New Hire at Powerhouse
Jennifer Kirkpatrick joins the Powerhouse Planning team as an executive assistant.
Jennifer graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in liberal arts, with focus on business management, communications, and psychology. She went on to earn an associate’s in computer network management. She has professional experience in the hospitality industry, city government, and education, and has been honored with training and professionalism awards.
She has been happily serving as a military spouse for 13 years and lives with her husband, Mitch, and their two beautiful children in Merritt Island, Florida. When they began moving around every two years, Jennifer dedicated her life to growing where she was planted, teaching her children to do the same, and becoming active and volunteering in her children’s schools and within their community. She has a passion for supporting others and helping them thrive, and is excited to fulfill this role within Powerhouse Planning.
New Hire at Powerhouse
Jessica Yost joins the Powerhouse Planning team as an analyst.
Jessica is a public relations consultant who specializes in streamlined messaging and building client-customer relationships. Her professional background spans the hospitality, technology, and beauty industries, as well as not-for-profit organizations. Jessica earned a B.S. in psychology from Towson University and a master’s in strategic public relations from The George Washington University.
As a military spouse of nine years, Jessica has served in various leadership positions within military family organizations. She is currently an active member of The Milspo Project and In Gear Career, and is the creator and administrator of the Navy JAG Spouses and Partners Facebook page.
In her spare time, Jessica is a makeup artist and enjoys teaching others how to put their best faces forward. She is also an avid baker, dancer, and runner who currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with her wonderful husband, Adam, and their two beagles, Clark and Kent (they’re on Instagram: @TheSuperBeagles).
February 2016
Powerhouse president published in SpouseBuzz
Retired Soldier Launches Coffee Business Using Skills Learned in Military
By: Bianca M. Strzalkowski 
No compromise.
Army veteran Carl Churchill had an entrepreneurial spirit since he was a kid. He took on odd jobs, even throughout his time in the military, allowing him to flex his leadership skills. After retirement, he transitioned into a career that suffered as a result of the financial crisis hitting the country. Churchill and his wife Lori made the decision to start their own business – all in the name of a love of coffee and a desire to continue helping his brothers in arms.
Lock N Load Java – an online retailer of premium coffee selling directly to consumers, was launched on September 11, 2010 with a philosophy of “no compromise.” Churchill explains the phrase means the company won’t give up “quality to make a quick buck.”
“It means not compromising customer service – we offer 100 percent customer satisfaction, period,” he said. “It means not compromising our mission to support the troops and the military community. And it means not compromising our integrity – we ALWAYS do the right thing.” (more…)
Did You Know?
Each month on Facebook we focus on a theme that can help your business grow. Follow us: www.facebook.com/powerhouseplanning
8 Ways to Build Customer/Client Relationships on Facebook…and Keep Them
By: Joanna Guldin-Noll
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably complained about Facebook. Facebook throttles views. Facebook constantly changes. Facebook makes things difficult. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Sound familiar? I know I’ve said some of these exact things. Until recently, that is… because I’ve figured out how to make Facebook beneficial for my followers and for my business.
If you’re feeling sluggish about your Facebook presence (or maybe downright hostile toward it), you can absolutely take steps to change the way you interact with your customers/clients. It’s easy to take just one or two of these strategies and consistently apply them. You’ll be building relationships through Facebook easily in no time! (more…)
