NextGen MilSpouse is going beyond traditional career tips and tricks for military spouses! We are sharing the real stories of working military spouses (just like you!) and their professional success stories on Wednesdays.
Name: Eleanor Duelley
Years as a military spouse:
18
Tell us your job title/profession:
Online holistic health coach
Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?
Part time
How long have you been working in this career field?
3 years
Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?
Work from home
Tell us one thing you love about your job.
I love helping busy women who are tired of yo-yo weight gain. I don’t believe in dieting or depriving yourself of certain foods or denying cravings. I love showing people that eating whole foods and integrating good healthy habits can give you a happier, healthier maintainable lifestyle.
How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.
I created my own business because I had to balance being a stay-at-home mother of 3 (often solo parenting), with my passion for fitness and nutrition. I started personal training and counseling nutrition when my kids were in school and decided that I could help more people – globally not just locally – by creating an online business.
What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?
Don’t be discouraged by your circumstances. If you can’t find what you’re looking for create it!
How do you feel about failure?
Failure is a necessary part of success. Everybody fails but not everybody succeeds. You have to persevere to get the job done.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?
My biggest challenge seems to be re-creating myself every time my spouse finds a new job. Not just for me, but for my kids. Creating my own business has allowed me to maintain some consistency through all of the chaos that comes from being a military family.
What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.
You can do anything you want to do. I don’t have an undergraduate degree in health and wellness, but I went back to school and got certifications because I had a passion for it.
Follow your passions because it is what truly will make you happy.
The worst piece of advice I’ve ever heard was that military spouses can never find jobs because it’s too difficult.
Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Who is in your support squad (i.e. spouse, neighbor, bff) and what role do they play in supporting your career?
My husband has been a great support for me creating my own business. Even though he hasn’t been around all of the time he always helps when he can and in many different ways. Over email or over the phone occasionally really helps me out.
Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?
We split household tasks. With the kids’ extracurricular activities and his job commitments and my clients, we somehow seem to make it all work. We also lean on our military neighbors to pitch in and help when we need it and we are there for them as well. That’s one benefit of living the military family lifestyle, you always have friends and family near.
Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week:
Planning. If I don’t have a plan it doesn’t get done!
Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without that isn’t your phone:
Well my business is online so I would have to say my computer.
What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?
I love sleep cycle.
Must-have song on your productivity playlist?
Helena beat by Foster the People
If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?
I would probably sleep.
If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?
I wish I could manipulate time. I could fast forward through the hard times, pause the good times or rewind them.
Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our form.
