Veterans Day is a national day of remembrance for those who have served in the military. Many see it as a day off from work, retail sales, discounted meals and more; yet the holiday is so much more. This day is deemed to give honor and respect. Much respect and honor should also go to the women veterans in the world. According to Women’s Health, women make up 10% of U.S. Veterans. In addition to impacting the world, Veterans also heavily impact the economy.
1 in every 10 Veterans own a business. Women represent 1 in 6 veteran owned businesses. “Their businesses generate over $17 billion a year & the growth of women veterans’ startups has been higher than any other segment of the entrepreneurship economy,” according to Carla Harris, chair of the National Women’s Business Council. It’s amazing to know that women are not only serving the country but also impacting lives through entrepreneurship.
Service and sacrifice goes beyond the military world with these women owned businesses. Many veteran owned brands are also run by dynamic women of color. So this Veterans Day we not only want to focus on those who have served but also on those Black Owned women in business who continue to serve through their business. Here are some dynamic Black female veteran entrepreneurs who are spreading their Black Girl Magic globally.
photo courtesy of Charlynda Scales
Charlynda Scales, Mutt’s Sauce
My Military Service:
“In exchange for four years of service, minimum, the Air Force paid for school. I was officially commissioned in the US AIR FORCE on active duty in 2004 and served until 2015. I then joined the US Air Force Reserves in 2015. My contract ended in 2019 and I recently rejoined the military (Reserves) again in April 2020. I’m a fourth generation veteran. Our family has served in every branch except the US Coast Guard. Veteran’s Day isn’t just a holiday for me. It’s a humbling recognition of my family’s legacy of service.”
My Brand:
“My grandfather had asked that I receive it after he died. I sought out mentoring to learn how to take the piece of paper and turn it into a food product. The product we sell is specialty sauce, named after my grandfather, Charlie Ferrell, Jr. His face is on every bottle. His call sign when he served in the US Air Force during Korea and Vietnam was “MUTT’ for his ability to blend in anywhere.”
My Obstacles:
“I’ve experienced everything from medical disability, being underestimated, being discriminated against, you name it. The way I approach it is as a lesson. Even at ‘rock bottom”, you can learn and grow.”
photo courtesy of Ginger Mill
Ginger Mill, Women Veterans Interactive
My Military Service:
“As a daughter of immigrants, I was inspired to join the Navy to get the GI Bill. I wanted to have money to go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting. I had huge aspirations of becoming a fancy accountant on Wall St.”
My Brand:
“Oddly enough, I was never inspired to become an entrepreneur. It never crossed my mind. I always desired to be a businesswoman working at a large firm in my heart of hearts but I never imagined owning a firm. I didn’t find entrepreneurship; it found me, and I ran with it! My hardship of becoming homeless after getting a medical discharge out of the Navy gave me a new desire to start my nonprofit organization Women Veterans Interactive. WVI has become the premier organization for women veterans and military women.”
My Obstacles:
“The barriers that I have overcome run parallel to me being a woman and a veteran. The first significant obstacle I had to overcome as a woman veteran is being homeless after serving my country. My husband was battling severe PTSD when our son was about three years old. I worked three jobs and went to school full time to pull us out of the homelessness state. My second obstacle was creating a dominant nonprofit organization in a male dominated industry in a country that still doesn’t recognize women veterans for the selfless contributions. I’ve faced discrimination, had doors slammed in my face, and rugs pulled from beneath my feet; but I persisted. I learned how to create, compete, and dominate. What should have taken 1 to 3 years has taken me eight years but it was all worth it!”
photo by Leo Jenkins
Jessica G. Tabbert, J. Gisele Events & Entertainment
My Military Service:
“I had a challenging childhood and looked for a place to belong as a teenager. I joined the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) in high school. Something about the environment of discipline and tradition struck a chord with me in the best way possible. I enlisted in the Delayed Entry Program when I was 17. I didn’t grow up with my biological father, although we did see each other from time to time, so I didn’t know a lot about my family history on that side. I learned before going to Basic Training that not only did he serve in the Army, but I had unknowingly selected the same Military Occupational Specialty he had in the Army. I’m a believer in signs, and that felt pretty strongly like the Army was where I was supposed to be. After leaving the Army, I also served briefly in the Air Force Reserve. I wouldn’t trade either experience for anything.”
My Brand:
“As a young Private First Class in the Army, I was ‘voluntold’ to help with a variety of different events and ceremonies; and I fell in love with it. I really enjoyed the attention to detail, the historical significance of the ceremonies, and the precision of Drill and Ceremonies. When the time came for me to be honorably discharged, I knew I wanted to get into event planning as a career. Unfortunately, no one would hire me to work at their hotel or event venue. I also noticed that there weren’t many event planners who understood traditional military events nor did they have the experience to quickly plan military weddings and retirement ceremonies. I decided to start my event planning company to fill that void and to make a name for myself in the events industry in Denver. I’ve been running my company, J. Gisele, for over a decade. The company has pivoted several times to become the production company it is today. The journey has been incredible.”
My Obstacles:
“I have surpassed every limitation that was put on me as a woman and a veteran. I was told repeatedly that I couldn’t do certain things; or that I wasn’t going to be successful because there were no opportunities for women or veterans. I know now that those opportunities were never meant for me in the first place and I was always blessed greater than my imagination with whatever door opened after my perceived rejection. I also learned the art of building my own tables if there wasn’t room for me at the ones already present. I’m so proud to know that I have forged paths and created opportunities for other women veterans to follow their entrepreneurial dreams.”
photo courtesy of Maxine Reyes
Maxine Reyes, With Courage & Grace
My Military Service:
“My first desire was to be of service in the best way I knew how. I wanted to further my education. As a proud immigrant of the island of Jamaica, my family could not afford to pay for my school. In addition, I wanted to be independent of government assistance or having to work multiple jobs while attending school. I decided that the military would be a great way to gain the necessary skills to start a career and obtain an education. No one in my family had a college degree so I became the first. Finally, I had a great desire for adventure and to explore the world. The military allowed me to do that and more.”
My Brand:
“As a youth in Jamaica, I worked in my grandmother’s corner store. I admired how happy her customers were and how she ran her business. My aspirations grew as I also wanted to help solve problems for others. I decided to share the stories of other women and couples. This also allowed me to host events to empower and enrich their lives to strengthen their families. Although it’s very challenging work, I love the flexibility that entrepreneurship brings me. I wanted more time with my daughter and husband. Entrepreneurship allows me to be with them more.”
My Obstacles:
“I’ve overcome many obstacles but the one that I find most difficult was being an active duty mother. It took a long time to decide to have a baby because both my husband and I were active duty. By the time we decided to have a baby, we were already married for 11 years. That’s why I was flabbergasted when a leader in my chain of command asked if I planned on aborting the baby when I shared that I was pregnant! When command realized that this child was going to be a part of our reality, the support became overwhelming at that point. But there was this other male leader who had me working in the motor pool with oils and fuels that I wasn’t supposed to be breathing in for long periods of time. My other challenge was after the baby girl was born! I became that mom who had to leave her new baby at different stages of her life. From being required to leave her to go out of state for (non-mandatory) training for 3 weeks while breastfeeding at 5 months old to leaving her with friends at 11 months old because my husband was deployed. We both missed our only child’s first birthday and were very disappointed that neither of us were there to celebrate with her on her actual birthday. Finally, she was 4 years old when I left her for 12 months. Although I have been separated from my daughter many more times, the first 4 years were difficult for me because she was so young and I felt that she needed me to be present more during those tender years. I am grateful for my time in the military and the lessons I learned during those years and continue to learn because of those experiences. I I miss my military leadership but I continue to serve with courage, grace and gratitude.”
photo courtesy of Nina Gross
Nina Gross, Love, Lust, Food
My Military Service:
“Actually when I first joined I just needed another way out. I had the opportunity to go to college but my family wanted me to stay close to home. I was being rebellious. I joined the DEP Program in July 2001. And then 9/11 happened. I was standing on my Nana’s Porch, watching a plane fall from the sky. I didn’t understand what was happening. My Nana was watching a plane hit the Twin Towers. Something was stirred up in me that I needed to help. I didn’t know how to help. I called my recruiters and told them that I needed to go right now to bootcamp. My date got pushed back to December and then it just so happened that my team number was 9/11. I went because I wanted my Nana to have better health care. I wanted to give myself a better life away from toxicity.”
My Brand:
“When I was younger I spent a lot of time with my real Dad. I was very interested in the fact that he would always spend time with my brother and I. I was at school and he structured his work around my school schedule. I wanted that for my children too. I wanted to be able to make them breakfast and grab them from school. I wanted to be able to be there for them when they needed me and create something sustainable that also helped others in some way.”
My Obstacles:
“As a woman, we often forget our strengths and our worth. We forget the fact that we are the creators FIRST. Most men could never do a tenth of what we do on a daily basis. Instead of using that as a strength we look at it as a weakness. I’ve been able to really tap into my leadership skills as well as organizational skills from a Veteran Woman’s perspective.”
photo courtesy of Tee Marie
Tee Marie, Gritty Apparel and Soiled Beauty
My Military Service:
“I was a kid that needed some serious direction. I grew up on the Southside of Chicago and was in foster care until I was adopted at the age of 9. At age 16, I became a victim of gun violence. By the age of 17 I was kicked out of the Chicago Public School System and forced to go to military school. By the time I completed the school I knew I had to start looking into doing something positive with my life. The next thing I know I was walking into the Marine Corps recruiting office.”
My Brand:
“As I was getting ready to retire from the Marine Corps entrepreneurship was nowhere on my list of things to do. The only thing on my mind at the time was finishing my degrees and growing my nonprofit. However, just before retiring from the Marine Corps I was presented with an amazing opportunity of starring alongside John Cena on the network television show, “American Grit”. That experience opened me up to thinking outside the box in regards to my post-military future. I started the clothing line known as “Gritty Apparel”. I engaged my activism side and joined the staff of Women’s March organizing the 2017 Women’s March On Washington. I subsequently started the social media movement of “Veterans For Kaepernick”. I went on to write my first book: “The Warrior Code: 11 Principles to Unleash the Badass Inside of You”. This year I’ve started a CBD beauty line called “Soiled Beauty”, in an effort to highlight some of the beneficial uses of CBD when it comes to skincare.”
My Obstacles:
“Obstacles such as racism were a constant battle both in the military and even now as a veteran. Realizing some of the people that I once served with are some of the same people I now find myself at odds with is difficult. Staying focused and balanced is also a constant struggle for me as an entrepreneur. I’m consistently juggling different projects. A word of advice that I would give someone, would be to surround yourself with like minded individuals. People who are at the level where you are aspiring to be and will help to hold you accountable.”
photo courtesy of Ty Carolina
Ty Carolina, Carry On
My Military Service:
“I was inspired to serve by tragedy meeting hope. My mother died a few weeks before my eighth grade graduation and unfortunately I would be the one to find her. I was 13 and I can still vividly remember how peaceful she looked and thinking earth wasn’t good enough to keep her for any longer. My Dad worked in Raleigh, NC and did his best to allow me to stay in Charlotte. I started High School in 2003 and was automatically enrolled in the Army JROTC program. 1SG Marcia Jeter (the first African-American female first sergeant to lead a JROTC program in North Carolina) never let me use my mother as an excuse not to excel. She would make me her last stop when she drove the athletic bus at 8:30pm so I wasn’t alone in the evening. I told her I would do my part and join the Army as my service to my country. If it weren’t for her telling me I was important in the world and that being a “nerd” was okay, I would have fallen into the trap of needing social acceptance. She let me stay in her classroom before school. She would drive me to all activities. I went on to receive a college scholarship, commission in the U.S. Army and the chance to serve overseas. 1SG Jeter would go on to pin me to Captain in 2015. 1SG Jeter also held my hand through every procedure when I was diagnosed with Cancer in 2017. In December 2020 she will pin me to Major. 17 years ago a black woman told me to speak like I was the most important person in the room and she’s why I serve my country.”
My Brand:
“I wanted to be an entrepreneur because no one was coming to save me. I saw just how I was expected to save the world but the world wasn’t expected to support me. So I decided to create solutions to problems and get paid for it. I also wanted the opportunity to be myself in a line of work that best represented my abilities. Abilities that I had the esteemed privilege to learn from great military entrepreneurs. So I went from selling T-Shirts to hosting celebrity events. Now my team and I offer digital marketing solutions to small businesses and I co-host a TV show available to millions of people. I still fail daily but I am inspired by the women who have graced these pages before me.”
My Obstacles:
“Being a woman and a veteran are two difficult categories but being a black woman veteran proved to be a trial with the most amazing rewards. People not taking me seriously and placing my vanity before my efforts was such the obstacle. Often being told I “wore too much make-up,” or that “I was probably sleeping with someone was disheartening”. Lastly, having to make men see me as their superior without making them feel inferior was my greatest challenge. I was “aggressive” in situations any regular white male officer would have excelled in. The reward is that I learned more about human intelligence and listening to subtle details from leaders than my peers. I had to be two steps ahead and I’m grateful for that understanding. It made me a better leader and I wouldn’t change how I got here.”
It’s definitely the Black Girl Magic for me. These outstanding women have served their Country while also establishing their own entrepreneurial brands. Their selfless acts of service have benefited countless lives in service and in business. We not only salute them in honor of Veterans Day but also as Black girls who rock!
Writer, C. Scott, is a mother of one; author, social worker, early literacy interventionist and entrepreneur. Follow her on Instagram as @curls_coils and @mysweettealife.
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