“Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living.”– Albert Einstein
I first met Moni Jefferson at the 2017 Military Influencer Conference, an event founded by Army veteran Curtez Riggs. The room buzzed with the sound of new connections being made and the low hum of conversations. Moni was easy to spot. People seemed to be drawn to her vivacious personality as she stood in the center of the room. I remember observing her contagious laughter and thinking to myself that she just had to be one of the most fun people at the party.
Over the last five years, I’ve grown to know Moni at a deeper level. Really, I’ve seen the “power behind the throne.” At first glance, one might say that Moni is a powerhouse, a serial entrepreneur, or force to be reckoned with. Those things are true, but they are only the tip of the iceberg.
Moni’s commitment to the enrichment of the military community is formidable. Her dedication to change the tides of cultural norms within our space are unrivaled in the areas of entrepreneurship. Fundamentally, she believes in elevating others.
This active-duty lifestyle presents unique challenges for today’s military spouse. High operations tempos, frequent moves, and a general lack of support continue to hinder military spouses in the pursuit of their career goals. We tend to pack up, bubble wrap our feelings, and press on toward supporting our service member—along with our families—while placing our own hopes, careers, and futures on hold. Sometimes, the challenges seem too large to overcome.
However, when we see military community members like Moni crushing their goals and pursuing their purpose, we can’t help but be inspired and motivated to shake things up ourselves.
The difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the hardships surrounding full-time employment, have wreaked havoc on the active-duty military community. Moni has become the queen of all things remote work. She has risen to the challenge of brilliantly managing household tasks while spinning side hustles. Homeschooling and hard work have been the name of the game. In the midst of some of the most unprecedented times, Moni’s company, the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs, has experienced growth and new sustainability. With more spouses seeking to work from home while caring for their families, AMSE has stepped up to the plate to provide curriculum, resources, education, and encouragement through a global network.
In a recent interview with Moni, I was able to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on who she is when she’s not community building or hustling a new product. We talked about her favorite hobbies, her heart behind serving the community, and her goals for the future.
Q. Tell me three words that your friends and family would use to describe you.
“Actually, I want to say I’m all this or that. But my family and friends would say ‘bold or direct.’ The second word I really don’t like, I don’t want to say, but I’ll say it anyway. I’m very dramatic—extra even. The third word would be silly. Honestly, I’m just a silly person. I’ve always got jokes. So, bold, extra, and silly.”
Q. Tell us some things people may not know about you.
“Something people don’t know about me is that I am a crime junkie fanatic. I love murder mysteries. I listen to murder mystery podcasts to relax. I grab a bath and turn on my favorite podcast. It’s my jam. Another thing would be that I owned eight properties and worked as a property manager. I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2005. Lastly, I have a really unhealthy relationship with nachos. I’m in love with all the nachos.”
Q. Tell us more about your heart for the military community. What is your personal mission?
This runs deep for me. My husband deployed in 2014. I had the kids and a degree, but I didn’t really have a community. I didn’t even know what community was. Really, I just don’t want any military spouses to feel like I felt—worthless, not enough, or like I wasn’t playing my part. I wasn’t the person I now know or who I wanted to be. My hope is to create a space for spouses to do or be anything they want.”
Q. What’s the big vision? What do you want to see happen in the military community?
Military spouses have perpetually been put in a box of who they are supposed to be. They are ‘supposed’ to be home, taking care of the kids, following their spouse. I mean, what is it to be a good spouse? It means being at all the FRG meetings, being there for your spouse, etc. Those are great things, but they have confined us to such a small portion of ourselves. However, even in the last three years, we have seen a shift in the culture. The mindset is changing. The mission is that people will see the military community for who we are—powerhouses. I want people to begin to see us as a people group who can make things happen.”
What most people will recognize when they see Moni is the app (My Ultimate PCS), the products (MilCam and MilEmoji), or the promotion of the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs—of which she is the founder and CEO. I see the empowerment of an entire generation of military spouses through AMSE and her community at MilSpouse Creatives with Moni Jefferson. We celebrate spouses like Moni—a beautiful representation for women of color and Latina leaders, and all they accomplish for this community. Without leaders like them, life as a military spouse would be lacking.
Photo by Cassie Miller, Willow and Thyme Photography
