075 : Advocating for Military Spouses with Camilla Howard

Welcome to The InDependent Spouse podcast, your go-to place for inspiration and support in navigating modern military life. In this episode, host Jess Sands sits down with the incredible Camilla Howard: an RAF veteran, an Army spouse, a forces child, and a dedicated advocate for the military spouse community. After 12 years in the RAF, Camilla transitioned to a civilian career with Compass Group UK and Ireland. She details how her passion for supporting military families led her to co-chair Compass Group's Armed Forces network, a role that allows her to champion initiatives for spouses and veterans. Listen along to discover: Camilla's personal anecdotes about the "interesting balance" of dual-serving military careers and raising a child amidst frequent moves. How Compass Group actively supports military spouses through their innovative yet simple spouses policy, including endeavoring to redeploy spouses on posting, celebrating an annual Spouses Day during Armed Forces Week, and offering an extra day of leave for deployment collection or drop-off. The importance of the Armed Forces network's advocacy roundtables, which bring together companies to share best practices and encourage more organizations to genuinely support the military community. Camilla's invaluable advice for military spouses navigating career transitions: "release the pressure valve on yourself", understand your "red line areas", and leverage your network. Why military spouses possess unique and highly beneficial skill sets that are an asset to any company. Camilla emphasizes that the military community is not about "pity parties", but about highlighting the incredible talent and resilience within it. If you're a corporate interested in starting your own Armed Forces network or learning more about Compass Group's initiatives, you can reach out via [email protected] Discover More from The InDependent Spouse Podcast: https://milspo.co.uk/podcast/ Inspired by Camilla's journey and feeling that spark to build something for yourself? We get it. At Milspo, we're more than just a community; we're a supportive hub where military spouses, partners, and other-halves transform challenges into incredible business opportunities. You're not alone in navigating postings, deployments, or the unique rhythm of military life – we're right there with you. If you're ready to move from feeling overwhelmed to empowered, and from isolated to connected, our website is your next step. It's the go-to place for inspiration, practical strategies, and genuine connections with others who truly understand. Stop feeling lost and start building a sustainable business that thrives, not just survives your modern military life. www.milspo.co.ukConnect with the Milspo Community: If you are a UK military spouse, partner, or "other half" running a business, join our thriving community of over 1,500+ members at milspo.co.uk.About The InDependent Spouse Podcast: Hosted by Jess Sands, this podcast is dedicated to modern military life, deployment support, and navigating life on the patch. We share real stories of UK military wives, RAF spouses, Army partners, and Navy families who are building epic businesses that thrive.Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to never miss an episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.