A blog from Army&You’s summer 2022 edition by Kitty Campbell, @hedgewild
Once, I thought launching my own business as a military wife was a crazy idea: mum to a young baby, with an oftenabsent husband plus moving every two years. Fast-forward four years and I couldn’t have been more wrong.
My skincare business Hedgewild was born in 2017 as I wanted to find a nappy balm for my daughter which met all my green credentials. I assumed, however, that with military life, having a business just couldn’t become a reality. That’s when I started discovering the amazing business support available to military spouses and thinking, maybe I can do this!
I joined several military spouse business groups on Facebook, which have been invaluable in providing information and contacts. The most valuable support though has been through networking. I found an amazing brand designer, website designer, business coach and mentor through the military spouse community, all with military connections. Having a small business and being a military wife has certainly not been easy. As we all know, army life can throw curve balls.
In the pandemic, going from nursery care and husband around, to two small children at home and a deployed husband was challenging (blending balms with a two-year-old hanging off my leg was quite interesting!). But the military spouse business network was wonderful.
Running a business from a quarter also has its difficulties: I’m currently operating out of a magnolia cupboard. It’s not ideal, but it works around me, my family, and this mad, unpredictable military life! So, rather than seeing being a military spouse as a hindrance to starting a business, I now view it as a blessing. We are very much stronger together!