The Professional Dependa

The Professional Dependa

By Michael FranklinSociety & Culture
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The Professional Dependa episodes

  • Making Muscles with Toby

    In a slightly different episode we discuss weight lifting with my friend Toby. Toby is an Army Spouse that has made his own way by diving into the world of strength training. There are so many benefits to weight training, beyond they obvious, and we discuss some of those.

    Toby is also a writer for the Military Family group independant.org where he writes about other issues military families face from a male spouse perspective.

    Toby and I spend alot of time discussing different aspects of strength training and the impact it has had on us.

    2 hr 21 min
  • Getting Spouses To Believe in Themselves

    In the years I've been a Military Spouse something I have seen over and over again is people lacking confidence in themselves. I say that to let yall know I am guilty of it as well. I'm an overall pretty confident individual when it comes to most things. However, confidence in myself when it comes to doing things like starting this podcast back up after taking time off was incredibly low. Having the confidence to put yourself out in the public eye and try to accomplish something is no small feat.


    There are things you can do to help build your confidence to try new things and take a chance on yourself. The number one thing I can tell you is, TRY. Thats it, thats the big secret, you have to be willing to take that first step and try.


    Podcast Merchandise Available here: https://http-theawesome-com.printavo.com/merch/the-professional-dependa

    40 min
  • The very real threat of food insecurity with Heather Campbell

    This topic is one of the more divisive topics we have covered to date. Food insecurity affects a far greater number than most people realize. The reason why this topic is so divisive is because the cause of it is so misunderstood. All it takes is going to @glorynutrition instagram page and seeing the comments saying how its "not real" or "those people don't know how to budget", to begin understanding why the people this is impacting the hardest...don't want to talk about it. Thankfully we have people like Heather that are brave enough to have the tough conversations with policy makers to bring this issue to the forefront.

    Heather brings the data backed knowledge to fight the battle of food insecurity and help bring better understanding to this problem.


    If you want to connect with Heather her instagram link is above or you can connect with her on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherscampbell/

    1 hr 28 min
  • Military Spouse Advocacy with Melissa
    This weeks episode is a special one. My guest is Melissa Shaw, a Space Force Spouse, who I have known for over 20 years! Thats right! Melissa actually knew my wife before I did.
    In this episode we discuss how Melissa came to be so passionate about Military Spouse Employment. As we get into the conversation we discuss how this issue impacts many other areas of Military Families lives.
    As always we jump into other topics as well from the difficulites of transitioning into the Space Force after being an Army family for so long. To the importance of "making room at the table" for other spouses to feel welcome.
    If your looking to connect with Melissa she can be found on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagilliamshaw/
    1 hr 59 min
  • Breaking Barriers: Military Spouse Employment Challenges and Solutions with Ellen Summey
    Welcome back to "The Professional Dependa" podcast! I'm your host, Mike, a military spouse who understands the unique challenges that come with supporting our service members. In today's episode, we're diving deep into the important topic of Military Spouse Employment with a true advocate for change, Ellen Summey.
    Ellen Summey is a passionate Military Spouse Employment Advocate who has keen insight to the obstacles that military spouses face when seeking employment opportunities. Together, we explore the complexities surrounding military spouse employment, shedding light on the often overlooked struggles that impact the lives of countless military families.
    In this thought-provoking conversation, we discuss the various challenges military spouses encounter in their pursuit of meaningful careers. From frequent relocations to employer misconceptions, Ellen shares her valuable insights and experiences, offering a candid look into the hurdles that can make job searching a daunting task for military spouses.
    But it's not all about identifying the problems; we're also here to offer solutions. Throughout the episode, Ellen and I brainstorm innovative ideas and strategies to tackle these challenges head-on. From remote work opportunities to portable careers, we explore practical ways to empower military spouses and help them unlock their full potential in the workforce.
    Join us as we take a closer look at the issues surrounding military spouse employment, and together, we'll uncover the path towards a brighter, more inclusive future for military families. Whether you're a military spouse, a service member, or someone interested in supporting this resilient community, this episode is a must-listen.
    Ellen can be found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellensummey/
    1 hr 33 min
  • Emergency Preparedness Month with Barry
    September is Emergency Preparedness Month and for our guest today we have Barry Morgan. Barry is an Emergency Manager, among other things, with the University of Washington. He has a wide range of experience working at varied levels of government in the Emergency Preparedness space.
    Barry is not just his job though; he is an Air Force Veteran and current Military Spouse his wife is Active Duty Space Force.
    After we discuss how to be prepared for different types of disasters, the Great Shakeout and the October Federal Alert Test, we emphasize how its NOT FEMAs job to save you immediately after a disaster, we dive into other topics.
    We spend time talking about the difficulties of transitioning out of the military, challenges with spouse employment, and parenting to name a few. This is a great episode and there is a lot of information about how to plan and protect yourself and your family in times of disaster.
    1 hr 34 min
  • Jump first, then build - Maria
    This weeks episode is with the amazing Maria Reed of Moving with the Military.
    What do you do when you have an idea for a show that will directly impact military families in a positive way and you get very little support? You do it yourself!
    Maria has an incredible background and a huge heart for giving back to military families. During this episode we discuss how Moving with the Military came to be. We also discuss the Inspire Up Foundation and Giving Tuesday Military!
    This is a great discussion and Maria's positivity is absolutely infectious! You won't want to miss this!
    Maria can be found on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/movingwiththemilitary/
    https://www.instagram.com/inspireupfdtn/
    1 hr 37 min
  • Finding Your Fire - Samantha

    Have you ever faced your own mortality? As a military spouse we are often faced with the fact that something may happen to our partner when they are deployed or even in training. However, when was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and realized that something could happen to you? That is exactly what happened with Samantha when she received her cancer diagnosis.

    September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and this episode is amazing. Samantha explains how this diagnosis went missed for so long, even with her background as a Physicians Assistant (PA).


    We don't spend the entire episode discussing her cancer and its treatment. We also discuss how this has helped her want to be more involved in Patient Advocacy and the importance of knowing when to fight for the medical treatment you deserve.

    1 hr 39 min
  • Life as a Navy Spouse

    Join us for a dive into the world of being a Navy Spouse with Ashley. Ashley walks us through her experiences of being married to a Submariner. The challenges that come with constant deployments, short notice missions, and having little to no communication with her spouse for months at a time.


    These things can force a person to become incredibly adapt at carrying not only for themselves but for their family as well. It can lead to problems when the spouse is not out on a mission and tries to participate in day to day operations of the home. The issue becomes when the duty station is set up for short notice missions having a parent in and out of the home for weeks to months at a time can cause confusion to other family members. Ashely tells us about they handled this and more during their time in the Navy, and also how they began planning early for her husbands retirement.

    Hope you enjoy this weeks episode!

    1 hr 29 min
  • Growth and Healing with Chris Thompson
    After spending years as a top level operator, and then a few more as a contractor supporting those same type of missions, Chris left that life behind him. He quickly realized that he was carrying around mental and emotional baggage from his time as an operator.
    In this episode Chris and I discuss his journey through traditional medicine and then finally trying plant based medicine to aid in his healing. Chris explains how plant based medicine, meditation, and having a mindfulness routine has helped him on his journey to bettering not only himself, but being a better husband and father.
    We also discuss how he came to found Klēnr, an all natural soap and sundries company.
    Chris can be found on Instagram at @ct_chris_official
    Klēnr Products - www.klenr.com
    Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions - https://vetsolutions.org
    2 hr 47 min

About The Professional Dependa

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The Professional Dependa Podcast! Mike is a Military Spouse who is passionate about sharing the stories of other military familles. These stories let other families know they are not alone…