Catherine Harrington

Financial Virtual Assistant

Service Member's Branch - Air Force

Service Member's Status - Currently Serving - 24 years

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

When we moved to DC during COVID, I was so fortunate to be in the same town as my mentor. I was finally able to attend her lunches that are used to bring spouse together to discuss their various endeavors. I met another spouse who had built a company with another military spouse specifically with military spouses in mind. I was thrilled that we lived in the same neighborhood and became friends over the next 6 months before our move across country to California. At the time I had fallen into remote bookkeeping due to COVID and was working for a small family owned company. When the company was sold in the fall of 2022, I knew it was time for me to also transition after my 2 years. The new owner would handle the finances and it was a mutual decision. I reached out to my friend and asked “What do I do now” ? She offered a recruiting agency that WISE Advise and Assist Team had successfully used to gain candidates in the past. I checked it out and there was a posting for a Financial Virtual Assistant and here I am. When I applied, I was unaware that the company that sounded amazing and too good to be true was my friend's company WISE.

Tell us about yourself.

Hi 👋 My name is Cat. I enjoy reading, exploring “new to me” vineyards and all things horses. I have a son and been a military spouse for 21 years.

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

Solving the puzzle of a business' financial record keeping.

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

When we were stationed overseas our first time, I was fortunate to work as the VITA Legal Office as the Tax Manager twice. It was a temporary GS position from Jan - Aug. However, the second time, I was unable to work due to Sofa restrictions with the country.

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

Hands down, the constant transition. We have moved 11 locations in 23 years. The longest stay was 4 years and the shortest was 11 months. I learned to volunteer and create positions with my skills very few paid. Many unpaid.

What role did mentors and sponsors play in your journey?

My mentor has been an amazing support in all my endeavors. From helping navigate military life, to having a purpose outside my spouse, to having a career. Her kindness and inclusion made me appreciate the journey and to learn that it isn't handed to us. We must make choices! I am so happy we met in 2005 and continue our very special friendship today with weekly zoom calls, texts and calls.

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

Well, when we married, I envisioned I would continue to utilize my finance background with every move to build a solid resume of experience and growth.That was not the case. In our time, many companies were not interested in hiring someone “transient” for major roles. Oftentimes, I would find myself with seasonal opportunities such as tax preparation, side business such as direct sales, or volunteer positions. Not in jobs with career paths or growth.

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

It was always a factor. When I married, I wanted to be a support to my spouse based on his work tempo. It proved to be the best decision for our family. We budgeted and made sacrifices. We also waited 10 years to start our family. My career was not our focus.

Have you ever had to geo-bach due to your career/entrepreneurship?

We tried it twice, once during a deployment and thankfully my spouse was selected for a stateside deployment. I had just had our son and I was experiencing severe post-partum. I joined him in a small apartment for the last 3 months and taught yoga for donations in the club house. The second time was our move to Europe. He went ahead to set everything up in August and we were to follow after I achieved a particular career goal and I was single parenting the following summer. After much soul searching, I leaned into my tribe and made the decision that I didn't want a career. I wanted my whole family. I resigned and joined by December. Please do what is best for you and your family. There is no one size fits all or season in life. It must be discussed at each junction and reevaluated. Always remember nothing is set in stone, try and be flexible.

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

Our AFRC, military one source and most importantly my spouse network.

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

This is a very personal yet team decision. I certainly wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I was open to listening to those who had gone before me. I may not have agreed with all the advice given over our years in the service, but I can honestly say, that it was always considered. Find your tribe, hold them close and nurture conversations that allow for growth. Maybe it will lead you on a new adventure vs the path you thought was the golden path.

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