Lauren Tamm has built an impressive following through the creation of The Military Wife and Mom. Her site allows readers to connect with “resources and advice from a variety of perspectives.” Military Families Magazine featured the powerhouse content creator in the November issue. Learn more about her story and how she built a community of connections.
Briefly tell us about yourself and your connection to the military community.
I attended nursing school in Wisconsin and starting working immediately after graduation. When I later met my husband at a wedding in the Midwest, my head was sure dating an active-duty Marine was not for me. My heart told a completely different story. After several years of a long-distance relationship, I left my life behind in the Midwest in exchange for military life with my partner and best friend.
Many military spouses have sacrificed their careers for their families and continue to face challenges related to their employment. Did you struggle with this issue too?
Absolutely. After working eight years as a critical care nurse, my husband and I were overwhelmed by the demands of dual-careers and balancing family life. I ultimately left to stay at home full-time, but as someone who enjoys working, I struggled with stay-at-home life. Within a couple of months, I was seeking online options for jobs. I was determined to find some type of job that would work with military life.
How did “The Military Wife and Mom” come about, and what has the journey been like for you as you turned it into a business?
In researching different things to try online, several friends suggested I should start a blog. Getting started was the easy part. The journey of turning it into a business was much more complex. I worked about 20- 30 hours per week for about a year and a half before I earned enough to buy myself a latte. It was truly a labor of love in the beginning years.
You’ve created an engaged community of thousands of military spouses and moms. What draws people to your community and keeps them engaged?
More than anything, authenticity keeps people coming back for more. Military spouses want to hear the real stories behind employment struggles, deployment, homecoming and PCS moves. Military spouses crave these stories because, if we are all being honest, they happen to all of us at some point. Through shared experiences we realize that we are not alone. It’s a powerful reminder.
How can people join your community?
Readers can find me at The Military Wife and Mom. On the site, subscribers get free access to a 19-page printable deployment binder when they sign-up.
You can also connect with me on Facebook.
