Kevin Harkins
Calm seas don't define leaders. Storms do.
Calm seas don't define leaders. Storms do.
Kevin D. Harkins is the author of The Hard Part Was the Point, a memoir of leadership, legacy, and intentional living. His writing and speaking focus on leadership, performance, and purpose, delivered to audiences including veterans, executives, and business professionals.
After graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Kevin served twenty years as a USCG officer,
including multiple sea tours, the Pentagon, and senior policy roles in Washington, D.C. Following retirement, he co-founded and continues to lead Harkcon Inc. as the CEO, a nationally recognized firm that builds high-performing teams by aligning people, strategy, and mission. He also co-launched two successful Virginia-based craft breweries and continues to advise leaders across business, government, and the military.
He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences and degrees from the Coast Guard Academy, Central Michigan, and Walden Universities. He lives in Virginia with his wife.
True leadership is revealed when the waters turn rough. My journey — from the decks of Coast Guard cutters to the halls of the Pentagon and into the crucible of building a business — has been shaped by storms that tested my resolve, my faith, and my leadership. This book is not just my story; it’s a reflection on resilience, purpose, and the enduring lessons that emerge when the seas are at their worst.
-Kevin Harkins
The HARD PART was the POINT
This is a memoir for anyone who's ever been tested and wondered if they had what it takes. Blending grit, faith, and leadership forged at sea and in business, The Hard Part Was the Point shows how real growth happens on the other side of hardship. It’s a field guide for men and women who believe the tough moments shape who we become.
“Leadership isn’t clean or easy. Most of the time, it’s messy, uncomfortable, and painfully human. But it was the hard part that shaped me, and I wouldn’t trade it.” From the decks of Coast Guard cutters to the boardrooms of business, Kevin D. Harkins has lived through storms, literal and metaphorical, that tested everything he believed about leadership, purpose, and personal growth.
The Hard Part Was the Point traces his journey across two decades of military service, entrepreneurial ventures, legal battles, and personal reinvention. Each chapter reveals how grit, faith, and responsibility shaped a career forged in conflict and refined by reflection. Harkins doesn’t just tell war stories, he shares the hard truths behind public success and private struggle, reminding us that leadership isn’t about getting it right every time. It’s about showing up, standing firm, and owning your choices when it counts.
Candid, thoughtful, and deeply human, The Hard Part Was the Point offers a rare glimpse into a life of service, sacrifice, and deliberate growth. It challenges a culture obsessed with ease by making a bold case for the value of doing what’s difficult and why that’s where transformation lives. Hard is not the obstacle. It’s the invitation. And this story proves it.
The HARD PART was the POINT
This is a memoir for anyone who's ever been tested and wondered if they had what it takes. Blending grit, faith, and leadership forged at sea and in business, The Hard Part Was the Point shows how real growth happens on the other side of hardship. It’s a field guide for men and women who believe the tough moments shape who we become.
“Leadership isn’t clean or easy. Most of the time, it’s messy, uncomfortable, and painfully human. But it was the hard part that shaped me, and I wouldn’t trade it.” From the decks of Coast Guard cutters to the boardrooms of business, Kevin D. Harkins has lived through storms, literal and metaphorical, that tested everything he believed about leadership, purpose, and personal growth.
The Hard Part Was the Point traces his journey across two decades of military service, entrepreneurial ventures, legal battles, and personal reinvention. Each chapter reveals how grit, faith, and responsibility shaped a career forged in conflict and refined by reflection. Harkins doesn’t just tell war stories, he shares the hard truths behind public success and private struggle, reminding us that leadership isn’t about getting it right every time. It’s about showing up, standing firm, and owning your choices when it counts.
Candid, thoughtful, and deeply human, The Hard Part Was the Point offers a rare glimpse into a life of service, sacrifice, and deliberate growth. It challenges a culture obsessed with ease by making a bold case for the value of doing what’s difficult and why that’s where transformation lives. Hard is not the obstacle. It’s the invitation. And this story proves it.
The HARD PART was the POINT
This is a memoir for anyone who's ever been tested and wondered if they had what it takes. Blending grit, faith, and leadership forged at sea and in business, The Hard Part Was the Point shows how real growth happens on the other side of hardship. It’s a field guide for men and women who believe the tough moments shape who we become.
“Leadership isn’t clean or easy. Most of the time, it’s messy, uncomfortable, and painfully human. But it was the hard part that shaped me, and I wouldn’t trade it.” From the decks of Coast Guard cutters to the boardrooms of business, Kevin D. Harkins has lived through storms, literal and metaphorical, that tested everything he believed about leadership, purpose, and personal growth.
The Hard Part Was the Point traces his journey across two decades of military service, entrepreneurial ventures, legal battles, and personal reinvention. Each chapter reveals how grit, faith, and responsibility shaped a career forged in conflict and refined by reflection. Harkins doesn’t just tell war stories, he shares the hard truths behind public success and private struggle, reminding us that leadership isn’t about getting it right every time. It’s about showing up, standing firm, and owning your choices when it counts.
Candid, thoughtful, and deeply human, The Hard Part Was the Point offers a rare glimpse into a life of service, sacrifice, and deliberate growth. It challenges a culture obsessed with ease by making a bold case for the value of doing what’s difficult and why that’s where transformation lives. Hard is not the obstacle. It’s the invitation. And this story proves it.
Reflections From Readers
and Leaders
Insights shaped by service, responsibility, and real-world leadership.
“This book is a powerful testament to the courage it takes to
face fear and move through the doubts that accompany life’s
transitions. With unflinching honesty, Kevin shows how each
of his deeply personal experiences have built a foundation of
confidence—one that now inspires and empowers others to
embrace their own journeys.”
—Susan Curtin, chair, National Coast Guard Museum
Association; president, Kenrose Kitchen Table Foundation
and a partner in Power Family Enterprises.
“This book truly resonates with me. After reading each chapter I
found myself reminiscing about similar things I had encountered
in my own life, from childhood to adulthood. I enjoyed the way
it was written and how it provided essential lessons, applicable
to everyone. This is a must read! It will bring back your own
memories of the wonderful journeys we have had in our lives.”
—Vince Patton, EdD, master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard
(ret), president, Northeast Maritime Institute Foundation, chairman
of the Board of Trustees, Northeast Maritime Institute College of
Maritime Science
“In a world obsessed with shortcuts and hacks, The Hard Part
Was The Point is a perspective we all should seek. Drawing on
experiences most only read about—command at sea, surviving
9/11, and building a business from nothing—Dr. Harkins makes
a case for how the most difficult paths often shape our best
selves. A humble self-reflection on his personal and professional
success, he reminds young leaders and professionals that
courage isn’t the absence of fear, but a commitment to lean into
difficult things. Read this if you’re ready to push off the pier and
enter the deep waters of your potential.”
—Mark Reid, colonel, United States Marine Corps
“In this inspiring and heartfelt work, the author takes us
back to an America where integrity, discipline, and respect
were cornerstones of home and school life. Drawing on his
remarkable journey from military service to building thriving
multimillion‑dollar companies, he reminds us that the virtues
of honor, hard work, and ethical leadership are not relics of
the past but timeless guides for success and fulfillment. This is
a call to rediscover the character that once defined a nation—
and can again.”
—William Dean Lee, vice admiral, United States Coast Guard
(ret) and commander United States Coast Guard Atlantic
Area
Kevin Harkin’s book, The Hard Part Was The Point, is an entertaining, valuable and insightful memoir about boldly living while getting better living life. Kevin shares how understanding what each hard part was meant to teach transforms us. We can not know what the journey will bring but we can be better for having lived humbly, thoughtfully and with gratitude and respect for others. Kevin shows how we each have a chance to define our legacy and this book document’s his hard work carving his own exceedingly well.
-Captain Martha LaGuardia Kotite, USCG and author of the award-winning So Others May Live: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers Saving Lives, Defining Death.
“This book embodies the leadership examples that we gain through life’s experiences. As a professor of leadership at the collegiate level, I find this book enlightening and compelling. The truth in legacy and experience cannot be overstated, and Kevin and his book are a truly outstanding example of the way we should be as a leader today. A must-read for those aspiring to lead in their organization.”
—Russel Frutiger, chief executive officer, Client First Technologies, brigadier general, US Army (ret).
“Kevin Harkins writes with rare clarity, humility, and moral conviction. This is a thoughtful, deeply personal reflection on leadership earned the hard way—through service, setbacks, and steady commitment to doing what is right. Kevin’s voice is both reassuring and challenging, reminding us that character, perseverance, and purpose are forged, not gifted. A meaningful read for anyone who cares about leading well and leaving something that matters.”
—Sharon Heaton, M&A advisor, chief executive officer and founder, sbLiftOff.
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