Greg Ballard grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Economics. He served twenty-three years in the United States Marine Corps, holding leadership and staff positions in wide ranging disciplines, both in war and peace. A Distinguished Graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, he also received his Master's Degree in 1997.

Successfully transitioning to the corporate world before embarking on a small-business venture, he has been asked to present his leadership ideas to multiple audiences. He has now formalized some of those thoughts in his book Small Unit Leadership, The Ballard Rules: Volume 1. His websites are theballardrules.com and smallunitleadership.com.

He currently lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Winnie, and their two children, Erica and Greg Jr.