In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviewed Dan Dwyer, the founder of Vet2BizLife, and Amy Uptgraft, a playwright who wrote the play "I Will Wait" and the founder/artistic director of The Veteran's Spouse Project.
Dan Dwyer is a U.S. Army Veteran of 22 years, a husband, father, leadership coach and veteran entrepreneur. Dan's Vet2BizLife Podcast is dedicated to the boots to the business advancement of all veteran entrepreneurs.
Amy is a proud military spouse. Her husband, LTC Jamie Uptgraft is the commander of 1-501 INF (ABN) out of JBER, AK and is currently deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in support of Operation Resolute Support. Amy is actively involved in various Army volunteer organizations. Amy's play focused on stories of veteran spouses across generations. She aims to give voice to the experiences of military spouses across the generations using music, drama, dance, and expressive arts.
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"I think authentic people are high-character individuals that don't just talk the talk, they also walk the walk." - Dan Dwyer
Social:
Dan Dwyer -
Vet2BizLife's website
Vet2BizLife Podcast on iTunes
Vet2BizLife Podcast on Google Play
Vet2BizLife Podcast on iHeartRadio
Vet2BizLife Podcast on Stitcher
Dan on LinkedIn
Dan on Facebook
Dan on Instagram
Dan on Twitter
Dan's Email Address: dan@vet2bizlife.com
Amy Uptgraft -
Amy's website
Amy's Facebook Page
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviewed Stephanie Lincoln, the owner and CEO of Fire Team Whiskey Military Health and Fitness and Charlynda Scales, a speaker, mover and shaker, and the founder of Mutt's Sauce.
Fire Team Whiskey® is the vision of Former Army Captain Stephanie Lincoln. She was inspired by her work with the Florida Army National Guard Wellness Program and also her many years working with Military Medical. She observed the steady decline of the fitness and health of Military Service Members over the last 10 years. CPT Lincoln created and published a unique eating plan, a specialized line of nutritional shakes, bars, and other performance supplements and a fitness program that requires no equipment and minimal time. Fire Team Whiskey® encompasses all of those intangible things that a Military Member and First Responder is driven by: Duty, Comradery, and Mission.
Charlynda Scales is a Tennessee native who spent 11 years active duty in the U.S. Air Force. While still on active duty a few years ago, Scales founded a Dayton-based business called “ Mutt’s Sauce,” producing an all-purpose sauce based on a family recipe her late grandfather bequeathed to her.
They talked about how they started their businesses, their products, tips on making products at home, how they help other people, and many more. This episode is a must-listen, so don’t miss it!
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"I would encourage you to talk to somebody who is maybe two or three steps ahead of you. And in this business maybe start it out at home and kind of work out from there so you can kinda not make all the mistakes that I did." - Stephanie Lincoln
Links:
Social:
Stephanie Lincoln -
Fire Team Whiskey
Fire Team Whiskey on Facebook
Fire Team Whiskey on Twitter
Fire Team Whiskey on Instagram
Fire Team Whiskey on Youtube
Fire Team Whiskey on Amazon
Charlynda Scales -
Mutt's Sauce Website
Mutt's Sauce on Facebook
Mutt's Sauce on Instagram
Mutt's Sauce on Twitter
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviewed two of her friends, Dianna Flett of Girl Smarts and Carl Churchill of Alpha Coffee.
Dianna Flett is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and has served 21 years in various positions as a military intelligence officer. Girl Smarts is a series of workshops designed to give our young girls motivation and skills to move forward with confidence and strength in the years ahead.
Carl Churchill is the Co-Founder and Chief Coffee Officer of Alpha Coffee. Carl is a combat veteran with 21 years of service as both an enlisted soldier and officer. Alpha Coffee is a veteran and military-spouse co-owned and operated company dedicated to offering our customers amazing coffee, promoting the warrior lifestyle, providing the highest levels of service, and giving back to our military and veterans.
They're going to talk about their backgrounds, Carl giving bag of coffees to deployed service members, managing employees, and more. Tune in and enjoy!
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"Sometimes I think people who have their own business has stopped working on their own leadership, and we can't do that, we have to stay keen on our own leadership skills." - Dianna Flett
Links:
Social:
Carl's Alpha Coffee
Carl's Email Adress: carlc@alpha.coffe.com
Dianna's Girl Smarts
Dianna's Email Address: info@girlsmarts.com
Dianna's Facebook Page
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Erin interviews Doug Nordman, author of The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement and The Military Financial Independence and Retirement Pocket Guide.
He spent 20 years as part of the Navy's submarine force. And now he's an enthusiastic surfer, a martial art student, and a veteran of many chaotic home improvement projects.
Among other things, they’ll be discussing how to maximise Facebook groups. He’ll also share how he got into Facebook groups and how it grew. They'll also tackle building audiences, answering other people's questions on posts, getting into other groups, handling controversial comments or posts accordingly, and many more.
If you are one of those people who spends a lot of time on Facebook, you’ll surely enjoy this episode!
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"Whenever I'm answering a question, I try to provide a link to the reference and I get pretty good at this after 8 years of writing and blogging and so I know where too look, and that make sure that the subject that's been discussed has the right answers has the right information and the people can act on it later on." - Doug Nordman
Links:
Personal Finance for Military Service Members and Families (Facebook group)
MilitaryTimes
Snopes
Military FIRE (Facebook)
Dave Ramsey Military
Social:
The Military Guide
The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement by Doug Nordman
Military Financial Independence and Retirement Pocket Guide by Doug Nordman
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey is joined by two of her friends, Judy Davis and Lauren Cecora, to talk about becoming an author.
Judy Davis is a military spouse and a successful entrepreneur. The motivational speaker is known nationwide as the Direction Diva. The published author and co-founder of DASIUM is also considered an authority on military life and small business success and is leading the way in depression, addiction, and suicide prevention in teens/young adults.
Lauren Cecora is a military spouse and the author of the book Past-Partum: From Shattered to Sane. Lauren is a postpartum mentor. In 2015, after the birth of her daughter, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression and later postpartum anxiety. In her book, Lauren shared her postpartum depression and anxiety story as well as her sanity saving tips to help any mother regain their sanity.
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"There's no better joy than holding your published copy when it's all done. I don't think there's a better feeling other than the first time you hold your baby. It's one of those things but writing the book is only a fraction of what it means to even have a publisher or self-publish. It's just the beginning." - Judy Davis
Links:
Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford
CreateSpace
Social:
Judy Davis:
The Direction Diva
DASIUM
Right Side Up by Judy Davis
Warning Signs by Judy Davis
Lauren Cecora:
Lauren's Website
Lauren Cecora - The Sanity Saver Facebook Page
Lauren on Instagram
Past-Partum: From Shattered to Sane by Lauren Cecora
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviewed two of her online friends—Kristen Smith and Moni Jefferson. They talked about the concept of collaboration and how it works.
Kristen is the founder of Blog Your Genius, an online education community for women who are looking to create out of the box professional opportunities. She's also a longtime blogger and digital marketer.
Moni is an entrepreneur, PR professional, and accidental app creator. She runs a public relations and social media agency and is also the brains behind MilSpouse Creative, a virtual global networking community for military spouse entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate, and create relationships. Plenty of gold nuggets in this episode so don’t forget to tune in!
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"As you grow and you go through different stages with your business, you are going to need relationships, you're gonna need other people to talk to and support you to point you in the right direction." - Kristen Smith
Social:
Kristen's Website
Moni's Website
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey invited Anna Blanch Rabe and Rebecca Alwine to discuss a complicated topic—business compliance.
Anna Blanch Rabe is the founder and CEO of Anna Blanch Rabe & Associates LLC, a communications consultancy specialising in shaping and executing the communications strategies for law firms, social enterprises, and socially responsible businesses who see the growth of their local community as intertwined with their profits. She’s a proud USAF spouse, who has served as a key spouse and is currently a key spouse mentor.
Rebecca Alwine is a freelance writer, army wife, and mother of three. Her writing experience include military family topics, research pieces, guest blogging, and much more. Rebecca’s work can be found in over 28 publications including PCSGrades, Military OneClick, and ScaryMommy. She was also a contributing writer for ARMY Magazine and has also been published in Ms. Magazine and The Atlantic’s City Lab.
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
“We need to talk about it with people who are making a difference and we need to outsource to military spouses to do these things for us.” - Rebecca Alwine
Social:
Anna Blanch Rabe's Website
Anna on LinkedIn
Anna on Twitter
Anna on Instagram
Anna on Facebook
Rebecca Alwine's Website
Rebecca's Full Portfolio
Rebecca on Facebook
Rebecca on Pinterest
Rebecca on Twitter
Rebecca on Instagram
Rebecca's Email Address: whatrebeccathinks@gmail.com
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviews Jen Griswold and Mike Dugan. They were hand selected because they both bring incredible insights to a very interesting topic that we all have to talk about as we run our businesses and that is—SALES.
Jen Griswold is a veteran, an entrepreneur, and an author. An Air Force veteran by trade, Jen is the proud author of the new book Mission: Entrepreneur. This book is for busy people who are on the hunt for a flexible career. Mission: Entrepreneur is a compilation of stories from entrepreneurs who’ve used lessons learned from military life—work ethic, vision, passion, and resilience—to start and grow profitable businesses.
Mike Dugan is a former Navy fighter pilot and now a licensed advisor for Sales Xceleration, an organization dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses break their all-time sales records. Mike brings with him over 25 years of experience as a successful sales executive ranging from large Fortune 500 companies to smaller entrepreneurial businesses.
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"The military is a great training ground for any business. And it is especially made for sales because at a young age both officers and enlisted men and women are given a high degree of responsibility . . . and that what sales is." -Mike Dugan
Social:
Mission Entrepreneur, by Jen Griswold Facebook Page
Mission Entrepreneur, by Jen Griswold on Instagram
Mission Entrepreneur on Twitter
Jen on LinkedIn
Mission Entrepreneur
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviews Molly Winkle and Janine Boldrin about knowing when to fold. In military-related business, we see some switching from one focus to another.
They shared their experiences as military spouses and how they came up with different and difficult decisions.
Molly Winkle is a veteran whose husband and son are on active duty and are currently deployed. She is a realtor specializing in military and long-distance relocation.
Janine Boldrin started Military Kids Life after working as a freelance writer in the military space for over a decade. She is currently the managing editor of Military Spouse Magazine. Her husband is in active duty in the army.
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
“. . . you’d think that you just have to work harder. And it's hard to figure out what that balance is or that tipping point of ‘Is my hard work going to catapult this or is my hard work in vain?’ and identifying that moment where you can figure out is it really just 'I need to go a few more weeks or a few more months, or even a year, or even I put it in a year . . . it’s really not going to be where it needs to be . . . ” - Janine Boldrin
Social:
Molly Winkle on Facebook
Molly's Email Address: molly@mollywinkle.com
Military Influencer Conference - MIC 2018
Military Spouse
Janine's Email Address: janine.boldrin@militaryspouse.com
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Erin Ward interviews Laura Renner, Founder of Freedom Makers and Diana Jaquith, Co-Founder of WISE Advise + Assist Team.
Freedom Makers’ mission is to support military spouses and their families by creating a path to stable, uninterrupted employment and income. Their virtual assistants are military spouses who, due to their association with the military, understand how to be flexible and deliver top-notch service.
The Wise Advise + Assist Team helps businesses to strive, strategize and accelerate growth, while both empowering and employing military spouses.
They will be discussing how to run a remote business and how to manage both the clients and the business. Today’s episode is a must listen. Tune in and enjoy!
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"In the virtual environment, what we do is we put out our why. Why do we exist? We exist because we believe that everyone should be able to have a career life and family... For our clients, we want them to be able to grow their business and spend more time with their families, and have a life..." - Diana Jaquith
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviews Michele Bradfield and Curtez Riggs. Both had successful conferences namely Military Spouse Wellness Summit (Michele) and Military Influencer Conference (Curtez).
The Military Spouse Wellness Summit is a nonprofit fundraiser for InDependent. A portion of every VIP ticket will go to help fund the development of health and wellness programs for military spouses.
The Military Influencer Conference is an exciting, dynamic event that brings together hundreds of military spouses, military and veteran community leaders, entrepreneurs, influencers and business owners who are united by a mutual passion for the military.
In this episode, they talked about how both conferences went, the difficulties, and the lessons they learned. They also shared beneficial tips when planning an event.
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
"My number 1 tip for any event organizers is to get together an ambassador group influencers. Even if it's five to ten people, it doesn't have to be very many, that they need to have a strong influence in whatever community you are trying to reach..." - Michelle Bradfield
Social:
InDependent
Military Spouse Wellness Summit
Military Influencer Conference
In this episode of Drop and Give Me 20, Lindsey interviews Britni Miltner of OakTree Network and Channel Milbourne of Milspo Biz Connect. With the new talk-show format, they discuss about building your network, their experiences on networking, and some tips on how to grow your network.
Britni Miltner is the owner of OakTree Network. It was created to encourage military spouse entrepreneurship and to connect local spouses with service Talents to share with other nearby military spouses.
Channel Milbourne is the founder of Milspo Biz Connect. It connects local consumers with military spouse owned businesses to strengthen and grow communities. Don’t miss this episode!
Important topics they discuss:
Quote:
“Really mix and mingle because you'll be surprise of what people know and how they can help you grow." - Channel Milbourne
"Everybody has something to offer, to teach you. You can learn something from just about everybody." - Britni Miltner
Social:
OakTree Network Website
OakTree Network's Facebook Page
OakTree Network on Instagram
OakTree Network for Military Spouses on Google Play
Milspo Biz Connection Website
Milspo Biz Connect on Instagram
Milspo Biz Connect Facebook Page
Channel Milbourne on Twitter
MilSpouse Creative Community
The Inspired Women Mini Group
Internet Marketing Association Website