harvest for Heroes
October 17, 2022
Read / view coverage ↗
Additional background: Publisher’s author profile ↗. Jeff’s published chapter “The Entrepreneur Inside” and a Four Seasons Hospice letter provide additional source material. Sensitive records are not posted publicly.
Created with purpose
More than hobbies.
More than hobbies.
Expressions of hope.
Writing, art, fragrance, food, movement, and housing ideas: different expressions of one enduring concern for veterans. Some remain concepts rather than operating services or available products.
02 / SERVICE
Books4Veterans
A long-running initiative seeking to make learning resources more accessible while encouraging appreciation and support for those who served.
Visit Books4Veterans ↗
03 / EXPRESSION
Flag Poetry
Artwork and expressive designs reflecting patriotism, memory, love, and loss. Its worth is measured in the story it carries—not merely the price someone puts on it.
The philosophy behind the art ↓
04 / COMMUNITY
Harvest for Heroes
A Veterans Garden initiative that WLOS documented as a father-and-son effort to grow food and support local heroes.
See documented coverage ↗
05 / RECOGNITION
A proposed recognition network to help communities identify organizations that welcome and support veterans and military families.
A place for supporters ↓06 / COMMUNITY & MOVEMENT
Running4Veterans
A creative vision around movement, connection and encouragement for veterans and their supporters. The original Running4Veterans website design is preserved here as part of Jeff's project history.
Ask about Running4Veterans ↗07 / HOUSING & DIGNITY
TinyHomes4Vets
An early housing concept imagining accessible community and a place to belong. The hand-drawn Veterans Park layout reflects ideas under exploration, not a completed development.
Discuss the housing vision ↗08 / CARE THROUGH FOOD
Cooking4Vets
Cooking as care, creativity and an everyday way to nurture family and community. His food photographs and kitchen moments with Jeremiah show how a therapeutic hobby can also be an act of love.
See the fatherhood story ↓
Flag Poetry · The heart behind the art
Some see the art.
Some see the art.
Others see the story.
“Art is in the eyes of the beholder.” For Jeff, its value lies in the meaning it holds and the story of its creation. Some people see a painting; others recognize the life behind it.
“Adversity did not create our worth. Our worth was there all along.” — from Jeff’s Flag Poetry reflection
Concept cover artwork • Design subject to final author and publisher approval
Books & the story for the screen
Silently Broken.
Book project · In development
Silently Broken.
Hidden in Plain Sight.
Book project · In development
A deeply personal exploration of the wounds people cannot see: the impact of trauma, misunderstanding, judgment, and the quiet perseverance required to keep showing up for family.
The story moves across generations—from the loss of a father who served in Vietnam, through Navy service and an alleged life-altering incident, to single fatherhood, emotional hardship, and the discovery of creative outlets.
The cinematic question: Can a life interrupted still become a legacy of hope?
A published chapter & a forthcoming memoir
From “The Entrepreneur Inside” to a new chapter of hope.
Jeff’s chapter “The Entrepreneur Inside” appears in The Soul of Success, Vol. 2, alongside Jack Canfield and other contributors. He has signed a publishing agreement with TBN / Trilogy for his forthcoming memoir Remarkable Measures of Hope — The Unfolding Journey.
The cover shown is an archival image of the earlier book. This is not presented as the cover of the forthcoming memoir.
For producers & documentary filmmakers
The Hardest Mile.
The Hardest Mile.
My Oath, My Promise.
Story premise: A Black Navy veteran living with the aftermath of trauma searches for ways to pass hope to his son through the therapeutic hobbies that help him endure.
A developing screen vision about service, forgiveness, fatherhood, and a promise carried beyond the uniform.
Documentary and dramatic adaptation inquiries are welcome. Interested producers can request a conversation about the story, supporting materials, and rights.
Discuss Film or Documentary ↗
A Veterans Day dedication
To our brothers
To our brothers
and sisters in arms.
Not bound only by blood. Bound by sacrifice.
“On our darkest days, when yesterday's pain outweighed tomorrow's promise, there were those who stood beside us—not for recognition, but because they understood. They led with dignity, trust, and the quiet courage of compassion.”
To the veteran whose battle continued after the uniform came off: you are not forgotten. To the families and caregivers who carried the weight beside them: we honor you, too.
We remember those who never returned home and those who returned carrying injuries the world cannot see. Let our gratitude live beyond the parade—in how we listen, protect dignity, and extend a hand.
— Jeff Powell, U.S. Navy Veteran
A personal message · In his own words
A service interrupted.
A service interrupted.
A promise that remains.
An expression of regret for a military career cut short—not an admission of guilt.
“To my fellow service members and veterans: I am sorry that I was unable to continue serving in uniform. An unfortunate, unforeseen experience contributed to the disability that interrupted my military service. I regret the time I could not continue serving, but I will not apologize for something I did not do.”
— Jeff Powell U.S. Navy veteran · Father · Author
A promise that continues
Praying. Praising.
Praying. Praising.
Pressing forward.
At a time when our military, our veterans, and the Department of Veterans Affairs need all the support they can get, I will keep praying, praising God, and pressing forward—doing what I am able to do.
Although some have caused great pain and suffering and tried at every turn to discourage me, no one will ever be able to say that Jeff Powell did not care, or that I left behind those who have gone—and those who continue to go—the extra mile for our military and veterans.
My circumstances may have changed what I can do. They have never changed why I care.— Jeff Powell
To those who helped make tomorrow possible.
To my children and grandchildren: your love gave me reasons to keep believing. To the Department of Veterans Affairs, Congress, the Senate, and the President: thank you for supporting our nation’s veterans.
OUTSTANDING! OUTSTANDING! OUTSTANDING! THANK YOU!
▸ Read Jeff’s personal acknowledgments
To Frank Steele: keep it real. To Harry's on the Hill: thank you for your service and support. To the Chamber of Commerce and my hometown: you’re awesome.
To the judges, lawyers, doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and everyone who supports veterans: keep doing good. To Steve Harvey, Rickey Smiley, and Michael Baisden: your voices brought encouragement when I struggled to see a light ahead.
To my dogs Ace and Courage: thank you for your loyalty, comfort, and unconditional love. In loving memory of Ace, who passed on August 13, 2026.
May God continue to bless everyone who has stood beside the veterans community.
One personal dream.
A moment of gratitude.
One more question for the news
✦
If you had the opportunity—and could afford to attend any game—which game would you choose, and whom would you take?
“I would choose the Super Bowl. I would love to bring my son, Jeremiah, his teachers, and his best friend. If it were possible, I would also love to be joined by our mayor, our local sheriff, our chief of police, the director of We The Kids, and the employees at the DMV on Hendersonville Road in Asheville, North Carolina. Those individuals have shown me that veterans from every walk of life matter. To me, sharing that experience with people who have shown kindness and respect would mean more than the game itself.”
A personal dream and expression of gratitude, not a claim of invitations, tickets, commitments, or endorsement by the people or organizations named.
A FINAL REFLECTION
Ladies and gentlemen, I share this story from the heart, with all its imperfections.
There were years of sleepless nights, grief, and days when finding strength for tomorrow felt almost impossible.
Another loss remains with me: my best friend suffered a massive heart attack in my home. I performed CPR while speaking with a 911 dispatcher, doing everything I could to save him.
Some memories cannot be explained, and some tears the world will never see.
Through it all, I'm still a father. Still a veteran. Still a human being searching for a little peace.
My hobbies give some of that pain somewhere to go—into a page, a painting, a garden, or an idea that might encourage someone else.
To those who mistreated me: I pray that you find purpose in helping others. I choose to carry forward compassion.
Sometimes, the greatest achievements are measured by what we endure without surrendering our humanity.
— Jeff Powell
For editors, hosts, producers & partners
One story.
One story.
Many conversations
worth having.
Interested in an interview, a responsible feature, a documentary conversation, a literary project, or approved artwork? Please identify your outlet or organization, the nature of your inquiry, and your deadline.
Media and opportunity inquiries
Official project
Available topics
Veterans • Disability and mental health • Fatherhood • Race and fairness • Housing stability • Art and therapeutic hobbies • NEED • Books • Film / documentary development