December 2023 - Mentorship Success Story
ACP honors the dedication and sacrifice of Military Spouses. This month, we recognize Lizann Lightfoot, a longtime Marine Corps Spouse, entrepreneur, and ACP Protege!
Lizann's journey began when she started dating her Marine husband as a teenager, and from that point forward, she embarked on a rollercoaster ride that included multiple Permanent Change of Station (PCS) relocations, enduring seven deployments, and managing extended periods of solo parenting. It's a testament to the strength and fortitude that Military Spouses like Lizann possess.
Over the past decade, Lizann has built a fulfilling nontraditional career as the “Seasoned Spouse”, speaking and writing about the issues that impact the Military Spouse community. As she prepared for her husband’s retirement from the Marine Corps, Lizann wanted to re-enter the corporate world and knew ACP would be a key stepping stone along the way.
In early 2023, she began a yearlong mentorship with Michelle Lubin, an experienced ACP Mentor and Senior Marketing Manager at Unilever.
Michelle has been vital to Lizann’s transition from entrepreneurship to traditional employment. She gave Lizann’s resume a glam makeover, acted as a “corporate-speak” translator, and advised her on the best ways to network with other professionals.
While Lizann’s job search sometimes felt “exhausting, time-consuming, and often disheartening,” she says, “[Michelle] was very encouraging when I felt defeated by the drawn-out job application process.”
After months of dedicated searching, Lizann was offered a marketing director role with a company that supports veteran home ownership. She credits Michelle for helping her shine as a candidate. “Ultimately,” she says, “the company’s CEO said the skills on my resume and the programs listed there really made me stand out from other candidates.”
ACP mentorships are unique because our Mentors support their Proteges through every stage of professional development. Lizann and Michelle continue to meet monthly as Lizann transitions into her new role, and they expect to stay connected through the end of their yearlong mentorship and beyond.
Michelle finds mentoring personally and professionally fulfilling. ACP provides a unique service, she says, by “using corporate connections to help individuals grow their network and [providing] guidance on how to succeed.”
ACP stands ready to support our active duty and Gold Star Spouses as well as the Spouses of post-9/11 Disabled Veterans. Complete our application here to connect with an ACP Operations Associate and learn more about our mentorship program.
If you would like to mentor a Military Spouse or Veteran, apply here today to become someone’s Michelle!
