When I quit my second great job for my husband’s PCS move, I got to thinking about what career success means for a military spouse. Success isn’t measured just by having a job. Success isn’t only attained by staying in one place.
I'm thinking that when it comes to a career, a successful military spouse is one who creates her own story of success. Despite the challenges of military life (PCS’s, deployments, and everything else), a successful spouse is motivated, bold and independent. She understands that being passive will not work to get the career results that she wants.
A successful career spouse builds work to fit into her life, instead of fitting her life around work. She also believes that the most successful companies and people are the ones that give as much as they can.
Success is highly personal. For career-minded and entrepreneur military spouses, it usually means building a professional life that they are proud of that contributes income to their family. They want to make a difference in other’s lives. They also seek careers with the flexibility to move frequently, raise children, and support their husbands when needed.
But how many people did I know in my own circle that qualified as a successful spouse? That’s why I created the Successful Military Wife site to educate and empower military spouses to create their own success. I decided to launch the site by recognizing 17 extraordinary spouses who have built careers while living the military lifestyle.
I didn’t just want to list their bios. Instead, I asked each of these women the same question: What things to you do on a daily basis that contribute to your success? Military writers and online community managers and entrepreneurs replied (including Jacey Eckhart from Military.com). Their answers demonstrated the habits I could adopt to reach my own success.
I am currently looking for other successful spouses to share their career habits. I need educators, financial professionals, artists, physical therapists, direct sales consultants, marketing professionals, counselors, lawyers, entrepreneurs. I want to hear from everyone who has worked out a work/life/love mix that works for them—because that is what success really looks like. If you would like to be featured, or know someone who should be, contact me with this form.
By hearing the stories of those who are uncommonly successful amidst the challenges of military life, I believe we will learn how to do the same.
Kaye Putnam graduated from with a Bachelor's (BS) degree in Business/Marketing with a Psychology Minor. She started her first business as a senior in high school, which she grew rapidly for 5 years. From that experience, she discovered her passion for marketing small businesses & personal branding and shifted her career focus to work as a consultant to small businesses in Clarksville, TN. After leaving that job due to a recent PCS, Kaye launched the Successful Military Wife website & blog to educate and empower career-minded and entrepreneur military spouses to build “PCS Proof Lives”.
