From Navy Veteran to Entrepreneur: James F. Comley’s Inspirational Writings

James F. Comley’s book The Ups and Downs of Running a Small Business tells the story of how he came to realize that entrepreneurship remains one of the most rewarding paths to personal and professional fulfillment.

For many aspiring entrepreneurs, success can be an amorphous concept that, while attractive, is often hard to pin down.

What success really means and how one should pursue it are difficult to make any definitive statements about, but from James F. Comley’s experienced perspective, business success is achieved through perseverance, adaptability, integrity, and a commitment to continuous learning, as stated in his latest book, The Ups and Downs of Running a Small Business, an Amazon bestselling business memoir.

A Long, Successful Career

After completing his service in the United States Navy, James F. Comley co-founded Embree Elevator with his late wife, Virginia Comley. The partners built the company from the ground up, with Comley bringing several years of technical experience to Embree Elevator’s development.

Comley has served as the company’s President since 1972, though not without facing some challenges along the way. Throughout his 70+ year-long career (including time spent outside of his own company), he navigated many of the challenges faced by small business owners, including economic downturns, changing regulations, workforce issues, and the demands of managing growth while maintaining quality standards.

Comley states he overcame these obstacles through perseverance, adaptability, strong leadership, and an unwavering commitment to serving customers and employees, noting that these qualities serve as central themes in The Ups and Downs of Running a Small Business.

His time spent across multiple stages of entrepreneurship, from his role as a field technician to his current influence on industry regulations, has given Comley a uniquely practical understanding of what it means to be a successful business owner.

Life Beyond Business

Though Comley’s experience leading his own company is valuable in its own right, he has also demonstrated what it means to practice good entrepreneurship outside one’s own business through service. As a former member of the Massachusetts Board of Elevator Regulations, he has, for instance, made important contributions to elevator safety advocacy and industry standards.

Comley further demonstrates his dedication to his craft by having founded one of the nation’s most significant collections of elevator industry history and artifacts.

These accomplishments and efforts showcase the value of contributing to the community at large, particularly within one’s area of expertise, where entrepreneurs can make the greatest impact on the industry they serve.

An Icon of the American Success Story

Today, Comley’s work centers on sharing his knowledge and experiences with future generations of entrepreneurs.

Outside of his entrepreneurial work, he also looks forward to expanding his presence in the entertainment industry through several upcoming feature films in which he has acted.

Comley’s latest goal is for The Ups and Downs of Running a Small Business to become a trusted resource for aspiring business owners, students, and families interested in entrepreneurship. He sees the book as an ideal gift for these groups, as it draws on decades of practical experience and reflects a lifetime of lessons learned in pursuit of the American Dream. His text offers inspiration not through theory but through real-world achievement.