Hillary- A Military Spouse and Woodworker

Military Spouse Series

As I continue with my Military Women and Spouse Series, we are going to meet the next amazing lady I interviewed, Hillary. I have known Hillary for a VERY long time, I’m talking over 20 years, as her sister and I were best friends in Elementary School. I can’t wait for you to read more about Hillary and her business as a military spouse!
A few acronym descriptions for you
Base= The gated area where military members work and can live with their families
PCS= Permanent Change of Station/ Base
Brat= A term of endearment, referring to Military children

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Hillary, A Military Spouse and Woodworker

Tell me a little bit about yourself?

“My name is Hillary. I grew up as what is known as a military brat, my dad retired from the Air Force when I was 18 years old. Now I am married to my husband who is in the Air Force as well, and we have 2 boys. I have a passion for teaching. I have my Special Education teaching degree, but I am staying home with my boys. Since I am home, I dove into my hobby by starting my woodworking business.”

How did you meet your spouse?

“I met my spouse in college. It was my sister and cousin who were both dating these guys from ROTC (my cousin being in their class as well). These guys hung out with my spouse and we were always attending the same events as a group. Eventually, my spouse and I ended up dating. Funny thing is, my sisters’ husband and my husband ended up having the same job in the Air Force, so I am blessed to have my sister living on my same street on base 3 houses away. In addition, I had her at one of our previous bases too.”
Even though I have shared how I currently live near my parents and brother, this is NOT very common as all! I love that Hillary and her sister live so close and get to raise their families together!

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being a military spouse?

“My favorite thing is traveling. Growing up as a military brat, I am used to moving around. Because of this, I am just itching to move every 3-4 years now. With that being said, that is also my least favorite thing, the actual process of moving. Let me tell you, being on the other side of a PCS is obviously a heck of a lot different than just being a kid through a PCS.”
I could not relate to this more! I’m always ready to move about 2-3 years, even if I like the place. Although, these past few years have me ready to settle for a few years! AND yes it is so different PCSing on the spouse side as opposed to the brat side!

How did you get started in your career/business?

“I got started with my woodworking business solely because of the support and encouragement from other spouses. I took woodshop in high school, and never really did much with it afterward. It wasn’t until a few years ago I asked my husband for a miter saw as a birthday gift. I set out to make my own coffee table. I posted my work online along with a few other house projects. Soon after, I was getting a lot of spouses encouraging me and telling me I need to start selling my stuff. From there I started my Facebook business page and started taking custom orders from there.”

What is your favorite part of your job?

“It is for sure the local delivery pick-ups. I wrap my projects in clear wrap lately, instead of putting them in a colored bag like I used to, and it has just made the world of difference connecting more to my customers. With people seeing their projects instantly and me being able to talk about it with them has just made every pick up really exciting.”
I bet this is amazing, your work is so beautiful, I can imagine the delight in your customers faces when seeing the projects you have made for them!

What advice would you give a new military spouse? A new spouse wanting to start a business/career?

“When you start, also maintain a sense of community at your base. I know some bases are very competitive with their businesses, and it can quickly become discouraging. I really want to change that. We should all support one another. It is nice to meet up with that person with a similar business, learn techniques or where to get materials from, and collaborate on projects.”
Yes, Yes, Yes, I love this advice!

Thank you for letting me interview you, is there anything else you would like to share?

“Thank you Shanay for the interview! I would like to add that I absolutely love helping people out. If you are thinking of starting a business and would like some encouragement, find me and send me a message. I can cheer you on or answer any questions.”
I love this! Thank you, Hill! You do great work and I am so happy that we get these opportunities to work together and encourage each other!

Check out Hillary’s Handcrafted Happiness at the locations below!

Website

Facebook

Instagram