Hi, this is Makayla with Honest Talk Radio. Honest Talk Radio is a space where we will be sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly in real, raw conversations to try and do our part to reduce the amount of shame, guilt, and judgment so many of us want to face. Our hope is that through these conversations, you will feel supported and encouraged in every aspect of your life. So let's get started.
Y'all are in for a real treat with today's guest, Amy Schweizer from TinyTroupes Soccer. Amy runs a developmental program for one to nine year olds that introduces kids to the game of soccer and skill practice while providing community and an overall wellness experience. Amy and I are going to be sharing about her adventure as a military spouse, some challenges, and joys that she has encountered along the way. And honestly, everything about motherhood, entrepreneurship, and everything in between.
So Amy, welcome to the show. I'm super excited to hear your story and chat a little bit about Tiny Talker's Day. Hey Makayla, thanks so much for having me. Yeah, so before we get too deep in our conversation, how about you take a minute and introduce a little bit more about yourself to you, our listeners?
Sure, so I am a Marine Corps spouse of just reach 10 years. So 10 years in the game so far, we have three little boys, ages, eight, five, and three. So we are definitely busy with those guys. And I actually, to be honest, said, you know, we're doing this podcast, but if someone's pounding on the door saying, mama, mama, I apologize, you'll have to excuse that.
We are currently located in Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. I actually am right now in Illinois visiting, visiting grandparents. My husband is deployed, so I could go to my home and get some help. So we're in Illinois visiting.
We recently left Hawaii, so we were stationed there, and it was as fabulous as it sounds. So it's been in the military game for quite some time. My husband is going on 18 years, so we are just on the verge of, okay, we have about two to five years left. What exactly are we going to be doing?
So that's kind of a nutshell of where I'm at. Yeah, that's awesome. You know, funny story, just side note, we were actually before coming to Rome. We were within a week away of moving to Hawaii.
So I thought it was definitely Hawaii, we just didn't end up there. Oh yeah, we got the Rome instead. That's a little different. A little different.
A little different, but I can't complain. It's been a wonderful, although I do hope that we get to go to Hawaii someday. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about how you got into tiny troop soccer and where that came about.
Yeah, so we were stationed in Okinawa, and I had my first little guy, I was pregnant with my second and there really wasn't anything for the young age group. I was staying at home here and taking their little kids to do. We were at home all day with the kiddos. We're kind of going crazy.
The kiddos are going crazy. And also being in a foreign country at that time, you know, you're a little bit limited to the things you can do or that you're comfortable doing, maybe, you know, mentoring, and stuff. So there was a lot of programming, and then there was a spouse who was coaching some, but leading some soccer sessions, and she was piecing and somehow we got connected and she said, Hey, do you want to do this? I'm like, well, not really.
She's like, well, they're kids and they like to do an anti-analyze soccer player and have a non-profit, lots of stuff with brothers, big boys and girls club. So I love doing this thing. Again, I was pregnant with my second and I wasn't really thinking about it. But I ended up saying, yeah, I'll go ahead and coach it.
And it turned into this business, you know, this huge business that a lot of parents needed. They needed something to get out with their kids and kiddos needed something. And it helped quench my thirst for employment because that was a big issue for me. We didn't get married until later in life.
I was 28 and I think we were both 28. And so, you know, I was established in what I was going to do. I was headed to work and pro sports. I already kind of arranged some stuff down there.
And then one day I had a recruiting fair. My husband's recruiters booth was next to my boys and girls club booth and he's in his dress blues and instead of moving to Jacksonville, Florida to work with the Jaguars, I was moving to where we moved to Camp Pendleton, California. So it stemmed also out of a lack of opportunity for me. Having a job is super important to me.
My career was super important, like a lot of us. And we've worked towards that. We have schooling. We have experience in that.
And then, you know, I always say, marrying into the military. Yeah, I knew I had to change jobs. But I didn't know I had to give up my career and I had a time and that had a big impact on me when we first got married. And that was a hard transition for me, especially, you know, we moved to California, and not only do I not have the job I want.
I can't find a job that's even in that field or paying as much as I was used to. He was deployed, you know, two months later. So we're nearly nearly met really going on to the, you know, you've got no job. So talk about identity crisis there.
Right. So anyhow, so then. So I got involved in this. And so I, you know, the, okay, let's expand this.
There's a lot of people who need it. So then I grew like their Okinawa. And then that also spurred my passion for employing other spouses because I am not at that point. So that's been really cool because I'm to date we've had over 100 military spouses that we've employed.
And, you know, I always tell them it's not the, you know, $85,000 job you have by any way, shape or form. However, you're getting back into soccer that you love. You're working around kids, but you love and you're, you're being able to contribute independently again like you used to and monetarily. So it's a sense of self-worths too.
So that was a very long winded answer. Oh, I love it. There's, there's so much in there because, you know, like you said, and before the show, we were kind of talking about identity crisis and I've done a whole episode on, on personal identity crisis and it's something that so many of us can relate to. Because you don't know what you don't know before coming into the military, whether you were like myself coming in straight out of college or like you coming in later in life, you don't know what you don't know.
And so when you get hit with all these decisions that you have to make or ones that are made for you, it's really hard to maneuver. Yeah. And so the fact that you found something that kind of melded your passions and still gave you something of your own. I think so many of us are looking for something to call our own.
And it's not out of a selfish need to, you know, but it's, it's to feel fulfilled. It's to feel like you're adding value and to, you know, give back and help people. And so I was down when he said it helped coach quench my thirst for a point and I love how you wrapped that up with that. Yeah, because being a career minded person, when that's, you know, I was on who was always well, if I get married, great, it'll add to whatever I already have going on, you know, I like my life on goal.
And so when I got married, you know, to this Marine and it was great and we moved to California and then it was like, you know, once the world went stop and was like, wait, what do I have left now I'm a dependent, which I wouldn't have liked that word prior to even knowing what it was intended. And I have a story where I try to go to dentist once when you're first married and he was deployed and they told me that they needed him to tell you something and I was like, why would you possibly need him and to he's not even here. Well, can you call him? Well, you could try to find him.
You. Yeah, that'd be great. So it was just this whole just, like you said, loss of identity at first and I'm like, well, where, like, I need to find some footing here, or my marriage isn't going to work, you know, and I have. And they're just can fail quickly military marriages because, like you said, there's a lot of choices made for you when I'm not, I wasn't a person who's used to that.
There's so much indecision or not indecision uncertainty on your part of you know what's going on. And so it's, um, I said, I'm going to tell you about to. But it's, um, yeah, it's definitely definitely an adjustment on that end. Yeah, and you know, there's a lot of, um, as we go into the next topic, there's a lot of intimidation factors when it comes to finding your identity in the military as a military spouse, but also, you know, like you said, starting a business that quenched your thirst for employment, but getting started and figuring out who to talk to and who, you know, it can be very intimidating.
I know personally that I experienced some of that, but you had mentioned in, um, in our pre podcast questionnaire about, you know, talking, having to talk to base officials because you were running a business on a military installation, one in another country. And then, um, also having to, you know, go through the proper channels. And so what kind of, what would you advise somebody else at thinking about starting a business and maybe something that's like yours when it's in it, you know, that you need to use base facilities or resources in order to get started. Yeah, so I think the first thing is always check out their website, you know, and they'll let you know for on base businesses or home base business and it'll let you know where you need to go, what paper.
Or, um, unfortunately, it's usually not that simple. When it comes to, so you may find a paperwork, but then you're going to have to figure out who you need to talk to. And every installation differs. And that's one thing, one quest I have that's been ongoing for 10 years that we've been married is we need consistency so that there aren't these barriers for military spouses who want to create a business or like mine who takes it from two different bases.
You know, I should be able to have one packet and this is what I do. And this is where I can take this one packet and I see this guy and this guy and that gal and then we're done. And unfortunately, it's not that easy. However, I don't want military spouses to be discouraged and why I pushed so hard behind the scenes and I push these bases hard is because, you know, I'm like you said, it can be intimidating.
I'm 10 years in. I don't want a new spouse to say I have this great idea for a business and they take it to one random person, you know, whoever you end up talking to at that office. And they say, well, I'm sorry, you can't do this for, you know, one of the 4,000 reasons you may not be able to do it. So to a young spouse, they might think, Oh, well, you know, they said no.
So that's all. Now I have to find something else. And that's not okay with me. You know, I feel like we have a lot of ourselves, as I mentioned earlier, so to also have to give away give up a career that I'm trying to make for myself in this situation.
So, okay, fine, I gave up my career, but I'm trying to make something I'm trying to make the best out of what I'm in right now. So don't, don't stop us. We're trying to do something positive for ourselves and for the military community. So, you know, they when they're told no, they might think, well, that's the end of it.
So now I have to go, you know, do one of the approved things, which I always say, if you wanted to you wanted those things, you know, if you want to work at the exchange or you want to work at the exchange or you want to work at the end of the end of the day. So, you know, if you want to work at the exchange or you want to be a sincey gal or color street, which I absolutely love those I use both of those. I use those in the color street on right now. Then that's fine if that's what you want to do but don't, don't put me in a box that because I'm a spouse, the only things I can do.
So, I want to open the doors for military spouses again so we can simplify this process. So anyhow, you, the people I've had to talk to would be the different housing agencies so that's a good place to start on your base. Sometimes it gets all the way up to the inspector general's office which a couple know me by name I think and I think they blocked my calls and go. Because I'm like well, have you thought about this today well he's not in well is there, you know, phone them right, you're calling them directly well no okay well chat with you tomorrow then we'll see if he's in then.
So, you know, you have the base housing office inspector general. Another thing is to kind of think outside of the box when you're when you have to do it so for example some bases. So, they're schools on base are state run schools not go to school, then the school itself is able to contract with you versus contracting with the military so we have a couple of our locations that are on base however they're on school property so my contract is with the school versus that 10,000 pages of the military so I have a little bit of issue with that however it can be done I don't want to be discouraging it definitely can be done. 35 locations across the state so it's definitely something that can be done.
Awesome you know what I what I was hearing you say is you know don't stop don't stop it no just because you're going to hear and I think that regardless of what it is that you're trying to do in life if you're trying to create a business or you just want to get answers on your base housing or whatever it is don't stop it no because bureaucracy likes to say no there that's there like go to I'm just going to say no and then if they go away great but if they come back then I'll you know I'll be able to get. Well that's a radical but my you know my son we were living on a base and my son wanted to raise quail of all things he wanted chickens and we couldn't have chickens and so he read all the regs for base housing and realized that you know what I can raise quail there's nothing in here that says that I can't it's not a game bird it's not a vulture you know blah blah blah I can raise quail but of course when he called housing and we made him do he was 12 11 12 we made him do all the calling himself and we're like if you make this work then we'll support you and of course the first 10 answers he got was no. But when you keep researching you keep looking and keep calling and find the person to talk to you that's going to say yes. And I heard that in your story you know you don't don't give up because you're going to hear no be just be okay with that.
Oh yeah for sure and and again it goes back to that inconsistency unfortunately like that's a one thing if I could change one thing about the military would be consistency. But because like you said you may talk to one person that they say no but then you call back the next day and somebody else answers and they think this is a great idea and so guess what now it's all said yes and so you don't call back different kinds of the day different. People and you know like your son did have the research and say okay well it's no well why is it no. Okay well what can I do to get around that if this is a reason and a lot of times there's not a lot like you said it may just be a unique thing like okay well nobody's ever asking this and I don't really feel like into it so just know you know no and yes don't give up you know I was talking basically well that's another another people office you'll end up having to talk to you and so when I'm talking to them I said well no offense but this is it making there's a lack of common sense being applied here.
And you know I said this is this statute or whatever is supposed to apply like McDonald's coming on base right not like teaching 10 kids have a police ocker that are pre-schoolers and he said well I'm sorry man I don't make the rules and I said well who can I talk to that they need the rules and he's like oh well and he said well no offense but you'll you'll have to talk to Congress. Well you know what when I was in DC for a conference I set up a meeting with Senator Harona and I talked to Congress about this. So don't give up don't give up. Yeah yeah yeah absolutely I love that and you know when they when they come back with the I don't make the rules that that's the perfect next next question is okay well who does.
Who makes the rules. Who is your authority. Because if you don't make the rules then let me talk to your boss and if your boss doesn't make the rules then I'll talk to their boss and so I love that because on on a talk radio I like to highlight guys for those of you that are listening we're real normal people we're not these anomalies that are coming in trying to create businesses or you know we're just like you and the spouse that's sitting there listening so if Amy can do it and doesn't take no for an answer so can you. So Amy you said you have 35 locations across the country across the United States is that right.
Yeah I guess globally so we have a couple of you and we have hopefully some starting in Guam and a couple of other places but as you know the once you start going international there's a lot of more rules and it depends on the so for agreements of a status of forces agreement that our country United States has with that country and for the military so they're that's pretty limited but I also know again having been overseas the opportunities for little of our kids are limited and we were playing soccer but we provide not only is it physical outlet that's needed we also help with mental and emotional health and well be because we're a community for the kiddos and once they PCS from base to base they say oh my gosh there's another tiny trick soccer and that's something we love you know and I can say oh well that's what I know you're moving but coach Michael is there and she's my friend and you're gonna have so much fun and so it gives our kids some sort of consistency in a world where none of us is for them and so that's kind of our goal in growing and growing is that when you go to the space you're gonna see those the same coach and a blue teacher welcome you to soccer island and you know we've heard the stories from parents we have the research that they say it truly did transition for them and it provides community for the parents to a lot of times how many true parents are the first friends they make at a base and so then they have lifelong friends who they were sitting there watching their teams please soccer. I love that that you were talking about the sense of community because it's not just community for the parents community for the kids and oftentimes that gets overlooked you know we are kids military kids are super resilient and I love that I mean my kids are 16, 13 and 8 and you know they're resilient they're awesome they're great at making friends but it's hard and the older they get the harder it gets but having that consistency is huge and being able to to know that you know they can find a tiny troop soccer at another location is super amazing I love that you're doing that but with all of that with everything that you're doing comes a lot of work and a lot of organization and a lot of you know balancing so how do you how do you balance motherhood and entrepreneurship and everything else that's going on in your life and it's definitely good you know the question everybody wants to know right. Yeah so not gonna lie at first I had a lot of those 2am 3am 4am nights so that happened the first couple years and looking back so we've I've been running for about five six years now so looking back I would. This is kind of like a self-emission so I do think I probably sacrificed family side a little bit to get my business running and you know that's a personal decision that everyone has to make and.
And just in the fact that you know of course a mommy who's up until 2, 3, 4am is not necessarily a patient mommy the next day so I definitely see some of that and have a little regret about that. However, as I got out of those late nights and realized okay this isn't working for me and I am sacrificing my family and I don't want to do that. That's when I started bringing on home so you know there's a lot of military spouses who are even if you're like hey I have five hours a week of some admin stuff and I can use help with that's something you'd be interested in a lot of people that works for them you know as moms we don't so many hours so don't be afraid to reach out to other spouses or. There's websites like Upwork so I've used that before and that's a freelancer site where you can go and say hey this is what I'd be done and a lot of time you can get it done for very reasonable price and it is legit used it on I've done work on it and I've asked have working for.
So that that is a legit site to you so bringing in help for sure. I at times period busy periods in my business I've brought in babysitters where on every Tuesday morning from 8 to 12 I have a babysitter so then I know I can plan my meetings and that from 8 to 12 I can. You know whatever it is I know for a fact that I have those four hours. I use things like grocery pickup I think that's the ones I move from overseas that we were in Okinawa and I moved to Hawaii so I'm like what's this question you got everyone talking about so once I got back safe site that's the best thing I've ever heard of in my entire life so that saves so much time and you don't have to take the kid goes into the grocery store and so you know I put in the order the night before and do school drop off and then pick up the groceries so that's been a lifesaver.
There's I try to limit screen time so that when I'm on a meeting that's the you this is your tree and you get all the good snacks and you get them. Let's watch this movie during this time when you know when I can't schedule around that time I do my best to schedule around that time so my kids are getting out of that so my time is more. So the good snacks and good good movie at those points. Yeah so those are some of the things we do I guess every mom's here you know I'll find out in 18 years.
I'm not but I think I do I'm still like my older son's rec soccer coach and I still you know still a lot of family time and and I'll say there is hope like it's at the beginning it is ruling like any business however once you get established it does become easier you are able to find that balance where you're getting rest and your business is going well and your family's still thriving so there is hope and it does get easier so if don't give up if you don't have to. Yeah gosh so much so many good things there I mean the thing that you rattled off between the bringing in help up works and grocery pick up like those are some things it's thinking outside of the box right because we tend as moms to think that we have to do it all and by doing it all it means physically doing it all by delegating asking for help and sharing the load with others. You're still doing it it's still you know you're still in the mix and I want to go back to what you said about how you maybe there was a little bit of regret in the beginning looking back you know hindsight it's always 2020 but looking back and thinking you know I did sacrifice some family time and some sleep and rest but at the end of the day you were growing it for them I mean you were this all got started because you're why it was about your family it was about your children and you did recognize like I can't keep going in this direction but it needed to happen for this amount of time to get it going and I think that is really freeing there's no sense in looking back and you know regretting I'm right now in the middle of my master's degree I'm growing a business you know three kids at home but your kids see you working hard and although you might not be with them day in and day out or entertaining them all the hours of the day they see what you're doing. And so I want to encourage others and I think you know this is what I got from you too is encouraging to know that if you're working hard they're not seeing moms ignoring me mom doesn't love me mom doesn't you know want to be part of my life.
They're actually seeing wow my mom is working really hard and you're instilling a work ethic into your children and I can tell you that with my kid being 16, 13 and 8 maybe not the 8 year old yet but the 16 and 13 year old you know they recognize it and now they you know I'm reaping the benefits of while mom you're working so hard we're so proud of you know they're able to stay in it. They're able to stay it now where you know when they're younger they can't express it but they see it and I just want to encourage you as well to don't look back you know on those days and have regret because you did it for them and your why was always there your why was your heart was in the right place. I appreciate that that is something definitely to keep in mind. Yeah but you know it is a balance and I read on it on a Facebook post the other day people there was a huge huge conversation about whether moms can work from home and parents full time.
And there is a definitely a divide between the women that said yes you can and the ones that were like no this is awful it's especially right now with the COVID situation going on. What would you say what would be your answer obviously you're doing it so how would you address that. Well I realize that this is a new climate for a lot of people even watching my husband and just conduct me you know these all important meetings from home and I have a kid all running by like an an underwear yelling. I hear on the other line someone's trying to talk and there's a baby screaming and it was I'm sorry kind of conical watching that listening to them lose their train of thought and try to concentrate when there's chaos in the background right.
I'm like welcome to my world of working with kids. So, I think it depends on what your job is honestly so as entrepreneurs that's one thing that's absolutely amazing one of the benefits of it is that we control our work. I do something that day because I'm with kids and sorry the kiddos are. If I can't do something that day with with my business then ultimately it's affecting me you know so that's fine like I'll make up for some time.
However, if you're working for someone I realize there's not necessarily that flexibility and that is a huge obstacle that's come up and we see where I've even seen a few people get fired and then everyone's like wait you can't fire someone and they're like well your kids were in the background you know they have to do you know especially say take a military life you know our husband or spouse is gone then you really are the only one there and this is the only time you have to get the work done and so it's it's a huge issue right now and I see it from both an employer side because if you you know if you have sat and you need things done then you know those things have to be done for a business to still be there after this. However, as a mom and maybe a single mom you know you can only do what you can do and I can only play in so many meetings during that time and hope that nobody wakes up. So it's just a huge crisis right now. And again that's where entrepreneurship comes comes in handy when you have global pandemic.
Exactly exactly because the flexibility of creating your own your own your own hours you know working from home again though I think there's from what I've heard throughout our time together is you know think outside the box and that's probably you know it's such a great piece of advice because there's going to be whether it's a pandemic or whatever the case may be you're like you said being just being a military spouse and having your husband or your wife deploy and you you are it to your single parents you know we end up in those situations whether it's a pandemic or not. You're not in that situation. And so I think again thinking outside the box and really trying to find ways to you know to have the help that you need like I you know now that we're not so much important when you talk about babysitters. I did when my kids were little was I hired a homeschooler high schooler.
And so their their hours being home sold were flexible. And so then I could have them come in and sit with my children and in the time in the off times when they weren't napping or you know thing like that. And so and their high school so they like to play like they're going to go on the ground and not just you know sitting them in front of a screen so. Anyways I think you know what I've heard from our conversation together is be encouraged know that you're not alone ask for help think outside the box and don't stop it.
No. Is that pretty much something that. I think so. Okay.
Before we part are there any last word of wisdom that you would like to leave the audience. There's one quote I love and I'm not sure if I'm saying it right. Let me look at my wall here so never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
So I think that's really applicable to military's past life because you know I want to be in the pro sports world and that's been sorted for 10 years. But I kind of see that creeping back in because you know retirements on the loom for two to five years so you know I thought it's never going to happen just whatever. But now I'm like oh maybe you know there's a glimmer of hope so don't give up on it. You know like it says the time is going to pass anyway so if you want to work on writing a book and you get one chapter a month and good.
Good for you. You know keep the time rolling anyway so you know do what you can. Yeah I absolutely love that you're so right because time does go and you can sit there and you don't want you know we want to encourage you not to look back. Where I'm at 18 years you know prior and be like what happened to my life but instead to look back and be like wow those 18 years were phenomenal those 20 years were phenomenal because although it looks nothing like I imagined it to be truly nothing nothing that I imagined it to be.
You know you take life by the horns and you make it work and you enjoy enjoy the process. It's all about the journey right? Yeah. That's the ending.
So share with the audience before we go where they can find you on social media and how to get connected with you. Sure so Facebook is just you find us at tiny troop soccer Instagram tiny troop soccer as well there's the best underscores tiny undersword troops under for soccer. If you haven't that please let me know because I'm trying and I don't know. So yeah Instagram too.
You can find me on LinkedIn that's where I like to put a lot of personal things and info about women and sports and women and business so that's at a tiny troop soccer so you'll find me there on LinkedIn. Our website is tinytroopsoccer.com we do have about 11 locations that we're able to open back up to on field so we do have some of those slowly rolling in so registration is happening for those. You can find it tinytroopsoccer.com and we also do have virtual sessions so we have them for youngest two up to ages nine so the little guys, you know, still get in their gross development work a little bit soccer skill the older kids we have, you know, a lot of those guys are out of season right now and the same season so we go into a lot more individual skill work you know you have that instant feedback we do some conditioning go over some game rules so all that you can find on our website. I love that and that also highlights that you guys were able to pivot during the pandemic and even though you were an on the field kind of company that you found a way to think outside the box and make it work so that your your kids.
The kids in the families that you guys cater to are still getting getting resources so I love that and what an inspiration you are to so many. Thank you. Sorry to came up I wanted to go. So we were always open to opening locations so if there's a mil spouse out there who has soccer backgrounds and even if that's like you played in high school as long as you have some soccer experience.
You know, it's a flexible schedule if you're interested in bringing tiny troops to your location just reach out to us on our Facebook business page and we can definitely chat. Fantastic. Another job opportunity for mil spouses so thank you again for coming on the show it was really great chatting with you. Thanks Mikaela.
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