By Kayleigh Atherton
GROWING UP as a military child meant learning to adapt quickly. New schools, towns and friends became a regular part of life. I attended 10 different schools and moved house more times than I can remember. At the time, it just felt normal, but looking back, I can see how much those experiences taught me about resilience, confidence, independence and how to adapt to change quickly.
Alongside the adventure came sacrifice. For me, it was watching my mum and the sacrifices she made. Each move meant starting again for her too, yet she always put our family first. She put her own career on hold, following my dad between postings and holding everything together during deployments. Opportunities for Army spouses were limited then, and there was little flexibility to build a career that could travel with you.
Thankfully things have moved on. More employers now recognise the unique skills military spouses bring, and remote and flexible work has opened up options that simply didn’t exist when my mum was raising me.
That experience has stayed with me and continues to influence how I live and work. I’m not suggesting that sacrifice isn’t a part of military life, it always will be, but I do believe it shouldn’t mean giving up on your own ambitions completely.
I believe that work should fit around life, not the other way round. For years, I found myself in the same position my mum had been in, trying to make a role fit around family needs. Eventually, I realised something had to change. In 2021, I decided to start my own learning development agency, Evolved Business Support. One of the things I am most proud of in growing my business is employing Army spouses. We have built flexible, remote-first roles that move with them wherever they are posted. These include positions in HR, executive support and project management, designed to work around family life and deployments. In a small business of 10 employees, we currently have two Army spouses, and I am determined to see that number increase.
Earlier this year, we received the Bronze Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, acknowledging our support for service personnel, veterans and their families. It was a proud moment and a personal reminder of why this work matters to me.
My mum’s story has shown me that every Army spouse deserves the opportunity to build not only a role that suits their circumstances, but a career and identity of their own.