Military Workshop -- Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

(Just skim to the questions that you have.)

Q: Can you show workshop results?

A: We have received testimonials and comments individuals have taken the time to write after the programs. Samples below:

— Email from Carmen Garnes, who attended our workshop in Friedburg: “Because of your seminar, I’m finally doing something that I totally enjoy. I opened and run the Office of the Red Cross here in Friedburg. It is all volunteer and I am in the office from 0900 to 1700 Monday thru Friday. Before your seminar I wouldn’t even have considered taking on such a responsibility, because the stress level is sometimes very high. Now I don’t let the stress bother me and enjoy what I’m doing so much. Are you coming back anytime in the near future? I sure hope so because there are many new wives who could use your help. Again my heart felt Thanks.”

—Emails from Diana McCartney, who attended our workshop in Wurzburg in September 2000 (who was complaining because she couldn’t pursue the Law degree she wanted because of living in Germany) –sent a few weeks after the workshop: “Just wanted to let you know you have motivated and made a big difference in my life. I have volunteered for the JAG office and signed up for some distance learning law classes as I go to the library and check out books all the time to help me with my law career.”

And a followup email in January 2001:
“I still feel motivated as ever. I am still checking out books and taking distance learning classes. I started a savings account for me as well as my children for college. …I hope one day soon you are reading I made my dream come true and it’s all thanks to your course that motivated me and let me think positive that every little bit of work I do towards my dream is a big step closer. Thank you. I’ve changed my life for the better and if I had the chance I’d tell everyone how powerful positive changes could be in your life. Everyone should attend one of your motivational classes.”

—Comment from a woman in Germany in 1996: “I just wanted you to know. I attended your goal-setting workshop a few years back. I’m a single mom and needed a new car. But thought “How in the world?” But then I just followed what you said, came up with a plan, broke it down into mini-steps. Look out the window—that’s my car!”

—Card from a woman in Germany after 1996 program: “I was in the midst of moving in—with my husband away of course. I dropped a box and photos fell everywhere. My normal thought would have been—“Oh, no, why me?” But I thought of you two and called my kids in. We had a delightful hour going through the photos, reminiscing—and got them sorted and put away with no big effort. Thanks!”

—Email after Germany conference 1996: “You really changed my life –I’m even carrying around my goals in my wallet.” Sheryl Ellick
We haven’t had any structured way to capture ongoing results in the past. We are changing that with an ongoing email newsletter to participants (who asked to stay on our mail list) where we ask for stories to share.

Q: How does this seminar differ from an AFTB or ACS Stress-Management or other service spouse information seminar?

A: These programs are often great! However, the people who give them do them as volunteers or adjunct to many other duties.

Kathie has been researching the area of stress management/time management/happiness for fourteen years. She concentrates on these subjects in her fulltime speaking and writing business. She has spent ten years polishing her presentation skills by attending Creative Training Techniques workshops, getting individual coaching, and studying the craft as a member of the National Speakers Association. She has taught Effective Speaking Skills for many years as well — through OPM in Europe and for ROTC Senior Cadets in the US.

Holly has years of research experience and training in the areas of child and family development with her two Masters programs, research and training positions with Johns Hopkins Hospital and others, and years of teaching in special education. For five years now, she has been part of a “living laboratory” raising twins during her husband’s deployment and frequent travel.

With this program you get:
• a workshop developed specifically with military spouses in mind
• a workshop developed and presented by military spouses who experience the same challenges their audience members face
• a workshop presented by professionals in this field

Whereas many service programs focus very much on the resources available on military installations and on the family team effort, our seminars focus on what each individual can do to take responsibility for and action towards their own joy and success in life.

Q: Why should we choose this workshop over other programs like Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or Cheryl Richardson’s Life Makeovers?

A: The Follow Your Dream While You Follow the Military™ program was created by military spouses who are living this life — not by an outsider getting feedback from people living this life or simply sharing general life skills. We pull in great ideas from lots of different experts — from people like Steven Covey, Cheryl Richardson, Barbara Glanz, Michael Gelb, Barbara Sher and others. We are always reading new books, newsletters and magazines, so that we can continually add new material.

We TEST out all the ideas in the real world of military life before sharing them.
And we share ideas from the real experts — other military spouses.

Back to the Military | Meeting Planner | Military Meeting Planners | Email Kathie

Although we address family issues, relationships and priorities, our focus is on the military spouse. On what he/she can do to create a life that works for them within this military life. That means a bit of “me-focus” that often doesn’t happen for military spouses.

The reality is that, in today’s world, military spouses want to bring their own uniqueness, their own special interests and strengths to this military life. They want to live their lives based on their own priorities, not based on some proscribed way of how to be. New spouses often have a perception — a fear — of having to lose their individuality in marrying into the military. We encourage them to honor their own uniqueness. It is, after all, the diversity of the military family that gives us its strength.

Q: How much can a one-time seminar do to actually make changes for those who attend?

A: We know that some of those individuals attending will take the ideas and run with them. They’ll take action and make changes. The testimonials attest to that.
We also know that we can’t cover everything we know in four hours. And we know that everyone needs ongoing inspiration.
We provide ongoing inspiration in a number of formats:
• We have a free ezine for those who ask to be on our list, to continue to send ideas, to announce new resources we discover, and to answer questions.
(Sample enclosed).
• We have free articles available to communities who can use them in newspapers or newsletters or distributed in some other manner. Kathie has written regular columns on life skills for military spouses for many years — for the Army Times newspaper, for www.militarylifestyle.com and for many wives club newsletters. We offer those articles and new ones.
• And we offer ourselves as resources to participants, for ongoing questions. We respond to many individual issues asked of us through email, telephone or in person.

Q: What can you do to help market the workshop so that we maximize attendance?

A: We plan a number of things to supplement the marketing that you can do.

1. We provide marketing suggestions — a marketing checklist — based on Holly’s real word experience marketing the very successful PEP orientation program that she cocreated and ran in Bamberg, Germany, (Army community) for 3 years. We share what has worked and not worked in other workshop locations.

2. We created our marketing flyer to work well as a workshop announcement to post and send around. All you need to add is the date, time, place and contact info, which can all be added by hand. That saves your sometimes overworked staff from having to create something new.

3. Our ongoing newsletter is creating an email list that we can email announcements to. We can say “The workshop will be offered at these locations and on these dates. Please spread the word to your friends who are located there.” We know that word of mouth is the BEST marketing. Some of the spouses we want to reach can be distrustful of what they assume to be “official military programs,” where they will listen to their friends who recommend a program to them.

Q: Why do we need two presenters for this program?

A: We know from experience that having two presenters greatly adds to the value to the audience members.

— We have two very different personality and presentation styles so we relate to different groups of the audience members.

— We have two very different lifestyles that allow us each to provide expertise and credibility to different aspects of each audience.

Holly is the mom of twins and has the Child Development/Family Relations training and experience to address parenting and family issues. She’s been extensively involved in Family Readiness issues in the military community from creating the PEP welcome/orientation program for spouses new to Germany, to running a battalion Family Readiness Group during a deployment.

Kathie has pursued a number of different careers during her many moves, has worked as a Corporate Personnel Manager and spent years doing Job-Finding Seminars and columns. She has had her own successful business for the past twelve years so can address the career/business concerns of audience members. Her 20+ years of Army Reserve duty, to include command time, add an element of understanding of the military member side of issues as well.

— Having two presenters reduces the workload of the onsite coordinator. There is no need to drive the presenter around or to feel obligated to take care of them. As military spouses, we have easier access to and familiarity with military posts/bases which eliminates the extra work coordinators have with a non-military presenter.

— When one person is presenting it’s easy for the other to really watch the audience and note if there is any confusion. That’s a lot harder for a sole presenter to catch.

— With two presenters, we can answer many more of the individual questions after the workshop.

Q: Do you really think this workshop impacts military Readiness and Retention?

A: We certainly don’t profess that this is the magic answer to military readiness and retention issues. We do think it can be one piece of the solution.

We know, from our own experience and from that of other military spouses, that when we are excited about our possibilities — we focus on the positives. The negatives become less important and easier to deal with.

Tied into that is the poisoning effect. If I’m unhappy, I work very hard at spreading that to others — getting into the “ain’t it awful” mode. And the reverse is true. If I’m excited and happy with things, I live in possibility thinking and pass that along to others.

We’ve both personally gone from the “there are only certain assignments that are acceptable” and “Why don’t you get out of the military?” attitudes to ones of “Any assignment will be fine — there are possibilities and positives about each place — we’ll figure out what they are.”

Possibility thinking can make spouses a force for retention rather than a force for separation.

And we do know that the tips we share can impact the Quality of Life of family members. We — and many of our audience members — are living proof of that.
Let us know what other questions you have — we’ll be happy to answer them.