T

he Emerald Coast is already known for its stunningly 
beautiful beaches and excellent shopping, and now 
there is one very special new store where you can 
“Shop With A Mission” here in Destin. Beyond 214 

goes above and beyond to create a unique shopping experience 
which focuses on veteran-owned/veteran-made, military 
spouse, and fair-trade products for the entire family. Locals 
Zane Holscher and Mindy Whalen both have a strong military 
heritage, and this pride drove them to begin this passion project. 
Zane served 14 years in active duty Air Force and is currently 
serving in the reserves as a pilot with 5th Special Operations 
Squadron at Duke Field. Mindy is Zane’s fiancé and partner 
in Beyond 214. She spent seven years in Washington, D.C., 
working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and has a proud 
military background with both of her grandfathers, father, and 
one of her brothers having all served. When Zane moved to 
Destin, he was motivated to find a way to support the veteran 
community, which led him to establish a 501c3 nonprofit and 
begin hosting the Destin Beach Ultra Runs, an annual running 
event benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. 
To date, his charity has raised nearly half a million dollars for 

military families. Additionally, after leaving active duty service, 
he began a company that provides race directing and timing 
services for events throughout the community. Even with all their 
professional, business, and non-profit experience, opening a retail 
store has been a new adventure for both.  

This past Christmas when searching for gift ideas, Zane kept 

coming back to 

Flags of Valor, a company established by his friend 

and fellow service member, which employs combat veterans 
who hand-craft beautiful wooden flags. Eventually they began 
researching similar veteran-owned companies, which create 
unique, high-quality, and meaningful products. They discovered 
that most of these companies only offered their products online 
and they began envisioning a place where consumers could find 
these products all under one roof. After considering the large 
military community in our area and talking with other local 
business owners, Beyond 214 was born. The name of the business 
references the ‘DD-214’ - 

Department of Defense Form 214: 

Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Military Service. 
To Zane and Mindy, Beyond 214 aims to recognize those veterans 
and veteran-owned companies who continue to give back and 
serve beyond their military service. It was founded with the idea 

story by

 

Courtney Murray

 

  |  

photos by

 

Zhalman Harris

Business  spotlight

38     |    VIPDestinMagazine.com

38-39 profile Beyond 214.indd   1

6/25/18   1:02 PM