2020 Was The Year of the Milspouse Entrepreneur

When I look back on 2020, I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude and blessed.

That’s right. I said blessed. Not to say that this year has not been difficult or challenging or frustrating. But 2020 was also a year of great impacts, partnerships, and strives for our milspouse entrepreneur community and for AMSE. 

When I look back at this year - this incredible year of growth - I cannot help but feel blessed in many ways.

I am blessed to have an amazing partner in this business. Flossie Hall is a phenomenal entrepreneur, business partner, and woman. She is inspiring both inside and outside of her career. I’ve learned so much from her and am glad to be building this legacy and future with her, pioneering the way for milspouse entrepreneurs.

I am blessed to work with my team here at AMSE; in fact, I feel blessed to have a team at all! When we began AMSE in November 2019, Flossie and I could not have imagined how quickly we would grow and how much our community would welcome us. But with rapid growth comes the need for help, and we have an awesome team here. I’m grateful for the way they show up for us and our community everyday. 

I am blessed to have experienced a year of personal growth. I love positive affirmations. I am constantly telling them to my team and to myself. But this year, I really started to see and believe them. Positive affirmations became more than platitudes. Because I CAN do this. There is nothing that I cannot accomplish with work and determination. And so can you. I am living proof of this.

I feel blessed and destined to be exactly where I am today. I have learned my strengths and my weaknesses; I have learned that it is OK to not know everything. I need support just like everyone else. But everything I have learned in my years in business and as an entrepreneur has prepared me for this role. I’ve been put on this earth and in this role for a specific reason, and it is my honor to lead from the front for our community and the future. There will be challenges, and it will be hard. But we are here for a reason.

Most importantly, I am blessed to have all of you.

I often emotionally describe how joyfully overwhelmed I feel from the support of the community. So many people and organizations have come together to help us. The idea of AMSE started with a simple idea: to bridge the gaps and create solutions specifically for milspouse entrepreneurs. We have not only started this but built a huge community with passion and heart. We have cultivated partnerships that are having a big impact on milspouses everyday. We have met and networked with so many people that have been instrumental in our success. And we have grown into a beautiful, diverse community that is ready to make a difference and succeed in their own lives.

The true definition of entrepreneurship is to see the gaps or problems in a business and to solve them. That is what AMSE is. It is the core of who we are and what we can achieve - and in 2020, we did it all.

We are done waiting for an invitation - we are crashing the party or building our own table. 2020 was the year of the milspouse entrepreneur, and we are only getting started.

Thank you for an incredible and blessed year. Cheers to 2021, and I am so happy you are here!

Moni Jefferson, Co-founder + CEO

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Owning Up Podcast Special Episode: Breaking Bread with AMSE

The AMSE Team welcomes you to pull a chair up to the table and gather with them to share memories, traditions, recipes, and more!

After all, you are the reason for this season of gratitude. We couldn’t do any of this without you. You are a part of the team of military spouse entrepreneurs who understand the burning desire to create and cultivate a business while igniting the fire and passion in others. 

Thanksgiving stirs up memories of traditions, plus guides us to finding gratitude even in uncertain times. Military spouse entrepreneurs are resilient and know firsthand how to change course when needed. While you sit at the table with us and read our stories, feel free to share yours. 

Rachel Carpenter, Copy Editor, has a super-secret stuffing recipe that she won’t share with anyone, but she will make and share that with you! And when she’s near her mother and family, they get together the night before Thanksgiving and prepare the turkey together. Military life being what it is, she doesn’t get to always be with her family. But she is grateful for technology because it enables her to be a part of the tradition she loves. 

Selena Conmackie, Ft. Hood Chapter Leader, is from Hawaii and for her, pumpkin crunch, also called pumpkin dump cake, is her must-have Thanksgiving tradition. But the funny part about this tradition is every year she asks her friend for the recipe. Just asking her friend for the recipe has become a part of the tradition around the yummy dessert! Here is the recipe, for those of you wanting to try this: Pumpkin Crunch Recipe

Kat Calvo, Partnerships Manager, is all about the pumpkin crunch, too! And traditionally, her family also makes it. And around noon, she usually starts drinking Coquito. Plus, she wraps and stuffs her turkey with bacon.

That’s right, bacon.

She said it’s her husband’s favorite way to eat it: Bacon-Wrapped Turkey

Adam Evans, Luke AFB Chapter Leader, always hosts a Friendsgiving at their house the Wednesday before thanksgiving. They have a game they play called Play it Forward. That day, they all arise very early to begin the game. The game requires a deck of cards, with each card having a specific task. Such as take a selfie with a stranger, complete this riddle, overtip your server, and so on. The tasks are straightforward, and part of the idea is to go to every local business throughout the city. Once the task is completed, the player logs in their deck of cards with the number on the bottom of the deck into an app to keep track of the card. Next, the player leaves the card they have completed with that person they met, and that person can enter the card’s number into the game. They’ve been playing this game for the past six years. Some of the cards have traveled 1.2 million miles! Check out the game: Sneaky Cards Game

Christinna Kitchaiya, Social Media Strategist, says that she used to be traditional in her meal, but her husband is from Thailand, and now they have traveled the world. Their dinner consists of all sorts of flavors from around the globe! Plus, they like to invite people who don’t have a family to share the holiday with their home.

Moni Jefferson, Co-founder and CEO, used to have a very traditional meal and still does, but now she likes to order out. However, she does make traditional Puerto Rican rice called Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas). Traditionally, her family used to get all dressed up for Thanksgiving, but now they wear Christmas pj’s all day and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

• Moni’s Mom’s Recipe: Arroz con Gandules Rice with pigeon peas

• 2 cups of rice (follow the water instructions of the rice you are using, replace with the chicken broth)

• I can of gandules (drained)

• chicken broth (substitute for water as instructed on the rice you are using)

• 2 tablespoons of oil or bacon fat grease

• 2 tablespoons of sofrito (use your own or use sofrito Goya)

• 1/4 cup of Spanish olives with pimientos, use about 1 tablespoon of the juice as well (optional)

• 1 fresh garlic minced

• 1 package of sazón con culantro

• I cup of diced ham or seasoned pork chop (I use adobo Goya)

• Heat the 2 Tbs., of oil or bacon fat; add the ham or pork chop, cook until a little brown.

• Then add the sofrito and garlic, fry for a few minutes

• Add the sazón, olives and gandules.

• Once it starts to boil add the rice, mix well, add the chicken broth, mix well.

• If using a rice cooker, cover and let cook.

• If using a “caldero”, heavy-duty pot, or nonstick pot, bring to a boil on high heat, let the water evaporate some. Once the water has evaporated some stir the rice, cover,  and reduce heat to medium once the rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed your rice is ready. 

• FYI: adjust the seasoning to taste.

• Optional: add cilantro before serving.

Anna Larson, Ft. Hood Chapter Leader, has a huge extended family. We’re talking sixty 1st cousins, and they always got together for Thanksgiving. Her uncle was a gym teacher at a high school. When she was younger, the entire family would meet at the gym and use the commercial kitchen to prepare the meal. And for some reason, because she’s not sure how or why it started, there would be homemade piñatas for the children and the teens. The ones for the teen were always harder to get open. But by the end of the day, there would be piles of candy everywhere! The piñata tradition has stayed with her.

Caroline Schafer, the podcast editor, grew up with the regular traditional foods and loves to make and serve them, but having a son with celiac means she has learned to tweak as many recipes as she can. Plus, even though it’s not Christmas, she likes to eat on her Spode Christmas china because it reminds her of her Mimi, who is no longer with her, and Spode was the china she used for the holidays. 

Flossie Hall, Co-founder and COO, grew up in a very small town with very traditional foods. It wasn’t until she became a military spouse and was introduced to all the diversity within the Thanksgiving holiday that she realized all the good food she could add to her meal! She still serves traditional dishes but enjoys other dishes as well. As the neighborhood cook, she enjoys inviting others over, especially soldiers with no one to share the holiday with, to share with her family of 6 for the holiday.

This was a fun episode for all of our team to share, laugh, and talk about this year. We invite you to listen to the episode now - find it wherever you listen to podcasts or here.

Moni, Flossie, and the AMSE Team want each of you to know how grateful they are to each of you. Your continued support and encouragement are inspirational on multiple levels! We wish you a very Happy Holidays!  

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Caroline loves to surround herself with wonder and creativity. Naturally curious, she enjoys adventures, whether through a nice walk or a good book. Her time is often spent recording voiceovers, preparing for interviews, writing articles, or editing audio. As a military spouse of 18 years, she will be the first to tell you that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, especially when you have a team of other military spouses to lean on and turn to.

Caroline has a certificate in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She believes gratitude is the most important value to help someone when they aren’t feeling positive; plus, when you’re feeling down, she will hug your neck, listen, cry with you to remind you of your worth and purpose.

Caroline has been an active force within the military community. Receiving multiple volunteer awards, including the Iron Mike Award. She loves the diversity and uniqueness within the military spouse community and gives credit to anything she is successful at to those who surround her.

You can find her dreaming (and waiting) for her next trip to Disney World, practicing voices for her voice acting dream, writing essays and poems, taking classes to learn something new, reading books by Stephen R. Covey or Brene Brown, or spending time with her family.

You can keep up with Caroline on IG @carolinekschafer.

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Anyone Can Generate Passive Income - Even You!

Every entrepreneur wants to make money, and making passive income is probably on the goals list of most business owners around. We like the idea of getting paid while not working (or maybe that’s just me). 

Contrary to popular belief, creating passive income doesn’t mean doing zero work. 

In order to be successful, it requires working intentionally and purposefully once with a plan to leverage that work over and over again. Passive income is all about strategy, and if done right, there are multiple ways to add multiple streams of revenue to your business. 

There are two product categories to think about when it comes to generating income that requires little to no effort to earn or maintain: selling what you know and selling what you create. 

Selling what you know is exactly what it sounds like: packaging your expertise into a product that can be sold.

If you enjoy teaching, consider creating a virtual “classroom” with online courses and on-demand webinars. If you’d prefer not to be on camera, audio training sessions are another great option. AMSE member and writer Gems Collins shares her three tips for starting your online course here. If your intended customer needs to be able to get their ideas on paper or learn a new skill, digital workbooks and eBooks are a great way to teach a lesson or provide step-by-step guidance for a specific topic.

You can also sell what you create.

There is a misconception that creative-type business owners aren’t able to put passive income to work for their business. Selling what you create and making it available digitally is the way to go if you want to maximize this type of income. If you’re a photographer, consider licensing your photos as stock photography. If you’re an artist, you can sell digital copies of your art! Products like graphics, website themes, templates, and fonts are ideal for passive income for B2B operations because there’s always a need for these types of products. Consider platforms like Creative Market and Theme Forest as hubs to sell your “mousemade” content. 

Every product we’ve covered so far has been digital, but did you know that you can earn passive income by selling physical products as well?

With dropshipping, it’s possible to sell products like apparel, home décor, and even physical books. Similar to a traditional passive income product, there will be work required up front to design and add your products to the online store, followed by promoting and advertising your products in order to attract sales. It’s important to note that dropshipping services use multiple manufacturers that can change at any moment, so make sure your products are regularly updated so they’ll be available for purchase. 

What makes passive income so alluring?

Because it gives business owners the ability to automate the sales process. While any of these means of passive income can be incorporated into any business, it’s critical to have alignment with your existing offerings. Once you decide what you’ll be selling, ensure that the technology can deliver the customer experience you want to create while allowing you to be as hands-off as possible. 

Now that you know the options and the tools needed, turn your education into action. Make a plan and do the work to create passive income in your business…and watch your bottom line grow! 

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Moniek James is a veteran, military spouse, speaker, author, columnist, and serial online entrepreneur. Her passion is teaching small business owners and brands on how to leverage content marketing and strategy to deliver their genius to the world through her boutique marketing agency, Renegade Creative Media Group.

Moniek has been featured in the Huffington Post, Fit Small Business, VoyagePhoenix, and Vitality Magazine and believes that entrepreneurship is a building block to economic empowerment.

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Let's Talk About Slack!

If you’re already using Slack as a communication tool for your business, you may love it because it pares down your email inbox and organizes messages into searchable channels, all with the ease of texting. But, have you thought of using Slack as a way to network and socialize? 

AMSE is doing just that with their customized Slack channels for military spouse entrepreneurs, and the timing couldn’t be better.

Slack Offers Connection Outside of Social Media

To reduce stress and gain an easy mood boost, many military spouses are choosing to take social media breaks even though social isolation remains a problem. AMSE’s community solves that by using Slack rather than Facebook Groups to connect. Interactions are personal, positive, and can even help you find your next business BFF. 

In my recent conversation with AMSE co-founders Moni Jefferson and Flossie Hall, we discussed how, as entrepreneurs, it’s getting harder to make military spouse friends.

Our free time is precious; we’re getting choosier with the company we keep as we’re becoming more seasoned; we want to surround ourselves with people who are enthusiastic about the same things we’re focused on. In this season, that’s entrepreneurship—planning, building, and growing businesses that light us up. AMSE’s Slack channels can help us find other military spouses with that one big thing in common.  

How Slack Works at AMSE

AMSE’s Slack community is open to Freemium and Premium members. You’ll receive a link to sign up when you become a member. 

Once you’re in Slack, you’ll want to join channels that are relevant to you. Some of the most popular channels include Collaborations, Help a Spouse Out, and Job Opportunities. It’s fun to be part of the channels where everybody’s hanging out. 

Next, you want to make sure to choose your niche channels where you can connect with other military spouses that work in your areas of interest or expertise. Examples of more personalized channels include Wellness Spouses, Non-Profit Spouses, and Freelance Writers. And, don’t forget to join the Mentor Needed channel where you can drop your needs so others can advise. 

Slack at AMSE is an amazing sharing space where you can support other military spouse entrepreneurs and receive support in return. There’s even some humor thrown in to lighten the mood, something we all need from time to time. 

Join Us on Slack

If you are not already an AMSE member, be sure to sign up here for a Freemium or Premium membership so you can receive invaluable resources for military spouse entrepreneurs. 

If you are already an AMSE member, you’ll find a link to join Slack in your Membership Dashboard. 

We can’t wait to see you there!

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Kimberly Bacso is an MBA who exchanged an office with a view for a life of adventure when she became a military spouse in 2001. She is the co-founder of InDependent, a non-profit on a mission to make wellness accessible to all military spouses. She is the managing editor of Legacy Magazine, a print publication celebrating service member families and the communities that support them. Kimberly is an experienced registered yoga teacher and a lifelong vegetarian who can often be found traveling off the beaten path with her husband and teenage daughter.

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