Caitlin Weaver

Multimedia Consultant with Stars and Stripes

Service Member's Branch - Army

Service Member's Status - Currently Serving - 14 years

What has been your military spouse career/entrepreneur journey so far?

As I mentioned, I didn't ever think I would be a military spouse. I had big dreams to be the next Katie Couric! I graduated college with the intent of working in local news. Unfortunately, most television news contracts are two years and army duty stations are three. I spent my first two years post-grad working as a reporter and news anchor in Anchorage, Alaska. I was quickly assigned the military beat and spent a significant amount of time embedded with units at JBER. When my two years there were up, we still had to spend another year in Alaska, so I found a new job with a public relations agency, transferring my skill set to a new career. Prior to COVID, my agency had never considered remote work, so it was always supposed to be a short-term solution. When COVID hit, taking my career with me through the next PCS became an option and I was able to stay at my Forbes Top 200 agency for six years before we got orders to Germany. When the time came to move to Germany, I had to quit what I thought would be my forever job and come up with a plan that ultimately led me to Stars and Stripes!

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Caitlin Weaver! I was born in Denver, CO where my dad worked as a defense contractor for Martin Marietta before we moved to Southern Illinois to take over the multigenerational family farm. I spent most of my childhood in the corn fields and with the cattle. I met my now husband in high school and told him I wasn't interested in being a military spouse. Then I went to the University of Illinois to study agricultural communications and ended up married to my husband a week before I graduated college, diving right into military spouse life! I enjoy reading, rewatching Gilmore Girls every chance I get, and helping work/plan special events. We have one daughter and two dogs. He's been in for 14 years and I've been with him on that journey for the last 10 years!

Tell us about a "typical" day in your professional life.

The fun of working with Stars and Stripes for one of their satellite locations is that there is no "typical" day. When you're working out of a much smaller location like Bavaria, Germany—it's up to us to create some of the resources! Some days I'm planning and staffing large-scale events or interviewing sky soldiers for America's 250th birthday. Other days I'm meeting with local businesses to connect them with our service members and vice versa—trying to make service members who are stationed overseas still feel at home.

If you've been stationed overseas, how did this affect your career and or business?

Despite working a remote position, working overseas involves new tax laws that would have cost my company more in international taxes than my salary. I unexpectedly had to leave the company I thought I would be with for years to come. The idea of not working while overseas and having a resume gap was giving me constant panic, despite other industry professionals telling me following my husband's service was an admirable reason to take time off—but that only works if you get an interview to explain the resume gap. I took a few months to get my feet under me, failed at several USA Jobs applications because that requires an exact science to get it right, and finally landed at Stars and Stripes Europe, representing U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria!

What has been your biggest military spouse career struggle and how did you overcome it?

The biggest struggle has been accepting the need to adjust the dream. I truly mourned my first career change out of news and into PR, but it allowed me to hone my ability to adapt and translate my skillset into new opportunities. I had to do it again when we moved OCONUS. I've had to adapt my dreams along the way, but I've learned there is more than one way to reach the end goal. The goal has always been to provide for our family, set us up for long-term success while having my own identity outside of being a military spouse. I don't have to be Katie Couric for that. I can be Caitlin Weaver. I would love to tell you there was a magic moment that this clicked for me, but it's really come from being open to change, some hard truths and opportunity.

What role did mentors and sponsors play in your journey?

Mentors are everything. I wouldn't be where I am without them. I have been so lucky over my career to meet women who saw me and brought me to the table with them. When I was just a 19-year-old college kid, a woman named Beth Nuehoff met me at a conference and told me, "You'll be interning for me this summer," and it changed my whole career trajectory. It wasn't a question or an offer! It was a statement. She instilled in me quickly that women get further by supporting each other than competing with each other. Now everywhere I go and everywhere I work, I know how important it is to find a mentor, and to return the favor. Some of my best "mentors" have been colleagues who are simply on this journey with me and are open to sharing how they got where they are, never minimizing the challenges you have to be prepared to face. You can always learn from someone new.

How does your career path differ from what you imagined for yourself?

I have gone from being the face of the news to working behind the scenes, with a few stops in between. I've found that I'm happier now, and my work/life balance is much better, once I was able to figure out what parts of my dream were most important to me. I still get to serve my community and help tell stories. It's just in a different capacity than I once did!

How did military life (PCSing, deployments, trainings, etc) factor into your career decisions?

Every PCS, deployment and training has been factored in. That's just how it works! My career has changed almost as many times as we have PCSed. I have also always stayed put where we are based out of when my husband has deployed or left for trainings because I was working there. It definitely makes things like childcare and pet care harder because so much of your network is missing, but just like everything else, you adapt and you learn how to juggle work and life!

What resources have you found to be useful in your career/entrepreneur journey?

The best resource is the people around you. I know it's uncomfortable to put yourself out there. I have to hype myself up every time we move duty stations and it's time for me to meet a new network of people, but it always pays off! The people who have walked before me have all had their own unique experiences and can help guide me through what I need. Don't be afraid to ask people for help either! At our last duty station, I got wind that one of my husband's colleague's wife was a bit of a USA Jobs expert, so I simply asked her if she would be willing to help me out. We had never met before, and she was overjoyed I reached out because she actively wants to help other spouses (S/O to you, Chelsea!). Even if you don't want to join some of the spouses' clubs or participate in the volunteer activities, you can still ask the questions of the people who do. That's most likely why they joined in the first place! From there, you can learn what ACS, USO, MSAN, etc. all have to offer.

Final word: what are your top tips for other military spouses about navigating a career within the military lifestyle?

Ask for the help. Be the help. The resources exist for whatever challenge you may be facing whether it's your career or your family. It can sometimes be difficult to find the resources you need. We have all been there. We can help solve the information gaps by both sharing our wisdom and asking other to share theirs. Just don't be afraid to put yourself out there! The worst thing anyone can say is no.

Listen to an interview with Caitlin to hear more about her story.

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"The stories, experiences, and perspectives shared in these Military Spouse Highlights are provided by the individual contributors and reflect their personal views. While the National Military Spouse Network (NMSN) is honored to share and celebrate these voices, the content does not necessarily represent the views or endorsements of NMSN."