There are many reasons why being a military Spouse entrepreneur has its perks. One of them is to be amongst other like-minded and like-hearted people. The other is having opportunities to collaborate in ways that can make huge impacts.
Evie King of Independent is one of the many amazing partners that AMSE has had the opportunity to collaborate with. Not only does she wear multiple hats, but she is also a person who has a passion to build up military spouses with their abilities and inspire them to make change for themselves.
She believes that is not always about what you have done, but what else you can do.
She started with Independent as a community ambassador and has since taken on the roles of executive director and board vice president. She is passionate about military spouse wellness. She is also very passionate about making sure the leaders of the organization are taking care of their own health and wellness.
She began her journey in finance working for a glass manufacturer. She absolutely enjoyed seeing the process of how glass was made. Although she did not continue in this career path once she became a military spouse, she sought out other opportunities to bring joy to her life.
One of these ways was through her current employer and with Independent, gaining skills that she was able to market from her past experiences as a volunteer.
Evie states that she enjoyed volunteering with organizations that truly believed in helping military spouses. She loves finding ways and feels it is critical to integrate self-care while becoming successful.
When asked why Independent partnered with AMSE, Evie said it is because they understand the importance of wellness in being successful entrepreneurs. Although Independent approaches wellness from many different branches, two branches important to entrepreneurs focus on occupational and personal growth.
“From an entrepreneurial standpoint, that is investing in your occupational and personal growth wellness...we want to be able to support all the areas of wellness.”
Evie says that she sees how AMSE truly wants to collaborate with organizations that may have strengths that are not in their wheelhouse. They are not afraid to ask for help. This is a true testament to how the members of the AMSE are as people. They believe in the value of building a community.
“It made sense to partner together since we are both able to add value to military spouses.”
When it comes to partnership and this type of community, it made sense to Evie to work with people who truly believe in serving military spouses while using the resources available and working together. That is what truly makes a partnership successful.
Building a business and becoming an entrepreneur can often be lonely and frustrating, especially when starting from scratch. One of the things that Evie wished she would have had was a group that already existed to provide a roadmap on how to start an organization. She wished that there was a support system from an organization like AMSE that valued the sharing of knowledge information.
As a full volunteer organization dispersed globally, it can often be difficult to keep the camaraderie and foster relationships. Evie has made great use of online platforms like Slack to keep the flow of conversations consistent. They use separate channels for work conversations and non-work conversations. She has implemented video meetings for a more personal connection and encourages the celebration of achievements. She feels it is very important to celebrate the small things in order to continue building each other up. Group efforts to promote and encourage each other's wellness are very impactful in this type of community.
She works tirelessly on finding opportunities for individuals on the team to work together. She encourages her leadership to connect and work together.
One of the things that Eve would like to emphasize about Independent is that they love working with others who are passionate about serving military spouse wellness. They are always looking for others who want to volunteer.
‘We want to create a space on the internet where spouses can come and know that we can speak to their needs.”
Evie did give a piece of advice for those milspouse entrepreneurs looking to start a nonprofit: look to see if there is one already created that is similar to the one you want to start. Start-up nonprofits have a bigger barrier than small businesses do. Make sure you are not recreating the wheel. If it does exist, share your gift with them. Not many realize that you may be putting all of your efforts into running the business instead of your mission. Make sure that your mission is not being served elsewhere.
For more info on Evie and InDependent, visit their website and learn more about how they can help you! You can also view the entire interview below.
Annette is a military spouse of over 21 years, mother to two teenagers, and a veteran who served in the Army for over seventeen years as a Chemical officer including a deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. She retired and decided to trade in her boots for Converse sneakers to be able to make up for lost time with her children. Since her retirement, she has PCSd from Fort Polk, LA to Fairfax, VA to support her husband's military career. Her blog A Wild Ride Called Life™, LLC. incorporates stories from her post-military life. She shares how she lives life as being a mom and military spouse living with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Along with writing, she also hosts a podcast titled “The Truths We Hide” where she shares her story and also hosts guests who share theirs and offer advice to others to help them know that they are not alone.
Annette is a mentor for veterans on Veterati and for military spouses on Ementor. She has a passion for volunteering and volunteers as a mentor for TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for children survivors, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Trauma Survivors Network. She has also been offered a volunteer position with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in which she will be teaching and speaking to college campuses across Northern Virginia and the DC area.
You can check out more about Annette at the following: linktr.ee/a_wild_ride_called_life
