No one could ever accuse Monica Fullerton of backing down from a challenge. 

Before she hit 30, the entrepreneur and U.S. Air Force Spouse was already Regional Vice President for a global logistics company. The role came with a salary that many Military Spouses dream of, but Fullerton knew she had more to offer. In 2020, she created Spouse-ly, an online marketplace with vendors drawn exclusively from military and first responder families.

With an educational and professional background in marketing and business development, Fullerton was confident she could make Spouse-ly a success. She expanded the company to include a podcast and educational resources for fellow entrepreneurs, but realized a couple years in that she needed additional logistical and financial support to expand Spouse-ly’s reach.

“Entrepreneurship is filled with constant challenges,” says Fullerton. “One big challenge I have continued to face is finding the right help and support from both a financial and marketing standpoint.”

Excited to take her business to the next level, Fullerton signed up for ACP’s mentorship program in 2022. 

“I absolutely loved that there was a program… dedicated to providing mentorship and guidance to business leaders and entrepreneurs,” Fullerton says of finding ACP. “Being able to have that type of support from a trusted community of individuals who simply want to help and are not seeking something in return is extremely valuable and impactful.”

Fullerton found a friend and advisor in ACP Mentor Shani Magosky, a fellow corporate exec turned entrepreneur who’s been a trailblazer in leadership consulting since 2011. 

Magosky took a holistic approach from their first mentorship conversation. “When I work with mentoring or coaching clients,” she explains,  “[one of] the first things we work on is values exploration. This exercise refocuses the mentee on what is truly important to them and provides a north star for decision making.” 

She recognized a kindred spirit in Fullerton, who shared Magosky’s passion for tailoring services to a community’s unique needs. Magosky helped Fullerton discover new avenues for networking, finding potential investors, and marketing Spouse-ly’s services to a wider audience. 

“We would review possible people and opportunities together and dive deeper on what I really needed at [a given] time,” says Fullerton. The pair collaborated on identifying Fullerton’s top-level goals, then broke them down into approachable steps.

The advice Fullerton most wants to pass on from her mentorship? “Think big,” she says. “No person, opportunity, or idea is too big. Lay everything out there and break down how you want to achieve it, and who might be able to help.”

If you have experience starting or running a small business, sign up as an ACP Mentor and give an hour a month to help a Veteran or Military Spouse make their dreams a reality! Prospective Protégés, apply here to connect with us.

This Small Business Spotlight was written by Hailey Brindamour, a Senior Operations Associate here at ACP. A Military Spouse herself, Hailey joined us in the summer of 2022 and has supported countless mentorships like Monica and Shani's. In her role, she plays a vital part in ensuring incredible experiences like this are possible for our community.