Military Spouse Mental Load: Routines, Money Systems & Reintegration
Mastering Military Life
What really helps when your service member is gone—and you’re carrying the mental load at home? In this episode of Mastering Military Life, Lauren Taylor sits down with Megan Dickerson, a 16-year Air Force spouse, to talk through the real-life systems that make military family life more manageable: keeping routines steady, dividing household responsibilities, staying aligned on finances, and creating “buffer space” for reintegration after time apart. Megan also shares how learning to adapt through unpredictable seasons shaped her ability to handle the constant change that comes with...
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Using Your BAH and VA Loan to Build Lasting Wealth
Mastering Military Life
Eric Magnus is a Marine Corps veteran who served 8 years, completed 2 PCS moves and 6 deployments, and then transitioned into finance. With over 15 years in lending and personal finance, he now focuses on helping service members and veterans understand budgeting, debt, and how to use their VA home loan wisely. As a lending partner with Guild Mortgage and Pay It Forward Home Loans, Eric is known for his blunt honesty, education-first approach, and his ability to help military families turn their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) into long-term wealth. In this episode, Eric breaks down a simple...
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Your PCS Plan with Katelyn Hooper
Mastering Military Life
Last year, Katelyn Hooper helped over 1,000 military members move to a new duty station through her role as an ambassador for ®. She also completed 100+ personalized , mapping out the details families actually need, moving logistics, housing options, school recommendations, commute realities, and community support resources. By every definition of the word, Katelyn is a military relocation and PCS expert and she’s a military spouse, too. She understands the stress, the timelines, and the pressure to make big decisions fast, especially when housing is tight and affordability near base feels...
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Finding Purpose After Service with Sean Rotbart
Mastering Military Life
After 13 years in the U.S. Air Force and four years at the Air Force Academy, thought he was on a clear path to a 20-year career. A surprise medical retirement changed everything. In this episode, Sean sits down with host and co-host to unpack what it’s really like to have your military plans disrupted overnight—and how he rebuilt purpose, identity, and community as a small business owner in the D.C. area. Sean shares how his identity, rooted in faith and family rather than his rank, helped soften the blow of transition, but didn’t erase the loneliness of leaving the secure building,...
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Learn To Go With The Flow As A Military Spouse with Dana Hess
Mastering Military Life
In this episode of Mastering Military Life, sits down with former Air Force spouse and top real estate agent to talk about one of the hardest skills for any military spouse to master: surrender. Over 15+ years, eight PCS moves, countless TDYs, and a divorce, Dana had to learn how to let go of what she couldn’t control and build a life that was still hers. Dana shares how she went from a full-time hairstylist in Pennsylvania to living in England, following her partner to bases across the world, and eventually reinventing herself as a successful real estate professional in the...
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Ending Hunger in The Military Community with Monica Bassett and Stronghold Food Pantry
Mastering Military Life
Army spouse and founder joins host, to pull back the curtain on food insecurity in the military community, and how a basement operation with laundry baskets became a nationwide network serving families with dignity. From the infamous “$5 over the threshold” stories to pop-up pantries that deliver 21 real meals (not just random cans), Monica shares what works, what doesn’t, and how service members, spouses, and civilian allies can help right now. You’ll hear how COVID, PCS costs, spouse unemployment, and rising housing expenses collide to make food the “first negotiable,” and why...
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Military Spouse's Guide to Making Friends at a New Base with Laurie Mefford
Mastering Military Life
Feeling lonely after a PCS? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck. In this episode of Mastering Military Life, talks with Army spouse about a practical, no-fluff roadmap to make friends fast, build real military spouse community, and feel at home sooner; starting before you move and continuing through your first 30 days at a new duty station. You’ll learn how to use online groups (like ) as a bridge to in-person meetups, why balancing connections with locals and military families matters, and the small daily habits—front-yard play, evening walks with kids or pets,...
info_outlineAfter 13 years in the U.S. Air Force and four years at the Air Force Academy, Sean Rotbart thought he was on a clear path to a 20-year career. A surprise medical retirement changed everything. In this episode, Sean sits down with host Lauren Taylor and co-host Pierre “Papa Piff” Cook to unpack what it’s really like to have your military plans disrupted overnight—and how he rebuilt purpose, identity, and community as a small business owner in the D.C. area.
Sean shares how his identity, rooted in faith and family rather than his rank, helped soften the blow of transition, but didn’t erase the loneliness of leaving the secure building, the daily camaraderie, and the known career path behind. He talks about navigating the med board process, accepting that his heart condition meant the Air Force couldn’t deploy him, and why that pushed him to design a life that worked for his health, marriage, and three kids.
Today, Sean serves as a real estate professional specializing in helping military families PCS into one of the most complex markets in the country: the National Capital Region. He explains how real estate became a bridge between his heart for service and a sustainable civilian career, why community (including Pay It Forward and local connections) has been crucial, and how he’s learning to embrace imperfect action, failure, and focus as an entrepreneur.
Join the Pay-it-Forward Family and never PCS alone again. Find your base support group for transition resources HERE.
Along the way, Lauren and Pierre reflect on their own transition and spouse perspectives, offering encouragement to service members, veterans, and families who are still figuring out “what’s next.”