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Last Updated: September 2, 2024

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184: Alexis Harlow on Empowering Military Spouses Through Mindful Journaling

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CcJK90jAAec

Have you found creative outlets that help you manage stress and anxiety? Alexis Harlow with Mindfully Military has found her outlet through mindful journaling.

Alexis shares her experiences as an active-duty Air Force spouse, including her adaptation to new environments and the inspiration behind Mindfully Military, a 52-week journal designed for military spouses. Mindfully Military is more than a journal; it's a tool for empowerment, helping spouses find stability amidst the chaos of military life.

From coping with culture shock to addressing mental health within the military community, Alexis's story is one of resilience, creativity, and empowerment. Listen to how personal growth and community support can transform challenges into opportunities for self-discovery and connection.

Resources Mentioned:

• https://mindfullymilitary.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/mindfully_military
• https://www.facebook.com/people/Mindfully-Military/100092669011425/

Read our Monday, Nov. 4th, 2024 newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/649405ef0b0b/holdingdownthefort

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Our show continues its partnership with The Rosie Network by featuring Service2CEO Graduates every Monday! Read more - https://issuu.com/therosienetwork/docs/2024notablesmemag/24

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In the Fall of 2023, Jen Amos was sought after by InDependent to co-host the 8th annual InDependent Wellness Summit™. In August 2022, Jen Amos' work on the podcast was recognized by Disney Institute and she was hand-selected as the only non-Disney employee to moderate the first Military Spouse Employment panel for the Veterans Institute Summit. March 2022, former co-host Jenny Lynne has voted the 2022 Naval Station Norfolk Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. November 2020, Jen Amos was awarded “Media Professional of the Year” at The Rosie Network Entrepreneur Awards! The show continued to collect award nominations in the following years. In September 2021, the show made the Final Slate in the 16th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards for the Government & Organizations category. In November 2021, the show was an Award Finalist for the 5th Annual National Veteran & Military Spouse Entrepreneur Awards. December 2021, the show was a Golden Crane Podcast Awards Nominee. September 2022, the show was a Finalist for the 13th Annual Plutus Awards presented by Capital Group for “Best Military Personal Finance Content.”

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Jen Amos 0:00

Alright. Hey, everyone. I am really excited to be here today with Alexis Harlow with mindfully military. Alexis, welcome to hold down the fort.

Alexis Harlow 0:09

Thank you. And thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be on here. Yeah. So

Jen Amos 0:13

for people that are getting to know you for the first time, give us a quick snapshot of your life right now.

Alexis Harlow 0:19

Jen Amos 2:00

just a little roller coaster. Yeah, I want to make a comment about the snow. So I lived in California for 20 years. And then when we moved to the East Coast, we did not get like four inches of snow like you did. But I remember the first time living in Richmond, Virginia. And the first time I saw snow, my thought was like, how do people live? Like, right? How did they get you know, and then and then that's the first time I saw people salting the roads. And I was like, you know, they would spend all night like just salting the roads. And you know, for my husband who grew up in the Midwest, I was very familiar to him. And for me, I'm like, Whoa, like, This is so crazy. And but even so, like, like, for me working from home, I was like, how do people get to work? How do people live their lives? So I can I can definitely relate to that. That culture shock of like, How is this possible? And how are you all still existing? And it almost makes you be like, Wow, was I like, sheltered for a long time or something like what's going

Alexis Harlow 3:00

on here? Yeah, sheltered by the weather, I guess.

Jen Amos 3:03

Yeah. I mean, although I do know, Texas can get pretty hot. Oh,

Alexis Harlow 3:08

yeah. I know. I'm like, okay, so people can deal with the snow. But I mean, whenever we were stationed and outdoors, it was like a blow dryer. Like it was 100 degrees. The wind is blowing like 30 miles an hour. I was like, this was absolutely miserable. So I'm actually excited for this summer to see how it is. But yeah, yeah,

Jen Amos 3:27

yeah. Might be a little the weather probably won't be as intense, right? I mean, who knows? Because like, likely for me living in Virginia, every season has its own character. You know, like winter. It's real. I mean, relatively, it's really cold. But summer is summer. It's like humid, it's hot. There's dragonflies and all the bugs outside that I can't handle, you know, and then the cockroaches like because we live by the beach. And it's real life happening. I'm like, wow, I was living in a California bubble for way too long. And, and it's like crazy. Because when I was a military kid, like, I did experience four seasons when I like lived in Japan and stuff. But I think I was too young to like, really know the difference. And now as an adult, it's like, how, like, how to do this anyway, like, I've lived out here for a handful years now. And I'm like, Okay, I think I got the hang of this. And, you know, like, I have my community out here now. And it's not so bad. But, you know, I know that, like, it's an adjustment. It's an adjustment to uproot yourself. And I know, this isn't the first time that you and your husband have have moved. So you know, it's it's a very interesting life. And that being said, I have to say that I'm very intrigued with mindfully military and the fact that you have this self reflection journal and I'm curious, where did this initially begin for you to you know, create something like this

Alexis Harlow 4:54

right. Okay. So I kind of a depressing story, but you know, I'd had a good turnout in the end you Whenever we were stationed out is I mean Altus is a rural Air Force Base, like you're in 10,000 people, there is nothing around you besides like an hour away, which is law in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. And resources there are limited. And the whenever we moved there, there was just a lot of suicides that kept happening on the base, like, Oh, my, we were in like a little duplex like in base housing and like my neighbor, like, right across for me, like, they commit suicide and sad. Yeah. And I worked from home at that time, so I kind of watched it all happen. And I was just kind of like, oh my gosh, like, this keeps happening. Like over and over. Like, there has to be something that we can do, you know, something that can be done in a sense, and I was just like, wow, like, if that one person knew maybe how to cope or maybe like, know that, hey, like, we see you like, you're not alone, like, stuff like that. Maybe something positive can come out of this. So mindfully military wasn't like, Oh, I'm gonna make a journal tomorrow. It kind of came with I was like, I want to do like a self care box and do like, maybe you shower steamers, maybe like aromatherapy and have like a self care book in there or something like that. And then I started to look, I was like, I use break crate whenever my husband was deployed, love break crate, it's amazing. But I noticed that there was that and there was like, no soap box. And I was like, I'm done. Okay, maybe we can like shift this. And I was like, What is and I was really like intrigued with self help books at the time. Because like being a ninja, I was a teacher. And they just really helped me kind of like get through the day and like, just kind of decompress from every day. And so whenever that happened, I was like, Okay, here's a self help book, like, what could I do to actually have some sort of self help, but like, in a journal, like, the one book isn't going to work for everyone. So let's try to think outside the box and have something that might work for everyone. This is, and then I started seeing, like, other journals that was meant for, you know, like, the general population. And I was working on one too. And like, just one time, like, in my living room, I was like, Oh my gosh, like I was writing in my journal. And I was like, what if I actually made a journal? Like, what am I made a journal for military spouses for the military life that people can relate to? And be like, okay, yes, like, there's change, you know, there's so much stuff happening, but you can control the chaos that the military brings in, you can empower your journey, which is kind of like my tagline is like, empower your journey. Because when I was stationed at Altos, like, I was like, why am I here? Why? Why am I in the middle of nowhere with 10,000 people? This is not ideal for me. Like, I came from a city, I graduated college, and I was like, This is terrible.

Jen Amos 7:51

Gone, this is where my college degree took me to rural America. Yeah.

Alexis Harlow 7:55

And then I was like, Oh, my gosh, and then, you know, the teacher pay, I was like, Oh, this is even better. You know, I was not impressed at all. But I just kind of realized that, you know, shifting my mindset, not being like, why am I here? And like, why is this the only place I can be at right now? But like, What is my purpose here? Like, why was I put here, I was obviously picker for a reason, you know, why is that? What can I do here, you know, to kind of like, shift my mindset to help more people in the community to be involved in the community, you know, to help like my husband, squadron, if they need it, you know, just kind of like, come together. So whenever I started shifting my mindset to and focusing like on positive affirmations, and like, really, wanting to know my purpose of why I was there, that's kind of when mindfully military fell into place. And I was like, Okay, maybe if I can get this message out to other spouses, you know, and other people in the military, it will be better for them, and they can, you know, empower their own journey, no matter where it takes them.

Jen Amos 9:01

Yes, thank you. I always say like, there's always rain, there's always a rainbow after the rain, like, you know, there's always going to be some sort of brightness, like on the other side, no matter what that means. And sometimes, like the brightest things come out of the darkest times, which is not great, but it's just kind of how life works. Yeah,

absolutely. I mean, it's, it's great. It's, it sounds to me that you're like, equipped with a lot of mantras, and a lot of ways to reframe your situation. And of course, I'm sure the general, the journal has a lot of prompts to encourage people to, you know, reframe, reframe, or reflect or even just relax, like, I like how you incorporate the coloring book side of it. So people can decompress, and, you know, relieve some stress and stuff. Like I remember a couple years ago, I started to become more aware of adult coloring books. And I was like, that's actually pretty smart. Because, you know, I don't want to do like a kid's coloring book, I'm gonna finish that pretty quickly. But the it's like more intricate, you know, for adults to like, you know, I just I always found that really fascinating. But anyway, I wanted to talk a little bit about how your involvement with the Rosie network has played an influence into, you know, helping mindfully military.

Yeah, the Rosie network was great. Like, it was amazing to go through, I think our class size was maybe like nine people to begin with, I want to say, and then towards the end, I think only five were left. But it was a great experience. I had Laura Torres as my instructor, she was awesome. I remember like, there were times whenever we were getting towards the end of like graduation. And I was like, Look, I'm working. I don't know if I can do this. Like doesn't, I really don't want to do this actually. And I was like, I have to do like a vendor fair. Like my military and Family Readiness center. We had a military spouse retreat, they wanted me to be there. And it was like, Oh, my gosh, I had to get everything together in like, two weeks. I was like, I don't even know if I can do this. And I was talking to Laura, and she was like, No, you can do this. Like, just get out there and like, go do it. Like what's the worst that could happen? I was like, okay, yeah, true. Because I am like, very introverted. I was like, Oh my gosh, I don't really know if I want to do that. But she gave me like, such great tips. And like, such great advice, and really contributed to my self esteem as a business owner, and kind of like getting out there. And she was like, This is what you wanted, like, you know, you wanted your military and Family Readiness center to approach you and everything else. And she was like, this is what they're doing, like, time to show up time to like, be there for them. And then she was just like, her main thing is always remember your why, like, why are you doing this? And what's your purpose, stuff like that. And that was kind of like what also made mindfully military kind of pivot is like, remember, my Y, like, my wife has mental health, like, so they create something that will help mainly with mental health. So yeah, her thing was remember your why. And with that, I was able to do like the vendor fair, and kind of get everything together for that. And then partner with the CEO upgrade deck at the time, Andrew Appleton and kind of give out some journals for Military Spouse Appreciation Day. And that was like really great, I would have never really realized or even thought the year before, like so maybe I knew I would have never been like, Oh, I'm gonna be like, you know, partnering with the CEO and like, giving away my journals that I've written. Yeah. All this other stuff. So it was just kind of like a whirlwind. And but yeah, the rosary network helped a lot helped me keep on track, kind of create a business plan. Because like no one in my family has ever owned a business is a very different way of thinking and all these other things. So yeah, and the main thing was like the resource was free and it worked in my schedule. It was Sunday nights. You know, it was great. It was a great option. And I'm really glad that I did it.

Yeah, I'm really happy to hear that. Because if there's anything that the what is it, I was actually my husband and I just had a conversation with Stephanie Brown, the founder of the rose network, right. And we were talking about, like, how she started the Rosie network. And one of the things that Stephanie brought up in our conversation is actually first, my husband said, that typical stat of like, nine out of 10 businesses fail in their first year. But then Stephanie added, nine out of 10, businesses fail if they don't have mentorship. And that was like, very profound that she said that. And so really, the difference between a successful entrepreneur and maybe not so successful, is the amount of help and resources that they get. And I think that's the amazing thing about Rosie network, the fact that they are dedicated to helping, you know, people such as yourself, like with resources, and mentorship and accountability, and encouragement, you know, to make this possible, because you could have every excuse, technically, you could, because you work full time, you're in the military, you know, military life, you know, those two alone is a lot to handle, you know, and, and for some people, they have kids, right, they have a family they have people to take care of. And so it's kind of like you can have every excuse, or those can all be reasons to do what you do. Right. And so I think it's just again, like, I just want to commend you for even like taking advantage of the resource and graduating because yeah, some people don't make it all the way through for, you know, for their own reasons. It's, it's neither right or wrong, it just is. But out of this, you came out of, you know, this business and these opportunities and these partnerships, that wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for just a little encouragement and saying that you could do it. Yeah,

for sure. And I also want to give a big shout out to Military OneSource. Because they are like one of the greatest resources that I feel like some military spouses don't even really know exists, like they know it exists, but they don't know how to use it. And I remember, like, I got laid off from my job. And I called them and I was like, hey, like, I'm having a hard time finding a job. Like, I knew I could call Military OneSource. Because I always see like, the brochures outside, like the Family Readiness center. And like, from that moment that I called them, and they picked up the phone, like they instantly connected me with a career coach. And they do have like entrepreneurship, like coaches to that will kind of help you mentor and stay on track. And like, having her and working with the Rosie network was really great, because it just kind of went hand in hand. And like, I feel like a lot of spouses don't know about Military OneSource. And, like, utilize it. So I just want to say like, if you're thinking about an idea that you may have, like they actually have, you know, people there that can listen to you and be like, okay, like, and the point of Military OneSource was my career coach, Kristen, she was like, Have you heard of Rosie network? And it wasn't like, she was like, No, it's like this free resource that exists for you know, military and military spouses, like you should check it out and send in like your info. And I did and within like, a few weeks, I think they were already enrolling me like into the Rocky Mountain cohort.

Wow. Well, that's awesome. And I think, again, a testament to seeking out that help, you know, I think that military life can easily feel isolating, and that you're the only one going through what you're going through. And the fact that you sought that out, and you let them know what you want or what you need when you weren't sure what you wanted, when or the fact that they were able to give you that guidance and refer you to the Rosa network, I think is absolutely amazing. And yeah, and I hope that you also give yourself a pat on the back for that willingness. Because I can there are people I there have been people who just, you know, they just don't for their own reasons, but because you did, like you know who you are, I think almost a almost a year out into starting your business, and being able to what it sounds like kind of find a good way to balance everything, you know, full time living the military life, and then also doing the journal. So yeah, so yeah, I hope you give you I hope you give yourself some flowers for that, you know?

Yeah. I

you know, one day at a time. Yeah. So anyway, like I was saying, you started this last year from my understanding. Yeah. Tell me a little bit about how, what does balancing all that look like for you? And what is your cadence look like? And, you know, how do you stay on top of things without, I don't know, going insane if that's possible.

My husband helps me a lot. He is like a partner kind of in my business. And whenever I was getting my website, oh my gosh, whenever I was getting my website done, I was like queens do I want to do and like everything else. And I like me and technology, we sometimes get along but all the time. Yeah. And I was like, I can't do this. Like I can't even figure out like this website like how are we gonna do this? And he's like, okay, just calm down. And like, he gets on his PC and like, finishes it and like, you know, puts the finishing touches on and he's like, What do you think of this? So yeah, he has been like a really big help kind of with Yeah, keeping everything together, I would say so we do we work as a really good team. And I will say, I'm not the perfect business owner, you know, like, I don't have content coming out every other day, you know, I want to enjoy mindfully military. So I post things that should resonate with people, you know, I do like Tic tock videos and journals and selling them. Like this past Christmas, I got my first spouse the order, I was like, really excited about that. So like, I did a video on that, you know, posting, if we have something like new come out on Amazon, or like a new price or like a sale or something, and then just kind of posting like mindful tips, also on Instagram. So I yeah, I would say that, I just kind of find I want to find a balance that I enjoy it. And if I'm not enjoying posting content every other day, and I think it's more of a headache than it is in joyfulness, like I just really don't do it. And then I kind of like, I didn't have like this content schedule, when I really was trying to, like, do it. And then I just felt like I was getting too overwhelmed and too burnt out. And yeah, from teaching, I know that once I hit that point, I'm like, No, I don't want to do this anymore. So I try to find like a joyful, like, whenever I want to do content, like I have, like these spurts, like my husband, like was tripped out this past week. So I sat down and did content, because I felt like doing it. And I was really productive. So yeah, I tried to have like, you know, three or four goals every month that I tried to meet for my business, and then, you know, go based off that, but I don't want to, I don't want to get too burned down on it. And I just want to make stuff you know, that's resourceful and not like too much fluff, I guess. And then just kind of like pivoting like the Rosa network has taught me like shifting ideas. So like this past week, I called like the Malmstrom Air Force Base, Military Family Readiness center and was like, hey, like, I'm Alexis Barlow. I'm the owner of mines military, which no one has a clue what that is. But I'm like, I have like a 52 week journal, can I just send it to you that you so you can just put it in your Military Family Readiness center? Because my main purpose and what brings me joy is if a spouse walks in there and is like, what is that? And then she picks it up. And then she's like, Oh, wow, like I could really use this. So it's not about sales or anything like that. It's literally about just like if I can help a spouse, and they see my journal, and they and I can help them like that. I just want it to be a resource. And I want more spouses to know about the resource. So that's why I kind of just directly contact Military Family Readiness centers, especially like the global Shrike community, like my not and Malstrom, and your NFE, you know, bases that are kind of desolate, and you know, where spouses may struggle, a little bit more. So yeah, I've kind of pivoted to that, and just hoping that someone that needs it will see it.

Oh, well, I think that's wonderful. And I was thinking about what you're saying about like, it's not about sales. And I think like a good way to what I've come to learn is rather than call it sales, call it being of service, you know, like you're servicing people, and you know, and that's the most gratifying thing when you know that something that you created out of nothing. You know, like it was your ideas, your concept, it was your vision, it actually improves like someone else's life, like nothing can be more gratifying than that. Right? For sure. Yeah. And I was also thinking about as a business owner, it's like, I think a lot of us get into business because of what we want to offer. But there's like the phases, there's like, you have to wear different hats when like creating the book to or creating your journal to actually putting it out there. And so I know you mentioned earlier that you're a little bit more on the introverted side, which I can relate to. So I'm curious to know, on your end, like what's, what's your mindset shift? Or how do you like, get your mind right to, you know, make content or put yourself out there make those phone calls? Like, what does that look like for you?

Yeah, before I made that phone call, I was sitting at my kitchen table, and I was like, Okay. He was like, what's the worst? They could say? No. And I'm like, Whatever, I'll just try something else. But yeah, it's kind of like, I'm like, I worked so hard for this. I put in numerous hours of, you know, making the journal making my website and creating all of my other stuff. And like, well, it would kind of be, you know, dumb to stop now. Yeah. So I'm just like, I put in all this work. And I, you know, you don't want to have any regrets. Like in your business. You don't want to have any regrets. I'm like, if I sat here at my kitchen table and didn't call Malstrom I would probably regret that, you know, I'm not gonna regret you know, picking up the phone and being like, Hey, this is me, and they said, Sure, send it you know, and that was even more gratifying because, for me, it's even more gratifying. I love like, a shout out to My old days out of the Air Force Base, but they actually bought like eight journals for spouses there. Wow, they did like a journaling class. And like, I love when the military helps military spouses. Like if it is what they need to do, you know, it is great. Like, that is what I want. I want, you know, the military to help military spouses, I want, you know, a spouse to buy a journal, obviously, you know, off Amazon or wherever, like they want to, but it's even more gratifying when the military is like, Oh, this is actually going to help spouses. Let me put Yeah, well, you know, let me help our spouses that are here. So that was really great. But yeah, just having no regrets. And just kind of, you know, you even if you have to make a tic tock video 10 times, which I'm going to do, you know, just getting it out there, because I'm like, I would regret not making this tic tock video, you know, I would regret especially whenever was my first order on spouse aid, I made a video off of that, because I was like, This is really great. Like, I love spouse aid, they, you know, eat most of what you make off there, and it's so much better than Amazon or Lulu, like at the in the journal on Lulu, but it's so much better, especially because it's military spouses, helping military spouses as well. So yeah, just having no regrets and just being like, I worked. This is my vision. Yeah. You know, it's just like a job, you know, if you're gonna go to work, I mean, why not? You know, be the best that you can for it. And I'm always like, that's my favorite quote is like, actually by Martin Luther King, Jr. You know, like, that's where you're at, like, be that this no matter where you are, and, and Altice I was determined to be the best, like, no matter what, yeah, no matter if I was there, or were so yeah,

yeah. I also like that attitude of, hey, I made it this far. There's no going back. Like, it's like, I've put in so much time and effort and love and sweat and tears into this, like, yeah, why wouldn't I? Why would I let a two letter word no, you know, keep me from, like, actually putting it out there. And so, yeah, no, I think that's awesome. And it's just great to hear, you know, the communities that have supported you and also that you're supporting, you know, what is called Military OneSource. Then again, yep, Military OneSource. The Rosen network spouse, Lee, I don't know, you mentioned brave crate earlier. And I, I believe we've interviewed him on this show. So I'm gonna have to like check my head. I've interviewed so many people at this point where I'm like, Okay, who I'm pretty sure that name sounds very, or that business sounds very familiar. So I'm gonna have to look that up myself. But I love that it's, it's like, that's one thing I really admire about the military spouse community is that you all look out for each other and support each other as much as possible. And it just must feel so meaningful to know that you're not in this life alone. And that you have this whole army of spouses in a sense to, you know, support and advocate for one another. Yeah. So I'm sure that I'm sure that must be really refreshing and comforting for you having been in this life for what, like five years now?

Yeah, yeah. Yes. Interesting. I was, you know, with my husband before he joined the military and seeing him like, you know, I was at basic graduation, and now he's a staff sergeant. And I'm just like, oh, my gosh, like, this is really happening. Yeah, all, you know, six years of it, really? So?

Yeah. I'm curious to know, I know that your husband really supports you in your business. Like, tell me a little bit about when you when you first came up with this idea? How did your husband receive it?

Okay. Yeah. I was like, I have an idea. Like, you know, I was like, I've just been thinking, and I knew if he was gonna be like, no, like, buy those bought a good idea. I was gonna like, okay, it's probably not a good idea. Because he does. He keeps a level head, I would say me, you know, we switch off and on. But you know, if I'm, like, really excited about something, I'm like, Oh, I could do this and might not turn out like, super great. But I talked to him. And I was like, I have this idea. I was like, and it was like, whenever the boxes, I was gonna do a box. Since I didn't know, I really think that's a good idea. And I was like, Oh, okay. Like, I'm just making stuff up thinking that was just gonna work. Yeah. And I'm like, one of those people. It's not good. But I do need like, reaffirming from people, like if I had an idea, or I think it's like a good idea, and like, hey, what do you think about this? And if they're like, No, we're guests, then that kind of determines my mindset. Yeah. But he was like, No, I think it's a really good idea. And then whenever I switch to the journal side, more of it, he was like, Yeah, I think that that's like a really good idea, too. And so that's kind of how he reacted to it. And he was like, oh, like, I can help you if you need me to and, you know, stuff like that. So yeah, yeah,

there's nothing more encouraging than to have your spouse on your side. Yeah, to say that, even if it's like, yeah, that sounds great. Yeah, like it's either that or me. It's that or nothing. Sometimes, so. Yeah, it's like funny because, you know, a lot of the work I do is with my husband. And so whenever I do stuff that's like, that's my idea. It's not that he ever liked shot me down before, but there is that moment of like, is he can like it, not gonna like it. And, you know, sometimes he just says like, he'll just say like, okay, and then I, you know, depending on how I interpret that is how I you know that it depends on my, you know, like, how it affects me. But yeah, it's like I tell myself, well, you didn't say no. So, so I'll take that. Because I just think like, you know, at least for me, it's like, I do care a lot about what he says, and hers and his support. And I want to make sure that whatever we do, like supports, like our overall like, vision for our family and our business and in all that stuff. So I think I think it it really is helpful to have a spouse that is like, in your corner for that. And lets you run with it.

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah. Especially when there's winning the journal that was like my journal. I mean, like, you can see like, your app to, you know, kind of line things up and different colors and stuff, and very supportive whenever we were trying to design it as well. Yeah. So yeah,

that's awesome. Yeah, I'm really fascinated by the journal, because I think it's, it's a good opportunity for anyone that decides to get the journal, it's a great opportunity for people to, like have alone time and self reflection time or, or for people who maybe never knew how to do that. Like, I'm sure it helps prompt them on how to do that. And so I'm curious to know, what has been the feedback like, since you know, since you've had this journal come out? Yeah,

I've had like, some pretty good. I mean, I've had pretty positive reviews from the spouses that purchased it. And whenever I was announced, I was part of like the military spouse, business community there. And Jen Harvey, she was actually an army spouse, but they chose to live in Altis is a an hour away from the base. And she kind of helped, like, bring it all together, because there wasn't really one before that. And it was actually really sweet because she was my first review, like, whenever she got the journal, and she, like, made this big review on Amazon. And I've had like, a couple other spouses review the book, and I haven't had any bad review. So yeah, and like, that's another thing that keeps me going, I would say is like, Okay, I have these good reviews, like, I don't want to, you know, not make this journal accessible to spouses or anything like that. So yeah, we've had very positive feedback. And I've even gotten some feedback from spouses. They're like, I love the journal, and it took me to journal in my own way. And I'm like, That is perfect. You know, that is why I put like a space for you on the other side of the reflection prompt, because if you don't feel like reflecting on that, or that spot what you're really like, wanting to do in that moment, and you have something else on your mind, you know, switch to this space for you and write what is actually on your mind. Yeah, yeah, it was really refreshing to hear that because I was like, Oh, great. Like, that's what I wanted. And, you know, they just reaffirmed that, and they're like, Yeah, this is where it took me. And I started reflecting about this and thinking about this, and like, you know, how our challenges are and everything like that. And a lot of them love the positive affirmations that I have been weak. So I was like, that was great. Like, that's also why I put it in there, too. So yeah, we've had very positive feedback. And I'm just glad that spouses like, I don't want this to limit your brain, like I want it to, you know, kind of get your brain going on where you need it to go.

Yeah, yeah, I think that's like, that's wonderful. And it sounds like there's a lot of flexibility with the journal like, you don't restrict them to write and rank during prompts. It's like, hey, there's a page where it's just for you, you can just do whatever you want, you know, or you can call her, you can call her also. And it's like, just giving ourselves that grace, to reflect the way that is comfortable for you, and inspiring for you at that time. So I think that's amazing. And yeah, I think it's really exciting Alexus that you've created this, I have heard about like care packages and you know, other types of businesses. But oddly enough, I think you're the first one I've heard that is a military spouse focused reflection, you know, journal, so I just want to commend you. And I want to know now like, where do you see yourself now in the next year, because we, you know, we're about to do year one, and we're entering year two. So what does it look like for you right now,

some kind of goals that I've put in my business is I really want to be in all the Global Strike. So my Nostrum and FE, I want to be in there relatively right in the center. I just want to have my journal there. So you know, whenever a spouse comes in, they see it. I also kind of want to be like, in through like, probably five army bases like in their family readiness center, you know, and maybe one Navy base and one Marine base. So that is kind of like where I'm shifting my focus Step so that spouses know like where it exists. And then of course, like growing my online platform and stuff like that, because I do get like a lot of organic growth through there. And one thing that I'm gonna celebrate is, I remember whenever I first pulled up my website, oh my gosh, I think I was on the fifth page of Google, like, it was embarrassing. My SEO was not good at all. I was like, okay, no one is ever going to find me. Like, who goes to the fifth page of Google? But, and then I think like, this past month, I checked my SEO and I like, texted a couple of my friends with like, my brother, brother and sister who habit, you know, they're younger, they're like, 15. And I was like, Hey, Mike, and mindfully military journals, and send me a screenshot of what pops up. And I was the first page like, on the SEO, and picture and everything. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is so exciting. And like, that's another reason I'm not gonna give up either, is because I was on the fifth page of Google Now on like, first link, and it's like, when such a win, but I love

that. That's amazing. Yeah, and, you know, SEO is, I mean, even I'm actively studying it right now, also, because I think a requires time. Like, it's like, you have to build trust with the search engines that, like what you're offering is of value. And what you're offering is going to be around for a while. So the fact that you're able to go from page five to one in less than a year is definitely something to celebrate about.

I know. Yeah, it was so exciting. I remember the articles being like before, my like journals, and I was like, What even is this? But there? There was hope at the end of SEO. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, I'm curious if like, because I think when I was looking at your website, have you ever considered like a blog section to help with SEO? Or like what have you you what are some tips and tricks on your end to? Yeah, not give away everything but what have you come to find some top three things that you have found work for you?

I want to say Bing? Well, for me, it's kind of different because I do have like a service I would say about any blog post yet. I mean, I do want to get to that but just like content rating on Instagram, but then really being like kind of active on my Amazon account. The kind of grew my SEO a lot being on parade deck grew my SEO, Tik Tok, also kind of like, I don't know really why, but whenever I started posting Tik Tok videos, I noticed like my SEO starting to kind of grow. Yeah, that was interesting. Being on spouse Lee kind of being active on like my online platforms, and then connecting with other military spouses that have larger following the that really helped my SEO to I know we did a thing, first of all, Business Saturday, and Black Friday, I think and kind of like after that, and after they started connecting, and we started, like, reposting each other's content. That is when the SEO started to pick up too. Yeah.

So it sounds like having a presence and also a certain level of engagement. Yeah, has really fed into your SEO and being more searchable, which is great. Because if you're just minimally involved, like if you do a little every day, or even, you know, whatever that looks like for you maybe every other day, like I know, everyone has their own cadence when it comes to online engagement. I know for me personally, it's hard for me to be on social media, because the public feeds really suck me in. So I prefer to use like a third party scheduler that allows me to like engage with people through there. And but because of that, I'm able to have like a better cadence like with my engagement, but it sounds to me from your end that even just doing minimal, like minimal effort of being on there being present resharing every now and then seems to really help. Yeah,

it does, for sure.

Yeah. Well, Alexis, I feel like we covered everything. I'm trying to think if I had any other questions to ask, but I, you know, I really just want to commend you for everything that you've done with mindfully military so far. And it sounds like you're well balanced or centered. And if ever you're not, that's what the journal is for. I get to help recenter. And so I want to know if there's like anything else that you feel like I should be asking you that I haven't asked you yet.

No, I don't think so. I think we did all the good. High points.

So Yeah. Sweet. Love it. Awesome. So yeah, well, I just like I said, I want to thank you so much for your time, and congratulations on your success. And I wish you continued success. And I think one parting thought I'd like for you to share with our listeners is for anyone who wants to, you know, think outside the box or take that next step to do whatever they want to do that outside of the normal for them. Like what would you want to say to that person?

Um, let's say okay, I would want to say find something that inspires you like if you know that you have a good idea and you already are Thinking outside the box, just take the next steps gradually and just kind of see like where it goes, you know, get connected with Military OneSource. Get connected with the Rosi network, you know, and have a good plan before, you know, you jump off, but definitely make sure that you get connected. There are so many resources out there and just to hear feedback, just to hear, you know, like, that's a good business plan. Why don't you work on this? What about this part of your business plan? You know, there's so many different things get connected. And if you have something that you think is a good idea, you know, just do it. I mean, the worst that could happen is up to you and kinda like how your business plan is, but I would say, if you're gonna regret not trying it and not doing it, I would, you know, go ahead and think outside the box and just kind of see where your idea grows. And you might surprise yourself like I did. Yeah.

Love it. Well said, Alexis, again. Thank you so much for your time and for joining us here on hold down the fort. Yes. Thank

you so much for having me. And thank you so much for all that you do too, for the military community.

Oh, it's my pleasure. Thank you.