[00:00:00] Christine: Have you ever stepped back from something that you cared about and then wondered whether you’d ever be able to return to it? Whether you were saying goodbye for just a season or for good, maybe you put your career dreams on hold because you couldn’t find anything, or you made the choice to say, This is what’s best for our family in this.

[00:00:24] but that question lingers in the back of your mind. Will I be able to return to that thing? Will I be able to rejoin the workforce or build my career? Will I be able to do the thing that I’m passionate about again in a future season? Or is this goodbye for good? That was Charlene Wild’s question after the birth of her first child.

[00:00:51] Charlene chose to leave active duty. She spent the next several years as a stay-at-home mom and a military spouse trying to find purpose in her current season. She wondered if and when she would ever return to full-time employment and if she would land a job that just brought in a paycheck or whether she would be able to build a new career.

[00:01:17] Today, Charlene is senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary of the American Armed Forces. Mutual Aid Association and in this episode we talk about her decision to leave active duty life, her time as a stay at home mom and military spouse, and her journey to finding a new career in a new season of life.

[00:01:42] So if you have taken a step back from chasing any kind of dream, Whether because of circumstances or by choice, and you’ve wondered what the next season of life could look like for you, if you have questioned what’s even possible for you in the future, this is an episode you’ll love. So what do you say? Let’s dive into the show.

[00:02:59] I’m so excited that you’re back for another episode of the MilSpouse Mastermind Show, and I’m not excited to share Charlene’s story with you because I know it’s gonna resonate with so many of you. So easy to put the thing we love on the back burner for a season and then to question, Hey, is this something I’m ever going to be able to return to or have I just imploded all of my dreams?

[00:03:25] And what’s so often happens is we put the thing that we love, that we care about, that lights us up on the back burner, and we take care of everyone around us and we began to lose. Of self in the process, we lose our excitement, our passion, and we lose our confidence and we question what we’re even capable of, what our skills are, what we are passionate about anymore, and we wonder what’s even possible for us.

[00:03:57] And that’s really why I created this identity workshop for military spouses. I don’t want you to lose yourself along the way. I want you to be able to stay in touch, or if you’ve already lost yourself, to be able to get back in touch with who you are at your core. What is it that lights you up? What things do you care about and how can you.

[00:04:21] With purpose in your current season of life. So that free training is available on the website. Just go to milspouse mastermind.com/workshop and you can download and watch the identity workshop, get practical strategies to really begin to get in touch with yourself. And I think that as you listen to Charlene’s story, you will hear why this matters.

[00:04:48] Why. Workshop is so important for your life, for military spouses to watch so that we don’t stay stuck so that we don’t get lost and not know how to move forward, to not be trapped and feel frozen in this place of what do I do? What do I even have to offer? Who am I anymore? All right, let’s go ahead and dive into my conversation with Charlene Wild.

[00:05:18] Welcome back to the show Today. I have Charlene Wild with us. Charlene, thank you for joining us on the MilSpouse Mastermind Show.

[00:05:26] Charlene: Thank you so much for

[00:05:27] Christine: having me today. Would you tell us a little bit about yourself and your story?

[00:05:32] Charlene: Sure. I’d be glad to. And I, I love every opportunity that I can talk about.

[00:05:37] A little bit about my background cuz it is a little unique. So I do have to start though, from a, when I was younger, I grew up with two Marine Corps parents, which in and of itself is something really special. So, but coming from that, that they never encouraged me to ever join the military at all.

[00:05:55] Because they thought, they just thought that I was a woman and that you just don’t do that. Which is kind of weird cuz my mom was in the Marine Corps. But anyway, it was a very different perspective and time and so but I did, when I went into university that I was exploring all different ways of how to.

[00:06:12] How to really join the workforce. And somehow Army ROTC was like there. And I was like, Well, this is kind of interesting and this is kind of cool. And so I did that and joined the Army and had a great career and I, I had a, a really good time. Met my spouse there and then we served together. And then from there, kind of a, this is kind of a little piece of my background, is that then he continued to deploy cuz that’s what you did for many, many years.

[00:06:42] And he deployed all over the world. But we also had two children in the mix. And so I made this amazing decision to stay home and to be with them for about 11 years. And I was, that was terrifying in him in itself. But I was so glad I did. And then come fast forward up the 2015, I rejoined the workforce and that was another absolutely terrifying experience because you lose so much of yourself in these 10 years where you don’t know.

[00:07:10] I’m sure you understand what that I’m talking about in there, that you just lose yourself and. But then I was really thankful that I was able to rejoin the workforce and now this is kind of reinventing my whole self, and which brings me here today working at ama which I’ve been here for now for seven years.

[00:07:29] Christine: That’s awesome and I’m really excited to dig into your story because I really think that so many people are in this place of either you are wondering what happens if I take that step back, or maybe it’s like we can’t find the childcare, so it feels like it’s not even our decision to make to. But then there’s that fear of, does that mean my career is over?

[00:07:54] Does that mean what’s what’s possible for me in the future? So having you on the other side of this, I think is really, really gonna be great today. Now, you talked about your, both your parents being in, was your mom one of the, the first,

[00:08:09] Charlene: She was one of the few, yes. And so she actually, she tells her story of when she was in the Marine Corps that, and her, you know, bootcamp.

[00:08:18] I say quote unquote bootcamp because that’s totally different from. Modern day bootcamp where men and women are treated the same because there they were not, they had mandatory lipstick and all these things that’s so different from modern day. But yeah, she was one of the few and few of around.

[00:08:36] Christine: So let’s go talk for a minute just about your decision to leave active duty.

[00:08:42] Was that a difficult decision to make? What were some of the things that really were contributing to you making that decision to step

[00:08:51] Charlene: away? So I think it was a really difficult decision for me a myriad of ways. But one of the biggest factors was that after I had had my son, and you know, as a new mom, you’re just kind of, you know, everything is kind of thrown at you and that’s hard all in and of itself.

[00:09:08] But then my husband deployed six weeks after our son was born. And so here I am now a first time. Oh wait, now you’re a single mom and, oh wait, you’re supposed to go back and do your exact same job the exact way you did it before. And you know, and, and unfortunately, I did have a a person I was working for at the time that was just not flexible at all and just was like, I don’t care.

[00:09:33] You’re a new mom, it does not matter. And you need to do all these things that you did before and with no flexibility. And that was extremely hard for me. And at the time, you know, we were a station in Aberdeen, proven grounds in Maryland, and my whole family, my support system was in Kansas and Oregon. So therefore I had to rely on my military family and friends, and I didn’t have any family that I could really just plug into and not have someone there with me.

[00:10:02] And so that was a really big contributing factor. And then deployments, as I said, that time was as rampant, and I knew that from that point I would be deployed soon too. And so I, that for me was very easy. In that point. I’m like, well, I didn’t wanna sign this family care plan, and I knew knowing that it’s probably gonna be happening pretty soon, and I, that for me, that just kind of clenched it where I was like, you know, I, I think at this point I need to step aside and and just, you know, take a different chapter of my life.

[00:10:36] Christine: I mean, I totally understand where you’re coming from because, not six weeks, but my husband deployed when my oldest was three months old, so I had just gone back to work like the week before, and then like he deploys and I’m like, Okay, I’m like working and trying to take care of baby and like my whole life and my world has been turned upside down and how do I manage all the things and somebody that needs me 24 7?

[00:11:02] It was, it was a very, It was a time where I was like, I don’t know which way is up right now. .

[00:11:09] Charlene: Yeah, yeah, exactly. All of that, all at one time. And so that’s whenever I decided to step back and try something different and I had no idea what it would be for 11 years. I just knew at that point I couldn’t handle anymore.

[00:11:23] You know, I just had to tap out for a little bit and But yeah, it, it ended up being that we ended up going overseas for six years afterwards. I was like how awesome is that? You know? And being able to provide your kids with that opportunity, which probably wouldn’t, I would’ve had to leave whatever career I was in before anyway, if we were going overseas.

[00:11:42] And so it, it really worked out like all things do.

[00:11:45] Christine: So did you consider. Going into civilian workforce at the time or were you just like, Okay, I’m just gonna take this time while my kids are little and just focus on staying with them?

[00:11:58] Charlene: I had tried to enter into the workforce a couple different times cuz I knew that I, I just.

[00:12:04] Was bored and several times at that stage I would get bored really easily and I knew I had to do something. So I volunteered a lot. And all the different FRGs and every single family writing this group, I was a heavy volunteer. When we’re overseas, whatever spouse groups they were in, I volunteered and I had looked into going back to the workforce several different times, but at the.

[00:12:25] At those times that their remote work, especially remote overseas work, was not as prevalent as it is now. And literally, I remember going into the spouse employment office and talking to someone saying, You know, I need some help here. You know, can you lead me in the right direction? And I remember I walked out of there with my hands is so low cuz they were like, Well, you can go work at the commissary as a checker, or you can go work the PX when the makeup counter.

[00:12:55] Oh, . Like, what if I don’t want or be a substitute teacher? And I was like, All right, well, thank you very much. I’ll figure this out. And so I went and sold Pampered Chef . I

[00:13:07] Christine: mean, it’s hard. It’s amazing. Just in the last couple of years, how much more opportunities are available? How much more remote work has become normalized?

[00:13:18] Because I remember. Be my first time that I moved with my spouse and I’m like, I, I can’t pursue my career. And people were like, Well, you just need to go back to school to be a nurse or a teacher. And I was like, Well, if that’s what I wanted to do, that’s what I would’ve done initially.

[00:13:35] Charlene: Yes. Yes. I think that so many times, like I.

[00:13:41] Someone telling me to be a substitute teacher, I’m like, I have no desire to do that. And I would’ve, yeah, I would’ve pursued that if I really wanted to. And that was really, that was so frustrating to be wanting to join back into the workforce. But yet really, There’s no really opportunity for

[00:13:57] Christine: you. So what did you find that, I mean, I know you said you did a lot of volunteering, but what were you doing that was really giving you that sense of purpose and fulfillment in that season and, and what did you learn about yourself in that time period?

[00:14:13] Charlene: The biggest thing I think I did was. Like in our neighborhood groups of where, you know, I’m a very active just walker. I like to explore. I like to speed, walk and do those kind of things. And so I looked and really sought after always kind of organizing those groups, you know, finding other spouses that had like, like-mindedness.

[00:14:31] They were all there, you know, were, most of us were overseas at that time and didn’t have any family around. And so just kind of joining groups together, that was really gratifying to me. Kind of finding those like-minded people. And then as far as the like spouse groups, I, it wasn’t enough for me just to volunteer.

[00:14:48] I had to be like a leader in the organization. I had to like, you know, and that was fulfilling for me. And then what I learned about myself is that, that is part of my personality trait that I didn’t really realize I had before. That, you know, that’s where I kind of thrive whenever I’m able to join people together for, for something that’s like-minded.

[00:15:09] Christine: I love that. So let’s talk about what you were feeling. How did you know when you were ready to move back into the workforce? What were some of your biggest fears? What were you considering? What? What led you to be like, This is the right time for me to try to step back into this?

[00:15:28] Charlene: Yeah, it was I actually, I kind of remember the day and where we had just moved from overseas to here in DC where we’re at now.

[00:15:36] And we had, you know, just gone through this huge PCs and got everything unpacked and for the first time in living stateside that both my kids were in school. And so I had never experienced that before as a mom of being by myself in the. Not being overseas and having all these opportunities available to me.

[00:15:57] And I remember they went back to school, I think it had been one month since school started and I had tried to go back to what was I had done the whole time was volunteer. And so I went to the school and you know, tried to volunteer and kind of immerse myself into this. And also trying to sell Pampered Chef you know, and just trying to make all these things work.

[00:16:19] and I realized that the, that community and and non-military spouse community is completely different than where I was in, where I am in DC where it’s not all military, it’s almost all civilian. Everyone works and everyone, or they have, you know, their own little cliques cuz they’ve never, they’ve never left the area.

[00:16:40] This is their home. They’ve never. Left. And so being a transplant person in the new person, I, I knew, I think within a month that I had to change that. And I probably needed to pursue and go back to workforce because I was gonna go out in my mind. And that wasn’t good for me or my family.. And so but then trying to decide what to do with yourself.

[00:17:02] My background was environmental science and microbiology, but if you’re not practicing in that field, then how do. Insert yourself back into it. So I looked at different like training programs or different, and plus we needed a paycheck to come in. We really did need that second paycheck in DC area.

[00:17:22] So really unpaid work in order to get that experience wasn’t really an option for me at the time. And that was the first thing I had looked at. And so then I quickly realized I just needed to start something new and fresh and. About the same time, one of our best friends, her husband had tragically died in act to duty.

[00:17:42] And I had helped her through that process. So in helping her, I realized I had a passion also for helping my military community and spouses that I realized through that process that that’s what I needed to do. I needed to do. Grow somewhere where I could fill that desire and that need I had as a veteran, as a military spouse.

[00:18:03] And so through that I went through so many, through bevo, through all these different bases, options in the area, trying to find where, what skill set that I have cuz. After a while, you forget , what skills you have, You really do. I did, I had lost myself. And so I started going to training classes at the military spouse employment office and having someone help me write my resume and trying to really figure out what my skills looked like.

[00:18:33] And so from that process, I, that’s how I found ama and their mission fit, right. What I was looking for.

[00:18:40] Christine: So talk about that season. What were, what were you feeling? Were you feeling discouraged or were you excited by the prospect of starting to say, What’s possible for me? What was that

[00:18:50] Charlene: like? I was super excited, but yeah, also terrified.

[00:18:55] I was absolutely terrified that I was gonna fail and terrified that I didn’t have any skills that were relevant to today’s society. Because I hadn’t joined the workforce in so long and I had never joined the workforce as a mom. And so I was terrified that I was going to be failing my family and that I would be the worst mother and spouse ever.

[00:19:20] And these are my fears and we’re very real. And like I had never had to juggle. Going to work and, you know, taking my kids to football practice and, you know, doing these things. But, you know, it all worked out. But those were my feelings. But yeah, also so excited about wow, you know, this is gonna be like my season of my life, you know?

[00:19:42] And so yeah, it was a combination of both of those.

[00:19:45] Christine: I mean, I know that so many military spouses end up losing themselves in this journey and, and that’s why this podcast came to me because I was like, Yeah, it’s so easy to lose sight of, you know, who we are at our core when we’re not having a way to really tap into those things that make us unique and find a way to use our skills in the season that we’re in.

[00:20:13] I would love for you just to talk about what was it like stepping back into the workforce and, and really facing those fears and, and really moving into this new season. What did you learn?

[00:20:25] Charlene: Well, I really did learn I went back to, there was a piece of advice when I was a brand new lieutenant and that in the army that my, one of my first pla two sergeants told me, and he told me that a little bit of knowledge and a whole lot of confidence.

[00:20:40] Go a long way. And I hadn’t thought about it in years until I joined the workforce again. And I, I came in in a leadership position with a department that didn’t really want me there. And so that was, that was a little interesting. But yet, you know, my whole career, I’ve always been kind of the only woman around in the workforce.

[00:21:01] Wherever I’m at, you know, in the army, the. Anyway. And so that was kind of normal for me. And so that was that kind of reentry and kind of getting my feet back under me again and really tapping into, I guess, the skills that I hadn’t tapped into in a very long time. And but a lot of confidence helped me go through that.

[00:21:23] And just remembering that who I. Even though I had to go buy a whole new wardrobe and, you know, and it was okay and , which then it was really fun and so then I was like, this is awesome. You know, I get to go shopping all the time. But yeah, it was that, that kinda a whole season of, I think it took me about six months.

[00:21:45] Of joining the workforce again before, I think I felt confident in myself and, and confident in my that I could do this in that maybe this is a career and maybe not just a job, because that’s kind of a big definition, you know, a big change in those two words. Whenever you think of a, Oh, this is just a job, you’re thinking this is temporary, you’re think.

[00:22:09] Okay, well I’ll do this for now, but I don’t know if I’m gonna stay. And that’s where I was for about a good six months. Just kind of making it just every day, nagging it out and not thinking about it, but it was just a day to day. That’s it. Transaction. And I think about six months in is when it really turned into a career where I was like, You know, and it just kind of flipped internally where I was like, I, you know, I can do this, and you, you are a pre na talented person and you know, like you have a great personality.

[00:22:40] You know, that sounds weird, but yeah, like I had to kind of pop myself up and you know, kind of grow into that new role in myself.

[00:22:49] Christine: What did you do to really grow your confidence and, and what would you recommend to others who are in this place where like they just feel really unsure of themselves?

[00:23:00] What do you do to really grow that confidence?

[00:23:02] Charlene: I think that, so what I did is I I joined a couple of different Facebook groups and there was a military spouse career page and cuz I was just seeking. Yeah. As a military spouse, we always seek our community and we seek our, you know, our village of people cuz you need them.

[00:23:21] And so it was since I wasn’t near a military base, I felt away from that, but then I just kind of drew back to that community. And that reading that joining that group really helped me to see that there were so many other women, our men and women that were going through the exact same thing. And that was really helpful.

[00:23:41] I also found a mentor And that was an advice that I had found through that page. And so there was someone in my workplace that I trusted and you know, I sort of just started talking to them and, and that was really helpful just to know that there was someone there that had my back and I could talk to.

[00:23:59] And then they left the organization, but they’re still my mentor and it was great. And then from that experience, now I’ve. How to seek out a mentor and, you know, and how to ask for help in a meaningful way. And instead of just being like, Oh, I need help,

[00:24:15] Christine: you know, , I think those are two really important things to understand that you are not alone and that you are not the only one that feels that sense of, do I have what it takes?

[00:24:27] Can I do this? You know, when you haven’t utilized those. Skill sets in a very long time. You know that that just takes time to like rebuild the that thinking pattern in your brain and then really stepping out and finding someone to say, Hey, you’re farther down this road than I am. Can you tell me like how to navigate this, what to do, and finding that mentorship.

[00:24:52] So those are very valuable pieces of information. I’m curious. because you’re in DC at this time, you’re, you’re getting this job and initially it just feels like a job. Did your transition to saying, I can build a career out of this, was it also influenced by the fact that you might be able to stay there longer than sometimes when you feel like, Oh, we’re probably gonna move in another two years.

[00:25:20] There’s that sense of like, I don’t wanna get tied. .

[00:25:23] Charlene: Yeah, no, it was definitely tied directly into that. I think that whenever, so my husband started grad school, he had an opportunity to start grad school after we moved here. And with that came with a requirement for him to stay another couple years, you know?

[00:25:39] And so for the first time that I was like, Whoa, we’re gonna be somewhere more than two years, this is awesome. You know, like I, I feel like I could really kind of settle in. . And then I think right after that was whenever my kids they just fell in love with the area and when the first time they came to us and they asked if we could.

[00:25:59] And they had never done that, any other duty station where, and they were coming in to Good start high school and middle school. So we had already been thinking about maybe, you know since in DC you can change jobs everywhere and you can stay for many years. So initially we thought there was no way we’re gonna do that.

[00:26:17] But then it was weird, it was like six to eight months after we’d been here that both. Kind of silently said to ourselves, Yeah, I think we might stay here for a while. And that’s was part of the whole mental think transition for me. And then just also starting in this new career field I was in that I knew.

[00:26:35] That I needed to start some education. If I’m gonna stay in that field, I need to get relevant with everyone else. And so I started taking educational classes that were offered through my employer and so that really helped bolster my confidence as

[00:26:49] Christine: well. So now your has been retired this year.

[00:26:53] Year. What, what has that transition been like? How long did he serve and is it weird? Being on the other side of military life.

[00:27:04] Charlene: Yes and yes. And so he served for a 30 year over a little over 30 years. And so that we were married for about 20 of that. And so so that was a huge change. And where I wasn’t really.

[00:27:17] Expecting it for someone for the first time, like I was addressed to as like the, the old lady, whatever, or I felt old. I was like, I’m not old. Like, what are you talking about? You know? But then I realized like, Oh my God, I’m like a senior or military spouse. Like, what? You know, you don’t ever feel that way.

[00:27:33] But that was like kind of the first time I heard this kind of correlation with myself and. But it wa it’s, it’s been different. And but yeah, in some ways it’s the same because we didn’t move. And so that part, you know, like he would, throughout Covid he had been working from home so much like everyone else.

[00:27:53] And so whenever he transitioned out, he was, Had all this terminal leave and so it really, like nothing ever changed cuz he was home. So that’s been, that’s been kind of different. But now he works, put us on a different suit every day. And so that’s been interesting to see him actually go and buy clothes, which he never really bought clothes for years.

[00:28:13] And so that’s probably like been the biggest weird transitions is watching him shop for clothes.

[00:28:19] Christine: So what were those conversations like when you first moved to DC. I’m guessing that you didn’t know that that was gonna be the place that you stayed. So, so how did that transition happen and when did you start having those conversations?

[00:28:34] Charlene: I think that, let’s see about five years ago was whenever the conversation first started. We have one of our, our youngest son has some special needs and it came very apparent that he needed to stay somewhere and be stable and not move anywhere else. And so I think about that. The five years ago, five years before we actually retired, we knew that we need to stable.

[00:29:00] And so that was one. The biggest pushing points of our decision. And knowing that we began our five year kind of plan at that point of how do we make this transition successful? And we had a certain, you know, things in mind. We, we actually did a whole. A whole plan with a financial counselor and did a whole pre-retirement financial plan to kind of figure out, okay, where do we need to be to be successful financially in five years?

[00:29:32] And so we set this goal for ourselves that we need to have this much in savings that you know, With me working, I needed to have an approximation of, we had a goal of what my salary should be and, you know, just kind of these different little goals for ourselves. And we started that about five years ago.

[00:29:52] And also we wanted to buy a home before we retired. We didn’t wanna be renting. And so once we decided, we just kind of started stepping along our way on our five year plan.

[00:30:03] Christine: And I, I’m guessing it was helpful knowing. You’re already in a place where your family’s getting the support they need. You now have found an outlet that doesn’t feel like it’s just a way to earn a paycheck, but it’s actually meaningful.

[00:30:20] You’re able to use your skills. You’re able to work with military families that you have this passion for. It all comes together. I think there’s this fear of what happens, you know, when when the military is done telling us where we go and what we do, like what’s that next step for us? So if you could look back and.

[00:30:46] go back to your initial decision to say, Okay, I’m gonna step away. I’m just gonna be a mom right now. Is there anything that you wish you would have known then or that you wish you would’ve done during that season of just focusing on your family? Yeah, I

[00:31:03] Charlene: think there’s a couple different things I’ve thought about that.

[00:31:06] So one of them I wish I would’ve kept my resume up to. As I did that, I didn’t think about it cuz I had just transitioned out of the military myself, and so I never had built a resume and I wish I would’ve taken the time then to start a professional resume and to think about what the next steps were.

[00:31:27] I, I was so blindsided, but emotionally that I didn’t take the time when I transitioned. To think about what my next steps were. I was just so hyper focused on the then and now. So that’s one that I wish I would’ve thought about that. And two, I do wish that during that season of my life that I would’ve had some kind of.

[00:31:47] That I had wish I would, had gone through some kind of classes or something to keep my professional skills sharp. And I, I did, I, I wish I could go back and tell myself that then, you know, that, you know, you should really keep yourself up to date. And so like, I think those are the two biggest things that I, I wish I could go back and tell myself then.

[00:32:07] Christine: What would you like to tell military spouses who are right now in the season of. You know, either given up on their career, they put those ideas, those passions, those dreams of theirs on the back burner and they’re feeling the sense of feeling a little lost. And who am I? What would you love to

[00:32:25] Charlene: say to them?

[00:32:27] I would say that you’re not alone. And to remember that you have this whole society of amazing, powerful military spouses around you that are probably feeling the same. That there’s so many people to support you, that you should never feel like you can’t do something, and that if you have an idea to do that, to talk to others and to bounce ideas off other people.

[00:32:52] Cuz more than likely they thought the same thing. And there many of them are probably feeling the same way. And I think that there was another, those other piece of advice that someone told me when I first was a brand new military wife that told me to bloom where you’re planted at, and I, it stuck with me and it has never left my mind is to bloom where you’re planted.

[00:33:14] So whatever season that you find yourself in, you. Be badass at it and to make it own it and to make it yours.

[00:33:23] Christine: I love that so much, and I love that there are people like you that are really leading this charge and saying that your life is not over because you’re a military spouse, and that in every season there is a way to find purpose and to live with purpose.

[00:33:40] If somebody wants to reach out, connect with you, how can they get ahold?

[00:33:46] Charlene: Sure. I would love it. I am on, on LinkedIn. They can just find me under my name or they can search for afma, that’s a A F M A A and look for people. And I’m there. Or they can go on afma.com and under the, meet the, meet the team page and I’m right there and all my contact details.

[00:34:05] Christine: Perfect. Well, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to just sit down and talk with us and I, I know that this is gonna be so meaningful to other military spouses who are not quite as far along on the journey.

[00:34:19] Charlene: Oh, thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure today.

[00:34:22] Christine: What I so appreciate about Charlene’s story is her willingness to be honest and vulnerable and, and to share the fact that, you know, I did this.

[00:34:33] I lost myself in the process, but also I found my way out and this is what I did. This is where I’m at now. I would do things a little bit different. If I went back and told myself, if I had all of this to do over again, I would not lose myself along the way. I would keep building my skills. I would keep in touch, keep my resume up to date.

[00:35:01] All these things that she alluded to in our conversation. These were things that were setting her up for the next season of life when it came. For her to move into her next season, here are the actions that would have helped her, and that’s why I created that I Identity Workshop. That’s why it exists for you for free.

[00:35:25] And really that’s why I created MilSpouse Purpose Playbook, the complete step by step guide to begin to reclaim your life and dreams and discover who you are meant to be. So please go watch the Free Identity Workshop, figure out what those things are that light you up. What causes. You care about what your purpose is and how you can begin to pursue your purpose in this season and prepare for the next season of life so that you can use what you have right now to learn new skills and gain new knowledge and begin showing up as the person you want to be.

[00:36:05] So that you are prepared for the next season in your story. And again, that’s available just by going to milspouse mastermind.com/workshop. Stop feeling lost and start regaining your sense of self. Your sense of self. I hope this blesses you and that you have an amazing week living filled, fueled and full of joy.