We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gracie Burgess. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gracie below.
Gracie, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Being a military BRAT, I was raised with the idea of resilience. Many people don’t know, but BRAT is an acronym stat stands for brave, resilient, adaptive, tough (or tenacious). With countless days of my dad being gone on trainings, in schools, or on deployment – this established resiliency in me. When my dad was wounded in Afghanistan in 2011 when stepping on an IED, my world was changed. I was forced to be resilient. I stepped into a role of a caregiver at such a young age – a role that no child should have to step into.
My resilience comes from that situation in my life. My life was changed, but it makes me who I am. I have been able to rise above my peers, make a difference in areas where no difference has been made in decades, and be successful while doing so. My life’s mission is to share the stories of military children and spouses now – the good, the bad, and everything in between.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In April 2021, I began Grace of a Military Child and Life to share the stories of military children and spouses. There are not many platforms that allow them to share their voices and their stories. The life of a military dependent is not always picture perfect – as it tends to be seen from the outside. There are many struggles of the life that are not talked about – and need to be. Military family members deserve dedicated support that follows them throughout their life and journey. This is a platform that I have wanted to create for military families alike to feel comfortable and confident to share their stories – knowing they are not going to feel any negative emotions from it. GOAMCL is something that is near and dear to my heart. While it has been challenging, I hope to see this platform continue to grow, allowing more military dependents to share their stories.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
In all honesty, drive, dedication, and support is what has really made an impact on me. Without the passion inside of me for this project, nothing would be the same. But, without the support from the community around me, I would not have the success that I have. I am thankful to the community I have been fortunate to build – and even learn from. The best advice that I am able to give to someone is do not give up. There were many times that I struggled and almost gave up, but I am thankful that I did not give up. I have too much to fight for and too much to give back in my career and I am just getting started. If you are passionate about something, do not give up – especially when it gets hard, because that’s where true breakthrough happens. Also, form a community – whether that be in-person, or virtual. It is important to have people who support you, but it is also important that you are able to support those around you too.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I interview military children and spouses – giving them a platform to share their stories. If you are reading this and want to share your story of being a military child or spouse, you can reach out to me via email: [email protected], or on social media: @graceofamilitarychildandlife. You can find GOAMCL on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Another way to be able to collaborate with me is via advocacy. If you are passionate about the military community, this is the place to be. Please feel free to connect!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.goamcl.org
- Instagram: @graceofamilitarychildandlife
- Facebook: Grace of a Military Child and Life
- Linkedin: Grace of a Military Child and Life and Gracie Burgess
- Youtube: Grace of a Military Child and Life
- Other: Apple Podcast, Spotify, or other podcast streaming platforms: Grace of a Military Child and Life
