Hi, I’m Emily, a military spouse with MadSkills. I’ve been married for 11 years to my husband Sean who has been a soldier in the US Army for almost 22 years. We’ve known each other and been good friends since we were in high school in Western NY. He joined the Army, and I headed off to college at Florida State University and eventually law school at William and Mary in Virginia. When he asked me to marry him, I didn’t hesitate. I left my law firm job in NY to be a military spouse and moved to Germany to be with him. We now have three energetic, brave, and wonderful children: Chase, Erik, and Linnea. Coming from a small town, I am amazed each and every day at how resilient my three military kids are. They embrace change, new people, new places, and new experiences in a way that leaves me in awe of them! We have lived in two countries, moved four times, suffered through two bar exams, been through three long deployments, experienced many separations for training, met incredible people, and had too many wonderful adventures to count. Over the years, I have found myself prioritizing my roles. I am a mother and wife first, a military spouse and part of the Army family second, and an attorney third. We have been at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska (less than 200 miles from the Arctic Circle) for just over two years. I have worked for the JAG office here for a year, and I am currently the Labor Attorney for the US Army in Alaska. I also volunteer as the Alaska Director of the Military Spouse JD Network (MSJDN) working towards a military spouse attorney licensing accommodation here in Alaska. In 2016 I was honored to be named AFI Military Spouse of the Year for Fort Wainwright.

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

As an attorney, it can be incredibly challenging to be a military spouse. The frequent moves, lack of licensing reciprocity between states, frequent deployments, and cost can make it extremely hard to maintain a career. I learned very quickly that the key is flexibility and tapping into resources within the Army family. Over the years I have worked in other fields, in temporary jobs, in contract positions, and at times lived separately from my husband to maintain my career. During some of our most stressful years, when I felt I needed to stay home with the children during deployments instead of working, I pursued a masters degree from Penn State to keep my skills up to date. However, as with most things in life, it has always been volunteering that has led me to meet the contacts and link into the networks I needed to provide me with the opportunities to continue to practice law successfully.

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

Military spouses are the epitome of the “untapped resource.” Military spouses are the people who have voluntarily agreed to put someone and something else before themselves and are committed to making it work! Every employer knows that the most important attribute of a successful employee is someone who has the right “can-do” attitude. Military spouses know that moves, deployments, and Army life are seldom convenient. They are used to unexpected challenges and also to finding the solutions to them. They work around it. They adapt. They have experience interacting with people from all walks of life, economic status, races, religions, and nationalities and they revel in those differences and seek to find the commonalities. These are the skill sets that allow us to thrive in a military environment and also to succeed in any endeavor we take on.

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

My advice would be to find like-minded spouses and network with them. Spouses are a group of people who love to help, mentor, and guide each other. We want to see others succeed and are willing to spend the time to help. If you find something you love to do, are tenacious in pursuing it, and not afraid to ask for help you can succeed. The military community is strong and eager to support each other.

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?

I would suggest pairing seasoned professionals with younger military spouses with similar career interests to help guide and mentor them. The day I realized other military spouse attorneys were struggling with the same challenges I was and connected with them changed the course of my career. When we work together to support one another, we are all stronger.