Military Spouse of the Year” Talks Helping Others Become Successful Entrepreneurs | Black Enterprise

Being a Military spouse isn’t easy. Between dealing with frequent deployments, job changes and cross-country moves, you’re holding together the family on the home front and trying to keep your own identity. So about 6 years ago when Lakesha Cole, a Marine Corps spouse and mother of two, was faced with the family’s fifth deployment, she decided to create something she could take with her. Cole launched She Swank | Too, a curated shop for women and girls, with only $500. Today the She Swank | Too brand has grown through three deployments, traveled to customers in 50 states and four countries and is located in a brick and mortar pop-up shop in Okinawa, Japan. For Cole’s work as a military spouse turned entrepreneur, she was selected into the Military Entrepreneur Program by Inc. magazine, named 2014 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year by Military Spouse magazine, and featured on The Today Show with Kathie Lee & Hoda. Additionally, Cole serves as a volunteer advisor to the Military Spouse Business Association and serves on the board of the Military Spouse Behavioral Health Clinician.