Military Spouse: College and Jobs 2

I was gonna bite. Me in the butt but they called. Me and they said we'd really still love to have. You were up for it and I was like goes hallelujah hallelujah praise Jesus. Because I was just so so excited. That I was honest and they still were like yes we'd love to have. You and we'd love to you know get inside on my current experience just being fresh out of college and being so young and so it's just exciting and so. I want to encourage y'all. Because it doesn't matter. How long you are. You know there at the plates.

That you're at you know. It could be six months. It could be eight months and sure there may be. Some cases where you're like yeah I'm gonna be here forever. You know and then suddenly. You leave but don't let the timing you know I'm not saying but be honest with them every time. I might not be honest with them every time but I'm saying to take a leap of faith and apply for a job. If you're only going to be there four six or eight months. You know like it's Bobette six months is better. Than two-and-a-half months like two and a half months is not. That long and they still took. You know you just say. I would just really love the experience. I you know whatever and just tell them you know. Either just tell them. Either you're going to be there forever or tell them what I told them and see. What happens. Because I really think. If you're going to go to college first of all which I think. You should if you're going to go to college and you're going to get.

It a degree and something you love and you're going to also marry into the military life. You should strive to find a job. That you want for the rest of your life. You know and you're not going to find that one. While you're in the military but you're gonna slowly grow as a person through. All those different jobs and you're going to learn from so. Many different companies get. That experience. That you've been wanting and end up having a fabulous job. Because you've got. All this experience so. I just hope. That you women out there girl-power find a job make women proud in the workforce and don't be. Another wife. That just sits at home and does. Nothing or shops. All day gets her nails done. You know just be a woman in the workforce do. Something that changes the world so that's my spiel go to college get a job just don't act like your military wife like. I think I've given up on acting like a military wife there's some things. Where I'm like. I have to be able to / wife well a military wife like learning how to pack my clothes.

You got to learn. How to pack my clothes um finding housing that's really hard which I'll do. Another video on that but sometimes I'm like I'm gonna break the rules I'm gonna get a job I'm gonna not be lonely I'm gonna be independent and kick the world's butt or something I don't know. I don't even really know. All the acronyms. Yet so I'm just like want the flow so. I just encourage. All to be strong women don't depend on a man but also love your man. Because he's your man. If you're especially. If you're married to him encourage him daily. Because men need encouragement and yeah so anyway that's my video sorry probably crazy crazy hair um. I just like showered yesterday and so. Now it's kind of crazy but um sorry I've been gone so long. I will try to put on videos every week. I usually have. One day off of the week so I'll try to do a video on that day um. I put up a blog which I have a couple of blogs in there. Now I'm probably going to start writing more and I'll put the link in the bottom and I think the link is on the side and my little square picture thingy um so yeah. I hope you'll enjoyed my video and be sure to subscribe to my channel and I logo.

Military Spouse: College and Jobs 1

Lalalalala hey. Everyone welcome to my channel Wow those kind of a loud clap anyways welcome to my channel for those that are new welcome. You can see behind. Me there are streamers and a balloon. Because there's my 22nd birthday the other day and so I'm so excited for that for those of you. That have subscribed to my channel. You probably know that I haven't been uploading videos in a while and that's because. I got a job oh gosh yeah anyways so I'm pretty excited about. That's because I'm fairly new out of college and to get a job in the field. I weist some time to found a job, and I found a web site http://financejobsnearme.com/, where I found  meaningfull information for my cv. That I majored in is pretty awesome so I'm really excited about it and anyways. I want to kind of share with y'all. 

Because I just got a job about college life getting a job and doing all. While still being a military wife so yeah here. We go so over the past two three weeks I've been getting a lot of emails from. You guys which is so so great. I love giving advice to you whoever needs. It and I hope. You like my advice um. You hate it I'm so sorry but I'm doing the best. That I can so just email. Whenever you want and I will give. You some sort of advice um ow so a lot of the emails were about being in school and dating a guy in the military and I know how. That feels because that's exactly. What I did and it kind of like stirs. Me a little bit. Because I think back on my college life and like being his girlfriend and then being his wife my senior year and looking back on it it was kind of hard and I know. It was hard and I know it's hard for you and the first thing that I want to say. Because someone mentioned. How they're going to go to college. Because he gets out of the military do. They want to have a job in order to possibly support him and while that's great. You do not want to get a job just. Because you feel like. You have to support. Someone else. You should always get a job. Because you are a career or a major degree. Because you want. That degree. Because you're passionate about something because in the future. You want to have a dream job. You want to do. Something great not. 

Because he doesn't get a job. You have to support him you want to go to college for the full experience of it to learn about something new learn about something that makes. You so happy. That you can't wait to do. It in the future do. Something that you love and also in college have fun go out with your friends and that doesn't always mean like go party. You know you can just have fun um and you know do things in college. That you won't be able to do out here. Because that I moved. That I don't have. Any friends and I wish. I could go back to college and have. All those friends and have. All those memories and I miss them so. I just miss them so much and I only could have met them and had. That much fun with them in college and now we're separated and I want y'all to not be so stuck on I have to message him back. Because he's gone. I have to call him back which of course. You want to call him back and you have to message him back. You know you can but don't be stuck on a guy in college don't be so overwhelmed by him. That you forget. All of your friends. You forget your life. You forget the fun. That you could have in college so make college about you and them also but mostly about you second um jobs so like. I just said. I got a job and which I'm so excited about I'm so excited about because the thing that I'm. Most excited about is I told them. That well backtrack so a lot of women in the military lied think. They can't get a job. Because they're always going to be moving why get a job. 

If you're going to be there for six months or eight months or even shorter. That why get a job. You know and that was my dilemma. I kept thinking I'm only gonna be here for who knows. How long so why should. I get a job but it turned into loneliness. It turned into he's always gone I'm always here. You know and it turned in just. Something that I wasn't really liking so. I applied for a job and I applied for a job last month and I told him the situation. Me and my husband are. Most likely going to be leaving in November and we're gonna be moving and I know it's only going to be two and a half months. That I'm going to be here but I would really still love to volunteer for y'all to internship maybe just to do. Something because I'm fresh out of college and I want. That experience and I was really scared. Because I was like they're not gonna want. You know like I'm fresh out of college and you know I'm just giving them all I have and I'm being honest with them and I'm like.

Lessons Learned from a Military Spouse | Cameron Cruse 3

That idea as military spouses. That uncertainty is constant. What have you moved. What if your partner moves well. What if it doesn't work out after. She moves what if what if. It works what if you're successful. I can tell that one of the scariest parts about our adventure is that Lisa and I had never manufactured a thing a day in our lives. We had never started a business and grown. It and scaled. It but at the end of the day that's what Google is for number three is you have to stay positive and enjoy the process so.

We started our Riveter. I always thought okay someday we're going to be successful we're going to get there. One day there'll be enough money there'll be enough time and as I'm learning I see. That everything evolves constantly my role is changing the business is changing you have to find a way to find satisfaction every day find success in the process and then. You have to be prepared to possibly do. It all over again and I'll give. You an example for our Riveter the end game is not making bags okay the end game is not piles of surplus the end game is as continuing to challenge the status quo of military spouse unemployment and we're going to do.

That's because we're going to continue take intentional risks and frame. It all in positivity as. We charge toward just questioning the state of manufacturing as. It exists in America today and so. You remember. Anything from my talk and from our time together. You to remember. When you're in a time of transition. You are forced to redefine yourself or you choose to redefine yourself embrace. That process lean in and I promise. You we will find the best versions of ourselves thank you

Lessons Learned from a Military Spouse | Cameron Cruse 2

We thought we can do. Something for ourselves and at the same time make the lives of our community a little bit better that's a win-win and so later. That year in 2011. We co-founded a company called our Riveter and we make bags to support military spouses so. I guess that makes. Us the bag ladies and we started making these bags in our garage as not glamorous as. It sounds I can promise. You it wasn't and we made. These bags in and we knew. We wanted to provide flexible income for military spouses but it wasn't until. We had the question. I need to go home my husband's in the field or he's about to deploy. I need to be with my family can.

These parts with. Me or I'm pcsing or moving in six months what's going to help into my job then and in that moment. We realized. It wasn't just about flexible income. We need to also to provide mobile income and so. We were making two bags to make five bags and five to make ten and ten to make 20 and so on and before. We knew it we had launched. This national manufacturing network into the world so military spouses making parts and pieces. All across the country. Somebody making cutting and sewing liners small other pieces canvas pieces and they would ship them all back to us. We assembled them and we got him ready for retail so business was good but about six months later in 2012. It was Lisa's time and Georgia was coming to an end and her family had to move and so. We decided that she would take the financial side of the house and the business development on the road and I would stay back and manage and grow operations and so for another year and a half. We just steadily continued to grow and that number went got bigger and bigger people finally thought okay. These ladies aren't so crazy maybe.

They have something going on and one day my husband came home and said Karen guess. What it's time to go and so. We packed up to shop the house and the kids probably in that order and we headed to Fort Bragg North Carolina so in the two years. That we've been here we've been able to completely rebuild operations from the move. We caught the eye of a Shark Tank producer. We pitched and got a deal and we brought business to a level. That so many people told. Us wasn't probable not. That it wasn't possible just not probable. We have over 50 people on our team. We make hundreds of bags a week and we've. Provided some kind of employment and opportunity to over a hundred military spouses so. You to think. When you're in those moments of transition or you're feeling like uncertainty is weighing you down.

I challenge. You to remember. These three things. What is it about that uncertainty that's leaving you you feeling lost and then be honest with your can. More so for me. I walked away from the idea of getting a degree or getting a job in my degree and getting a job in architecture. It wasn't because. I was giving up. Because I began to understand. What I could really control so as a military spouse. I couldn't change. We were stationed. I couldn't move the city closer but I knew. I wanted something more I wanted meaningful employment and so at that time. I realized I had to be able and willing to do. Something about it so. That brings. Me to my next point which is be prepared to take a risk get comfortable with.

Lessons Learned from a Military Spouse | Cameron Cruse 1

So in the next ten minutes. I want to tell. You the story about how. I went from overqualified unemployed military spouse to co-founder and chief operating officer of a multi-million dollar company but first. You guys to take a second and think about all the ways. That you define yourself so maybe that's your profession or that your spouse a parent a stay-at-home mom or even a student maybe you're not sure and then. You to take a second after. That and think about how would make. You feel to have to redefine. That so have. You ever had to move your home from. One state to the next or go from married - divorced or what about when. You make the transition from student to graduate to professional have a job in lose. One we often choose to define ourselves by. What we do and so. What happens.

That path is changed or those plans are altered and maybe. Even sometimes without our permission so those periods of transition can leave. Us feeling confused and lost and often. We consider those some of the most challenging times in our lives but I'm here today to suggest. That in those shifts and those paradigm shifts in our lives. That there's an opportunity to truly define ourselves so. I can tell that nobody experiences a life of transition like a military spouse with career long periods of uncertainty the constant relocation and we live in an age. Where an overseas deployment is not just a possibility but it's on a scheduled rotation the active-duty military spouse population is incredibly unique but we make up only 02% of the population so. What that means is our stories go largely untold sometimes those struggles and those issues never get talked about and so.

What I want to do today is tell. You a little bit about my story and eleven. I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a master's in architecture. I was excited to say the least. I had a degree. That was hot off the press. I had a brand new wardrobe and I was ready to take on the world but I was also a brand-new military spouse and so the army had different plans my husband had just been relocated to a tiny mountain town in the North Georgia Mountains of about 5000 people so there's not a whole lot of architecture happening there. This was a transition. That I was resisting okay. This was a roadblock. This wasn't in my plans.

I didn't like. It right about that time. I was having this tantrum. You will I met my business partner Lisa and sure enough. She was going through the same identity crisis so in the weeks and the discussions. That followed. Us meeting we had. This two-part realization first. That as military spouses. We wanted something for ourselves. That we were going to have to make. It there is nobody coming to save. Us and second. That it wasn't just. Us there were tons of talented capable incredible individuals in our same shoes and so.