Supporting military entrepreneurs

Military spouse, serial entrepreneur and Second Service Foundation Executive Director Lauren Hope joins The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast this week to talk about her journeys as a military family and nonprofit leader.

Hope has been named the Armed Forces Insurance Spouse of the Year twice, the first in 2017 while at the U.S. Military Academy and again two years later while at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Her entrepreneurial journey includes being owner and artisan behind Hope Design Ltd., starting the #ShopMilitary social media campaign, graduating top of her class at The Culinary Institute of America, and being named best student chef by Food & Wine Magazine.

With such a busy schedule and numerous commitments, what would Hope want to do more of, co-host Ashley Gutermuth asks.

“Shaking the Etch a Sketch,” Hope answers, adding. “Hear me out on this one. We just finished our 11th move and I have found that every time I move, it’s a time to start over and shake the Etch a Sketch. I take all the good things that I learned at the last duty station and learn a bit more about myself.”

Previously, she was a caterer and opened a jewelry business but once she found entrepreneurship, “I was off to the races,” she said.

Her nonprofit, the Second Service Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports military entrepreneurs through coaching, resources and capital, as well as an innovative mentorship program. It was launched on Veterans Day in 2016 with a goal of providing comprehensive resources for military-affiliated entrepreneurs.

Tune in this week to learn more about Hope, her nonprofit and — a fun fact from Gutermuth — about the national animal of Scotland.

Additionally, Gutermuth and co-host Jeff Daly also riff on:

• Sage, a four-legged shipmate deploying on the new USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.

• The challenges faced by spouses of deceased servicemembers.

• A North Carolina American Legion post’s plans for Suicide Prevention Awareness month in September.

Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 190 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.