2021 MIM_NOVEMBER

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Our Members Are the Mission

The end of this year feels very different from where we were 12 months ago. The coronavirus pandemic affected all sectors of the economy in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it ravaged the small business community with employee layoffs, supply chain interruptions, and, in some cases, permanent closures. It was nothing short of heartbreaking to read farewells from entrepreneurs who had to close shop. I knew that behind every one of those messages was a person, or persons, who poured their whole soul into that venture.

But there have also been reasons for optimism as organizations learned how to pivot. Local mom and pop shops transitioned to online marketplaces, fitness centers moved workouts outdoors, and schools hosted class through Zoom (parents won’t forget that last one). And perhaps one of my favorite successes is planted on the very cover of this magazine.

I walked into my first Military Influencer Conference in Dallas, Texas, several years ago. I knew this event series was gold after that first experience. I have attended

all types of military events, and none had the vibe of this one. As the pandemic unfolded and things were being canceled, including MIC, Curtez Riggs, its founder, faced tough decisions. Through his relationships and networking, a new path was paved — something he talks about on page 10. The most telling quote from the interview focuses on leveraging skills from others.

“Knowing your vulnerabilities and having enough humility to bring in key people to augment those gaps is critical for success.”

contributors

Janet Farley

Lucretia Cunningham

Andrea Downing Peck

Shannon Corbeil

Jeremy Knauff

The entrepreneur space is vast and competitive, but there is also enough work to go around. I challenge you in 2022 to lend what you’re good at to one of your peers. After living through a chapter of history that will no doubt be labeled unprecedented, let’s follow it up with the best of humanity: climbing the ladder together.

Wishing you and your family the best of holidays!

Managing Editor

Curtez Riggs (left), founder of Military Influencer Conference, with Mark Harper, CEO of We Are The Mighty, in San Antonio, Texas. Photo by Chris McPhee.

Tiffany Eve Lawrence

Chris Adams

Amy Meehan

Crystal Kupper

As in-person events were canceled, Curtez Riggs joined forces with Honor2Lead to deliver a virtual continuation of the Military Influencer brand.

Janet Farley

by Jeremy Knauff

From boots to beauty queen

BY JANET FARLEY

When she was a little girl, U.S. Army Spc. Maura Spence Carroll wasn’t like the other kids on the playground. While they waited patiently for the swings, Spence Carroll was busy playing pretend lawyer. From center stage in the sandbox, she dramatically defended her clients and fought for justice.

“Performing is something that has always come easy to me, and I like competing,” said Spence Carroll, the Katy, Texasnative who is currently stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, as an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Spence Carroll was crowned Miss Colorado in June and will go on to represent Colorado in the Miss America competition in December 2021 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, where the Miss America organization will also celebrate its 100th anniversary.

She does so as a proud trailblazer.

“While there have been other title holders who wore a uniform as reservists or in the National Guard, I am the first active-duty soldier to do so,” she said.

Managing her dual roles can be challenging at times and worlds can collide.

“The other day I was out in the motor pool trying to participate in a Zoom meeting about the upcoming competition while trying to get my vehicle fixed,” she laughed.

Spence Carroll focuses, however, on the unique opportunities that her roles offer.

“I have supportive leadership and that makes a big difference. They understand that not only am I Spc. Spence, but I’m also Miss Colorado. That puts me in a unique position to help recruit for the military and to help bridge the gap that exists between the military and civilian worlds,” she said.

“My voice is amplified as Miss Colorado, and I want to make a difference. I want to do whatever I can to normalize mental health and suicide prevention in the military and I believe doing that will require real change and not just from the top down. It has to come from multiple places within, including from me,” said Spence Carroll.

Spence Carroll does more than just advocate for mental health. She relies on it.

“I just came from therapy myself to this interview,” she said.

Spence Carroll experienced two “big losses” in her life when her sister died in 2015 and her grandfather, who she says inspired her to join the military, passed away a year later. It wasn’t an easy time for her.

“I felt very isolated and unhappy for a long, long time and experienced undiagnosed ADHD, depression, and anxiety. Therapy works,” she said.

Strong communities are also important to Spence Carroll. To help build hers, she has donated several of her competition dresses to Operation Deploy

Your Dress (ODYD), an organization founded in 2015 by five military spouses to defray the high cost of formal wear for holiday balls.

“At ODYD, we are all about building community within the military networks which ultimately helps to strengthen mental health for our military families and service members. Silly as it sounds, it’s more than just a dress,” Yvonne Coombes, CEO and co-founder, said.

Coombes added that when she found out about Spence Carroll’s platform of military mental health and suicide prevention, “teaming up just seemed natural.”

“I became interested in helping out when I realized that the chance to help these women find something they feel confident [wearing] went beyond the physical. It became a way to plug into the community while

also fostering a healthier mindset,” said Spence Carroll.

So, what does the future hold for Miss Colorado?

“I believe there is always a plan for me. I have dreamed about being Miss America since I was 13 years old,” she said, adding that she hopes that dream comes true in December.

She is also thinking about transferring to the National Guard in April 2022 and enrolling at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

“I want to study law and eventually become a civil rights lawyer,” she said.

Spence Carroll is right. There is a plan here.

Follow Spc. Spence Carroll on Instagram at www.instagram.com/ maura.aisling.

PenFed Foundation helps women veterans accelerate their businesses

BY LUCRETIA CUNNINGHAM

Finalists of a program that prepares and empowers military women-run startups and small businesses are sharing the impact the training is having on their ventures.

The PenFed Foundation announced the launch of the Veteran Entrepreneur Investment Program (VEIP) Military Women Startup Accelerator earlier this year, with a workshop series on business-focused education, business development and scaling strategies, access to resources, pitch preparation and coaching that inspires and prepares entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Ten finalists were chosen as part of the program.

Military spouse Gabriella Bell, founder and CEO of Organized Q, was among those named. As she continues to expand her business, Bell said she’s set a goal to provide her employees with professional development opportunities geared towards diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a final candidate in the program, she received a grant to take Organized Q to the next level.

“We have clients from all types of backgrounds, from different socioeconomic

statuses, different parts of the country, even different parts of the world,” Bell said. “I think it’s important for our team to have that skillset and knowledge.”

The group of militaryaffiliated women entrepreneurs all received a

$3,000 investment for their business after attending the VEIP boot camp.

“In the last six to 10 years ... of all the investment capital that’s been deployed, less than 2% has gone to women,” said Seda Goff, PenFed Foundation

senior director of veteran entrepreneurs. “An even smaller amount has gone to veteran entrepreneurs in general, so we saw an opportunity to bridge the gap.”

More than 260 business owners registered for

Gabriela Bell - Organized Q

a series of seminars, or modules, over 10 weeks. Subject matter experts covered topics like design thinking, knowing your target audience, and leveraging social media marketing. To be considered for the grant, candidates needed to attend all modules and create a testimonial video about their business and how the accelerator would help it grow. Goff added, the 10 chosen for the grant were women who built their businesses to solve problems they could relate to.

“It really shows the strength of the female experience,” she said.

The “tactical pause” for the companies — ranging from the idea stage to initial startup — allowed them to also focus on telling their stories. The program’s original intent was to choose the top three

candidates from a pitch competition at the Military Influencer Conference in May 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was postponed. Even while they had to transition the accelerator to a virtual platform, Goff said, the foundation could still advance its initiatives.

“There are a lot of other programs out there that help with capital from pitch competitions,” Goff explained. “What we found is that it ends up being another way we help veteran entrepreneurs access capital. Those who go through our pitch prep tend to do better at pitch competitions, which then gets them additional capital.”

PenFed Credit Union established the PenFed Foundation in 2001 to assist military members and their families in building financial

stability. The foundation, which was designated a 501(c)3 a year later, now offers emergency financial assistance, home buying assistance and student loan repayment scholarships.

In March 2020, PenFed became the first veteran service organization to launch a COVID-19 emergency financial relief program for military members and veterans facing hardships during the pandemic. Since its inception, the foundation has provided over $38.5 million in financial assistance for military members, their families, caregivers and veterans.

Additionally, VEIP continues to host events for continuing education and offers ongoing support as the businesses grow.

Luminary Global CEO and Founder Valerie Lavin was a grant recipient through the startup accelerator and was also accepted for the

master’s program — a oneyear intensive incubator meant to raise investor funds and scale her startup.

Another accelerator finalist, Jennifer Vollbrecht, a Marine veteran, is the president of J. Vollbrecht Consulting. She said she felt a sense of validation throughout the boot camp and said she was grateful for the networking opportunity while sharing an experience with other business owners from the military community.

“What really stuck with me ... is that now we all know each other. We know each other’s capabilities, and we have the ability to do business together,” Vollbrecht said.

Valerie Lavin - Luminary Global

Jennifer Vollbrecht - JVC Consulting

TWO VETERANS & AN ACQUISITION

BY ANDREA DOWNING PECK

When 1st Sgt. Curtez Riggs was preparing to retire from the Army in 2018, his side gig — the Military Influencer Conference (MIC) — was establishing itself as the premier gathering of entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives in the military space.

Riggs had put into action his first rule of entrepreneurship: Maintain a steady paycheck while pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams.

“I had all the pay and benefits through service that allowed me to take the risk of starting a business,” Riggs said, who transitioned from activeduty entrepreneur to military-veteran entrepreneur. “Most individuals wait until they are done with something fully and then try to launch a business

to support their habits and lifestyle. It’s rare that it works out like that.”

Today, Riggs’ goal is to grow MIC into the military version of South by Southwest (SXSW), the multi-day Texas conference and festival celebrating the tech, film, and music industries. In order to achieve that objective, Riggs is putting into action his second rule of entrepreneurship: Know your skill set.

“As a founder, you know when you are operating outside of your skills. I started to realize that in late 2020,” he said. “I knew the conference, the brand, had the ability to grow to be a SXSW that serves the military community, where we have a conference, largescale supplier-diversity trade show, an emphasis on helping service members

transition into entrepreneurship or finding their way into another job. There could be a comedy night, movie releases.”

As a solo entrepreneur, Riggs didn’t have the connections or resources to bring that dream to fruition, but another veteran-led company did. We Are The Mighty, the military community’s leading digital publisher and media agency, is acquiring Military Influencer, with Riggs assuming the role of President of Events and Activations.

“We joined forces to make MIC a much larger event than if either one of us did it independently,” Air Force veteran Mark Harper, CEO of We Are The Mighty, said. “Curtez brings so much to MIC - his relationships, his institutional

knowledge, and an unrivaled passion for the military community. When we leverage that experience and couple it with WATM’s production, event, and marketing capabilities, MIC will be unstoppable. This partnership will ensure Military Influencer is not just successful, but also sustainable.”

The military teaches discipline, resiliency, tenacity, and perseverance, all of which are hallmarks of successful entrepreneurs. But Riggs acknowledges a successful business partnership between veterans requires more than shared time in uniform.

“It’s important for me to know that if you served for two years or 30, you are still grounded by the things we learned in service,” Riggs said, pointing out that not all veterans carry military values such as integrity and acceptance of diversity into civilian life.

Riggs’ entrepreneurial journey began in Flint, Michigan, where as a child he collected discarded glass bottles and cans from neighborhood baseball diamonds, cashing in the refundable “trash” for 10-cents each. Harper, on the other hand, describes himself as an “accidental” entrepreneur. While enrolled in the UCLA Anderson MBA program, Harper developed a business plan for the launch of a high-end

headphone that became the Audeze brand. He spent three years with the startup before joining We Are The Mighty in 2014.

As a Black entrepreneur, Riggs has had to overcome added roadblocks while building Military Influencer.

“When you get into the public facing entrepreneurial world, there are a lot of people who haven’t taken me seriously,” he explained. “Mentorship opportunities have been incredibly limited. Until I found the right circles, access to capital and resources was always a challenge, especially for a minority entrepreneur.”

But, Riggs says, each “no” he encountered turned into a “new opportunity to connect with someone else.” He maintains his experience is a lesson for all entrepreneurs.

“The majority of people you talk to or attempt to connect with, right upfront they are going to tell you ‘no,’” Riggs said. “But you have to keep going. The more people you talk to, eventually you start to find individuals who will accept you, support you, and provide the mentorship and resources you need.”

Riggs added, “One of the lessons I learned early in my entrepreneurial journey was the importance of a

growth mentality. There are so many great, free programs like Bunker Labs, Patriot Boot Camp, Boots to Business, and other organizations designed to help veteran entrepreneurs. Taking advantage of these offerings will pay dividends. They’ll help you hone your strengths, and maybe more importantly, help you identify your weaknesses. Knowing your vulnerabilities and having enough humility to bring in key people to augment those gaps is critical for success. This mentality is one of the main reasons I was excited to partner with WATM for Military Influencer.”

While many companies were forced to shutter because of the COVID-19 pandemic, both MIC and WATM found ways to pivot in order to expand their offerings to not just survive, but thrive.

“Service teaches you many life-long lessons,” Harper explained. “Whether on the battlefield or in a boardroom, the ability to adjust a plan is certainly one of those skills.”

Riggs agreed.

“We found ways to grow at a time when people around us didn’t have the ability to flex,” he said. “MIC and WATM is an exciting partnership that just makes sense.”

CURTEZ RIGGS

MARK HARPER

The fight for Alwyn Cashe’s earned legacy

BY LUCRETIA CUNNINGHAM

Kasinal Cashe White was elated when she heard the news last December. Then-President Donald Trump had signed H.R. 8276, waiving a fiveyear time limitation and permitting her brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe, to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The medal would be an upgrade from the Silver Star he was awarded posthumously in 2005. The emotions she felt were the culmination of what she called her “life’s mission,” and a long battle dating from roughly 2007.

If awarded, Cashe would be the first Black service member since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor.

Even more, Cashe White said it’s about a deep need to “right a wrong that needs to be righted.”

“They [the presidential administration] can’t change anything for my brother,”

she said. “The only thing they can do for my family is to put that medal in my hands. We lost our mom in 2015, and while I would have rathered someone put it in her hands, I’ll stand and accept it for her.”

A breakthrough only came in January 2018 when Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida) submitted legislation to have a post office in Oviedo, Florida, (Cashe’s hometown) named in his honor. And, on Sept. 16, 2020, Murphy introduced H.R. 8276 in the House. The bill garnered bipartisan support and was passed without amendment and with unanimous consent.

But the mission isn’t over.

Murphy said President Joe Biden has everything he needs to be able to award the Medal of Honor — the law to provide a time waiver and the support of Secretary of Defense

Lloyd J. Austin III. But the president needs to make the decision to award Cashe the Medal of Honor.

After dedicating her time to research, sending letters, making phone calls, setting appointments with

government officials, and working with Cashe’s former command to get paperwork resubmitted, his name remains absent from the Department of Defense’s archive of Medal of Honor recipients.

“I’m in constant contact with the Department of Defense and the White House trying to get this done and to remind them that this is out there,” Murphy said. “If the president chooses to award him the Medal of Honor as his family, the veteran community, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and members of Congress believe he deserves, then it will be a fitting and long overdue tribute to Alwyn Cashe, an American hero who should be known to every American.”

Either way, Cashe White said the fight is worth it to defend her brother’s legacy and solidify his name in American history.

On Oct. 17, 2005, Cashe was serving as a platoon sergeant with A Company,1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, when the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he was the gunner on

triggered an improvised explosive device, causing a fuel spill and the vehicle to be engulfed in flames.

His Silver Star citation states Cashe suffered only minor injuries, but his uniform was drenched in fuel when he began pulling soldiers out of the vehicle. After extinguishing the flames on one soldier, Cashe went back to the vehicle to pull another soldier — and then another — to safety while he himself was on fire. Ten soldiers were injured and one national translator was killed during the event.

Cashe is credited with saving the lives of six service members that day. He suffered second- and third-degree burns on 72% of his body and was airlifted to Brooke Army Medical

Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he died on Oct. 20, 2005. He was 35 years old.

Cashe is survived by three children. His son, Andrew, stepped into his father’s combat boots and currently serves in an Army Infantry Division. Cashe White also is ensuring her brother’s legacy as she works to create a 501(c)(3) in his name with a goal to mentor young people in their hometown to find their way to service.

“And, it doesn’t have to be to the armed services, just a path to service,” she said. “I truly believe he [Cashe] followed his dream when he joined the military. We just want to help people follow their dreams.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe is now eligible to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions in October 2005 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Members of the Cashe family are joined by Florida Congressman John Mica to unveil the plaque at a memorialization ceremony for the renamed Army Reserve Center in memory of Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe. Photo by Staff Sgt. Toshiko Gregg.

Watch these veterans learn they just got a free house

BY SHANNON CORBEIL

This year, Veterans United decided to make a life-changing impact for Veterans Day. The nation’s largest VA purchase lender gave 10 deserving Veterans a mortgage-free home — and Veterans nationwide can enter for a chance to win the 11th and final house.

After recruiting Marine Corps veteran Rob Riggle, the Veterans United team set to work finding veterans who fit the bill for their #ThanksToVeterans campaign — vets who are continuing their commitment to service by making a difference for their local communities, fellow veterans, and their loved ones. Veterans are often recognized for the sacrifices they made in uniform, but many of them maintain their legacy of service back at home.

“To all the veterans, we say thank you for your service. Thank you for what you gave and what you did,” says Riggle in the announcement video. “To say thank you this Veterans Day, Veterans United Home Loans is giving eleven houses to eleven veterans.”

Veterans United is a VA-approved home-purchase lender committed to enhancing the lives of military veterans with integrity, passion, and even a bit of fun.

“This Veterans Day, we’re honoring Veterans not only for their service while in uniform, but for their lifetime of service and all the ways they make communities better,”

said Pam Swan, vice president of military relations for Veterans United Home Loans and a military spouse. “Our #ThanksToVeterans campaign underscores the commitment Veterans demonstrate daily as local leaders, dedicated volunteers, and exemplary neighbors. And what better way to thank these deserving individuals than by giving them houses of their very own in the communities they call home?”

The demands on our service members are many — especially for those who serve during times of war. Sacrifice for the higher good is drilled into the hearts of our nation’s warriors, so it isn’t always easy to ask for or accept help after transitioning back to civilian life. You can see the gratitude in the faces of each veteran whose life — and whose family — has been changed forever. From a single widowed mother of three, to a Vietnam Veteran in need of a wheelchair-accessible home, the 10 Veterans selected are all active members of their communities.

“I own a home,” realizes Samuel, the awe clear on his face as it sinks in. At a time when the number of unhoused veterans is increasing, this kind of gift is priceless, which makes this just one more exemplary reason why Veterans United is a leader in the VA Loan industry. From loans to homebuying education to military advisers, Veterans United is here to support the military community — and maybe even save lives.

If you’re a Veteran interested in winning your dream home, check out thankstoveterans.com or by scanning the QR code in our ad.

Based in Columbia, Mo., Veterans United is the nation’s largest VA purchase lender, a distinction it’s held since 2016. NMLS 1907, An equal opportunity lender. A VA approved lender, not endorsed or sponsored by any government agency.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The Veterans United Home Loans Thanks to Veterans Home Giveaway sweepstakes starts 11/10/2021 (12:01a.m., Eastern Time) and ends 12/31/2021 (11:59p.m., Eastern Time). Open to qualifying U.S. military service members and U.S. military veterans who are domiciled in the U.S. and are at least the age of majority in their place of domicile, be it 18 or an older age. One entry per person per allowed method (maximum of 5 entries per person, total). Prize is up to US$500,000.00 for, or toward, the purchase of a home in the U.S. or towards a qualifying mortgage payoff, but may be subject to tax withholding. Prize awarded by random drawing. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. See Official Rules for how to enter, prize details, restrictions and other conditions and requirements. Sponsor: Mortgage Research Center, LLC, d/b/a Veterans United Home Loans, 1400 Veterans United Drive, Columbia, MO 65203.

We Are The Mighty — Sponsored by Veterans United

How to write content that doesn’t suck

BY JEREMY KNAUFF

There are several reasons why, but they all can be fixed. Following these tips will help content creators market more effectively, serve more people, make more money, and have a greater impact.

Find topics people are interested in

When most people create content, they do it from their own perspective, and that’s why it doesn’t resonate with an audience.

It’s usually bragging and self-promotional fluff. People tune that garbage out immediately.

Instead, find out what the audience really wants using any of the following tools:

• SEMrush.

• Google Keyword Planner.

• Answer the Public.

• BuzzSumo.

• Quora.

The content should be comprehensive enough

that the audience can implement the advice even if they never buy anything.

This scares some marketers, but if you feel that way, ask yourself this — is what you do so simple that a novice can replace you by simply reading a blog post or watching a video?

Leverage people’s emotions

Too many people are afraid of criticism.

Between trolls and the cancel-culture mob, many think it’s easier to be so vanilla that they never upset anyone. But that approach creates a different problem because the same concepts that elicit love from one aspect of the audience can elicit hate from another.

While avoiding all conflict may mean you might not upset anyone, it also means no one will ever be passionate about your brand. And if people aren’t passionate about your

brand, you’ll be seen as a commodity differentiated only by price.

So put some damn personality into your content and be a little controversial from time to time.

Make it easy to consume

The average person doesn’t have the attention span to read a massive wall of text, and even if they did, most of them don’t yet care enough about what you have to say to put in that kind of effort.

But that’s how most people write.

Unfortunately, people generally don’t read content — they scan it. So it’s critical to structure it in a way that makes it easy for them to find exactly the information they’re looking for.

You can do that by breaking your text content into smaller chunks.

Creating content to promote products and services, demonstrate expertise and stay on prospects’ mind is a given. What most people don’t know, however, is how to do that effectively. This is easy to see because, frankly, most content sucks. Want

For social media, you’ll achieve this by using shorter sentences and paragraphs — generally three to five sentences per paragraph.

For articles, whether on your own or a third-

party website, content can be broken up with subheadings, images, and ordered or unordered lists.

You can take a similar approach to video content by using jump cuts, which help to keep people’s attention because of the dramatic visual changes. This can be accomplished in a few different ways:

1. The easiest is to chop out small bits of dead space every so often. Just don’t overdo it. A cut every 10-20 seconds is usually plenty.

2. Another relatively easy tactic is to insert other relevant images and video clips every so often.

3. And a more complex but incredibly powerful tactic is to record with multiple cameras shooting at different angles.

Nominate. Support. Salute.

Military spouses are the unsung heroes of the armed forces. Their contributions do so much to support and strengthen the home front. The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® award recognizes their efforts and honors winners from each branch along with an overall winner.

Military spouses are the unsung heroes of the armed forces. Their contributions do so much to support and strengthen the home front. The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® award recognizes their efforts and honors winners from each branch along with an overall winner.

Military spouses are the unsung heroes of the armed forces. Their contributions do so much to support and strengthen the home front. The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® award recognizes their efforts and honors winners from each branch along with an overall winner.

Nominations for the 2022 awards open Monday, November 29th. So, think of the extraordinary military spouses who are making a difference and nominate them soon. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates or visit msoy.afi.org to learn more. Proudly Presenting

Nominations for the 2022 awards open Monday, November 29th. So, think of the extraordinary military spouses who are making a difference and nominate them soon. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates or visit msoy.afi.org to learn more.

Nominations for the 2022 awards open Monday, November 29th. So, think of the extraordinary military spouses who are making a difference and nominate them soon. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates or visit msoy.afi.org to learn more.

Proudly Presenting

Proudly Presenting

Not pictured: David Carerra, 2020-2021 Armed Forces Insurance Navy Spouse of the Year.

Front Row (L to R): 2020-2021 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Branch Winners: Cristy Reid (National Guard), Bree Carroll (Air Force), Paulette Fryar (Coast Guard/Overall), Arlene Allen (Marine Corps) and Yvonne Coombes (Army). Back Row: Lori Simmons and Lt Gen Stanley Clarke, USAF (Ret), Armed Forces Insurance

pictured: David Carerra, 2020-2021 Armed Forces Insurance Navy Spouse of the Year.

Photography by Trish

Alegre-Smith

Front Row (L to R): 2020-2021 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Branch Winners: Cristy Reid (National Guard), Bree Carroll (Air Force), Paulette Fryar (Coast Guard/Overall), Arlene Allen (Marine Corps) and Yvonne Coombes (Army). Back Row: Lori Simmons and Lt Gen Stanley Clarke, USAF (Ret), Armed Forces Insurance Not pictured: David Carerra, 2020-2021 Armed Forces Insurance Navy Spouse of the Year.

Navy veteran turned R&B artist gives back to military, first responders

BY TIFFANY EVE LAWRENCE

B. Taylor had been in his new condo for less than a day when a neighbor — who’d heard him playing the piano — connected him with Pete Moore, a founding member of the legendary Motown group The Miracles. They lived in the same building. After hearing Taylor perform a song for 45 seconds Moore said, “Your brain is impeccable and you’re what we’ve been looking for.”

This happenstance meeting set Taylor’s trajectory and resolved a tough decision he’d been wrestling with — to leave the military, where he played Navy football, and run full speed into pursuing his musical dreams. He’s now a two-time Grammy nominee with a high-profile list of musical collaborations to include Snoop Dog, Brandy and Flo Rida.

But nothing about this choice to separate from the military severed his ties with the community. It was a move that brought him full circle, enabling him to support military veterans through music, entertainment, and his nonprofit wellness organization, 1 Life.

Creating the 1 Life Organization furthers Taylor’s mission to support veterans, active-duty members and first responders who are dealing

with PTSD, suicide, homelessness, depression and other combat-induced ailments. Music is one of the many modalities and forms of therapy in the program.

Over the past year Taylor was approved by the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to record the video for his unifying song “We Are One, Love Is All We Need.”

“It involved all five branches — Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps. We shot on the Coast Guard ship and shot at the VA with VA nurses, doctors, first responders,” he said.

Filming of his video spanned 30 days and included several locations, but Taylor was successful in bringing the

military community together in a largescale way through music.

“I debuted it at the SuperBowl pregame and I was introduced by Terrell Owens. That was a historic moment for me.”

B. Taylor with active-duty personnel and veterans, who experienced an entire day with Snoop Dogg. Photo courtesy of the B. Taylor website.

For Taylor, these moments keep happening.

His work for veterans also caught the attention of Combs Enterprises, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ company.

“They wanted me to build a military program and be the military veteran ambassador for Hydrate waters. I set them up with national distribution through the Department of Defense and the leadership of AAFES and all the exchanges to get them national with their AQUAhydrate water.”

Through his cultivated connections, Taylor continues to create high quality, memorable experiences for veterans. He’s partnered with the NFL, NASCAR and the NBA to create a Heroes Experience.

“I take veterans, military and first responders to games to interact with players, and the leadership on the field. Then there’s a sponsored dinner by Wahlburgers.”

The work he does for veterans has been revered by artists and government officials, garnering him the title of goodwill global ambassador and advocate of entertainment for military events. But he deems it an honor to give back to the platform and people that shaped him.

“I can do these great things with the things I learned from the military to veterans, and I get to be a light for minorities.”

And now, after securing a 30,000-square-foot facility in Houston, Taylor will have a home base for the inaugural 1 Life Wellness Center.

“With the New Horizon Hospital, we are building the first one. It’s like a one-stop shop based off the Cover Act.”

The center will have a gym and offer alternative therapies like music, yoga, and animal therapy. Veterans will also have access to career counselors, job placement resources, diet counselors and more.

But music stays at the center of Taylor’s work.

Coming up, he will be debuting the 1 Life Heroes Christmas Classic in partnership with Sony Music.

“I’m taking three to five vets and military that can sing, and through Sony, we’re putting out the first Christmas classic album. It is going to be for veterans and active-duty military members to showcase their musical journey.”

And although he has the means to contact prominent artists, there won’t

be any celebrity collaborations for this project.

“I’m true through and through. This is for military and veterans.”

All proceeds will go back into the 1 Life Wellness Center. Visit www.btaylor.com/1-lifeorganization to learn more about B. Taylor.

How Fire Dept Coffee roasted its way to caffeinated victory

BY BRENT HANNIFY — SPONSORED BY GOVX

Fire Dept Coffee founder and CEO Luke Schneider can claim many titles. A U.S. Navy veteran. A proud Rockford, Illinois, firefighter and paramedic. But the one thing he doesn’t consider himself is a coffee snob.

“OK, maybe just a little bit,” he admitted. “I know my wife thinks I’m a snob.”

But the truth is, of the multitudes of Fire Dept Coffee roasts, Schneider still prefers the flagship original roast. No cream. No sugar. Just black.

It makes sense. After all, if you had spent years crafting the perfect coffee, fine-tuning it to your personal tastebuds by coaxing the flavor out of every bean and uncovering the complexities through careful heat transfers, it would be all you’d drink too.

Schneider recalls the process of discovering that original blend. It needed to be strong. It needed to be smooth. It needed the right amount of caffeine.

“So much went into getting that coffee right,” he remembered.

He wanted to make his debut coffee taste great no matter how it was brewed. And it was a standard he applied to every roast to join the Fire Dept Coffee inventory from then on. It doesn’t matter if you use a French press, an espresso machine, or that drip maker that’s been in your family for decades, this coffee tastes delicious, perks you up, and warms even the coldest hearts.

A caffeinated culture.

Schneider and his wife started roasting coffee out of a small, rented space with just a 5-kilo roaster. The effort was born from a love of coffee and the men and women who rely on it to stay alert and focused on the job. Emergencies don’t follow a 9-to-5 schedule, and as a result, neither do the professionals who respond to them. Every respectable fire house across the nation is filled with coffee, and most firefighters are too.

back to sleep isn’t in the cards.

So, what else is there to do? Brew a pot of coffee and spend time together until the sun comes up.

“Through the good and the bad and everything in between, we can have nothing in common except that we were in it together,” Schneider said. “And as we drink our coffee, even if we don’t say a word, we enjoy it together. It gives us the energy we need to get ready for the next call.”

In that sense, coffee makes a fire crew a family as much as the job itself does.

Firefighters know a thing or two about roasting things.

A working knowledge of fire dynamics gives a firefighter a natural edge when it comes to brewing coffee. Without getting too deep into the science, a coffee bean at the start of the roasting process is endothermic, absorbing heat until the drying phase. Then, the reaction becomes exothermic, and the bean releases the stored heat, developing the flavor profile along the way.

When you’re running back-to-back calls on a regular basis, coffee becomes your whole world. And not just to keep you caffeinated — it becomes a part of your culture. Schneider remembers returning to the fire house from those early morning calls — the sun isn’t out yet, but everyone is wide awake, fueled by the adrenaline of everything that just went down. The crew is talking about what happened, and everyone knows going

And all this is affected by the bean’s native altitude and environment — two variables any firefighter considers when battling a blaze. What’s the elevation like? How will the humidity affect it? What action must I take to make the heat do what I want? Whether it’s attacking a structure fire or coaxing the flavors out of a Nicaraguan bean, these firefighters are masters of their craft.

All this is done by a dedicated team, many of whom tackle the responsibility of being full-time firefighters and paramedics when they’re not roasting and selling coffee.

“In the early days, we roasted nonstop. We were working in shifts, getting shut-eye in sleeping bags and waking the next guy up when it was his turn to roast,” Schneider remembered. “All this on top of the regular calls we’re going on every day.”

FDC now operates out of a 4,000-square-foot roasting facility, and a 36,000-square-foot fulfillment center. The business has grown, but the operation is still crewed by men and women who actively respond to calls, balancing the art of slinging bean juice with the rigors of responding to emergencies.

Black humor. Black coffee.

Schneider eventually joined forces with Florida firefighter/paramedic Jason Patton, known for his hilarious videos that capture that unique brand of first responder humor. Satirical, manic, and darkened with the perfect amount of black comedy, Fire Department Chronicles has garnered hundreds of millions of views on YouTube.

For Patton, joining the Fire Dept

Coffee team made all the sense in the world. If only so he could provide the best damn instructional video ever filmed.

Schneider and Patton worked hard to infuse Fire Dept Coffee with that infectious combination of viral humor and confident brand identity.

“This is who we are. We take our coffee seriously,” Schneider said. “But that doesn’t mean we take ourselves seriously.”

The results are paying off for both the brand’s notoriety and the diversity of its catalog. The numbers of customers interested in premium coffee that supports first responders grows every year, propelled by FDC’s social media footprint. And the brand’s catalog has expanded to include spirit-infused coffee like the popular  bourbon roast

Every single cup gives back.

On top of fueling up hardworking firefighters with the caffeine they need to respond to calls and save lives, Schneider wanted to make sure his coffee gave back to the firefighting community.

Firefighters suffer from higher rates of cancer than the general U.S. population. Encounters with asbestos and other toxins puts them at greater risk. They frequently suffer smoke inhalation and exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide. And then there’s the mental toll the job takes. The onetwo punch of sleep deprivation and witnessing trauma on a regular basis means firefighter/paramedics have higher rates of PTSD.

Fire Dept Coffee’s mission from the start was to acknowledge these hardships and give back to the community that endures them. Each month, FDC directs 10% of net proceeds to worthy organizations or individual firefighters in need.

Schneider learned the importance of giving back to the community from a firefighter he met who was paralyzed from a traumatic injury on the job.

“Getting to know him made me realize how little support was out there for the sick and injured,” he said. “While he was waiting on workers’ comp, we were able to pay his bills and rent while he was out of work.”

When firefighters become injured, many fall out of the community. Some choose to compartmentalize their feelings and avoid talking about it, out of fear that such a conversation would be perceived as weakness. Others turn to alcohol and drugs to cope. The goal of the Fire Dept Coffee Foundation is to remind firefighters nationwide of an entire community of support at their disposal, and that there’s no shame in asking for help.

“They are not forgotten,” Schneider said. “And they never will be.”

Fueling up for the future.

Fire Dept Coffee was born from both a hobby and a compassion for the first responder community. From those early days pioneering the perfect brew to today, when the brand ships over 6 million pounds of coffee every year, Schneider has a confident outlook for the future of Fire Dept Coffee, starting with the team themselves.

“We provide good salaries, good benefits, we make great coffee, and we donate to support our fellow firefighters.

“If that means we don’t make Starbucks-level money, then so be it,” Schneider said. “That’s OK with us.”

VP Jason Patton (left) and Brent Fenton.

Veterans help others unleash their ‘Humble Alpha’ ahead of 2022

BY CHRIS ADAMS

Humble Alpha — created by two veterans — is an operating system that seeks to disrupt the current climate of business methodology and leadership and inject it with character, identity, and transparency.

“So, it’s really a different way of looking at creating a business or growing business,” Lane Belone, a former Green Beret and cofounder of Humble Alpha, said.

Humble Alpha deploys a five-model concept to help entrepreneurs grow effectively.

In this era of uncertainty, many feel trust and transparency in business are on the run from invasive agendas and subterfuge, where the right hand operates independently of the left hand.

“So everything we do is based on the Humble Alpha,” said Gulf War veteran and co-founder Steven Kuhn in an interview with Military Influencer. “Because it’s an operating system … there’s five models in which we live by and … that anyone can adopt in their life to see what they can do to unleash … the best version of themselves, which is their humble alpha.”

Their system appellation is defined as humble on the outside and alpha on the inside.

Kuhn and Belone met three years ago and are from different generations.

“And we have different skill sets that we use,” Kuhn, 54, said. “We work according to the law of the architect, meaning he does what he does, I do what I do, and we build a building like that.”

The duo also consults once a week via a “warrior council,” with members of the Vetrepreneur Tribe, a 15,500-strong group of veteran business owners.

The Humble Alpha concept and its principles are thoroughly explained and underscored in their book, “Unleash Your Humble Alpha: Own Your Presence in Life and Become the Epic Leader You Are Meant to Be.”

The book has become part of the curriculum at the Forbes School of Business and Technology, “and it’s going into the bachelor’s programs in England and in executive MBA programs for the Middle East and Far East,” Kuhn said.

Humble Alpha is aptly distilled in a few sentences from the book.

“I realized the difference between the knucklehead and the high-achiever; that guy who stood on the ground, head cocked back, admiring the huge mountain, but going nowhere, was me,” Kuhn wrote. “The difference was, of course, my self-belief and acceptance; I could stand in my own way or I could get the hell out of it. I got the hell out of it … I realized that everything on the outside is a result of what we do in the inside.”

The system’s five stages or models are: activate (changing to an identity that frees you from the struggles of insecurity and bad habits), unleash (discovering your real purpose and the vision for your life), empower, momentum (enhancing your influence outside of your business and in all aspects of life) and quality of life (constructing a platform of honesty and transparency).

Within the system’s supportive infrastructure are 10 steps that can be employed to grow a business in 2022. Some of them are: aligning your personal identity and purpose with your business purpose, thinking in ecosystems and amplifying your trust.

Aligning your personal identity and your business purpose is about bringing one’s fulfillment to its peak. Assigning yourself a twoword moniker commences the alignment process.

“When you have the twoword moniker, you know who you are … really who you are,” Kuhn said. “From there, it’s about amplifying that identity through your purpose. … Stick to who you are, your personal identity.”

Kuhn said the idea of a business is the intention in front of you. But the opportunity is in the periphery.

“Micro-focus on the intention, macro-focus on the world around you.”

Belone, 34, said people are so intent on making money they overlook what is truly important.

“The irony of it is that whenever you do that, whenever you reverse engineer and go back to who you are, your identity and your purpose, the money starts to come in.”

Thinking in ecosystems is connectivity.

Everything is connected. You’re creating an ecosystem when you build a company. Part of the concept is that work and personal life are interconnected. Who you are should be reflected in both, not a separate personality for either.

“You’re not two people … you can’t split work and home life,” Kuhn said.

He said the litmus test is, “If one of your employees were at your home at dinner … a fly on the wall, would they recognize you? Are you the same person?”

He said most people would say no. But Kuhn and Belone beg to differ. They believe you are the same. It’s about being the person “that elevates others. That leaves them in a better place than when you met them … amplification of positivity.”

Amplifying trust is simply living an honest and guileless life.

Belone said there will be a shift from manipulative marketing to sincere and transparent communication with customers.

“If you are dishonest with yourself, you’re going to automatically be dishonest with other people.”

He said you differentiate yourself by developing trust within yourself, with your team and customers.

“That is going to be the new currency as we move forward.”

“Unleash Your Humble Alpha: Own Your Presence in Life and Become the Epic Leader You Are Meant to Be” is available for purchase on Amazon and other major book retailers.

Organization eases military transitions with mentors from corporate America

BY AMY MEEHAN, ACP VP EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

On the morning of Sep. 11, 2001, Sid Goodfriend was downstairs, one block from the World Trade Center. As a lifelong New Yorker, Goodfriend will forever remember the events of that day in his mind and heart: the brave passengers on United Flight 93 who fought against the AlQaeda hijackers, the spirit displayed by the first responders in New York City — each one of them running toward, not away, from the danger. And more broadly, the spirit of the more than 5 million Americans from across the nation who responded to a call to serve. Sept. 11, 2001 is Goodfriend’s generation’s Pearl Harbor. It’s why he started American Corporate Partners (ACP), but first, a little background on this military influencer.

After graduating from Johns Hopkins University and earning an MBA from Columbia University, Goodfriend started trading stocks which resulted in a rewarding investment banking career spent at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse. He was grateful for the opportunities his personal success offered him, and knew he was indebted to the mentors he had along the way.

In 2008, he decided he wanted to do something different and founded the nonprofit organization ACP. Goodfriend and his wife, Amy, invested several hundred thousand dollars to start the organization and began a more than decade-long commitment to helping military members ease their transition from the service to the private sector.

Goodfriend approached CEOs from some of America’s top companies to help him get the organization started with volunteer mentors and funding, including PepsiCo and Morgan Stanley, and created a unique mentoring program — pairing experienced corporate professionals with military members trying to figure out their next career move. The program is free to post9/11 service members and active-duty spouses, and pairs transitioning military with corporate leaders for customized, year-long one-on-one mentorships designed to help the veteran figure out his or her next steps post military.

Executive Director and Army veteran spouse Colleen Deere has been with ACP since 2010 when her husband, Steve, was a

protégé, and has worked closely with Goodfriend to grow ACP into the Guidestar platinum-rated nonprofit it is today.

“Finding ACP was one of the best things to happen to me, both personally and professionally. My husband’s transition from the Army to a financial services career was challenging, as artillery skills don’t easily translate into a corporate career. Steve’s ACP mentor helped him figure out his marketable skills and eventually land his dream job. I’m lucky to be able to help Sid build such an incredible organization that has changed the lives of more than 21,000 veterans over the years,” Deere said.

Goodfriend explains that “these companies support ACP veterans by providing funding and mentors while my staff work with them throughout the year to provide assistance and share resources.” ACP grew from that basic foundation of six partner companies to more than 100 top corporations. Seasoned mentors volunteer to be paired with a veteran protégé for one year. They meet regularly to outline goals and what steps a veteran needs to take to

gain employment in the civilian workforce.

“I believe the mentorship program has been directly correlated to me having several interviews in the last couple of months,”

Larry Meehan, a retired Navy captain, said, “and I ended up accepting a job at a company thanks to the insight and support of my mentor. The staff at ACP cared and listened to my goals to ensure I was getting the right kind of support after serving in the Navy for almost three decades. It’s a big transition and the mentorship really mattered as part of my transition into civilian life.”

Goodfriend, who views his full-time work with ACP as public service, takes no compensation from ACP. He believes any American across the country should consider being a part of the cause, whether it is through spreading the word about the program, hiring a veteran, getting their own company involved, or by making a small donation to help support the mentorship program. Visit

Author wants to help veterans find financial freedom

BY AMERIFORCE EXCLUSIVE

Studies show that nearly half of Americans aren’t as financially literate as they’d like to believe. But one man hopes to change that.

Dr. David Phelps’ recently released “Own Your Freedom” provides financial education that empowers Americans to take control of their situation.

“I know that most people don’t have the financial education they need to achieve true financial freedom,” Phelps said. “I also know firsthand how impactful financial freedom can be.”

According to a Pew Research poll, only 53% of U.S. adults rate their personal financial situation as excellent or good, leaving 47% unsatisfied with their situation.

And despite evidence to the contrary, an overwhelming majority of Americans believe they are financially literate, according to a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority study. More than 70% reported a high self-assessment of their financial knowledge, while 59% could not complete two simple interest rate and inflation calculations and 38% could not calculate the compound interest of debt.

Phelps learned the importance of financial freedom when his daughter was facing a health crisis. Despite running a

successful dental practice, he realized he was simply trading hours for dollars.

So while he was earning a substantial income, he wasn’t able to live his life the way he wanted to. Especially now that he needed to take time off to support his daughter through her health crisis.

This was when he radically transformed his life.

He sold his dental practice and went all-in on real estate investing. From there, he quickly replaced the income from his dental practice with incomegenerating assets. This gave him the freedom to live his life the way he wanted to and support his daughter during her fight to stay alive.

Before long, colleagues began asking him how he made this transformation, which led to launching the investing community, Freedom Founders That blossomed into a successful business, but becoming a member was out of reach for most people due to the cost.

Phelps wanted to help even more people, so he put the principles he teaches within the Freedom Founders community into a book that anyone can afford.

“We’re living in a world today where people are facing an uncertain economy, a cancel culture

and excessive government intrusion,” Phelps said. “That creates two problems. The first is that people don’t achieve the financial freedom they deserve, and the second is that they’re afraid to stand up for what they believe because of financial impact.

“I want to eliminate both of those problems for as many Americans as I can.”

Helping people become financially secure creates “a powerful ripple effect,” according to Phelps.

“It enables them to better serve their communities and even the nation as a whole,” he said. “It’s not just about them — it’s also about service to others. And I believe we all have that duty.”

Honor2Lead winner cooks up business growth one year later

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER

The veteran chef who won the Honor2Lead competition last year has been cooking up dreams and plans ever since.

Army veteran Tiffany Moore’s idea for a farm-totable restaurant in south Atlanta so impressed the judges and voters that she won $15,000 in grant monies and $20,000 in legal assistance at the November 2020 conference. Afterward, one judge helped Moore obtain $10,000 more in seed money to reach her culinary dream.

That dream has a name: Lola Pecan, a “soul fusion” restaurant in the Atlanta metro area.

“It’s a lot of stress to take my dream from my head to putting it on paper and making it workable,” Moore said. “But I’m definitely ready to launch and take off!”

There have been numerous “pre-launch” obstacles, including finding a suitable location, working with architects, perfecting a business plan, navigating snail-like government bureaucracy, and working under COVID-related mandates. Still, Moore has made progress, buying kitchen equipment, finding a sous chef (also a military veteran), crafting a “bomb

menu” and preparing a future line of salad dressings, seasonings, and other gourmet food products.

Not bad for a disabled veteran who once couldn’t walk because of her deployment-related injuries.

“The discipline and willpower not to quit that the Army gave me definitely

helped shape me,” Moore said. “Life throws you a lot of curveballs, but you can’t give up.”

There have been plenty of curveballs. Moore was injured in Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, leading to two spine surgeries, a medical discharge from the Army and chronic pain she still lives with today. She has

lost one brother to sickle cell anemia and a sister to suicide.

But none of it gets her down. When she learned the land she originally

wanted to build Lola Pecan on was partially in a flood zone, for instance, she laughed.

“I always wanted a water feature,” she said.

Moore graduated from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in 2019 — a smart move not only for the future Lola Pecan, but also her family’s catering business. Thankfully, it’s doing well, despite mandates and lockdowns.

“People have learned they don’t really want to cook and would rather pay someone else to do it,” she said. “And I’m happy to do it!”

Moore, a single mom, has been working with her local county on proper zoning and other paperwork, but the process has been agonizingly slow. The pace

doesn’t faze her, she said, as the Army taught her the value of “hurry up and wait.”

“We want things to happen right now, but they don’t, because there’s a process,” Moore said. “Hurry up and wait has definitely helped me in my civilian world.”

Another thing that has helped: the connections, funds and services that her Honor2Lead win brought her. “It’s definitely helped me start living my dream even more, because I was able to actually have people believe in me and believe in what I want to do,” Moore said. “My win opened up doors to so many other awesome, amazing things.”

Besides Lola Pecan, Moore has some exciting things in the works.

“I may or may not be on

your TV screen soon!” she hinted. It’s all part of a never-say-die work ethic that won’t stop until Lola Pecan is not only open but declared “a restaurant of distinction and prestige.”

“Everyone loves a good gathering, bonding over food and vibing over some drinks,” Moore said. “That’s why food artists will never go out of style.”

She added food is a connector of people.

ONLINE MARKETPLACE SPOUSE-LY BUILDS TO PROMOTE MILITARY BRANDS

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER

Spouse-ly was founded in January 2020 with the goal of “supporting those who support us.” More than 300 vendors — all militaryconnected — sell a wide variety of handcrafted goods and services to some 100,000 shoppers on the platform, with more added weekly.

“For our community, Spouse-ly is so much more than just a marketplace,” said Monica Fullerton, Spouse-ly’s founder and CEO. “It’s connecting our nation’s most deserving heroes and supporting their business, whether it’s something they started to move around with them, a creative outlet or something they’ve always wanted to do.”

Creative community

Fullerton, the wife of an Air Force captain and mom of twins, got the idea for Spouse-ly less than a year before launching it.

Everywhere she turned, she says, she saw endless creativity, ingenuity and talent among military spouses.

“I’m always inspired by other people’s pure talent to create things,” Fullerton said. “My fellow military spouses would always find ways to lift one another up, whether by making the perfect cake or a beautiful wood sign. For people like me, it’s like, ‘How spouse-ly of them!’”

Since launching, Spousely has seen a vendor growth rate of 550% and an increase in revenue by 60%, when compared to 2020. Part of that success is thanks to Spouse-ly’s affordable vendor costs; sellers can join for as little as $1 a month, in addition to standard seller and transaction fees.

That accessibility was very intentional, explained Fullerton.

A military spouse built an online platform for creators, makers and entrepreneurs to generate income wherever the military sends them.

MONICA BRIANNA

“Spouse-ly isn’t about, ‘How much can I charge my community?’ It’s about building that community and finding ways to help and support them.”

Liz Sieger is one member of that community. As the wife of a retired Army captain, she was used to uprooting her life — and incomegenerating opportunities — every few years. But then she heard about Spouse-ly on Instagram. She joined as the owner of the shop Sketch + Sentiment in the summer of 2020 and fell in love with the platform’s flexibility and military support.

Sketch + Sentiment, which specializes “in all things illustration,” has since sold to all 50 states and 17 countries.

“Spouse-ly has allowed us to expand our market, for sure, but what I appreciate most is the support that Spouse-ly gives back to its vendors. Spouse-ly encourages vendors to learn from one another, support each other, share tips on marketing and branding, and collaborate,” Sieger said. “I can’t think of any other marketplace that brings its vendors together like this — it is truly a joy to be a part of.”

Small purchase, big impact

Spouse-ly is catching the attention of more than just click-happy consumers. The 2021 Startup Showdown pitch, a Las Vegas-area business competition, awarded Fullerton and her “business baby” $7,000 in consultation and website services. Fullerton will soon be opening up Spouse-ly to investors, too.

“There are always going to

be people looking for ways to shop small and make a big impact,” she said. “They know Spouse-ly is providing flexibility and stability in a world filled with unknowns.”

Air Force wife Brianna Ozuna owns the Spouse-ly shop Apricate Glass Co., selling her stained-glass jets to as far away as Japan and Guam. Having a steady

source of income no matter where she and her husband PCS gives her peace of mind. More than that, she said, Spouse-ly is a tangible way to demonstrate support for an oft-forgotten group of Americans.

“You’re supporting military families all over America and even overseas,” Ozuna said. “Just know that every

single purchase made at a small business makes the owner beam with joy, and you can’t find that at a bigbox store.”

For more information about becoming a vendor with Spousely, visit https://spousely.com/become-a-seller.

SIEGER DESIGN

RAPID

BRUNER FIRE

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER

Life after the military isn’t always the smoothest path.

Kathryn Bruner, now a successful real estate agent in North Carolina, shared how she found her way after hanging up her Coast Guard uniform.

Your transition after leaving the Coast Guard was hard. What helped you figure out your new role?

Like many veterans, all I knew was serving in the military. Meeting other business professionals who challenge and inspire me is what [kept] me steady in building my new career. The best way I’ve found to move forward is to remember to reach back and pull others up with you.

You started your own real estate firm in 2020. Why go from something so structured like the Coast Guard to something so wide open like real estate?

The desire for structure was exactly why I started my own firm. I had recently bought my first home in 2016, and I saw a need and knew I was the best person to fill it. So, I got my real estate license. Over 200,000 service members transition out of the military each year, and a large percentage of those veterans make that transition in North Carolina. Kathryn Bruner Realty is a veteran-owned real estate firm, and 89% of our clients are military families.

How does your experience as a veteran shape the way you handle clients?

Working with so many military families, I find my background to be an asset. As a leader in the military, and now in the civilian workforce of real estate, I have had the unique opportunity to support others through life-altering hardships. Business is about relationships, and no matter how virtual our world becomes, at KBR we plan to stay as authentic and tangible as possible.

What has the value of networking been in your civilian career?

Invaluable! When they said, “It’s all about who you know,” that’s no joke! One person, one connection, one cup of coffee with a stranger can change your life. When I first transitioned out of the military, I attended every event, applied to be on boards, volunteered, took my city’s leadership course, and now I’m in my state’s leadership course. Every single connection I have made has been a stepping stone guiding me to success. Within two years of discharge, I was awarded the Wilmington Top100 Biz, StarNews 40 Under 40, WILMA Women To Watch and several other awards, all because I made strong connections through networking.

What gets you out of bed each morning?

Coffee. And maybe the freedom of knowing I’m no longer accountable to anyone but myself (#EntrepreneurLife).

THANK YOU, VETERANS

On Veterans Day, we celebrate the men and women who took the oath to serve the nation. Today, and every day, we thank you for answering the call to serve. USAA.COM/VETERANSDAY