1-#ShopMilitary was created in 2018 by Lauren Hope of Hope Designs Limited. She created this as a way to encourage others to support military spouse and veteran owned businesses by shopping companies owned by those affiliated with the military. Lauren, an Army spouse, created her company which makes one of a kind jewelry to honor military members. It is her passion to serve the community and also to have meaningful employment for herself amongst military life.
2-#GivingTuesdayMilitary created in 2019 by Army spouse Maria Reed of Moving with the Military, Jessica Manfre who is a social worker, writer, and Coast Guard Spouse, and Samantha Gomolka, a Physician Assistant and National Guard Spouse. This movement was created to join all branches of the military with random acts of kindness on Giving Tuesday, which happens in the beginning of December each year. After the inaugural launch of #GivingTuesdayMilitary this group of spouses added a fourth member to their trio, Stacy Bilodeau, and started the nonprofit, Inspire Up, in 2020 which helps to spread the mission of the Giving Tuesday Military movement.
3-#MoreThanaMilspouse was created in 2018 by Wendi Iacobello, the founder of Strength 4 Spouses. She is a mother, author, blogger, freelance writer, curriculum consultant, long time adult educator, and Army spouse. This hashtag is a movement that was inspired by a graduate school project and a negative stereotype that infuriates many military spouses. It was created to encourage military spouses to find their purpose and identity beyond the label “military spouse.” It is a way to show the world the new face of military spouses and showcase the amazing things they are doing behind the scenes that oftentimes go unnoticed. The More Than a Milspouse movement seeks to empower spouses who may be having a hard time acclimating to this life to find their identity, to find their purpose, and to bravely be themselves. It highlights the achievements of men and women on the homefront who wear more hats than simply being someone’s spouse.
4-#ThisIsDeployment was created by Lizann Lightfoot of the Seasoned Spouse. This Marine Spouse knows deployments and it is her passion to help other military spouses through the challenges that deployments can bring. She has authored books, blogs, and has created master courses to be a helping hand for other military spouses whether they are facing their first or fifteenth deployment.
5-#NextGenMilspouse is a media company that was created for military spouses by military spouses. It runs on the premise of talking about all the taboo topics, the tough stuff, and being authentic about military life. Next Gen Milspouse is now operated by Milspo Media and the #NextGenMilspouse hashtag has been around for more than five years to brand this media company.
6-#IDThrive created in 2018, by the nonprofit Independent, uses this hashtag to further promote their mission of encouraging wellness within the military community. This nonprofit was created in 2013 by five military spouses: Kimberly Bacso, Michele Bradfield, Leslie Brians, Joy Chalmers, and Meg Gotheridge. These ladies desired to fulfill a need for social wellness and thus Independent was born. Independent focuses on several aspects of wellness and hopes that this hashtag can give positive encouragement to military spouses on their wellness journeys.
7-#MakeHerMilspouse was created in 2019 by the powerhouse military spouse trio: Krystal Spell an Army spouse, Lakeisha Cole a Marine spouse, and Kia Young an Air Force Veteran and Army spouse. This hashtag was developed to promote their one of a kind professional development conference, The MakeHer Milspouse Retreat. This retreat is specifically designed for female military spouse entrepreneurs. It not only includes relevant topics for business owners but also combines professional development with self-care. This getaway includes a luxurious stay at a hand-picked destination that offers a spa-like atmosphere, in addition to a great menu selection for the entire retreat. It’s a one-of-a-kind retreat that educates entrepreneurs and gives them time to indulge in some much needed self-care.
Hashtags are the new way of drumming up support, putting out a call to action, starting a campaign, branding a company, and much more. Military spouses are always on the forefront of trends and hashtags are definitely one of those. Be sure to follow the hashtags mentioned above for inspiration, encouragement, empowerment, and more.
© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2020.
