As dedicated readers will know, we like to shine the spotlight on some of our amazing, talented Powerhouse Planning “powerhouses,” aka the freelancers who are responsible for making Powerhouse what it is. Occasionally, we also like to direct that spotlight on the leadership team that consistently grows and shapes Powerhouse in the direction founder and President Jessica Bertsch envisions. This time around, we sat down with Powerhouse’s Jennifer Kirkpatrick, who recently took on yet another title—Experience and Project Manager

Jennifer started with Powerhouse over five years ago when, as she puts it, “Jessica invited me into her brain.” Originally signing on to be Jessica’s executive assistant (and, let’s be honest, right-hand woman), Jen has spent the last five years on “an inspirational, busy, challenging, soul-searching, fun, and amazing ride to personal and professional growth.” It is a journey Jen is grateful for and one that has given her so much more than she ever expected. She quickly went from “just an executive assistant” to assuming the responsibilities of Powerhouse Operations Officer, though it took Jessica a lot of convincing for Jen to accept the official promotion. Since then, Jen has added duties to those of operations officer, earning her the title she currently holds of Experience and Project Manager.

Jen is the one who maintains a working knowledge of all Powerhouse’s clients as well as of each Powerhouse team member, working tirelessly to strategize, lead, support, and manage as needed. In addition, she checks in with team members and clients to ensure that Powerhouse is exceeding their expectations, “whether by the services we provide or as a place to work,” she says. It is not where she thought she might end up when she first accepted Jessica’s offer to come work with her, but it is not an experience she would change at all. “Jessica is a natural born leader and truly inspiring woman,” Jen says. “Her strong discernment and huge heart continually provide me the push when I need it and a safe place to land when I start to fall. She sees the gifts you have when you may overlook them.” Jen adds that this leadership style, where she is constantly pushed to discover the depths of her abilities, is one of the best aspects of working for Powerhouse. It keeps the team dynamic, always looking toward growth potential, and that is why team members continue to succeed and exceed even their own high expectations.

For those who may not know, Powerhouse is a military spouse owned and operated business and one that largely employs military spouses and veterans, along with several who just love the Powerhouse mission to create a work/life balance for freelancers and entrepreneurial spirits. That is why Jen would highly recommend entrepreneurship to military spouses. “There is no easy path,” she says, “but with hard work, a passion for excellence, and the right team surrounding you, you will do well. The growth mindset really is the secret sauce to maintaining a positive attitude, which leads to wisdom and growth.”

That spirit is what leads to the Powerhouse difference. The commitment each team member has to each other and to clients results in dynamic performance and growth. Powerhouse offers many internal growth opportunities to its team members, such as book clubs, mentor sessions, and encouragement to grow not only in areas of expertise but also in areas of interest. Jen’s favorite internal opportunity is the monthly Power Hour, a time when team members come together in both professional and personal ways. Power Hours might include a guest speaker discussing some professional aspect of virtual work or a trivia night, but it’s a time for the virtual team to come together no matter where they are in the world in order to truly feel like a team—even without a physical office space.

Jen’s favorite Powerhouse program is the Share the Goodness campaign, a direct correlation to her servant’s heart. Jessica started Share the Goodness as the charitable arm of Powerhouse, but she didn’t just focus on things that were important to her. She opened the program up to all Powerhouse’s freelancers so that the company can actively support the causes that are personally meaningful to the team. The program has spurred the formation of an entire professional branch for Powerhouse: working with nonprofits. Jen says, “The work we do with nonprofits has given me tremendous insight into the struggles of these organizations as well as compassion to work with the nonprofits I volunteer with to try to help them succeed.” To work with other people who have servants’ hearts just as strong as Jen’s gives her joy.

“I genuinely can’t think of anything to improve [about Powerhouse],” she laughingly says when questioned about what she would change if given the opportunity. “The best things about Powerhouse are its clients and its people. We work so well together. Everyone works hard, is amazingly talented, humble, kind, helpful, sincere, caring, compassionate, encouraging, and FUNNY! Also, we’re heard,” she continues. “Jessica listens to every suggestion, and even if it’s not implemented, we’re given reasons why it’s not in the best interests of our clients and/or team.” That openness is part of why Jen thinks Powerhouse will continue to grow, because Jessica has created a company where every voice is heard, which keeps Powerhouse growing and dynamic in the communities it serves.

Jen always thought her dream job would be to return to work for the Disney company, where she worked during her college years. It is, after all, “the most magical place on earth.” Since starting at Powerhouse, though, Jen’s changed her mind. She’s already got her dream job. “The way my job [at Powerhouse] has evolved is truly magical. Not to mention, when you live the military spouse life and are surrounded by military families, which I worried I’d miss when my husband retired from the Coast Guard, it’s a small world after all.”

We’re just glad that Jen has chosen to make Powerhouse part of her world. With her as part of Powerhouse’s stellar leadership team, the sky truly is the limit.

While Powerhouse Planning (Powerhouse) may be an entirely virtual company, we still manage to find ways to connect with each other, ensuring we know each other and work well together. We may be spread out across the country, but we were doing remote teamwork well before it became a thing this past year. It’s part of what makes the Powerhouse Team Solution so successful. So, imagine our excitement three months ago when we were introduced to our newest team member, Sarah Zerr.

Sarah, like so many of us at Powerhouse, is a military spouse. She’s also a Marine Corps veteran and helicopter pilot. After hanging up her active-duty hat, Sarah decided there was no better way to start her civilian career than as one of Powerhouse’s stellar project managers. In her first few months, Sarah has slowly been getting acclimated to the way we do things and taking more of an observer’s role while she learns the specific processes and structure here. Her “outsider’s view” of things has already been making an impact, one we’ll be seeing much more of soon.

Initially, Powerhouse drew Sarah in because we’re primarily made up of military spouses and veterans. “Having been both, I know and appreciate what type of person it takes to serve in those ways,” Sarah says. Being fortunate enough to call our founder and president, Jessica Bertsch, a friend was icing on the cake. “I knew any organization [Jessica] was a part of, especially one she founded, was going to be a great place to work and spend my time,” Sarah says. With only three months under her belt, Sarah says she’s already found a work home that speaks to her, one that allows her to fit work in at her own pace. She can have a heavy workday one day and the next shift to a light one to focus more on her young family. “At my current stage of life with two young kids (and now a puppy), work is what actually provides balance,” she says. Finding a company that not only understands but also actively promotes that work/life balance for its employees is key.

Speaking of that young family, Sarah and her husband are the proud parents of Ellie, 6, and Jack, 4, as well as a teething, four-month-old goldendoodle puppy. “He’s fun and cute, but it’s a tad hectic with a new puppy and little kids who aren’t the most trained themselves,” she says. Having recently transitioned from her Marine Corps career flying CH-46E helicopters is a change for Sarah and her husband who were married shortly after their graduation from the Naval Academy. Her husband, a Marine Corps major, recently made a minor career change himself, when he transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserve. Having a little more stability in their home life is something the family is looking forward to enjoying, along with experiencing all those daily little moments.

“I love photography,” Sarah says, “It’s a bit of a creative release, but has been awesome capturing so many memories.” She started her amateur photography hobby when her oldest was born and quickly learned that having the ability to capture those everyday moments spoke to her. She says, “I love looking back at older pictures of the same activity and seeing the obvious changes, even in a photo that is taken just months apart.” Sarah says that her favorite photos aren’t the posed ones, but the ones that record those “tiny details [that] make me stop and appreciate them more.”

That passion for capturing still images is something Sarah also uses to speak for her. In fact, when asked to describe herself she replied, “I’m someone who hates talking about myself. I’ll just give you extra photos for the blog article instead.” What those photos show is a woman dedicated to her family and one who truly enjoys spending time with her favorite people. Being a mom, Sarah says, is satisfying,  and she hopes one day she’ll look back on these years as one of her greatest accomplishments. But she also finds “managing an idea that turns in to awesome physical content is a great small win that I directly see and feel good about.”

Which is why Powerhouse is such a good fit for her, and it speaks to the best advice she can give: “Decide what it is you need or are missing. For me, I needed something to be able to point to and say, ‘I helped achieve that.’ Once you identify what you truly are missing to feel fulfilled, it may take some sacrifices in other areas to achieve it, but it is worth it.” For Sarah, that was why Powerhouse was such a perfect fit. It allows her to be involved in content creation, taking a client from that initial idea all the way through to the “beautifully developed product.” That she can also work with nonprofit clients is a bonus. “Helping the helpers also has some pretty high job satisfaction,” is the way Sarah puts it.

It’s clear Sarah will positively contribute to Powerhouse over the years, and she’s excited for the roll out of our new website. While not quite ready for prime time yet, the website is one of Sarah’s first projects with Powerhouse, and she can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve come up with. “At Powerhouse, we have helped with the branding of a lot of companies. I think our new website and content brings our branding up to the outstanding level we offer our clients,” she says.

We couldn’t leave without asking Sarah to tell us something about herself not many people might know, especially her new colleagues at Powerhouse. She says, “Although I was a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, I actually hate roller coasters and most amusement park rides. I am not looking forward to when my kids outgrow the kiddie rides and I have to go on the big roller coasters with them.” Don’t worry, Sarah, now that you’re with Powerhouse, some of us will volunteer to go on those rides with your amazing children so you can keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Which is honestly one of the things we love about you.