The InDependent Spouse podcast Jess Sands : Podcast Host, Business Owner and military wife

Hello you lovely lot, today I am chatting to the fab Nicola from Made with Mud. Nicola has a fascinating story about her business and how social media has both helped and hindered her business in the most dramatic way.
But first, a little mention of the sponsors of this series – the RBL.
After 100 years of supporting the Armed Forces community, the Royal British Legion understands and recognises the challenges faced by serving people and their families. That’s why they’re still here to support us in any way they can. From financial support to housing advice, or just someone to chat to outside of the chain of command or patch, they will continue to fight for us 365 days a year. Head to their website for more information or to get involved in their centenary celebrations www.britishlegion.org.uk
The following interview is a fascinating and open conversation with Nicola, who explains how social media has helped her business, but almost bought her to the point of deleting it all. It’s one of those stories that blew my mind when I spoke to her, and I still can’t quite believe how bad it got for her – but mixed in with that is so much positivity and hope. Thank you to Nicola for sharing such a personal story and helping end this podcast series with your remarkable story.

Hello, you wonderful lot, today’s podcast is all about the power of networking, and it’s great to be able to share with you the interview that I did with the fantastic Carrie Moss from the Military Matchmaker.
But, before we get stuck in a little message from the RBL, who sponsor this series.
The Royal British Legion offers all members of our Armed Forces community support. But we also understand that sometimes what’s needed is just a bit of advice. So whether it’s recommending specialised services, advice on housing, finances, or employment, they’ve got your back. Head to www.britishlegion.org.uk to find out more.
Carrie is the owner of Military Matchmaker and an amazing networker – she knows everyone!  Not only is she an incredible asset as an Ambassador for the Milspo network she is my go-to guru when I need help finding and connecting business owners.
In this episode, we talk about her military life as an Army wife and the importance of networking for business. You’re going to really enjoy this one!
 
If networking is something that you would like some support with, especially if you’re struggling to build one because of military life, you’re going to love the Milspo network. It’s an online global network of over 1,200 members that you can access for free right now. We do monthly networking and meet-ups to support anyone running a business whilst living the roller-coaster that is Armed Forces life. So come and join us – search for Milspo MILSPO on Facebook. We’d love to see you there.
That’s all for me for this week. I’ll be back next Friday for the last episode of the series – so, I shall see you then.

Welcome back to The InDependent Spouse – and what an episode we have for you today! If you’re a business owner, you’ll know that as soon as we get past Halloween, there’s another scary event on the horizon – tax season! Luckily, I know the most fantastic accountant, who also happens to be a military spouse, and Milspo Ambassador – and that’s who I am talking to today.
But first off, a note from the sponsors, the Royal British Legion.
The Royal British Legion can offer you financial support. Whether it’s helping you manage your debt, setting up a new home or business, or just checking you and your family are getting the benefits you’re entitled to, they’ve got your back. Search RBL online or head to www.britishlegion.org.uk
My guest today, Caroline Hocking, is an expert in all things tax and HMRC, so it gives me great joy to be able to bring you this episode today, just as we start creeping towards that January HMRC deadline. But, don’t worry – this episode may be all about finances, but it is far from boring. In fact, you’ll get so much from this whether you have your own business or not – so grab a pen, take some notes, and enjoy this episode of The Independent Spouse podcast.
If you have any more questions, and you’re a military spouse, partner or other-half that has their own business, head over to the Milspo community on Facebook - facebook.com/groups/MILSPO – where Caroline will love to help.

And, if you are looking for an accountant, or indeed a bookkeeper, I have just launched a very exciting new Milspo search website called Find A Milspo – an online directory where you can now find partner-owned businesses all in one place. It’s over at findamilspo.co.uk, perfect for finding that next Milspo business and makes it just that little bit easier to directly support the Armed Forces Community.
So, that’s all from me for today. I will be back with another episode of The InDependent Spouse very soon, so I shall see you then.
 
 

Hello you wonderful lot,
I hope you are well, no matter where you find yourself in the world. It always astounds me when I check the stats on the podcast how many of you are listening, here in the UK and further afield. It’s great to see how these inspirational stories are being spread across the world and hopefully helping you feel a little bit more positive in your military life.
Last week I felt especially honoured to talk at the International Military Spouse Virtual Employment Summit – showcasing military spouses, partners and other-halves in business and learning from other armed forces partners from across the globe. It was a wonderful event and really did highlight the challenges but in equal measure the people from our own community stepping up to support us all. I came away with a new sense that our voices really are being heard on a global stage, and a new hope that military families will now be part of the conversation. Something we can all work towards in our own ways.
A charity that has always known how important military families are is the RBL, who are sponsoring this series.
The RBL know that families are the most important support structure within the serving community. But time spent apart during exercises and operations has its challenges and can strain any relationship. As the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity, the RBL works with its partners to support us when we need a bit of support ourselves. They are here for us 365 days a year, even if it’s just for a phone call to talk to a friendly voice. Head over to rbl.org.uk for more info.
We all know how busy military life can be, but I’ve always been keen to know what life is like when both partners are serving. Today’s interview is with Group Captain Toria McPhaden. Toria is the Station Commander at RAF Northolt and is also married to a serving officer.
In this interview we talk about how that works, and if life as a female officer is any different to the boys! I hope you enjoy this episode of The InDependent Spouse.
Last series I spoke to the lovely Chris Keen on how life as a military husband was, so it’s great to hear the other side, and these interviews go so well hand-in hand together so I would recommend you checking out that episode too.  

Hello you wonderful lot, welcome back to The Independent Spouse. Today I am chatting to the fab Rachel Luke – Virtual Assistant, Social Media expert, and Milspo Ambassador. You are going to love this interview if you’re a business owner as it’s stuffed full with our best business tips associated with social media.
Before we kick off with the interview, here’s a little note from the RBL, who sponsor this series.
The Royal British Legion have been the national champions of Remembrance for 100 years, but they are about much more than just poppies. They’re here 365 days a year to support us and our families. Whether it’s helping to ease the transition for your family into civilian life or help to get your business off the ground, they’ve got your back. Visit their website rbl.org.uk for more information.
So, on to the interview with the lovely Rachel. Grab a pen as you won’t want to miss any of these tips, and enjoy this weeks episode of The InDependent Spouse.
A huge thank you to Rachel. If you like what you’ve heard, but you haven’t joined the Milspo Business Network, you are missing out. We have some fantastic things planned for 2022, and we want you to be there too – so, head over to www.milspo.co.uk, where you can find information about how to build a business that flourishes in military life, details about our vast global network and chances to connect and network in our free Milspo events. You are going to love it! There are over 1,200 members ready to support your business, no matter where you are located or at which stage of business you are at.
So, that’s all from me for today. I’ll see you next time for another inspirational episode – have a great week!

Happy Friday you wonderful lot, I hope you’re keeping well and enjoying this new series of The InDependent Spouse.
This entire series has been sponsored by the Royal British Legion, who are gearing up for their busiest time of year.
The Royal British Legion have been the national champions of Remembrance for 100 years , but they are about much more than just poppies. They’re here 365 days a year to support us and our families. Whether it’s helping to ease the transition for your family into civilian life with finance and employment advice from their teams of experts, or helping get your business off the ground, they’ve got your back. Visit their website rbl.org.uk for more information.
Thank you to the RBL for sponsoring this series. It means that I can keep bringing you the inspirational stories from our epic military community.
My guest today is no exception. Eleanor founded Another Door to support others who wanted to reframe redundancy as an opportunity. Her book, Why Losing Your Job Could be the best thing that ever happen to you was published in November 2020 and is perfect for anyone looking at a change in their lives – perfect for any of us who have adapted due to Armed Forces Life.
Enjoy this shiny new episode of The InDependent Spouse.