NMSN Fall 2016

CAREER CONNECTIONS September 30, 2016, Vol. 4, Issue 1

JOIN US FOR THE 6TH ANNUAL

Milspouse Career Summit OCTOBER 21 & 22, 2016 SPRINGFIELD, VA W W W. M I L S POU SE SU M M I T.COM

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

8 Be Legit Online, Get More Customers

11 Don’t Shy Away from Temp Jobs When Relaunching Careers!

12 How to Get the Most Out of Informational Interviews

14 Keeping Your Career Facts Straight

16 Making the Most of Conference Attendance

18 Managing Your Team - Avoiding the Pitfall of the Personality Conflict

20 Productivity Tips Of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

22 Plan Your Wardrobe

23 Stop Being Distracted! 10 Tips to Combat the Distracted Rut

26 What is the FMLA and what does it mean for the military spouse?

28 What’s Your Brand Story?

No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the Publisher.

2 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

President’s Letter BY

Sue Hoppin

A few months ago, I posted a couple of posts on LinkedIn that seemed to touch a cord, so I’m reposting them here for you.

classes eligible for GI bill payments to include entrepreneurial/tech/start up classes such as Tradecraft (in Silicon Valley) to help prepare them for these jobs, or for accelerator programs for spouses who would rather build their own portable business. (In the interest of full disclosure, I’m currently in an accelerator program with BunkerlabsDC and we’re working on a platform to address some of these issues).

I’m like so many of the military spouses you know - my career story is an absolute cliché.

Understanding that the military lifestyle doesn’t always lend itself to fulfilling employment in my field, I waited my turn.

When we received our magical orders to the DC area, I was excited! I have a BA and MA in International Relations. I speak three languages. In my mind, people were going to be lining up to hire me!

So naive. 18 months later, I was still looking for a job. What was being multilingual going to do for me? The waiters serving my food were all multilingual. There was absolutely nothing special about me except the fact that I was a military spouse and many employers weren’t willing to take a chance on me, anticipating that I might have to move in 2-3 years.

My story isn’t so unique. The military spouse unemployment rate hovers around 26%.* When I shared this little vignette with a roomful of mentors last night during our startup session, they were shocked. This room full of men and women, accomplished folks who have seen and heard it all were taken aback at our reality. But even now, they think that I must be an anomaly. Surely, I’m an outlier. There can’t be that many people in this situation. If you’re a military spouse with professional aspirations reading this, I know you’re already getting a little hot under the collar just reading those words. Don’t blame the disbelievers. It’s not their fault. It’s easy to dismiss what you can’t see.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Want to address the 26% military spouse unemployment rate? Then we need to rethink the way we’re approaching the problem, understanding that there is no silver bullet solution.

While there are some great initiatives underway to connect military spouses with jobs at fantastic veteran and military spouse friendly companies such as: USAA, Starbucks, Hilton, Capitol One and so many more...many of our installations aren’t co-located with these large companies so closing the unemployment gap is going to require additional solutions.

• Start targeting small and medium sized businesses. Per a 2010 report, there were 27.9 million small businesses in the US. If just 1 percent of those businesses committed to hiring a single military spouse, that would be 279,000 jobs. Not an insignificant number.

• Identify companies and industries (such as tech and startups) that have jobs that are not location dependent, thereby making it easier for military spouses to develop portable careers.

We can further support this by expediting the VA process for approving nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

A new administration is going to want to know what they should do to support military spouse employment. How about: • Allow 100% service disabled veterans to transfer their veteran preference to spouses and/or caregivers.

• Expand the Workforce Tax Credit target groups to include military spouses. If we can include ex-felons as a targeted group and provide employers a tax break for hiring them, surely we can do the same for military spouses.

• Finally, commission a holistic report on military spouse unemployment and let’s take a look at the real issues and solutions. What do you think? Would you add anything to these potential solutions? We look forward to discussing these issues and so many others at our upcoming Military Spouse Career Summit.

We hope you’ll be joining us this October 21st and 22nd in Springfield, VA for our 6th Annual event.

To learn more or to register, go to www.milspousesummit.com. * The percentage varies depending on what report you use. For our purposes, we’re citing the 26% that was reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and DoD. NMSN Magazine

|3

MEET THE

EXPERTS

CAROL BOWSER is the president

CAROL FISHMAN COHEN, CEO

RAY CROWELL is fueling the

of Conflict Management Strategies Inc. and is an expert in workplace conflict - what creates it and how to resolve it. While she HATES arguments, she loves maintaining sanity and increasing production by jumping into conflict to fully resolve it. “…What I really like is listening to people’s stories and working outside the legal system to repair workplace relationships…” She received her law degree from Seattle University School of Law and her Mediation Training through Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution. Carol is a speaker, trainer, and consultant for employers on how to avoid workplace conflict.

of iRelaunch is a leading expert on career reentry. She consults to some of the world’s largest corporations on career reentry strategy and programming. Her seminal Harvard Business Review article “The 40 Year Old Intern” and her TED talk “How to get back to work after a career break” focuses on the use of the internship as a vehicle for employers to engage with experienced professionals returning from career break. Carol originated and co-leads the STEM Reentry Task Force with the Society of Women Engineers, in which 7 major global engineering-based companies are piloting reentry internship programs in 2016. The iRelaunch Return to Work Conference is the largest and longest running dedicated career reentry event and the major external supplier of successful candidates for the Wall Street reentry internship programs. Carol has presented on career reentry strategy more than 200 times to combined audiences of over 16,000 people.

veteran & spouse-led startup renaissance in DC, providing a peer-learning environment for entrepreneurs to Discover, Grow, Innovate, and Connect. He leads our team of supportive mentors, industry experts, strategic partners, and dedicated founders. Ray is obsessed with engaging military veterans and their spouses to start, innovate, and scale the next generation of high-growth companies.

Ray unleashed his entrepreneurial spirit while on active duty (USAF), accelerating chapter-driven non-profits. Following a stretch as DAF executive and government contractor, he joined the Patriot Boot Camp team as advisor and devoted roadie. Ray recently launched Ascent 7 Ventures, debuting their first App (managing carpool pick-up for charter schools) very very soon.

He has a BA, MA, a stack of executive development program certs in business and public policy, and was a Harvard Kennedy School Fellow at the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy.

Ray lives in Alexandria with his active duty (USAF) wife and their almost-thoroughbred rescue puppy.

4 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

JANET FARLEY offers military

SUE HOPPIN is the founder and

JOYCE NEAVE is an authority on

service members and their families her own brand of straight-forward career management and job search advice. Janet is the author of the Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide, 2nd Edition, the Military Spouse’s Complete Guide to Career Success and she writes the JobTalk column for Stars and Stripes Newspaper. She is also the Home Front columnist for the Military Officer’s of America (MoAA) and contributing editor to Bradley-Morris, Inc.,’s Civilian Job News. “…As a Marine Corps brat and Army wife... making that positive difference for military service members and their families seemed like the right direction for me…”

president of the National Military Spouse Network, a consultant on military family issues and the co-author of, “A Family’s Guide to the Military for Dummies”. Before founding the NMSN, Sue served as the first deputy director for spouse outreach for a military affiliated non-profit with a 375,000+ membership. She is a recognized subject matter expert on military spouse and family issues and has spoken to audiences nationwide ranging from installation career events to leadership training sessions and national conferences.

fashion and style. Joyce has been empowering clients for over twenty years. As the owner of That Mom Inc, and now JOYCE NEAVE style group, her work has been featured in the Washington Post, theWashington Times, Washingtonian Magazine, and Bethesda Magazine among others.

Joyce has been featured on WUSA9 News highlighting her wardrobe consulting practice and providing viewers with valuable insights.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver, a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Oklahoma and a post graduate certificate in non-profit management from Georgetown University.

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

Joyce styles both women and men and is a consultant for several media companies, associations, newspapers, and online magazines. Joyce and her team keep clients current with fashion trends while maintaining a classic, timeless look.

Joyce Neave style group collaborates with a network of professionals providing a wide range of services including makeup artists, hair stylists, men’s grooming specialists, photographers, and our preferred tailors.

NMSN Magazine

|5

MEET THE

EXPERTS

GRETA PERRY has a career born of her love of new media and intuitive use of technology. Her intent is to provide professional on-line development services to businesses of all sizes. These services will enable those businesses to have the basic tools and training to become truly competitive in the on-line world.

Greta’s background makes her superbly qualified to provide what any business interested in developing their on-line presence requires. She holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maine. During her many moves around the U.S as a military wife, she became a professional volunteer, mostly in leadership positions that involved her use of technology and new media. Greta has also spent countless hours in the military non-profit world using her commu-

nication skills, both on and off the computer, to achieve positive results.

From January of 2010 through January 2012, she was the co-owner of a social media consulting firm. Setting new goals in her life, she decided to launch her own company, GP Online Media on February 1, 2012, with the creation of Kickify, while also bringing her blogs under her parent company umbrella.

Kickify provides anything and everything to create or develop your brand and get you noticed. Offering the full range of internet marketing and social media services. Onestop shopping for small businesses with superior project management and customer service. Honest and individually customized plans for each client. You know how great your business is, now make sure that everyone else does too.

AMY SCHOFIELD ACWR has been in the recruiting, career coaching, and resume writing fields for 10+ years. She has provided resume development strategies to job seekers worldwide with various backgrounds and experience levels. In April 2011, Amy launched Schofield Strategies.

She has appeared in numerous media sources delivering resume tips, including GI Jobs, Business Talk Radio, Reserve and National Guard Magazine, Army Wife Talk Radio, and Blue Star Families. Schofield Strategies was the recipient of the 2013 Military Family Member Community Heartbeat Award. Amy holds an elite Academy Certified Resume Writer credential.

Interested in writing for us?

Contact us at info@milspousenetwork.org 6 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

JULIE WATERS was lucky enough

FRED WELLMAN is a retired

DR. KRISTA WELLS is a certified

to choose a career that easily transfers between employers as her husband’s assignments moved them from city to city. She holds a special interest in career building for military spouses as she feels it is important to have something personal outside of our military lifestyle.

Army officer turned serial and social entrepreneur. He is a graduate of West Point and the Harvard Kennedy School serving 22 years in the Army as an aviator and public affairs officer and four combat tours. He is the Founder and CEO of ScoutComms, a B Corp communications and advocacy firm focused on veterans and military families. He and his wife Crystal also co-own Ladyburg Bath and Body Apothecary, a growing handmade bath and body retail boutique with locations in Fredericksburg and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

professional coach dedicated to empowering military spouses. In her private practice, she focuses on improving her clients’ health, increasing their wealth, and strengthening their relationships. In addition to her private clients, Krista offers keynote speeches, workshops for organizations and military bases, and writes for various military publications.

She recently launched The Military Spouse Show podcast in an effort to expand her reach and connect with the broader military spouse community.

Over the last 13 years, Julie Waters has held various Human Resource positions starting her career at FHC Health Systems in Norfolk, Virginia, then moving to Landrum Professional Services in Pensacola, Florida, Cambridge Health Alliance Physicians Organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Military Officers Association of America in Alexandria, Virginia where she served as the Director of Human Resources.

Julie currently resides in Spokane, Washington where she is the Human Resources and Operations Manager for a law firm.

In addition to serving as the Entrepreneur in Residence for NMSN, Fred also serves on the National Board of Directors for the National Desert Storm War Memorial and the Board of Advisors for No One Left Behind.

Julie was born and raised in Washington State. She graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English and earned an MS in Human Resources Management from Troy University. She is also a certified Professional in Human Resources.

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

|7

Be Legit Online, Get More Customers

BY RACHEL BRENKE, LAWYER

Y

ou’ve been working hard at laying the stones for your path to success. You’ve dodged the negative effects of the PCS monster. You’ve balanced the business and home-life while your spouse is away in the field. You’ve accepted that things will not always be great.

Good job! You’re doing well, but let us not forget one of the key stones that will keep your path smooth and not lead to any tripping or ankle twisting. This stone is how being a legit business can get you more customers and, ultimately, more money.

It is a myth that clients perceive your professionalism and legitimacy only through how you speak and dress.

Those aspects of physical presence are essential elements to a professional front, but legitimacy is built 8 | NMSN Magazine

on legal stones. Remember our path we mentioned above? They cannot be missing or else an issue will arise!

Legitimacy comes not just from the business formation, the creation of a reputation, or the branding messages being sent out, but also from the actions that you implement into your business workflows.

These include the use of legal precision in the online space and between other individuals connected to the business. By use of these legal tools, you can increase buyer confidence, increase your confidence, and avoid potential issues that will prevent success in your business. Perhaps most importantly, the use of legal tools will increase the buyer confidence, leading to higher customer retention, expanded word-ofmouth network, and an increased conversion rate.

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

Subtle professional measures include the use of lawyer-drafted Terms Of Use (or Service) and Privacy Policies on your website.

The Terms of Use/Service (TOU/TOS) govern the relationship between the site user and the site owner. While a TOU may sometimes be legally required, the TOU does more than fulfill a legal requirement.

This informational document outlines the purpose of the site, the site owner, secured access and payment options on site, submissions on-site, potential DMCA information, governing law for users using the site, warranties, and any dispute resolution that may arise from use of the site.

We must protect the email or customer list with the utmost attention or else our business may fall into a pothole, preventing forward motion along our path.

Furthermore, the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy protection tools also help to increase the confidence of buyers looking to hire your services or purchase your products. These simply footer-embedded, hyper-linked legal documents give a nod to the professionalism and security your business has with the website user’s personal data. This is especially important in an age where online identity theft and spam emails are swirling through cyberspace like the next Hurricane Katrina.

A Privacy Policy lets a user of a site know how the information is captured, where it stored, who has access, and what will be done with the information. This information includes transaction data, personal client information, and even payment information.

It is time to protect your business, your users, and yourself. Get yourself set up with lawyer-drafted Terms of Use and Privacy Policies to protect your most personal assets - your online presence and email list.

These legal tools are especially crucial for websites that gather and use client data such as through purchase transactions and user submission of contact information for opt-in forms. As military spouses, our email list and online presence are crucial to success since often a brick-and-mortar space is a longdream, or we are uprooting these spaces for a new location at the military’s whims.

Rachel Brenke is an author, photographer, lawyer and business consultant for photographers and bloggers. She is currently helping creative industry and blogging professionals all over the world initiate, strategize and implement strategic business and marketing plans through various mediums of consulting resources and legal direction. See more: http:// www.thelawtog.com/meet-rachel-the-law-tog/

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

|9

10 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

Don’t Shy Away from Temp Jobs When Relaunching Careers!

BY CAROL FISHMAN COHEN, IRELAUNCH CO-FOUNDER AND CEO

I

do a lot of public speaking and update my talks all the time, but there is a handful of news clippings I have kept for a few years (and still refer to in my talks) because their messages are just as important now as when they were first published.

One of my favorites: On October 1, 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon was planning to hire 70,000 seasonal warehouse workers that year in preparation for the holiday season. Here’s what the “Amazon spokeswoman” had to say about the giant bump in hiring: “We employ temporary employees as a way of finding high-quality talent while managing variation in customer demand.” What jumped out at me, and what has been validated by employers numerous times since, was the part about using seasonal, or temporary, hiring for “finding high-quality talent.”

Temp jobs are a great way to take the first step back into work. They get you in the door, you become a known quantity, they get you out of the house interacting with other people, and they help pay the bills!

If you are relaunching a career after an extended time out of the workforce, temporary work represents recent work experience to put on a resume and discuss in interviews. This holds true even if the temp job is mundane. Of course, it is better if the temp job is in an inSEPTEMBER 2016

dustry or at an employer that is in your targeted profession. However, even if it is not, working in a temp role demonstrates to an employer that you are actively trying to resume your career. Here’s what to say: “Yes, this is temporary work outside of my field of interest, but I value it because it places me in a current work environment, I have an insider view on how the company operates, and I have updated my Excel skills as part of my role.” If you are lucky, your temp role may transition into a permanent role at the same employer.

In addition to the traditional “temp job,” short-term work experiences are also known as contract roles, special projects, consulting positions, or internships. The idea is the

same: the employer can make a decision about bringing you on permanently after they see a sample of your work as part of your shortterm experience. Keep in mind that, to a certain extent, it is a two-way street. You, as the temporary worker or intern, get a chance to evaluate the employer – is the employer a place at which you would want to work permanently? Do you like the people? The mission? The “culture” and values?

Don’t shy away from temp jobs.

Embrace them and use them as a stepping stone to permanent employment. For a discussion of internships as a return-to-work vehicle, take a look at my TED talk “How to get back to work after a career break”.

Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of iRelaunch is a leading expert on career reentry. She consults to some of the world’s largest corporations on career reentry strategy and programming. Her seminal Harvard Business Review article “The 40 Year Old Intern” and her TED talk “How to get back to work after a career break” focuses on the use of the internship as a vehicle for employers to engage with experienced professionals returning from career break. Carol originated and co-leads the STEM Reentry Task Force with the Society of Women Engineers, in which 7 major global engineering-based companies are piloting reentry internship programs in 2016.

The iRelaunch Return to Work Conference is the largest and longest running dedicated career reentry event and the major external supplier of successful candidates for the Wall Street reentry internship programs. Carol has presented on career reentry strategy more than 200 times to combined audiences of over 16,000 people.

Carol is the co-author of the career reentry strategy book Back on the Career Track and is a returning professional herself. Carol’s return to work at Bain Capital after 11 years out of the full-time workforce is documented in a Harvard Business School case study. Carol has connected with thousands of professionals who have successfully returned to work after a hiatus, and has engaged with hundreds of hiring managers to understand their perspectives on hiring people returning from career break. Carol is married and is the mother of four adult children. She lives in Boston, MA. nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 11

How to Get the Most Out of Informational Interviews

BY AMY SCHOFIELD, ACRW

I

nformational interviews can be one of the best strategies to move your job search forward. The best information comes from people who actually work in the career field that interests you; therefore, conducting an informational interview can be a great way to learn more about your dream job and network with people in that industry.

Have you ever thought about going on an informational interview? Not sure where to start? Here are several tips to help you get the most out of your informational interview: 1. Research the career field and the person you would like to interview. Ask people you know if they know someone who works in the job or industry you want to work in. Contact your target industry’s trade associations and ask if there is a member who would be willing to talk to someone

12 | NMSN Magazine

who is new to the field. Use LinkedIn to connect with someone in that industry.

2. Familiarize yourself with the person you’ll be interviewing. Review their job, the company, and the industry prior to requesting and scheduling your informational interview.

3. Prepare a list of questions ahead of time. This way, you will be making the most of the time you have. Here are some suggested questions to ask: • What skills are most important to perform this job?

• How do people generally get started in this field?

• What do you wish you would have known before you took this job?

• What does the company look for in candidates applying for this type of job?

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

• Will my education prepare me for a job in this field - if not, what kind of additional experiences should I be seeking out?

• Are there any professional or trade organizations I should join?

• What are the prospects for employment in this field?

• How do you see the industry changing in the next 5-10 years? Is it okay with you if I reach out to you again if I have additional questions?

4. Be respectful of their time. Make sure you know how much time the person is devoting to your meeting. Arrive 5-10 minutes early. End the interview when you promised to. If you asked for 15 minutes, only take 15 minutes.

5. Dress appropriately. In most instances, this will be business attire.

6. Show your appreciation. Ask the person if there is something you can do for them to thank them for their time.

7. Write a thank you note within 24 hours of your informational interview. Keep in touch and report back if you’ve followed up on any of their suggestions or recommendations. And when you land your dream job, send another thank you note!

Remember that an informational interview is first and foremost a learning opportunity for you. It is not a job interview. Your goal for an informational interview is to learn more about a particular career field and steps you can take to excel in that field. When properly conducted, an informational interview can be one of your most valuable job seeking and networking opportunities!

Amy Schofield, ACWR has been in the recruiting, career coaching, and resume writing fields for 10+ years. She has provided resume development strategies to job seekers worldwide with various backgrounds and experience levels. In April 2011, Amy launched Schofield Strategies. She has appeared in numerous media sources delivering resume tips, including GI Jobs, Business Talk Radio, Reserve and National Guard Magazine, Army Wife Talk Radio, and Blue Star Families. Schofield Strategies was the recipient of the 2013 Military Family Member Community Heartbeat Award. Amy holds an elite Academy Certified Resume Writer credential.

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 13

Keeping Your Career Facts Straight

BY JANET FARLEY, ED.M.

Y

ou wake up each day, dress for success, and charge into the office where you spend countless hours slaying dragons and rescuing others from themselves. It’s just another day on the job, right? You eventually go home, eat dinner, drift off to sleep, and then wake up only to do it all over again. Truth be told, you’re fairly awesome at what you do. You have honed your existing skills to a new level while adding more than a few new ones to your arsenal. You’ve even managed to accomplish several significant feats, earning impressive kudos along the way. You’re so busy be14 | NMSN Magazine

ing awesome, however, that you neglect to keep track of those amazing things you do. That, my dear working warrior, is a mistake for a couple of reasons.

Reason #1: Your Resume That’s right. Eventually, you will PCS, literally or figuratively. When you do, an updated resume will be required. If you fail to keep track of your work experiences, accomplishments, and skills, you will have a fun time (not!) trying to remember what you did. Chances are good that you will then minimize your marketability on your resume simply because the finer nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

details have faded with time in your memory.

Reason #2: The Big Picture When we lose sight of what we’ve accomplished professionally, we sometimes also lose sight of where we’re headed professionally. Instead of charting a specific course (if that’s the desired goal), we float along from job to job and hope that it will somehow make sense in the end. If that’s how you want things to be, then go for it.

It’s your call. If, however, you want to reach some next level in your career purposefully, then it truly helps to keep track of where SEPTEMBER 2016

you’ve been and keep focused on where you want to go next.

By keeping better track of your skills, abilities, experiences, and accomplishments, you eliminate any unnecessary angst associated with updating your resume or with charting your future career path.

How can you, however, keep better track of those things?

The Love Me Binder Solution Get a basic three-ring binder. Fill it with supporting documentation such as: • Your most recent resume and/or job application • Certificates of training you’ve completed

The Love Me Folder Solution You can also keep track of new responsibilities, accomplishments, and noteworthy words of praise from others from the comfort of your own work email account.

For example, when a client sends you an email thanking you for doing such a good job or when you boss sends you a new task, simply move and/or copy the relevant message to a folder you’ve created just for that collective purpose.

When the time comes to update your resume or review your career trajectory, these significant, saved emails may help you generate solid ideas that capture your true genius.

These solutions may take a little effort to establish, but they require minimal upkeep once in place.

When it’s time to update your resume or contemplate your next career move, you’ll be glad to have easy access to all those important details.

Janet Farley is a job search and workplace issues expert. She is also the author of a number of books to include Military Life 101: Basic Training for New Families (Rowman & Littlefield, July 2016). Follow her @smartjobchoices on Twitter.

• Career-specific certifications and/or licenses you hold • Awards you’ve received • Your most recent mance appraisals • Copies of transcripts

your

perfor-

academic

• Letters of reference and recommendation from others • A detailed list of your current employee benefits and how to access them • A copy of your federal security clearance application, if applicable • A dream list of new skills you’d like to work on next or new job titles you’d like to call your own • A chart showing your salary history It’s not high tech or pretty, but it’s effective. If you do PCS, literally hand-carry this binder with you or scan its contents and email the files to yourself for easier portability.

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 15

Making the Most of Conference Attendance

BY SUE HOPPIN

N

ow that summer is behind us, it’s time to turn our attention to professional development and conferences. Once you’ve picked the events you’ll be attending this year, that’s just part of the equation. Now you need to figure out how to get the most out of the opportunity. Here’s a simple checklist of things you can do to make the most of your conference attendance: Before the conference: Keep things affordable by taking advantage of early bird pricing and finding a roommate to help defray the cost of attendance.

• Determine your goals - what do you want to get out of the conference? Who do you want to meet?

• Prep your conference schedule - if there are multiple tracks, decide which fits your professional goals best.

• Pack plenty of business cards and any handout materials you think you’ll need (an example of this would be product samples or media kits for potential sponsors/advertisers).

• Work on your elevator speech.

• If there is an online networking group set up for your conference, take advantage of the opportunity to engage with other attendees and speakers ahead of the event.

• Plan your wardrobe and make sure you’ve packed appropriately for all of the events.

• Update your social media profiles ahead of time because you’re going to pick up many new connections during the event.

16 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

During the conference: • Dress in layers - conference rooms run notoriously too hot or too cold.

• Set up time to sit down for conversations with other attendees • Interact with presenters - ask good questions where appropriate, but keep it germane for the larger audience. If you have a question to ask that’s just applicable to your situation, take it offline and wait until after the formal session to pull the presenter aside to ask your question (time permitting). Don’t hold everyone hostage by stealing all the time allocated for Q and A. • Use meal times as networking opportunities and sit with different people each time.

• Attend the social events - these are just as important as the official conference sessions. You’ll find that most of the networking and business gets done during these events.

• Stay in the moment. Check in on work and home, but try to maximize your time with the other attendees, speakers, and sessions. Remember, you’re in work and business development mode.

Compartmentalize your other responsibilities and try to follow up at the end of every conference day so that once you get home, your work is already done.

We hope you’ll join us October 21st and 22nd for our 6th annual Military Spouse Career Summit. Whether you’re currently employed, an entrepreneur, a volunteer, a freelancer or a job seeker, we’ve pulled together the best speakers to inspire and guide you toward achieving your career goals. For more information or to register, go to www.milspousesummit.com.

Sue Hoppin is the founder and president of the National Military Spouse Network, a consultant on military family issues and the co-author of, “A Family’s Guide to the Military for Dummies”. Before founding the NMSN, Sue served as the first deputy director for spouse outreach for a military affiliated non-profit with a 375,000+ membership. She is a recognized subject matter expert on military spouse and family issues and has spoken to audiences nationwide ranging from installation career events to leadership training sessions and national conferences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver, a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Oklahoma and a post graduate certificate in non profit management from Georgetown University.

• When you’re collecting business cards, try to write a little something about the person on the back of the card to make it easier to follow up.

• Fill out the critique forms to help organizers improve on the event. If you enjoyed the conference, make sure you share compliments as well as critiques.

After the conference: • Send thank you notes to organizers and presenters.

• Follow up with your new contacts.

• Share the information with people who couldn’t attend.

Remember, professional development conferences are a fantastic opportunity to keep up on your industry trends, learn new skills, and make new contacts, but you have to be proactive to make the most of your time and efforts.

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 17

Managing Your Team - Avoiding the Pitfall of the Personality Conflict

BY CAROL BOWSER

E

veryone has a team: key vendors, co-workers family members, professional ad-

visors and friends. There are the teams made up of people you invite in. There are teams of people assigned to you.

Whether you are the team leader or not, you have an impact on how the team functions.

18 | NMSN Magazine

Teams that can weather times of turbulence and remain intact have some things in common - they know how to handle conflict and address the personality conflicts which naturally arise. I have a theory: conflict allows us and those around us to see what is really important. Unfortunately, how we behave in conflict and how others interpret our action obfusnationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

cates the fact that we are in conflict because we care a lot about what is going on. In the workplace, we care about being successful at a job which allows us to gain self-fulfillment and provide for our families. Thus, when we feel that the actions of others impede our being successful, we get upset and feel even more impeded in our success.

SEPTEMBER 2016

The biggest cause of workplace issues is usually categorized as “personality conflict.” Yes, there are a variety of personalities out there - some very complementary to how you interact with the world, some... well, not so much.

Here is something I want to highlight: if you have a conflict with them, they likely have a conflict with you. Avoiding the person, creating elaborate workarounds, or retreating into silence only keeps the problem on life support and builds resentment. None of these actually address what is going on. They, however, do a nice job of transforming smaller issues into larger, more intractable ones.

One of the largest perceived intractable issues? The personality conflict. Here is the pitfall of label-

ing something a “personality conflict”: you give yourself permission not to engage while giving the other person a really good argument why they shouldn’t change.

Instead, think of it as each of you behaving in different ways. If someone’s behavior is impacting your ability to perform successfully, ask for a modification AND be willing to adapt.

When formulating your requests, determine if it is significant or merely you trying to compel someone else to agree with you and do it your way. Your way may be the best for you but not for the rest of the team or the organization. Usually, a team can tolerate some variances in how things are done. HOWEVER, smart people can disagree. Too much variance

can cause disruption and confusion. When there needs to be consistency in approach, it is time for a manager to step in and make a decision on how things are to be done. Period.

No one is more invested in your success at work than you. Consequently, take action and make the “ask” for what will minimize your ability to succeed at work without saying “it is just my personality.”

Organizations hire Carol Bowser and Conflict Management Strategies, Inc. to increase productivity by easing workplace conflict and tension, to train employees in conflict resolution skills, to evaluate internal conflict resolution processes, to coach key employees to higher levels of performance and to facilitate tangible change within the working environment.

Be at your best, for you and your team.

Enter to win!

1 hour of Venture Business Consulting 1 hour of Virtual Assistant Services | 1 Private-Sector Resume Review & Social Media Consulting for 1 platform Contest runs October 10-19, 2016. For complete details and to enter the contest, please visit our Facebook page on 10/10/16 - fb.com/NMSNetwork.

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 19

Productivity Tips Of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs

BY MATT ZEMON

D

o you feel like you are running in place while your business is in a holding pattern? You are not alone. In fact, feeling unproductive and buried in details has made time management a major field of study. Finding and mastering the tools that make you an effective entrepreneur rather than just busy takes studying and finding out what works for you.

time limits on the length of the meeting. If you call the meeting, know what you want to achieve in the time allotted, make an agenda to achieve that end, and then keep people on track. When someone asks to take a meeting with you, make sure you tell this person how much time you have and exactly how long the meeting will last. Once the meeting has started, pay attention and stick to the time you committed.

Luckily, there is no shortage of information and tools available to help you research the subject, and they all share certain ideas in common, especially for entrepreneurs. One is the proven correlation between success and the productive use of time. All tasks are not created equal. Some generate money more quickly; some don’t. Some are time sensitive and some are not.

Highly successful people learn the difference and get more of what they want in less time than other people. They make disciplined choices about which are the most important tasks when it comes to making money. For every activity in business, there is a cost and a benefit. Trying to do everything yourself just doesn’t work, especially if your business is growing.

As your business grows, your time should be increasing in value, so this is when offloading and outsourcing high volume activities can really pay off. One obvious time saver is your business phone. As a board member of www.liveanswer.com, I have seen what great 24/7 phone service can do to free up your time and allow you to focus on the priorities that will grow your business. Having someone capably screen your calls and forward the important ones to you is an invaluable time saver. It can help you focus on aligning every aspect of the company’s activity toward revenue.

In my last three businesses, I have used a service like LiveAnswer to help me make more sales and provide better customer service for our customers.

Another consideration is how to best use technology.

Use it when and where you need it. If you have trouble focusing or fighting distractions, there are a number of software products that can help. Some programs help block out chunks of time without interruptions and others that will measure the effectiveness of how you use your time. Some worth considering include Freedom, Anti-Social, Get Concentrating, Rescue Time, WriteRoom (Mac), and DarkRoom (Windows).

Still, other programs help with file storage (ShareFile), project management (Wrike), help desk management (Zendesk), webinar hosting (GoToMeeting), and tracking projects and deadlines (Trello).

Making meetings worth your time is another important part of time management and productivity. It takes some organizing beforehand and placing firm 20 | NMSN Magazine

In today’s business environment, email can be a godsend or a curse if not managed well. Finding time-saving tools and practices to make email work for you is definitely worth doing. Start by requesting staff and associates ask for a response in the subject line of an email, should they need one. Create a disciplined approach to answering emails – apportion a block of time every day and keep your responses short and to the point. One technique I try to live by is to touch an email only once. This means that I either respond to the email, delegate the email, or move the necessary action onto a to-do list and get the email out of my inbox.

Productively delegating tasks is the key driver for success. Ask for help and give others the authority to execute the tasks requested so you can spend your time creating revenue-producing ideas. Being busy is not

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

the same as being productive. Marc Lesser said it so well in LESS: Accomplish More by Doing Less: “After a great deal of thought, I realized the key is not to do more or work harder; the key is actually to find ways to do less and think more, to be less busy and more productive. In this, I have struck upon the very secret to what separates the super achievers from the rest of us.”

There is more being written and shared on this subject every day as the way we do business evolves. It is critical to keep learning what is new and how you can make better use of your time. These are a few resources that are worth a look now: Productivity Software Tools I love: • Email Management http://unroll.me/ • To Do Management https://evernote.com/ • Team Management www.15five.com • Phone Support www.liveanswer.com • Team Management 15five.com • Customer Management https://www.zendesk.com Virtual assistants and freelance resources: • https://www.fancyhands.com/ • www.upwork.com/ Want to know more? Here are a few articles to check out: • What Annoys You at Work Can Actually Boost Productivity By Barry Moltz • Time Management Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs By Jean Hanson • The Effective Entrepreneur: Time Management By Ryan Battles

No offshore call centers! As President & CEO, Matt Zemon brings over 20 years of operations, billing and customer service experience to American Support. American Support provides contact center support to some of America’s largest companies using a 100% U.S.-based workforce.

Matt has been named one of Triangle Business Journal’s 40 under 40 while American Support is included in CableFax’s “Top 10 places in the cable industry to work” and WorldBlu’s list of “Most Democratic Organizations”.

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 21

Plan Your Wardrobe

BY JOYCE NEAVE

Y

ou plan your work. You plan your social life. Now it’s time to plan your wardrobe.

How wonderful would it be to get dressed every day without having to think about what to wear, so all you would need to focus on was your day ahead? This is a service that I provide for my clients, and I’m going to teach you how to do it yourself.

On Sunday, take some time and think about what you have coming up in the week. Check the weather report and see if it’s going to rain or if it’s going to be cold or hot.

Think about what you will need to wear whether it is business casual one day and something more professional another. Look at your calendar, do you have a nighttime event, etc?

Then put together outfits that you like, think about how you can change it up a little bit, or try a new blouse with the suit that you always wear. The trick is to do it when you’re not in a rush. Play with your outfits, mix-and-match, and try different accessories. Try different shoes. Don’t forget about your undergarments – make sure you have everything you need ready to go. Then either make a list or take photos of the outfits that you’re going to wear during that week.

be ready to go when you are. Take inventory of what you have, notice all the details. Do your shoes need repair? Are your clothes fitting properly? Often, you will find that when you are trying to put outfits together, there’s a piece that’s missing from your wardrobe. Usually, it’s the shoes. Make a shopping list so you know what you’ll need to get in order to make your outfits complete. Look online or in magazines for inspiration. Look at the people walking down the street or coming in and out of your office. There is inspiration everywhere you turn.

One way to get a jump start is to iron or steam all of your clothes for the week. That way everything will

It’s fall – look at all the foliage outside, the color combinations that looks so pretty in nature. The key

22 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

to a successful wardrobe is to be inspired and prepared. And if you still have trouble putting your weekly wardrobe together, give me a call; I’m always available to help.

Joyce Neave is an authority on fashion and style. As founder, Joyce has been empowering clients for over twenty years. As the owner of That Mom Inc., and now JOYCE NEAVE style group, her work has been featured in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, Washingtonian Magazine, and Bethesda Magazine among others.

Joyce has been featured on WUSA9 News highlighting her wardrobe consulting practice and providing viewers with valuable insights. Learn more about the services provided by JOYCE NEAVE style group at: http://www. joyceneave.com/ SEPTEMBER 2016

Stop Being Distracted! 10 Tips to Combat the Distracted Rut

BY ALAINA FITZNER

T

he grass is greener where you water it:

When we relocated (PCS’d) to Ohio and I moved my photography business for the 3rd time in 3 years, I couldn’t quite figure out what was different and why business seemed to come much slower than I was used to. After much self-reflection, the answer was clear – I was DISTRACTED. I can’t tell you how many hours, days, and weeks I wasted trying to “figure it out,” telling myself that “I need to understand this market: what people pay, effective advertising sources, and (the one we all can relate to) what my competition was doing and how it was working for them. Yes, it’s true, you have to regroup and strategize in a new market, but it’s a BAD thing when you lose the ability to get out and network with people so they know who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer them. Being in business is about sharing your passion with others and letting them choose if you are the right fit for their needs.

There is value in doing research, investigating your competitors, and understanding your market, but when that becomes all-consuming and keeps you from moving forward, there is a problem. That’s where I found myself - distracted SEPTEMBER 2016

and off course. I couldn’t figure out why the new market was so hard, and then it dawned on me: spending too many hours watching everyone else and not enough time doing what I knew worked for me and my business.

JUST DO IT! Yes, I know that sounds a little “Nike” and totally cliché, but it’s true. When I first started my business, I didn’t have a clue what to charge, let alone a contract or even an invoice, but what I DID have was a paying client. I might have been a bit unprepared in the beginning, but it all worked out in the end. My business was up and running! The success with the first client started a domino effect that led to word-ofmouth referrals that continued right up to the DAY the moving truck arrived. I was moving full steam ahead with consistent business.

I share that with you to encourage and refocus you. Are you distracted and spending time on things that really don’t matter? Yes, there are systems that need to be in place, but the most important focus for EACH of us is to have clients. So let’s get out there and focus on the clients and let the other pieces fall into place as they become necessary. Don’t get too mixed up in the details that can be figured out as you move along.

These are my top 10 ideas to get you out of the frustrating “distractnationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

ed rut” and instead traveling swiftly down the road to success: 1. A SK FOR REFERRALS from the people who are hiring you. Let’s face it - they like you, or they wouldn’t work with you. Find out who they know that may need or want your services. Cultivate those relationships and build trust.

2. D ON’T DO WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING... BE YOU and figure out what has worked for YOU. Do that and do it consistently. If something is not working, be OK with ditching it and look for another avenue to reach your goal.

3. W HAT COMPETITION? STOP comparing yourself and your work to others. It’s great to be informed, but highly successful people usually follow the beat of their own drum. So determine what makes YOUR business tick consistently!

4. W HAT DO YOU LOVE TO DO AND WHY are you doing your business? For me, I LOVE making a difference in people’s lives through the lens of the camera, capturing the moments that matter the most, and building lasting relationships. I’m doing this for flexibility and to be available for our children while still contributing to our longNMSN Magazine

| 23

term financial goals. If you don’t know your “what and why,” you’re DEAD in the water. You need this reminder IN WRITING to keep you going on days when you hit every roadblock possible and just want to quit!

5. ENGAGE IN MONEY MAKING ACTIVITES OR DELEGATE. Determine if what you are doing is something YOU need to do or whether you could delegate it or pay someone else to do it.

We have a HUGE network of fabulous people in NMSN, and we are here to help and support one another, so reach out and ask for help!

6. DON’T GIVE UP! You’re invested in this venture. Consistency is the key to longevity and success.

Many things will pull at you and make you start to ask questions like, “What if...? Should I try...?

Would it be better if...?” STOP! Stay the course and remember the grass is NOT always greener on the other side; it just might LOOK better from a distance!

Water your own grass and fertilize it! Don’t get distracted by the “attractiveness of other opportunities” if they’re not right for you!

7. B ECOME THE EXPERT in your field that people know and trust. I can’t tell you how many people have said “thank you” for taking the time to help them build their business, no strings attached, just because I care.

That is the giving heart that breeds success.

8. CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW, because when you are excited and motivated to learn, it shows that YOU are interested in bettering yourself to the benefit of your clients.

24 | NMSN Magazine

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

9. SHINE, and I mean really shine, like a beacon of light! Have people “catch” your passion! Make them think of NO ONE BUT YOU when then have a need you can satisfy. Build loyalty so you never have to worry about them walking away to your competitor... EVER! 10. BE POSITIVE AND REAL. Clients don’t want to be fed a line. Make sure you’re working with honesty and integrity in all you do. Present your business positively, whether in person or through social media. It’s not always easy and every day won’t be a bed of roses - every-

one gets that - but keep things in perspective, realize that ultimately it’s worth the effort, and that tomorrow is always a new day and a fresh start!

I have enjoyed sharing this list with you, and would love to hear how things are going for you. I look forward to hearing stories of how YOU got out of the “distracted rut” that we all fall into from time to time.

I’m cheering each of you on and reminding you that YOU choose how to spend your time! Make sure YOU are running your business inside the balance parameters you have set with your family; this will help ensure your business is working for you!

Alaina Fitzner is the owner of Dwelling Moments Photography specializing in: family portrait, real estate, event, and professional headshot photography.

Photography is her true passion and the vision of her business is to create beautiful images behind the lens, build a lasting relationship with her clients, and deliver high quality professional products all while being a complete joy to work with. Her heart is to serve our military, and she actively volunteers her time photographing various USO, Air Force Charity Ball, and Air Force Marathon events as the official photographer. She can be reached through her website at www.dwellingmomentsphotography.com

I Love It!...

Training on my time for a career that’s in demand

SPOUSES

Of ACTIVE DUTy MILITARy Train for a Career in Healthcare Administration, Pharmacy Technician or Information Technology.

100% OnLInE AT nO COST

Find out if you qualify at www.medcerts.com/nmsn or Call 800-925-1247 NMSN Magazine | 25

SEPTEMBER 2016

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

What is the FMLA and what does it mean for the military spouse?

BY JULIE WATERS

W

hat you don’t know can hurt you. No, that is way too alarmist. How about what you do know can help you! To add one more acronym to your ever expanding vocabulary: BX, DFAS, DoDDS, and now FMLA. The Family and Medical Leave Act was first passed in 1993 to help employees who were ill or who had an ill family member.

In 2012, the Act was amended to include two entitlements to benefit military families.

There are very specific rules even to qualify for FMLA: • First, the employer has to be covered. Public agencies and all schools, regardless of the number of employees, are covered under the FMLA. Private sector employers with 50 or more employees are covered, including joint-employer situations like employee leasing.

• Next, the employee has to qualify for coverage.

You must work for a covered employer. You must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months (not necessarily consecutively). You must have at least 1,250 hours of service for the covered employer in the 12 months immediately preceding the leave. And you must work at a location where the employer has at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius. More simply put, if you work for a big enough company, have been there at least a year, and work at least 25 hours a week on average, you will likely be eligible for FMLA. If you and your employer are covered under the FMLA rules, you may be eligible to take up to 12 workweeks of leave in a 12 month period for one or more of the following reasons: birth of a child or placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care; for a spouse, child or parent who has a serious health condition; or for your own serious health condition.

The new provision adds: “for any qualifying exigency 26 | NMSN Magazine

arising out of the fact that a spouse, child or parent is a military member on covered active duty or call to covered active duty status.”

Qualifying exi-what? It means a thing. A situation, a circumstance. An exigency is that which is required in a particular situation, typically needing immediate attention. The leave is there for military spouses or family members to address common issues that arise when a service member gets deployed. Some examples are appointments for making financial and legal arrangements, military sponsored functions, and arranging for alternative childcare.

Military Caregiver Leave is another new provision, and it is longer. You still have to be eligible (50 employees, at least 1 year and at least 1250 hours), but Military Caregiver Leave allows employees who are the spouse, child or parent of a covered servicemember to take up to 26 weeks of leave in a 12 month period to care for the service member who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious injury or illness incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. This provision applies to the families of members of both the active-duty and reserve components of the Armed Forces.

There are a couple of important things to note about FMLA. The 12 weeks (or 26 weeks) of leave does not have to be taken all at once. It can be taken intermittently. So if your pre-deployment appointments are spread over many days, weeks, or months, you can take the leave when you need it. Same thing for caring for yourself or a sick family member – it doesn’t have to be taken all at the same time.

Perhaps an even more important fact, FMLA has nothing to do with pay; it is only a job holder. 12 weeks of leave doesn’t mean 12 weeks of getting paid! It just means that the employee must be restored to his or her original job or an equivalent job

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

SEPTEMBER 2016

with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms of employment. Your employer may require you to use your accrued paid leave to run concurrently (at the same time) as your FMLA leave. So you may get paid for part of it depending on how much vacation and sick time you have available. Your employer is also required to maintain your benefits as if you were still there.

So now that you have the basic facts, if you wish to use FMLA, talk to your Human Resources Department for specifics about how your organization handles this type of leave. There are also fact sheets available on the US Department of Labor website.

They can be found here (http://www.dol.gov/whd/ regs/compliance/whdfs28.pdf) and here (http:// www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/MilitaryFLProvisions.htm).

SEPTEMBER 2016

Julie graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English and earned an MS in Human Resources from Troy University. She is also a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR). Over the last twelve years, Julie has held various Human Resources positions since getting her start at FHC Health Systems in Norfolk, Virginia, to include serving as the Director of Human Resources at the Military Officers Association of America in Alexandria, Virginia. Julie currently resides in Spokane, Washington where she is the Human Resources and Operations Manager at a law firm. She was lucky enough to choose a career that easily transfers between employers as each military assignment introduced her to a new city and even a new part of the country. Julie holds a special interest in career building for military spouses as she feels it is important to have something personal outside of the military lifestyle.

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 27

What’s Your Brand Story?

BY FRED WELLMAN

I

used to start a lot of conversations by declaring loud and clear “I’m not a ‘branding guy’ but a ‘story guy’” back in the early days of my business. Anything about branding would make my head hurt; from color palettes to art, the whole thing confused me. I would argue over and over, “I’m not an artsy guy.

I’m a guy who tells stories!”

Then I woke up and realized that a good brand is a good story and matching your brand with your story was the real foundation of success. The brand for your company starts with your story and grows from there. What exactly is your sto-

28 | NMSN Magazine

ry? How did you start this business?

What’s your passion? To whom are you trying to sell your products or services? What is it that makes your company so special?

At Ladyburg Bath and Body Apothecary, my wife Crystal’s incredible manufacturing and retail company, we started off with a fun kind of funky ladybug theme (playing off the name) with lots of elements that were red with black polka dots, ladybug icons, and decorations around the store. It confused many customers – What was the place? Was it a cute little gift shop? Gardening? What?

nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

Over time, we realized that more and more of the products we sold were being made right in our home and, eventually, in a kitchen at the shop. The handcrafted movement was growing, and people wanted to know the folks making their products and have faith that quality ingredients were going onto their skin. The “apothecary” portion of the name just started jumping out at us as the real story of the company.

Simply, the story wasn’t the funky polka dots but the family members who were personally handmaking every product like an old-fashioned

SEPTEMBER 2016

apothecary used to mix medicines and cure-alls in our historic town.

Our brand didn’t match our story.

So, we went back to the drawing board and started emphasizing the handcrafted elements of the brand. We got rid of the ladybugs and got a new logo that was more like an old time wax seal with just the initials “LB,” much like how an apothecary would seal the herbs and bottles of medicine with a wax seal. Finally, our story matched our brand, sales have increased, and brand understanding has gone up.

Ask yourself, “what is your brand story?” Is it your personal approach to customer service? Is it how you make your products? Is it the level of technical knowledge you hold?

Does your brand story match your business story and does it make sense to a new observer?

One mistake we often see in the veteran-owned business world is that the brand is your set-aside program. How many times have you gone to a government contractor’s website and the biggest logo is the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Certification stamp? Your brand shouldn’t be your contract vehicle. It should be what you do and how it’s different; that set-aside is simply an access point and not who you are.

The best first step is having a neutral observer look at your brand elements, website, social media sites, and/or shop for the first time and tell you their impressions. If their impressions don’t match up with what you do, then you’ve got a disconnect that you need to address.

In the meantime, I know a great place to get soap and bath prodSEPTEMBER 2016

ucts carefully handmade by some really nice folks, and a guy who just loves telling stories all the time and working on the weekends.

Fred Wellman is a retired Army officer turned serial and social entrepreneur.

He is a graduate of West Point and the Harvard Kennedy School serving 22 years in the Army as an aviator and public affairs officer and four combat tours. He is the Founder and CEO of ScoutComms, a B Corp communica-

tions and advocacy firm focused on veterans and military families. He and his wife Crystal also co-own Ladyburg Bath and Body Apothecary, a growing handmade bath and body retail boutique with locations in Fredericksburg and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

In addition to serving as the Entrepreneur in Residence for NMSN, Fred also serves on the National Board of Directors for the National Desert Storm War Memorial and the Board of Advisors for No One Left Behind.

“AMU HELPED ME REACH HIGHER” AMU ALUM AND VETERAN WES O’DONNELL (MBA 2011)

Veteran, author, and entrepreneur Wes O’Donnell gained the right tools and confidence from AMU to publish a book, start a healthcare solutions company, and launch a successful digital media group. Join a leading provider of education to the Armed Forces and gain knowledge that’s relevant to what you do today and what you want to do tomorrow. Reach higher at www.AMUonline.com/NMSN nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org

NMSN Magazine

| 29

NATIONALMILITARYSPOUSENETWORK.ORG Connect with us