Holiday Shop with Spouse-ly featuring Monica Fullerton

Spouse-ly is an online marketplace powered by military and first responder vendors. Founder Monica Fullerton talks about how she created this company, why it's important to create employment opportunities for military spouses, and how to shop small to make a big impact. Get some holiday shopping inspiration (along with retirements, homecomings, promotions, and more!), or find out how to join this community of creators and entrepreneurs if you want to become a seller.

Show Links:

• https://spouse-ly.com/gift-guide/

• https://www.instagram.com/spouse.ly/

Show Takeaways:

• Air Force Spouse Monica Fullerton founded Spouse-ly as a central marketplace to support military spouse creators and entrepreneurs.

• Spouse-ly is a military-owned and operated community that provides military and first responder families with flexible, income-generating opportunities wherever they are located.

• Shop small and make a big impact! With the holidays around the corner, Spouse-ly is a great place to find gifts while supporting our fellow military families.

• Interested in becoming a seller? Spouse-ly has multiple plans to choose from to meet your needs best, and has resources to help educate you on starting and growing a business.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram

A New Era for EFMP: What’s Changing for Military Families

Michelle Norman, the Executive Director and Founder of Partners in PROMISE, a non-profit organization focused on educating, advising and advocating for exceptional military families and their education, discusses the changes to EFMP. She discusses what recently changed and what's coming down the pipeline, focusing on the elimination of EFMP categories and change in respite care.

Show Links:

• Dissolution of Navy EFMP Program dissolution-of-navy-efmp-program.pdf

• EFM Respite Care Changes EFMP Respite Care Changes

• Partners in Promise Partners in PROMISE Podcasts

Show Takeaways:

• The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a program that supports military families with special needs members with their medical and educational needs throughout a service member’s career.

• Partners in PROMISE is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to protecting the rights of military children in special education and disability communities.

• DOD mandated changes to EFMP will likely impact all EFMP families. Changes include the dissolution of categories and standardizing eligibility for respite care. The dissolution of categories will allow for a more holistic and flexible approach to assignments for service members enrolled in EFMP.

• Make sure you’re aware of the changes and keep your EFMP enrollment forms up to date.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram

Show Notes: Former VA Benefit Advisor, Kathy Gonzales, shares what to expect during, and how best to prepare for, the transition-retirement process. She discusses everything from disability and education benefits, to financial planning, to TAP classes, and covers all the best resources to utilize to make the transition to civilian life as smooth as possible.

Show Links:

• Online TAP Courses and Military Life Cycle Courses

• Office of Financial Readiness (retirement calculator, find a personal financial counselor, financial courses and tools):

• Department of Veterans Affairs

• Find a Veteran Service Officer

• Team Red, White, Blue

• Team Rubicon

• National Resource Directory Resources

• State Veterans Affairs Offices

• DoD TAP

• DFAS for Retirees

• DFAS for Retirees new to Retired Pay

• Department of Labor for Veterans

• Navy Transition - Retirement Resource Guide

Show Takeaways:

• Transitioning out of or retiring from active duty can feel overwhelming, but there are lots of resources available to assist you and your family in the process.

• Transition Assistance Program classes cover finances, VA benefits, disability benefits, education benefits, employer panels, and more. This information can be accessed anytime online.

• Begin preparing for this transition early - Longevity retirees especially should begin preparing medical documentation early.

• Veteran Service Officers, VFW, American Legion and more are available to assist with filing your claims.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram