Nicole Zettlemoyer

Owner, Wreaths by Nicole P

Service Member's Branch - Air Force, Marine Corps

Service Member's Status - Currently Serving - I served for 8 years, 4 in the Marines and 4 in the Air Force, and my husband is currently serving in the Air Force with 12 years of service.

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

In December of 2020, while I was still active duty, I became extremely viral and had to figure out how to become a business very quickly! I haphazardly created my business, checking off all the necessary boxes, but wishing I had more time to actually learn the process. In May of 2023, I finally finished my waitlist of over 2,000 people. Because I was finished with my active duty time by then, I was able to sit down, take the appropriate business courses to understand the why behind my business, and really learn how to run it effectively. I am grateful that this can be my means of income while still raising my family.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Nicole and I am from New Jersey. In addition to raising my 15 month old son, I love to compete in olympic weightlifting. I am currently ranked 8th in the country for my weight class! I have been married to my husband for 3 years, and have been a military spouse for 1 year as a veteran.

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

After I drop off my son at daycare, I look at my todo list and orders. I will assemble and finish up any orders in my queue, and after that, I take time to either prepare my materials, market online, or take courses such as the Bunker Labs course I am currently taking.

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

N/A

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

My biggest struggle so far has been balancing career, life, and family. Some days I get completely distracted with the business, and I feel like I neglect my family. Sometimes I am too tired to fully support my husband and be a present wife for him. I've combatted this by having a physical planner that I write and schedule every hour of my day. This allows me to not overwork and be responsible with my time.

What role did mentors and sponsors play in your journey?

My father was a huge mentor for me, since he was an entrepreneur himself. Seeing how he interacts with customers and his personability have really inspired me to do the same. Customer service, especially with what I do, is extremely valuable.

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

I'm not too sure what I was planning to do after leaving the military, but I never thought this business would grow as much as it has. To be honest, I really love the direction it's going, and I love honoring our veterans!

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

While my husband was in training to become an MTI, it was really difficult for me to balance raising a 5 month old and run this business. This was before he was in daycare, so I just had to realize that I couldn't fill orders as fast. I limited the amount of wreaths I was making a week, and I'm really grateful that my customers were patient and supportive of my journey. It really helps to be personable online and allow your customer to really know who you are.

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

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

A lot of services available to veterans are also available to veteran spouses. I've taken a lot of entrepreneurial courses for free, sponsored by nonprofits that help military veterans, such as Bunker Labs. I've also attended small business conferences, and even something as simple as a free headshot at a conference goes a long way. I also have joined entrepreneur Facebook groups and veteran groups which have been helpful to be around like-minded people, all sharing expertise and resources. Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs

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

Always have a backup plan, and never be too hard on yourself. Being a spouse, especially if you also have a family, is already incredibly tough. The fact that you're also running a business in itself is a huge accomplishment! I think we get lost in what we do wrong so easily that it's hard to reflect on how far we've come. If you have to PCS, figure out shipping. Find new communities on Facebook to join to help your transition. There's a lot of resources out there to help you be successful.

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