More Than a Milspouse | mindset, clarity, work-life balance, create a purpose-fueled life as a military spouse, Milspouse Mastermind

During this holiday season, it can be tempting to fixate on how far we are away from family, or that we don't get to spend a holiday with our loved ones. But when we stay focused on the negative, it leads us down the spiral of comparison, frustration, and discontentment with life.   We have the opportunity and the ability to reframe our thoughts and to change our lives simply by starting with grat...

Most of us, whether we realize it or not, have specific thoughts, feelings and emotions tied to the holidays. A lot of that has to do with our past experiences, traditions, and what feels comfortable and familiar to us. The real challenge for us is often when what’s possible this year, isn’t what we’ve come to know or expect. Perhaps this year your spouse will be deployed. Or you just moved overse...

Upward mobility in a thriving career is often cited as one of the biggest pain points for military spouses. But foreign service spouses also face this challenge, which is what this conversation is all about. I chat with Rona Jobe, a foreign service spouse, who is doing something about the lack of career options for foreign service and military spouses.   As an Eligible Family Member (EFM) of a For...

Have you ever felt like you were trying so hard to be happy…and yet it just was not working?? Today we’re looking at why that is.   Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about helpful practices that can actually become problematic. In episode 172, we explored the power of positive thinking and the danger of brushing aside our painful emotions in the pursuit of positivity—a phenomenon known a...

Sometimes good ideas can become problematic. Last week on the podcast, we talked about how a positive mindset can turn into toxic positivity and how “embracing the suck” can actually lead us to resentment, rather than helping us overcome adversity. The key to tapping into the best of both these concepts lies in becoming aware of our feelings and emotions, so that we can process them in a healthy w...

Sometimes life circumstances are hard. It sucks. But the real question is, what is the best way to respond to those circumstances? Is it better to just “embrace the suck” or “think more positively?” Which approach will actually lead you to resilience, true emotional health, and to thriving despite the obstacles in your way? The answer might surprise you. Better Together, Christine   MENTIONS Free...

Do you feel like there’s never enough time (or enough of you) to get it all done? Do you struggle to set healthy boundaries? Or to say no when a new opportunity arises? Do you long to be more present in your daily life, but even when you’re physically present, your mind is still a million miles away? Today’s guest has been there. A former military spouse turned time management coach for busy women...

It’s no secret that your mindset holds incredible power. What you think and believe, impacts your actions, attitudes and habits. This is true for so many areas of our lives. Today we’re going to look at how this applies specifically to how we handle money. Have you thought about how your beliefs and past experiences with money influence how you spend and save money? This is your money mindset. Whe...

Progress, Not Perfection. It’s what I remind myself of often. Because, as a recovering perfectionist, I am well-aware of my tendencies to waste time trying to make something perfect. Unfortunately, my perfectionist tendencies can sometimes hold me back or even keep me from reaching my goals. And my guess is that I’m not alone in this struggle. That’s why today, I’m sharing six hacks to help you DE...

Perhaps you decided to take a step back from your career, because balancing kids, military life and a full-time job sometimes feels downright impossible. Or perhaps your spouse just got stationed overseas and options for employment are few to none. Is there a way to continue to build your professional skills, in a way that will eventually lead you back to getting paid for what you have to offer? A...

Headed to an event where you know absolutely no one? Here's your cheat sheet!  Seriously, one of the super-fun parts of military life is starting completely over every time you move to build a local support network. And I hear from military spouses all the time that the number one thing they struggle with is finding community. So today we’re tackling the important topic of finding friends as a mil...

It can be easy to focus on the hard parts of military life: the deployments, the frequent moves, the lonliness and starting over trying to build community. Sometimes we wonder how this life will affect us in the long run. And how will it affect our children?   Today’s conversation is a celebration of the good that can come out of this lifestyle. I sit down with two women who grew up in the militar...

Six years ago I felt stuck in a life I didn’t choose. I was tired of moving. I felt pulled in all directions. I didn’t love how I was showing up for my husband or my kids. I just desperately wanted to feel in control of my life and the direction it was headed.   Six years ago I started a daily practice that has transformed my life. No, it didn’t solve all my problems. But it did transform my outlo...

Navigating the chaos, disorganization, physical demands and emotional stress can make a PCS an overwhelming experience. But it doesn’t have to be.  Today’s guest is Michelle Ruesch from STACHD, an organizational moving system designed to make your next move the best one yet. In this episode we discuss: The problem that so many military families face How the idea for packing props was born What it...

Often in military life we talk about being resilient. We say that our kids are resilient. But honestly I don’t love that statement. Today we’re going to talk about why.   We’ll unpack what resilience really is, common myths and misconceptions about resilience, how to know if you are really resilient, and what you can actually do to build resilience.   Plus, I’ll share my own personal travel experi...

The longer I am a milspouse, the more I appreciate the supportiveness of our global military spouse community. There are so many resources that are available to help you and I thrive as military spouses. And yet, sometimes it can be challenging to find those resources. That’s why I’m excited to bring you today’s conversation with the Executive Director of Mission: Milspouse, Dr. Sharita Knobloch....

It’s the time of year when kids head back to school. When many of us find ourselves living in new locations. Or having the opportunity to move back into a regular routine.   This makes it the perfect time to reflect on how we want to spend our time and energy in the coming months. So today I’m sharing 5 questions to help you evaluate what matters most and how you want to spend your time, so that y...

At some point in life, you’ve probably thought to yourself, I would love to… Prioritize my health Run that race Go on that trip Go back to school Start that business or side hustle   Sometimes it’s just not the right time. But sometimes you tell yourself you don’t have time to do the thing, when, in reality, it’s not about the time or the season. It’s about your level of motivation.   In this epis...

You know the challenges of finding a job as a military spouse. You love the idea of being able to start your own business and work from home. But if you’re not a baker or a crafter, what can you do?   Today’s guest can answer that question. Karamel McCoy is a veteran military spouse, a multi-passionate entrepreneur, the founder of Women Travel Abroad, cohost of the top 1% podcast, CEO Chronicalx,...

Welcome to the middle of summer. When the newness and excitement of the change of pace that summer often brings starts to wear off. When we’re halfway through that PCS. Or trying to meet new friends. Or we’re ready for the kids to go back to school…but we still have another month to go. Welcome to the time of year when our stress and anxiety levels often start to creep upwards. On this episode, we...

Looking for a way to work from home, while still maintaining flexibility?   There are a lot more ways to make money from home today than there were even five years ago. Gone are the days of MLMs being one of the only ways to take a career with you when you move. Hallelujah!   But sometimes it’s hard to know exactly WHAT you are qualified to do, HOW to get started, and HOW TO FIND remote work that...

Ever feel like it’s not okay to be your real self?   That you should behave a certain way, or dress a certain way, or like certain things just because you’re a military spouse? Sometimes we feel this pressure, not because others expect us to act this way, but because we want to be liked, to make friends, and to fit in.    On today’s episode, I’m answering the question, can I really be my authentic...

If you’ve been a part of this community for a while, you might know that I love coffee. Good coffee. Freshly roasted coffee that isn’t over-roasted and hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for months. Some might even call me a coffee snob. I prefer connoisseur.   But what most people don’t know is that I didn’t used to love or even drink coffee. What changed? I bought a coffee shop.   It’s been almost 1...

Last week on the podcast, we talked about the importance of a morning routine and what that does for your productivity and ability to thrive as a military spouse. Today we’re zooming out and looking at the overall functioning of our home.   My guest for today’s episode is Laura Hernandez, a systems expert and mom of 10! She has helped dozens of military spouses implement systems, so they can paren...

In most places in the United States, the school year has ended. Whether or not you have school-aged kiddos, the end of the school year often signals a change to our rhythms and routines. Activities end. New ones begin. The sun stays up later. We move. Or go on a trip. Or just enjoy the change of pace.   But let me ask, what do you want out of this summer?   Because what you get out of this summer...