The Military Woman and so much More

Jackie Morton, host of the Divorce for Busy Millennials podcast, started her podcast after navigating her own divorce. Her podcast offers a space for other people going through a divorce a platform to give practical advice with a splash of humor.  Amidst tackling law school, being a mom, and preparing for a deployment, Jackie was also figuring out how to get divorced. Like every other divorce, her divorce was  handled through the civilian court. But unlike most cases, Jackie is a military woman and unfortunately, it was used against her during the process. Jackie had to figure out how to properly advocate for herself to everyone, including her own attorney.  While divorce is painful mentally, emotionally, and physically, Jackie found peace when it all came to an end. Looking back on her experience, she is able to find humor and comfort in it all. Tune into this week's episode of Military Woman and So Much More for a light hearted conversation surrounding divorce. Learn more about Jackie's experience, and how to better navigate divorce as a member of the military.  Quotes: “If you don't have the proper tools and vocabulary to explain everything to your attorney, judge, or mediator it can really be skewed against you.” (07:00-07:10)  “The more joint assets and marital assets you have, or the more complicated your tax bracket is, the more need you're going to have for an expensive attorney.” (39:13-39:27)

Overview: Victoria B Thompson is an Air Force Vet, Founder of the non-profit We Steel Rise, self proclaimed spokesperson of law of attraction, and future author. Victoria has over ten years of experience in law enforcement holding various positions. She has hands-on experience working with women who were incarcerated, learning many of them had served in the military. This experience taught her invaluable lessons of the challenges women veterans face.  Throughout all of her experience, Victoria has realized that a higher rate of women veterans who were incarcerated face homelessness in comparison to men. In 2018, Victoria decided to pursue her passion and begin a re-entry program for veteran women called We Steel Rise. Tune in to this episode of Military Women and So Much more to learn more about Victoria's journey from being a woman in the military to helping other women safely transition out.  Quotes: “You have to have a for-profit in order to have a non-profit.” (35:04-35:06)  “Never let them see you sweat, regardless of the situation. You walk around with your head high, smile, because it throws them off.” (52:37- 52:45) “Do not let a person take you out of character, especially in the military.” (54:27-54:29)  Links: To donate to Victoria's non-profit please visit www.westeelrise.org For all inquiries please email Victoria at victoria@bthompson.me  Victoriabthompson.me

When it comes to the work space, it is crucial that employers provide a safe and healthy space for their employees to do their jobs. When it comes to internal investigations, “over 60% of internal investigators pre-judge their cases” due to implicit bias, says attorney Tracy Pearson. In this week's episode of Military Woman and So Much More, Tracy Pearson will share her expert opinion on how to minimize implicit bias so workplaces can be more safe for everyone. According to Tracy, there are two main reasons why employees do not report to organizations. The first reason is psychological safety, in other words, feeling like you can't. And second, organizational betrayal. This all has to do with our brains being trained to resort to implicit bias. While this way of thinking has been engraved in the human mind since the beginning of mankind, it is not impossible to get rid of. In fact, Tracy says that education, and creating a culture where people of all types are valued is vital to minimizing the issue. Implicit bias in the military is especially dangerous. Since the military has historically mostly been a white-male dominating field, it is crucial that the necessary steps are being taken to shift the mindset and culture of the military so that all its members are protected. Tune in today for an educational conversation on how to minimize implicit bias in your workspace.  Quotes: “Failure to investigate an allegation should be a crime.” (21:25-21:28)  “We have a duty as organizations to provide a healthy and safe work environment for the people that we entrust to do the work we ask them to do.”  (21:31-21:41) AUDIOGRAM until 22:15)  “In order to have a competent investigation, you have to not pre-judge it.”(31:09- 31:13) “Credibility isn't about belief, it's about plausibility based on objective factors.” (32:05-32:13)   “If you aren't changing the underlying culture that is making this happen to people, you aren't fixing the problem.” (37:38- 37:49)  Links: https://www.tracyexplains.com/

Overview:  Although she has never served, TC Michell is someone every military member in the process of transitioning out should know. She has helped many veterans transition out of the military into jobs that pay better salaries than they had ever had before. This episode, TC will discuss the key to making money post-military life: government contracting.  TC says that government contracting jobs are the best way for military members to easily make the most money. For one, all of the years spent in the military are extremely valuable. Just the 6 week basic training is already worth so much. The federal government values these years of experience and training significantly more than a college degree and they will certainly pay you for it. It is also important to note that with your experience in the military, it will be a breeze to get you a clearance. Having a clearance will drive your salary up because it shows that you are honorable and trustworthy.  Find out how to make your transition out of the military the most profitable by leveraging your skill set and years of service by listening to what TC Mitchell has to say on this week's episode of Military Women and So Much More!   Quotes  “When you come out of service, when you come out of giving your years to the government as a military person, they value.. The federal government itself truly values the years of training and development you have behind you more than they value the degree, and they will pay for those years that you have done.” (05:55-6:18)  “I will say being able to be eligible to classified information, and to work on classified contracts means you're trustworthy. And that trustworthiness equates to more dollars.”  (07:32- 07:48)  “Make as much money as you can with the foundation that you have because often when you transition into a new career path, you are going to start entry level, you are going to start at the bottom level so your money may not be as great.”(19:53- 20:06) 

Overview: Most of our default behaviors are developed by the time we are five years old, says motivational speaker, Bill Benjamin. This week on Military Woman and So Much More, your host Sharika LaBrie welcomes her first ever male guest to the show to discuss emotional intelligence and the role women play in leadership. Even though Bill is sought out for his emotional intelligence training, he has not always been emotionally intelligent himself. In fact, this is something Bill had to learn himself. When he was struggling in a leadership position, a mentor of his opened his eyes to the emotional areas that he was lacking. Bill says anyone can learn how to retrain the brain; it just takes practice. Reading, watching videos, attending training, and hiring a coach are a few ways one can begin to practice and relearn their old behaviors. Bill wants women to know how valuable they are in the workplace. According to a naval study, teams of men and women are far more productive than teams of only one or the other. Women's brains are naturally wired to trigger more emotional and empathetic responses to stressful situations. It has been proven that empathy is a key contributor to strong leadership. Tune in to this week's episode of Military Woman and So Much More to hear more about Bill's 8% philosophy, and how we as women can utilize our emotions to become emotionally intelligent leaders. Quotes: “Our default behaviors and our emotional behaviors are neuropathways that get seared in overtime and most of those are developed by the time we are 5 years old.” (10:21-10:32)   “We really say leading by example is not the main means of influencing people, it's the only means.” (11:15-11:18) “Teams of combined men and women outperform teams of mostly or mostly women.” (23:03- 23:10) “Empathy is not giving in all the time; empathy is not someone else has to be right. It is simply acknowledging someone else's point of view.” (26:02- 26:11) “The goal of mediation is not to calm our minds down, that is a huge misconception. The goal of mediation is to be aware of our mind wandering, it's to practice some slow breathing. An outcome might be that we feel calmer, but it might not be.” (30:38-30:52)   Links:  https://www.ihhp.com

Overview: “Even if you don't talk about money, you learn about money through actions,” says Stephanie Davis Certified Financial Education Instructor. Stephanie grew up with an unhealthy relationship with money. Coming from a single-family home, she was told no a lot. Coming into adulthood, Stephanie wanted to be able to give herself everything she always wanted. Unfortunately, she addressed it in the wrong way and landed herself in some financial stress. After getting out of the military, Stephanie entered the civilian world. She soon realized that money was no longer a guarantee. Her bad financial decisions had landed her in a situation where she could not afford the lifestyle she had been living. Stephanie knew that she either had to change or continue down the path of debt she was on. With 18 months of dedication, she was able to get out of debt and begin her journey into real estate investing. Stephanie says the first thing that she had to do was come face to face with where she was at. Looking at the numbers and figuring out where her money was going was the first key to paying off her debt. After that, Stephanie had to cut back significantly on things she was used to spending her money on. She realized she didn't need all the clothes, she cooked more at home, and she put the vacations on hold. Staying true to her newfound path got her out of 45,000 dollars of debt in under two years. Learn more about how you can free yourself from the unnecessary stress of debt in today's episode of Military Woman and So Much More. Quotes:  “Even if you don't talk about money, you learn about money through actions and what you see and what you hear other people talk about.” (03:01-03:08) “I went on a spending spree because nobody could tell me no and because I've had this desire of just buying the things that I wanted.” (06:09- 06:18) “I was so much in debt that I was just trying to stay afloat, that I realized something has to change.” (08:33- 08:40) "A lot of times we allow money to stress us out and put money in a position of power. Money is not power. We are the powerful ones."  (28:53- 29:08)  Links: Find Stephanie on her Website https://www.financesonpoint.com/  

Overview: Roshonda Thomas, Founder of Distress the Community Non-Profit Organization, is a true jack of all trades. From serving in the military, to owning multiple businesses, running a non-profit and being a mother, there isn't much this woman can't do.  After getting out of active duty, Roshonda took a corporate job. As she was adjusting to her new lifestyle and being a full-time mom, Roshonda realized she was unable to find adequate childcare. She realized that this was a problem that many women were likely having, and it got the ball rolling for her first entrepreneurial endeavor, opening her gym. Not only did her gym provide a space for people to work on their fitness, but it offered after school programs for children, too. At this point, Roshonda was just getting started. She eventually went on to making her own coffee and smoothies, opening an axe throwing business and incorporating yoga into her life and the lives of those around her. At one point, Roshonda had a conversation with a friend about the concept of time and using it properly. Her friend told her that she was wasting her talents. After a lengthy all-day discussion, Roshonda concluded that she was wasting a lot of her time. She encourages everyone to take the time to revisit their goals, and what they are doing to reach those goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. By doing this, Roshonda ended up creating her businesses into what she wanted the most: her non-profit organization, Distress the Community. If Roshonda could give anyone advice, it would be to spend the time figuring out what you want to do then remaining focused on those things. Learn more about Roshonda's story on this episode of Military Woman and So Much More! Quotes: “Whether you do things with that time, you need to know where you are wasting it. Whether you can do an extra workout, or you can be meal prepping, or doing something extra for your kids, or yourself.” (11:12- 11:22) “There are other ways to look at certain things. You don't always have to have the answer or have it right. Some things you're going to have to navigate through and grow.” (28:05-28:15) “Be open to the other side or at least seek out the other side so that you can really have an informed decision. You can keep your thought process that's fine, but know what the other person is thinking and feeling.” (28:19-28:31)  “When you will do the work, the positivity that comes from that really will allow you to open up untacked talent that you didn't even know you had.” (28:58- 29:10) “By 22 I would have told myself not to put so much stock in relationships because they are fluid.” (38:55- 39:00) Links: https://destressthecommunity.org Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Today we are talking about all things hair! It's no secret the Army has rolled out some new hair regulations for women. Let's start with the main changes in the regulation: women are now allowed to shave their heads, and can wear ponytails to their shoulder blades. Previously, ponytails were only allowed to be tucked in and during training. Braids and twists are now allowed.   So why is this important? There's been some negativity towards the new regulations from both men and women. Although her unit has been very supportive, social media hasn't been as accepting. Many say that they want to honor how the military has been for years and things don't need to be changed. Also ponytails have been considered messy, ponytails can be used for hand to hand contact, and buns are more professional and stay within exceeding the standards.  This is also important for more societal inclusions for all races of women and what the world accepts as ‘beauty'. The Army taking this step to be more inclusive, can only be a step in the right direction for societal change. In the civilian world, there are also problems with women of color being sent home from their job or knowing someone who was sent home from their job because their hair was deemed unprofessional for the workplace.  Previously, women had no exceptions for having any hair regulations besides a bun, although men have exceptions for beards for religious and medical reasons. Going into the history of hair in the military, long hair and ponytails were accepted for men as well as beards up to WWI. As time went on, often for sanitary purposes, all regulations had to be  the same ‘clean cut look' across the board.  Sharika shares her struggles through the military and staying within hair regulations and the struggles many women had keeping their hair in a bun every single day of work no matter what texture of hair they had. The old regulations also did not take into consideration migraines due to hair, alopecia, limitations of movement, diversion, and inclusion.  Sharika suggests reading regulation AR670-1 which can be found here so you know the regulations of course before calling someone out, and turning these new regulations into a learning experience for all.    Learn more about the new hair regulations and the important steps the military is taking to provide inclusion for all, on today's episode of The Military Woman and so much more!  Quotes:  “The point of these hair regulations and the point of updating them are to ensure we are diversifying and we are including everyone - all shapes, sizes, and colors.” “So why is this important? The old regulations allowed a lot of subjectivity to the majority of a population, who did not understand black hair styles, the maintenance cost and the time it takes to professionally style hair or perform daily styling. The old regulation didn't take into account the medical reasons.”

Knowing each other since 2011, Arlyn and Sharika share their thoughts of how small the world is, especially in the Army Nurse Corp! Arlyn was serving as a Brigade Nurse Counselor when life hit her unexpectedly. Her husband's position in the Army was not able to accommodate their travel plans with her military career, so she chose the hard road to accept a different duty station with the anticipation of where her husband would be sent for his impending fellowship. Fast forwarding to her terminal leave down the line, Arlyn decided to take her time to attend some family engagements. Filling out an DA31 for accountability, she needed to scope out the nearest hospital to her vacation destination in Mexico. During this time, a large fire accident happened at a wedding she was attending. Unfortunately, Arlyn was hit with the fire in a matter of seconds, suffering third degree and second degree burns.  Luckily, all of the information she filled out in her DA31 was helpful to cover her bases, although she needed to be treated out of country in Mexico. She quickly learned the medical care facilities overseas are vastly different in how they can handle situations versus in the United States. Arlyn notified her chain of command as soon as she could and informed her Tricare representative to notify them what had happened.  She requested someone from the Air Force to come and retrieve her so she could get treatment closer to her home. Arriving back in San Antonio, Arlyn was triaged immediately into the hospital's burn unit. Spending about two weeks in the hospital, Arlyn and her husband were able to return home to Washington state where her husband had to immediately report to his unit in El Paso, Texas. It was a truly humbling experience for Arlyn to have to rely on those around her and not being as mobile as she was used to.  Extending her ETS date to ensure her burn care was covered, Arlyn found out her husband was receiving his medical fellowship at UCLA and grabbed on to the first solid plan she was able to for months. As Arlyn's ETS date came and went, her husband asked her an important question: what did she want to do from here?  Not knowing what her answer was, and knowing her previous answer revolved around her ambitions in the Army, all she wanted now was to be able to walk again, drive a car, and have her old normal. She instead asked him, what he would do with his life? He responded with everything in his current life; being a surgeon and a father. It really hit Arlyn that she needed some new and exciting goals to achieve in her life. At first jokingly, she said she wanted to be an actor in light of their new move to Los Angeles. Having no idea where to start, Arlyn googled and researched what she needed to do to begin her new career endeavors.  Forcing herself to walk long distances for about six months in LA, Arlyn took some classes in a comedy school and began to send out auditions. She booked her first gig with USAA for a national commercial, which at the time never aired. A few years later in Hawaii,  she found an audition with USAA again seeking a role that fit her perfectly and got the part! If you see the commercial, Arlyn plays a part named ‘Kate'.  Being redirected to something else in her life is something Arlyn could have never imagined, but she would not have it any other way. Learn more about Arlyn's transition from the Army to Hollywood this week on The Military Woman and so Much More! Quotes:  “Yes you can have it all...but what does all really mean?” All those things I learned from the military, absolutely prepared me for a life in Hollywood.” “Because my perspective has changed, right? Perspective, went from, you know, I want to be a general in the Army Nurse Corps One day, when I go to anesthesia School in the Army, my career, blah blah blah, me me me. To I just want to be able to walk without a limp, you know. I want to be able to walk more than I don't know, half a mile, you know like can I stand without pain. Like it was so simple. What I wanted out of my life.” Links:  https://twitter.com/arlyn821?s=20

LTC Kelly Bell, moderator for The Army Mom Life group was originally in a reserves unit before being mobilized to an active duty unit right before the COVID-19 pandemic.  The only nurse in her command, she became the medical commander for everything COVID-19 related. She specializes in ER nursing. When her unit arrived back from deployment she was asked to be briefed about COVID-19 and they were shocked how things had progressed in the United States. She was then asked to be the OIC of the COVID-19 task force. Board selected for a LTC Battalion Command position by June of this year.  Kelly has of course learned quite a bit during the pandemic about her career and how things quickly change within the military. Being a Facebook administrator for the group, The Army Mom Life, Kelly works to revise policies and advocate for moms and families in the military. SGT Nicole Pierce began the group and reached out the Kelly to help mentor and advocate for their members. Since then Kelly decided to learn more about Twitter and see how she could make a difference through that community and push some of the main issues they were seeing through the platform. They got a great response by tagging some top leaders in the Army. The SGT Major of the Army reached out to the group and suggested they submit some proposals they were working on. They put out a survey to see what they would like to see as proposals, with over 300 respondents. They consolidated the responses and came up with the top 5 they wanted to present. It then landed on the desks of some of the senior leaders in the Army as well as some members of the Pentagon. It is important to note that instead of simply making a list of what the group wanted, they presented research, background information and solutions that they wanted to have addressed. The Pregnancy and Postpartum Planning team will be getting together on April 5th at the Pentagon, and will begin working on the proposal and turning the issues into actual policy.  The main proposals that have been submitted are: Postpartum Height weight deferment from 180 days to a full 12 months postpartum  Increase postpartum standard of care  Standards in allowing Postpartum or pregnant soldiers be sent to PME  Joint service effort to revise the joint travel regulations to officially authorize the reimbursement of breast milk transportation  Postpartum and parental operation and training deferment policy  Kelly explains how difficult it is for many female soldiers that are pregnant or postpartum to be sent to training, NTC, or deployments. There are many studies being done to show the effects of mothers and babies being separated too early, and the inconsistencies of policy to ensure the welfare of families. Kelly and the team of The Army Mom Life group are working to make the work/life balance for female soldiers more bearable as they progress in their career. Some of the policies they are looking to revise are not only for females, but also understanding a family looks different sometimes and different is okay. These policies will consistently cover transgender families, single parents, and same gender parents.  Listen as Kelly shares her experiences as a mom and how she is advocating for female soldiers everywhere in this episode of The Military Woman and So Much More!  Quotes:  “We got our voice out on Twitter, and got picked up by Army Senior leaders that started to follow some of the threads we were putting out there, and things just sort of progressed in a really positive way.”   “The way that we run the Army Mom life is very soldier centric. So it's all about the admins advocating for the soldiers in the group and assisting them. So we wanted to capture the needs and wants of the soldiers.” (18:40-18:56)   Links:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thearmymomlife  

“Never in a million years did I think that was going to happen,” Tina Casanova explains regarding her experience with sexual assault. Tina was raped on active duty after her first deployment as a Petty Officer in the US Navy. The assault occurred at a party, and Tina's assailant was a friend. When the attack occurred, Tina checked off all of the boxes: she said no, tried to rationalize with her attacker, and attempted to fight him off. She followed all of the rules, but she was raped anyway, and she still feels personal responsibility for the experience. She explains that even now, she blames herself for poor judgement in friends, drinking too much, and trusting the wrong people. Tina went back to work two days after the attack. She spent years trying to suppress her emotions and relied on a “fake it till you make it” rationale to explain them away. But her attempts to cope weren't working, and her family members and friends wondered why Tina seemed to be experiencing symptoms of PTSD even though she hadn't had any traumatic experiences while on active duty. Finally, Tina decided to confide in a close friend, who gave her the validation that she needed to start healing. Since then, she has found additional support and solace from family members and has started the journey towards acceptance and recovery. More recently, Tina has been training for a 76-mile run, which is the next step in her healing journey. Although Tina has been contemplating this run for years, she was finally triggered to act when Vanessa Guillen's remains were found last June. Vanessa was yet another military woman who experienced sexual assault; however, unlike Tina, she was murdered after the fact. Tina is running 76 miles to represent the number of days it took Vanessa's family to find her remains. She will begin her run on April 22, the one-year anniversary of Vanessa's death. Tune into this week's episode of The Military Woman and So Much More for an emotional conversation with Tina and host Sharika LaBrie about finding yourself again after a sexual assault. Learn about Tina's journey towards recovery and how she is working to show women across the country that #silenceisnotstrength.  Quotes “I was raped on active duty right after my first deployment. And I used running as a way to cope without even realizing it. I literally just started running from the issue. And since I didn't know what to do with the emotional part of it, I turned it into physical pain.” (3:02-3:28) “And people say, ‘Well, thank god you're alive. Thank god you woke up another day and you can do whatever you want with this day.' And for the longest time, it made me sick. You know, take your day and shove it.” (12:46-13:03) “My heart continued beating after that, but I was dead, you know? I died that night. Everything that I was, who I was, is gone.” (16:11-16:27) “Next year, I bet you anything, they're not going to be talking about this anymore. And this is gonna be a great way to let them know that we're not letting it go this time. I went back to work two days later and kept my mouth shut. A year later...we're not doing that again….I pray that this run just lets people know that we're going to keep talking about it.” (40:48-41:55) “The more we talk, the less this is going to be able to keep happening because in a sense these predators are protected by our silence. And my hashtag is ‘silence is not strength' because I have thought that me being quiet made me stronger and just get over it, but that doesn't happen, and I don't think it'll happen for anybody. But it did protect him….I really want us to start talking about this so that even if they don't feel comfortable telling somebody specifically, at least they'll hear the conversation.” (43:49-44:39) Links 76 Mile Run for Change http://www.thepinkberets.org/ https://www.rainn.org/resources   Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

What do you wish you knew about finances that you don't right now? In this episode of the Military Woman podcast, Sharika is asking Elizabeth Berard Rojas, AGR Officer in Finances and financial consultant what she thinks everyone should know about being financially savvy on a military paycheck.  What's the difference between a Roth IRA, TSP, and your 401K? How do you choose where to put your money? What's the best way to budget? Elizabeth hit on all these super important questions in her chat with Sharika, and shares some of the biggest mistakes she sees her clients make around money -- like, for example, choosing to take out personal loans rather than relying on a savings account.  We're tackling all your financial questions in this episode, from the envelope budgeting method to the one small adjustment you can make on your tax forms to get a bigger refund every year. You don't want to miss it! Quotes “Many women are so bogged down day to day, that staying on top of our finances can be overwhelming.”  “Actually, when you see the money right there in those envelopes, growing, you don't want to spend it as much, because you're like, ‘This is looking very pretty!'” (23:22-23:30)   Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethberardrojas/   Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing  

Being in the military, Sharika Labrie has encountered many different personality types in the military, and what you can do to tell who you work best with. She challenges you to ask yourself: In the past few weeks, have you commented on a post on social media thinking that you are helping someone, only to get attacked or called out for being too direct? These may be people that don't communicate like you.    She recently read a book called Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson, which gives you reasons to look inward, and observe how someone is communicating with you and how you interpret it.  Some key takeaways Sharika would like to share; Communication is on the listener The color meanings; knowing yourself and knowing how to listen to the different ‘colors' Adapting and giving feedback to those around you    Color Personality Types:  Red - dynamic and driven individual Green - the most balanced. They counterbalance the other more extreme behavioral traits in an elegant way Yellow - who live to live, always finding opportunities for enjoyment Blue - has all the right answers. In the background, he analyzes: classifies, evaluates, assesses Using these tools can help you best communicate with your loved ones, family members, and spouses. To be able to tackle issues in your day to day life, knowing how to communicate can make the process easier. As a leader in your environment, it takes work to really hone in on people around you and how they communicate, and then adapting to that style of communication. The reality is we cannot get through to others if we do not know how they hear us.  Being married for almost 11 years, Sharika has learned how to communicate with her ‘Red/Blue' husband while she considers herself ‘Green/Yellow'. Reflecting on her education as a Psychiatric Health Nurse Practitioner, she wanted to optimize her communication skills and see what roadblocks she can avoid to cultivate her own relationship and articulate her issues and adapt to her spouses' style of communication. Wonder what color you are and how you can use these exercises to best communicate with others? Take a listen to this week's episode!   Quotes:  “I spent much of my twenties developing my intellect and my profession, taking tests and certifications to really hone in on my professional skills, when I should have been spending time studying on personal development and looking inward.” “The more self awareness you have, the more aware of others you surround yourself with.”   Links:  @themilitarywoman (Instagram)

“Burns are a lifelong battle,” explains Katie Blanchard, former U.S. Army Nurse Supervisor. In 2016, Katie suffered a brutal attack by a civilian employee, who threw gasoline and matches on her and lit her on fire. Katie sustained burns to 18% of her upper body and has been forced to undergo continued surgeries to combat the scars. And the worst part? Her attacker was tried in a federal court and received a maximum sentence of only 20 years in prison. So while Katie is forced to battle her burns for the rest of her life, the man who caused her injuries can re-enter his life relatively unscathed after only 20 years.  Despite the attack, Katie never allowed herself to become defeated. Instead, she has committed herself to improving the system that failed her. She has earned her Masters in Nurse Education and is now a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington pursuing a PhD in Nursing Science. She has also started her own company, WPV Solutions, which aims to prevent workplace violence before it occurs. When asked what lessons listeners should take away from her experience, Katie explains that we must change how we look at violence in the workplace. Katie's superiors largely ignored her complaints and concerns despite her repeated requests for support and protection prior to the assault. Katie explains that the military disciplinary system lacks continuity and that escalations are often swept under the rug rather than being seriously addressed on a larger scale. While Katie has gained little traction within the Army when it comes to a broader acknowledgment of workplace violence, she hopes to assist other organizations develop stronger safety and support foundations, so their employees feel safe in their work environments. Tune into this week's episode of the Military Woman to learn more about Katie's experiences and the admirable work she is doing to combat workplace violence. You won't want to miss this inspiring story about overcoming past trauma in pursuit of a greater good. Quotes “You believe in an organization and those values that an organization has: duty, selfless service, loyalty. You believe in these things, and you believe that you're doing a greater good, that you're there to do work that is important. When a colonel looks at you and tells you to look the other way and to protect yourself and not to do what you feel is the right thing and the right thing for your patients...it gives you this feeling of hopelessness and a feeling of why am I here.” (14:36-15:09) “This kind of dynamic happens a lot in workplace violence where perpetrators will try to flip the script and make it your problem, not theirs.” (27:09-27:19) “I wanted people to know that I had said something, that I had known that this was going to happen, and there was no action.” (32:31-32:40) “Burns are a lifelong battle….My attacker got 20 years in federal prison, and that was the maximum that he could have gotten….It's a life sentence for me, but it's not for him.” (35:51-36:52) “There needs to be a reporting system in place that we can ask for resources; that we can get a threat assessment team going; that if our chain of command isn't listening, there's some mechanism where we can still get to people to help us stay safe in the workplace.” (38:38-38:56) “What the literature tells us is that a lot of times workplace violence is not active shooter. It is not that kind of extreme violence. A lot of times this risk of violence is very much a spectrum, and it's both verbal and physical….We can very much prevent workplace violence from happening if we have the right tools to do it.” (43:12-43:35) Links https://wpvsolutions.org/ wpvsolutions@gmail.com   Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

“When we try to break down barriers and glass ceilings, it's not just us,” says Lauran Glover, First African-American Female Commander of the Old Guard. Lauran started her military career in Guantanamo Bay Cuba as a second lieutenant in the military police. But when she was moved to the military police company in Arlington Cemetery, she fell in love with the ceremonial parts of military life - especially the drill team. In this episode of the Military Woman podcast, Lauran talks with Sharika about her experience in the Old Guard, and what it's really like to break glass ceilings (hint: it's hard!).  Lauran's role as commander came at a time of change for the drill team and the military. There were a lot of female firsts in other branches when she became commander of the Old Guard. But her position also started at a period of down-turn for the drill team -- right before she began, the team was told they could no longer take sponsored trips, because it looked too lavish. As commander, Lauran found herself thrown into a new drill team, with a tight budget. She decided the best way to make an impact was to travel to schools and really amp up the fact that she was the first female, black commander -- to show girls across America what is possible for them in 2021.  Tune in this week to hear Lauran's amazing story, including shout-outs to the many men and women who supported her journey and helped her pave the way to a more diverse Old Guard.  Quotes “It's those things that we don't realize in our society, because representation matters. I never saw a woman doing this, I never saw a woman around, so I didn't see my opportunity in this path. (15:11-15:21) “I think this is important as well to say, about our conversations with glass ceilings. A lot of people think we break glass ceilings, and it's great and everyone loves it, and we move forward. That's not how it happens.” (19:44-19:55) Links Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

“I was trying to live a military life in a civilian world,” says Kelley L Forsberg, founder and life coach at Life Coaching for Veterans. Kelley was medically retired from the army after many years as a logistics officer, and despite the more concrete preparation that she did -- finding housing, updating her resume -- her transition to civilian life was bumpier than expected. That experience prompted her to start a life coaching business for veterans looking to find their place in a civilian world, which is what she talks about with Sharika on this episode of the Military Woman podcast.  Kelley and Sharika talk about what preparation they received when exiting from the army, and the grief that comes when you undergo this transition. As Kelley says, “The army was the biggest part of me that I had ever lost.” When the army is all you've known, it can be hard to find your own “why.” Kelley's work as a life coach is all about helping other veterans find their footing now that they are in charge of their own mission: living a good life.  Tune in this week to learn about Kelley's exit from the military, and the real experience of finding yourself in the civilian world -- without leaving all of your military self behind.  Quotes “I was trying to live a military life in a civilian world.”  “We think there are these rules we have to live by, and we do in the military. But in the civilian world there's so much more freedom, and we don't really know what to do with that.” (8:42-8:52) “Because it's different when you have a government contract saying this is who you are, this is what you do. But when it becomes your choice, you are responsible for that. It's up to you to decide if you are doing the work that you're meant to be doing in your life, and that's a big question to answer.” (22:21-22:37)   Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifecoachingforveterans Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachingforveterans/ Book a call with Kelley L. Forsberg: https://calendly.com/lifecoachingforveterans?fbclid=IwAR0PZrHQtoIdCDlX84AHq3an_sUI51qE91-q-f9tlv8BokNPnQD7b3_s82s http://lifecoachingforveterans.com/   Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing  

“Our healthcare system is reactive, not proactive,” says Kelly Watts-Baca. On this episode of The Military Woman podcast, Kelly and host Sharika LaBrie talk about what it's like to do IVF as a military woman, and how to stay resilient through this long and arduous process.  Kelly was 37 years old when she started trying to have a baby with her then boyfriend, now husband. After two years of unprotected sex and not even a pregnancy scare, she realized something was wrong. After discovering she was unable to conceive naturally, Kelly started the IVF process - which drained her emotionally, financially, and physically.  In this illuminating episode about the power of resilience when you want to start a family, Kelly shares how IVF impacted her work life, her marriage, her sense of self, and her ideas about women's healthcare. Tune in to learn more about the rarely-told story of fertility and the military on this episode of The Military Woman.  Quotes: “There's no easy answer to infertility.”  “I hope it brings light to so many facets. There are so many facets to IVF that people don't know or understand, and it's difficult to navigate. And when we talk about the military and really needing mentors, being in IVF you really need a mentor, someone you can talk to.”  Links: @themilitarywoman (Instagram) 

“This diagnosis threw everything off track” says Cassie Bailey, retired combat medic, LPN, RN and Army Corps Nurse Officer. When she was 34 years old, Cassie was diagnosed with metastasized Stage 4 breast cancer and given only five years to live. In this episode of The Military Woman, Cassie talks with host Sharika Labrie about how her diagnosis changed her life, and her military career.  Cassie was medically discharged from the army after seventeen years of service -- and soon after her discharge, Covid hit. The combination threw her for a loop, but she found solace in many places - therapy, doctors, and a website called Health Unlocked, that lets you connect with people who have the same disease, prognosis, and medications as you.  Now, Cassie is stable. She has been for two years. And she maintains hope - she is going to see a functional medicine doctor in the coming weeks to see if integrative health can help her find a cure. Listen in for this heart-breaking, yet hopeful, story of cancer, military aspirations, and what life is like as a young mother after medical discharge.  Quotes “I'm the one going through it, but you know, they are too. And I found myself having to comfort other people when I needed comfort.” (35:38-35:58) Links Instagram: @themilitarywoman  Instagram: @chroniclesofacancer_

When Sharika LaBrie was unexpectedly deployed, she felt a lot of guilt. Leaving her two kids and her husband behind to do her work in the Army Nurse Corps was complicated -- and though many resources existed for dependent wives, there wasn't much for active military women. After sitting down with a group of women with similar experiences in Kosovo, Sharika realized these experiences needed to be shared. And so, the Military Woman podcast was born!