As many of you do (or don't) know, I'm a military spouse - my husband is in the US Army. Its been a very interesting learning curve as a new "milso" + business owner. While I may not know every acronym or have it all figured out like the books say I should by now, I sure have met a bunch of powerhouse women (and fellow military spouses) who have enriched my life (+ business) in the best way, including the one I interviewed for this episode: Abi Ray of Legacy Magazine.

As a licensed counselor and coach with eleven years within the service community, Abi Ray, LMFTA seeks to encourage and equip individuals in their personal, professional, and relational lives. In 2017, she launched Legacy Magazine as a tangible way to empower service families and the communities that champion them. Most days you can find her unwinding with her husband and two daughters or immersing herself in literature on professional development, family enrichment, and trauma-informed care.

Each year, on the podcast, I like to highlight a fellow military spouse or veteran in honor of Veteran's Day. This year, I'm honored to highlight one who understands the importance of carefully crafting a meaningful narrative, whether it's inked in a magazine or written in a social media post. I wanted to bring Abi on to enlighten you, my sweet listeners, on the importance of storytelling, the critical need for patience + planning, the power of taking action + leaning on collaborations within your networks of family, friends + colleagues to build a fruitful business that has the ability to market itself with the right nurturing.

Abi's story is one of hard work + determination. It's one that all business owners, whether they have a military affiliation or not, need to hear again + again. She is a model for the Brand in Bloom motto of blooming boldly where you're planted by staying rooted to what matters + she lives a life fueled by, not just living up to her full potential, but helping others see the potential in themselves. To me, that's something we could all learn to do a bit more of - coming together, building one another up, listening, supporting + acknowledging our communities as a means to help them shine bright, not dim their spotlight.

Here is a breakdown of this episode:

>> [3:11] Abi tells us the story of how she started Legacy Magazine + what helped it come to life.

>> [5:33] The first steps toward bringing a product to life stars with good mentorship + surveying your networks.

>> [11:49] How intentionally focusing on quality over quantity helps Abi scale the growth of her magazine.

>> [14:43] The importance of storytelling + carefully crafting your own narrative.

>> [15:39] The 7 questions Abi's team asks themselves before creating a new volume of the magazine. Things you should ask yourself while crafting content for your audience too!

>> [19:00] Abi walks us through how they plan out their brand + marketing strategy in a way that deeply involves their audience.

>> [23:33] What's been most surprising about Abi's experience.

>> [26:22] Abi shares a freebie for Brand in Bloom listeners! (see below)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free Creativity Cards from Legacy Magazine: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5f8de2481bb8f609a800bfc4 
• Learn more + subscribe to Legacy Magazine: http://legacymagazine.org/

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