Instant Teams

Hi, I’m Britni! I graduated from Auburn University in 2004 with a degree in Entrepreneurship and Family Business, and I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia.

I met my husband, Keith in 2003, and we got married in 2007 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas (yes, it was planned, and we had 70 guests attend). Keith has been in the Navy for 14 years. We have a daughter, Genevieve, who was born in 2015, and a dog, Max.

I work as a Marketing Specialist for a corporate housing provider from my home office. I have been working remotely for them since 2008, and have held different positions within the company over the years.

Understanding the frustrations of my fellow military spouses regarding spouse employment, I started MilSpouse Resource on a whim in 2015. MilSpouse Resource is a site that provides information, support, and inspiration for military spouse professionals and entrepreneurs. The motto is “Let’s Support, and Inspire Each Other” and the site also features original and guest blog posts. My passion is helping military spouses find a job, a career, or encouragement to become an entrepreneur. It is a place for positivity, sharing stories, and information. I began with no knowledge of how to blog, build a website, or get readers. I decided that the best way to learn was just to jump in. I started building the website by using a simple blog format on Blogger and am teaching myself as I go – mistakes and all. Google, reference books, experience, mistakes, and military spouse blogger Facebook groups have all been my teachers.

Currently, I am a volunteer mentor for MilSpouse Resource Network’s new Military Spouse Support Program. In the past, I’ve volunteered for Military Spouses of Strength, participated in the Junior League of Jacksonville’s 90 volunteer hours in 90 days, and served as an OSC President, Social Chair, Event Coordinator, and Treasurer. Additionally, I was a volunteer Adult Advisor with the Girl Scouts of Seattle, and a volunteer cheerleading coach.

What was your first move towards working in a remote capacity and/or becoming a military spouse entrepreneur?

When it was time for Keith to head to flight school in Pensacola in 2006, I turned in my notice at work in the Atlanta office and informed my boss that I would love to work remotely if the opportunity was ever available. At the time, we had no remote employees. They were unable to accommodate my home office request, but I had made it clear that I would be back if they could make it happen.

So, I followed Keith to Pensacola and managed a stationery store there. We got married later that year, and he then received orders to our next location: Corpus Christi, TX. I had trouble finding employment in Corpus Christi, but I finally found another stationery store and joined as an employee, not management. To say that I was unhappy with my employment situation was an understatement.

Upon learning that we would be moving to Jacksonville, FL next, I immediately started scouring my network to see about finding a job. (My previous employer in Atlanta was aware of my job search, as I informed them of each move.) I accepted a job as a Marketing Associate at a large apartment community in Jacksonville before arriving. Two days after I took the job, I received a call from my employer in Atlanta offering me the work from home position that I had been after! It offered less money than the Marketing Associate position; however, I decided that the steady job and chance to build a career was worth more than a higher paying job that I would only be working at temporarily. I happily took the work from home position. And, eight years later, I’m still working from home for the same company! I won Corporate Office Associate of the Year in 2015 and promoted to Marketing Specialist.

What is your definition of military spouses as an ‘untapped resource’?

Military Spouses are strong, flexible, loyal and resilient. Not to mention we have acquired the ability to handle several tasks at once, and are willing to help others. We can be leaders or team players. We are fundamental pillars of strength for our families, so we easily become support systems in other aspects of our lives – whether that be with friends, volunteer organizations, or at work. Military spouses are “go-getters” and will readily take on tasks that require skills that we may not have at the time. We learn these skills from the many volunteer positions that we hold and events we attend. We are always learning, as sometimes we have no choice but to dive in, figure it out, and do it ourselves.

What would you tell other military spouses looking to start a professional career?

Utilize LinkedIn. Start creating and building your network and keep your profile up to date. You never know how you can connect to the hiring manager of the company you’ve had your eye on – maybe a fellow spouse is the hiring manager! It also wouldn’t hurt to create a simple website that reflects your skill and use it as an online resume to showcase what you can do to make you stand out from other applicants. Also, participate in online courses on Coursera or Udemy – these classes are very informative, and improve your LinkedIn profile! Many of them are free, too.

Volunteer! Build up those skills. Event planning, recruiting, vendor relations, fundraising, public speaking and herding cats (ok, not really) can be added to your resume, even if it’s not paid. Experience is experience.

Join spouse networking groups and connect with other military spouse professionals. I believe that connections are everything – you never know who you’ll meet! Take each interaction with other spouses as a chance to support and inspire each other. Amazing things have transpired from military spouses brainstorming and combining talents and connections!

If you were put on a panel involved in an initiative to improve military spouse employment opportunities and corporate awareness of the MadSkills that professional spouses bring to the workforce, what suggestions would you make?

Many companies don’t even realize that there is an issue with military spouse employment until brought to their attention. I think that spouses who currently work in a corporate setting can assist with this initially. Educating their HR department about the benefit of hiring military spouses, helping to spread the word in the military spouse community about open positions, and being an advocate for the company as an employee. The panel could create an industry mentorship program, so those who have been successful can assist those who need guidance. Perhaps it would be helpful if the panel could collaborate with corporate hiring fairs to provide information. We need to use our powerful milspouse network to promote awareness in corporations!

Connect with Britni on LinkedIn at  linkedin.com/in/britnimiltner.