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Christian Paulin has been building his whole life, from ranch fences and community businesses to overseas infrastructure during his time with the U.S. Navy’s Seabees construction team.

Now, he builds and serves in new ways as an ����mv��ý territory account manager.

Paulin was raised blue-collar, growing up in Guam, Hawaii and Virginia as the son of a U.S. Navy service member. He eventually settled in Texas — the place he calls home with his wife and three children.��

His father’s time in service inspired him to follow the same path. But something much deeper called to him.

“I’ve always liked helping people and being useful,” Paulin said. “I wanted to serve to make the country safe and be part of something bigger than myself.”

He found that as a Seabee, which is the nickname for the Navy Construction Battalions. Paulin joined the Navy in 2016 and traveled the world, rebuilding airfields, constructing missile battery sites and establishing humanitarian aid infrastructure.��

This work was different from what Paulin grew up doing, helping his uncle with commercial and residential renovations, like remodeling vet clinics and fencing decks, and general construction on houses and barndominiums. But he honed his leadership skills pouring concrete and operating heavy equipment in extreme heat across the Middle East.

“It felt good knowing that the work had a bigger purpose,” he said. “What came easily but was also challenging was leading. That’s where I learned humility. My team’s faults became my faults, and I had to take ownership, be accountable and grow into that.”

Paulin knew it was time to come home after seven years in service and with his third child on the way. Excited to be home with his growing family, he spoke to his best friend who had found success at the ����mv��ý branch in Tomball, Texas.��

That friend told him about , a program that allows service members in their final months of service to gain civilian work experience and explore new career paths.��

“I saw how much ����mv��ý changed things for him and decided to take that leap of faith,” Paulin said.

He was accepted into the SkillBridge program and began a six-month rotation at the Tomball branch, working through nearly every step of the operation. At ����mv��ý, veterans don’t just find jobs; they build careers. So far this year, 84% of SkillBridge interns who completed the program were offered full-time positions.��

He spent time as a yard and shop technician. Weeks later, he moved to the rental coordinator’s desk before spending time with the general manager and riding along with the territory account manager. Along the way, he saw leadership styles that reminded him of his time in the Navy, which helped him feel a strong sense of belonging during his transition to civilian life.

“Spencer Black, the general manager at the Tomball branch, gave me the best impression,” Paulin said. “He put his people first before himself, and I saw a strong leader. That kind of sold me.” 

Black, in turn, was sold on Paulin.

“His character always shined through,” Black said. “He didn’t just go through the motions but actively worked to take care of the branch and those around him. He worked hard to understand the business and did so with enthusiasm and dedication.”

What sealed the deal for Paulin was how his team showed up for him when it mattered most. He needed time away from work to be with his family but wasn’t sure how much time he’d need or how it would affect his future with the company.

“I told them I was going to be away for a couple of days, and they just said, ‘Take care of your family. If you need anything from us, let us know,’” Paulin said. “That was the tipping point. When someone values my family as much as I do, that’s a winner. That’s the kind of people I want to be around.” 

Those early moments in the SkillBridge program stayed with him as he stepped into his full-time role as a territory account manager two years ago.��

Even now, he stops by the Tomball branch multiple times a week to check in on the people he worked with during his SkillBridge rotation. Two stories in particular stand out.��

One Saturday morning, the branch received a service call from one of Paulin’s customers. Paulin drove to the jobsite with breakfast and Gatorades, not just for the customer but for the ����mv��ý field service technician as well.��

Another time, on a Friday when the Tomball branch was extremely short-handed, he showed up in jeans, work boots and a high-visibility ����mv��ý shirt. He was ready to work.��

“He proceeded to spend the entire day assisting the yard technician in cleaning up the yard and keeping the branch moving,” Black said. “I had very little to do with Christian’s success besides providing him the opportunity to showcase his talents. Christian took care of the rest.”

Since then, he has seen just how many opportunities there are for success within the company and has brought those closest to him to experience the same teamwork, accountability and mission-driven work that first made him feel at home.��

He helped his brother, Carson Paulin, get hired as a yard tech, who’s since moved into a telematics role. His brother-in-law, Dylan Busch, followed, working his way up to rental coordinator. And soon, one of his best friends will begin his own Skillbridge journey at the same Tomball branch.��

“When people treat you right, you want others to experience it too,” Paulin said. “I still feel like I’m serving — just in a different way. I get to build something that lasts, and I get to do it with the people I care about.”