As a military spouse of over a decade I’ve learned to make new friends everywhere we land, and sometimes that was the easiest part of the PCS. What I didn’t expect to discover nearly a decade into this milspouse thing was the network of resources available to me for myself and my entrepreneurial journey. Hi, I’m Peighton Woodard, serial entrepreneur, mom, military spouse and so much more! I’ve recently launched a FemTech company and wanted to share with you the importance of building your network if you decide to tackle the world of entrepreneurship.
If I’m honest I mostly believe that things will always work out for me and that I am being guided by something much greater than me, so that plays into this story just a bit. We were one of the lucky ones to get stationed in the same place for many years (going on 9 years in fact) which led me to really anchor my roots where we reside. I tried my hand at a few (we are talking 8+) businesses over the years as we moved and even after we knew we would stay put for a while.
After some failures and overall displeasure with my current career as a Realtor I followed my nudges and wound up with the idea to start a tech company. You know, because I am so technically inclined…if you sensed the sarcasm in that statement then we are already friends. Did I have the slightest clue of where to even begin to start a tech company? Hell no. Did I ‘code’ in middle school and naively think that somehow, decades later, it would be like riding a bike? Yeah, maybe, HAHA.
Nonetheless I decided to take a crack at this whole ‘startup’ thing. I looked for online resources for women, for military spouses and just overall for ‘startups’. I laugh at myself now looking back at all of the accelerators I applied for with a snowballs chance in hell at actually getting in. I showed up to networking events for military spouses, for entrepreneurs and hopped onto any zoom that was willing to have me so I could learn. One of the things I will tell anyone about this journey is that “I don’t know what I don’t know” and that couldn’t of been more true. So, I shared my heart and desires with those that maybe knew a bit more than I did and what I realized is how many people just wanted to help. They wanted to share resources, contacts, offer advice and even just an “I believe in your vision” which took me far. It gave me the boost to keep going and keep talking with others.
One of my best friends, Alex, who I refer to as a ‘pollinator’ was the first person I shared the idea of Luna Leaf with, the big scary vision that came to me in a meditation and between our powers combined she connected me with people that became pivotal in my progress. I was sponsored to go thru the worlds largest pre-seed accelerator, Founders Institute by Instant Teams co-founder, Liza Rodewald. I applied and was accepted as 1 out of 148 companies who submitted applications. It is a notoriously difficult program to graduate from and I was 1 of 18 (and 1 of 4 women) to successfully complete the program.
While in the program I revamped my LinkedIn profile and began actively connecting with anyone and everyone that seemed to be interested in my field of health, wellness, and women’s health. I did this by sending a sincere and authentic invitation to connect, which is vital, people want to connect with people, not just for another ‘connection’. I also began to lean more into my journey as a military spouse and explore the resources available to help spouse entrepreneurs, you might be surprised just how many are out there wanting to see us win!
I even received a grant from MilitaryFamily.org which was the best surprise to receive! I have also been supported by Victor and Valor which is a non-profit organization founded by a brand and copyright wizard, Ali Craig. I knew I needed support as I continued to move forward with Luna Leaf and outsourced that support by hiring interns who are majoring in PR and Marketing to help with my social media platforms. Where we live is actively working to implement a robust Military Chamber of Commerce to support women like me and veterans that choose to pursue entrepreneurship after retirement.
If you’ve read this far I thank you, and if you are actively looking for resources to support your journey then lean into networking, google networking events near you, look into non-profits available in your area or virtually. If you are in the tech sector I do highly recommend the Founders Institute, military and veteran cohort. One of the best things I did was listen to podcasts of other founders sharing their journeys, it helped me to not feel so alone and to realize that we all go through ups and downs along the way.
Meet Peighton:
Peighton Woodward is the innovative founder of Luna Leaf, a wellness app that harnesses the power of technology to empower users in their health journeys. With a passion for wellness, Peighton combines her expertise to create a user-friendly platform that offers personalized insights and tools for optimal well-being.
When she’s not growing her business, Peighton loves spending time with her family, embracing self-care rituals, and manifesting her dream life—one filled with abundance, wellness, and empowering other women to do the same.
