Saturday Share: Great Business and Networking Resources

A couple weeks ago, I had coffee with a military spouse who also happens to be a licensed Psychologist. Smart, driven, and completely lost on how to build a business in a brand new state. She asked if she could pick my brain about networking and building contacts when you're starting from scratch. 

I didn't know going into our coffee date, what I would tell her. I honestly wasn't sure if I was a great networker or just got lucky when I moved to Colorado. A few minutes in, I started spouting off the resources I used to find groups, certain personality skills I developed to help with the face-to-face interactions, and how I track my networking contacts. She looked at me, wide-eyed, and said: "so you're basically a networking genius." 

I smiled and responded that it was mostly luck and high-level organization that made my method a success. I also reminded her that it might not work for everyone in every field. But it had worked for me and, yes, I was pretty good at it.

So, today, I put together some resources to help build networking skills. Whether you're a budding photog trying to get your portfolio out there or a licensed psychologist trying to build a practice, there will be something here to help you with that endeavor. As always, email me if you have any questions!

In General

How to Make a Good First Impression - via Money Crashers

In-Person Networking, Like a Boss - via Successful Military Wife

The Power of Personal Networks - via Get Rich Slowly

How to Build a Personal Network (Genuinely) - via Lifehacker

The specifics

How to Professionally Promote your Friends - via Corporette

How to Network at a Conference - via Corporette

Tips for Staying in Touch with your Network - via The Levo League

MSAD: Reflections of a Spouse

(photo credit: BSF)

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day! 

I've talked about the purpose of the day and its meaning previously. I've talked about what it means to me to be a military spouse. I've shared those feelings with you on numerous occasions. And they are still true.

But today is different. Today is special. Today is the last time I will celebrate May 10 as a military spouse. Last month, we entered our last year as a military family. We started down the homestretch towards our ETS date and have begun planning for our lives as a civilian family.

Looking toward that transition is bitter-sweet. We are so proud to be a military family. My husband loves serving his country and I love supporting that mission. We have met an amazing community of people, of family, really, who are impossible to replace. We have lived many places and experienced many things. All because the Army gave us the opportunity. 

On the other hand, we have sacrificed a lot. We spent many years apart while I pursued my own path. We endured deployments, field trainings, and other separations. We encountered loss and said "see you later" to too many people. We had to adjust our goals, and plans, and timeline innumerable times. 

While the sacrifice was undoubtedly worth it, it is time to shift the focus to us. To make Al's dreams, my career, starting a family, and regaining control over our life, a priority. It is time to be a little selfish and put "us" first for a change. 

But even in walking away from the life in which we've grown so accustomed is sacrifice in itself. Al is allowing a younger soldier, with military career aspirations, to step up and take on a leadership role. He is allowing his position to be filled by someone who finds it better suited to their goals. 

It is also a financial sacrifice. A unsettling (so scary!) move into something less secure and less constant. My business is still in the beginning phases and Al wants to return to school. We want to start a family and keep working on projects around the house. All of these things cost money at a time where we are walking away from a steady paycheck. 

But reward takes risk. And security isn't everything. Happiness is.

Back to the reason for this post: I've only been in this life for 5 years (and a spouse for even less) and have encountered numerous women who have enriched my life, supported my dreams, and walked me through this crazy military world. You've let me cry, laugh, celebrate, and complain - and hopefully I've done the same for you! There are not enough words to describe how much this community of women means to me and how much I will miss it when I'm gone. 

One thing is for certain, you are what I will miss the most about this life. So, on my last MSADay as an "official" spouse ('cause I know I'll get the honor forever,) I have one last thing to say: 

Thank you. Your commitment is incomparable and your friendship, invaluable.

My Time at the Academy

A few weeks ago, I was asked to represent my company at a Hiring our Heroes event at the Air Force Academy. {Side note: the Academy campus is gorgeous.  The event was a mentoring event for military spouses searching for work and I was asked to attend as a mentor. My role was to answer any questions the job-seekers had and help them navigate the career fair scheduled for the following day.

The event was Wednesday and it was, without a doubt, one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. First, to be considered knowledgeable enough to be a mentor was a major compliment. Second, it's no secret that I have a huge passion for empowering military spouses to pursue education and careers. Finally, I got to meet tons of wonderful spouses, employers, and significant community members - meaning I made friends and business contacts!

If you have the opportunity to attend, even if you are not a job-seeker, do it! The program, while practically brand new, has done phenomenal things for military spouse careers and they continue to be a leader in the jobs movement for spouses around the nation. Even as a mentor, I learned so much from the event and found myself soaking up the information and mingling the event offered. Here are the upcoming spouse events and they are all located on or near major military installations around the country. 

Seriously, go.

I'm grateful to MSJDN for telling me about the event many months ago, to my company for making the connection with event coordinators, and to my branch manager for believing in me enough to allow me this wonderful experience. I hope to build on these experiences and create meaningful, long-lasting relationships in the military and my community.

Troopswap?

I was recently introduced to Troopswap when I attended the March spouse's club event.{Side note: I have only been once so I don't yet have an opinion on the group. I don't want to decide whether it's for me until I've spent a little more time with them.}

Have you heard of Troopswap? I'm sure you have - I'm behind on the times.

Well, after hearing that it was a Groupon-type site devoted to military personnel and their families and that 10% of their proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project, I thought I'd go check it out.

I created a username and password and was routed to a place to verify our military service. They asked for personal information on me and Al in order to verify that we are in fact military (which included part of our social and linking to our USAA account.) I haven't continued with the registration because I'm sure if I want to give that info.

For one, it's not really mine to give. It's Al's. And I can tell you that he won't want me linking our bank account to this site. Two, I am rarely comfortable putting that info on the internet as it is.

Granted, I understand why they require it. And I appreciate that they are keeping it as a military-only benefit, but I'm just not sure... They also have the ability to link your military records or to scan in a copy of a military ID. Again, though, much of the information is quite personal and not something I want on a somewhat public forum. The final option is to link using a .mil email address - which I am much more comfortable with - but I don't think Al will like that much either.

Before I go any farther, I would like to know:
Has anyone joined Troopswap?  Which verification method did you use? 
Did you find it worth the additional information?