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Welcome to Milspouse Matters, the podcast dedicated to encouraging military spouses!

I’m your host Jen McDonald, and I was a military spouse for 30 years until my husband’s retirement. We lived all around the world, raised four kids, and dealt with all the challenges and adventures of military life, just like you! I’m also the author of two books for military spouses. Over the years, I came to believe that we military spouses are tough, but we're only stronger together. Whether you’re a new or more seasoned spouse…Whatever life is throwing your way?  Let’s talk about it!

Learn more at Jen McDonald's site. 

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  2. Support for Seasoned Military Spouses with Pride & Grit - Ep. 85

Support for Seasoned Military Spouses with Pride & Grit - Ep. 85

Jun 7, 2022

On this episode, I'm talking to Jen Pasquale from Pride & Grit. 

Jen is a 15-year active-duty Army spouse, mom of two, and champion for seasoned military spouses. In 2018, Jen founded Pride & Grit as a support community, resource hub, and as of 2021, host of an annual personal development retreat for seasoned military spouses. As a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Jen also offers identity coaching using the CliftonStrengths assessment. As a coach, Jen helps spouses develop pride in their unique talents while cultivating the grit to use those talents and lean into an identity beyond service.

We talk about her work and support for seasoned military spouses, including their struggles, how often we keep our problems to ourselves so we appear strong, what others misunderstand about “senior spouses,” and ways you can begin to prepare for the end of your servicemember’s career and take care of yourself.

Jen talks about Pride & Grit and how it came about. She says,

“A lot of us have been around a long time, and we’ve weathered a lot of hard things in military life. A lot of us were tired. It’s not that we didn’t love being a service family, but we were tired. And I noticed that people didn’t have a space to be tired that was supportive for them.”

If you can relate, this is the episode for you! Be sure to also check out the yearly Evolve Retreat for seasoned military spouses. 

Connect with Pride & Grit and learn more about the Evolve Retreat.

Find Pride & Grit on social media:

See the complete show notes for this episode.

This episode is sponsored by USA Girl Scouts Overseas. For families on the move, Girl Scouts is a constant, allowing girls to pick up right where she left off: benefiting from the single best leadership development experience for girls in the world. Their virtual troop is a great way for girls to learn new skills, meet girls from all over the world, and have fun no matter where they are or where they move. Learn more at USA Girl Scouts Overseas!