Stephanie Rose, a seasoned military spouse and entrepreneur, had a dream to create a portable career and a sustainable income. With enough grit and grace to make it happen, she rolled up her sleeves to transform her 1965 Winnebago into a thriving business venture. After some hard work, a couple coats of paint, and an exquisite coffee machine installation, Wandering Rose Coffee Company was born.
A little over a year ago, Stephanie launched her business at Keesler Air Force Base, where her husband is stationed in the 81st Medical Group. Serving artisanal coffee creations and stirring up community, Stephanie can be found all over the base with a smile.
While working as a middle school teacher, Stephanie began to feel the effects of burnout and wanted to start a career that offered her something more. She wanted flexibility and mobility. After watching a friend build a new venture as a barista and coffee shop owner, her interest was piqued. Because she had worked as a barista herself, Stephanie pondered what owning her own business could look like. She soon realized her passion for creating a place for a warm cup and kind words.
Rather than saying “someday,” she bootstrapped her business to make her dreams become reality today.
She spent years looking for the camper, building capital, and preparing for this concept. She found the Winnebago, already painted in a quaint red and white. Wanting to keep the nostalgia alive, she named the coffee company “Wandering Rose Coffee Co.”
The name of the shoppe is really a fun little nod to generations past. Her grandmother, a military spouse herself, shared Stephanie’s middle name. Stephanie’s daughter also carried the family name.
Ultimately, in the beginning, Stephanie just wanted something to keep her busy. But in the end, she loved to be her own boss, while being creative and problem solving. She thought it would be a good jumping off point to growing something bigger.
What she discovered in the last year is a beautiful thing. Community really can be created over a simple cup of coffee.
While this business has definitely presented its challenges, working in her coffee camper has been so immensely rewarding.
Her advice to those wandering milspouses who are teetering on the decision to start something new is, “Don’t be afraid to get creative. Things may not look like what you had imagined, but they could be so much better.”
I am inspired by the gusto of so many of my fellow military spouses. They have stepped up to the plate, facing the challenges of the active-duty lifestyle with grace. They have taken frequent moves, high operations tempos, and stress alike to whip them into something beautiful. In this case, a stunning cup of coffee.
