Investing in Yourself

Every military spouse knows there will be sacrifices when they choose to marry a service member. They understand that their careers will be impacted, their children may face challenges, and they will lose their support system if they move away from family. However, conceptualizing that and lived experience are two different things.  So many spouses struggle to meet the needs of their family and the demands of military life.  

Leslie Coffey is no stranger to that struggle.  After meeting and marrying her active-duty Army spouse, Leslie continued to work towards her Bachelor’s degree. Because of frequent moves, she had to transfer schools seven times over the course of her degree. While pregnant with her third child, she finally walked the stage to accept her degree in Business Administration. 

Those years of study were also years of struggle. Money was tight, as it often is for military couples. While Leslie was in school, all of her children received WIC benefits, and they often visited the food bank to make ends meet.  When she started looking for work, she could not afford the cost of daycare, leading her to work for a local church where she could bring her children. 

Through a referral from a friend, Leslie got a position with Soldier for Life. Her transformational moment came when a soldier told her, “You took my family from eating ramen to eating steak.” This conversation solidified Leslie’s commitment to the transition space.  Knowing she wanted to continue working with servicemembers, she started her own career center.  One of her hardest things was moving and finding a replacement to run the career center to continue the mission.

When Leslie was looking to grow in her career and saw that American Corporate Partners (ACP) was opening mentorships for active-duty spouses, she jumped at the opportunity.  Working with her Mentor, she was able to build up her confidence and find a remote role that could move with her, resulting in a 67% increase in pay. 

Today, Leslie is the Vice President of Military Engagement at ACP, a role she has held for over three years. She advises fellow Military Spouses,  “Invest in yourself and be unapologetic in pursuing your professional ambitions. We are so used to pouring into our families that we are always on the back burner.” 

If you are ready to prioritize yourself, ACP is here to help you achieve your goals.  Whether you are rejoining the workforce after a break, looking to start a business, or pivoting into a new time of life, we meet you where you are to ensure you have support on your journey to meaningful employment. Apply here

 to work with a Mentor and receive no-cost, individualized support for an entire year!