By Contributing Author
More entrepreneurs are coming into various industries with the goal of disrupting everything. Specific values and experiences shape their hunger to change industries at their fundamental level. This brings us to the story of a young man named Benjamin Joseph and the ideas that have changed the home warranty industry.
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Who is Benjamin Joseph?
Figuring out the identity of a person is a challenge. Is a person a product of his or her environment, or the creation of his or her experiences? While there is no clear answer, few will deny that upbringing and experiences help create one’s identity.
With this in mind, one can begin to understand a man like Benjamin Joseph. From a young age, he understood the significance of life experiences. When Benjamin was a child, he visited Israel several times and became close with his 25 cousins. Benjamin’s cousins played with him, introduced him to new experiences, and gave Israel a place in his heart. He continued to visit so frequently that by the age of 31 he had visited Israel more than 40 times.
In 2002, Benjamin began to fear for the well-being of his cousins when things got heated in the region. There was news of constant terrorist attacks, and there was palpable tension amongst the people of Israel. In 2007, when Benjamin was about to enter his first year at the University of Miami, his worst fear was realized. He received a call that one of his family members was a victim of a terrorist attack. Benjamin’s cousin was injured during the bombing in the Kikambala hotel in Kenya.
Benjamin’s heart was heavy. He wanted to do more. He learned that some of his cousins had joined the Israeli Defense Force and were making a positive impact for the Israeli people. He saw that becoming a part of something as important as the IDF allowed his cousins to feel resilient and humble as they sought to make a genuine difference.
This stirred something in Benjamin. He wanted to do his part, too. He knew he had to continue his studies—and he did—but the First Gaza War broke out during his second year in college. Once again, Benjamin’s heart ached. He knew that while he was looking at the beautiful beaches of Miami, his cousins were facing the harsh realities of war.
Staying on the sidelines seemed unthinkable. Benjamin was ready to enlist in the IDF immediately, but one of his professors convinced him to continue his education. This professor told Benjamin that he could finish his remaining coursework and prepare for military service at the same time. Benjamin’s professor knew that IDF preparation was extensive enough to give Benjamin time to finish his university work.
After many months of hard work, Benjamin graduated early and was admitted to Sayeret Matkal, an elite force in the Israeli military. Notably, Benjamin was one of the few foreign-born individuals to ever be admitted to this elite IDF force, but there he was.
In the Sayeret Matkal, Benjamin learned how important excellence and honesty truly are. All of the missions were crucial. If something went wrong, there could be devastating consequences to Israel. This amount of pressure highlighted how important it was to train, plan, and always have a clear mind. Benjamin learned to build custom machinery. He learned to move large equipment effectively. He learned the meaning of service.
Benjamin’s Return
Serving in the IDF shaped Benjamin’s worldview in many ways. He learned that the best way to serve others is to create opportunities for success. This perspective led him to Wharton Business School, where Benjamin found a passion for self-started businesses.
While at Wharton, Benjamin met his friend David Moreno. Upon graduation, Benjamin asked David if he would work with him on a new business venture. Benjamin saw the opportunity to help his fellow neighbors in the home warranty industry. Liberty Home Guard was born from the conversations Benjamin and David had.
Benjamin saw that home warranties promised the world but ultimately delivered little. He wanted to go against this trend that he felt was unfair and borderline unethical. His strong values led him to create a business that would offer exactly what homeowners deserved—a radical concept in the home warranty industry.
