The Work Was Already There. Then the Mission Came Into Focus.

Sometimes, the work begins before you have the words to explain the larger purpose behind it.

White Lace & Combat Boots did not begin with a carefully crafted mission statement or a long-term strategic plan. It grew from lived experience, a desire to challenge systems that were not serving people well, and a belief that stories could help create meaningful change.

Over time, that work took different forms.

It became children’s books designed to help young readers see beyond limiting gender stereotypes. It became policy advocacy rooted in the experiences of service members and military families. It became public speaking, storytelling, education, and partnerships with people who shared the belief that we should never simply walk past a problem.

Every project had a purpose. Still, I had not fully articulated the thread connecting them or the future I was working to create.

The Moment the Mission Came Into Focus

That clarity began to emerge through my work in the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

The program challenged me to step back from the individual projects in front of me and think more deeply about the leadership challenge I wanted to address. It created the space to examine what I had already built, who I hoped to serve, and what lasting change could look like.

That reflection led to an important realization: White Lace & Combat Boots was not simply a collection of books, advocacy initiatives, and speaking engagements.

It was becoming an ecosystem.

The need was also larger than any single project. The military-connected community did not simply need greater awareness of the barriers affecting its members. It needed a way to connect lived experiences to decision-makers, illuminate the policies and systems creating those barriers, and advance practical solutions.

That was the “aha” moment.

The work was already happening. What it needed was a clearly defined mission and vision to guide where it would go next.

Our Mission

White Lace & Combat Boots educates, advocates, and inspires by elevating military-connected voices, illuminating policy barriers, and advancing solutions that strengthen the systems supporting the community.

Each part of this mission reflects a different component of the work.

We educate because policy should not feel inaccessible to the people it affects.

We advocate because identifying a barrier is only the beginning. Meaningful change requires someone willing to carry the issue forward, find the right decision-maker, and help place a workable solution on the table.

We inspire because stories can do more than explain a problem. They can help people recognize their own ability to create change.

Elevating military-connected voices ensures that lived experiences are not separated from the decisions being made. Illuminating policy barriers helps us look beyond individual hardship and ask whether the system itself is contributing to the problem.

Advancing solutions keeps the work focused on what can be changed, strengthened, or rebuilt.

Our Vision

We envision a future where military-connected voices inform policy decisions that build a culture in which the entire community can thrive.

Being heard is important, but listening alone is not enough.

The goal is for military-connected voices to meaningfully inform the policies and systems that shape their lives. That includes the voices of service members, veterans, spouses, caregivers, children, survivors, and families whose experiences are directly affected by military service.

When lived experiences inform policy decisions, those decisions can create stronger systems. Stronger systems influence culture. And culture determines whether people are merely expected to carry the weight placed upon them or are genuinely supported as they serve, work, lead, care for their families, and pursue their goals.

Rooted in the Military Community, Relevant Beyond It

White Lace & Combat Boots will remain rooted in the military-connected community. That is where much of my experience, advocacy, and credibility were formed.

But the lessons emerging from this work extend beyond the military.

Our children’s books challenge limiting ideas about gender, careers, parenting, and possibility. The POLICY Framework provides a method for turning lived experience into systems change that can be applied in government, nonprofit, and corporate settings. The stories we preserve reveal broader truths about leadership, caregiving, service, representation, and the relationship between policy and culture.

The military community is where this work is rooted. It is not the outer boundary of its influence.

What Comes Next

Formalizing this mission and vision comes at an important moment for White Lace & Combat Boots.

A few larger projects are already taking shape, and I hope to bring them to life over the next six months.

While each will take a different form, they will share the same purpose: elevating voices, exposing barriers, preserving stories, and moving practical solutions closer to the people who can act on them.

This mission and vision will serve as the standard for the stories we elevate, the partnerships we pursue, the projects we build, and the opportunities we say yes to.

I am deeply grateful to the George W. Bush Institute, the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, and my Cultiv8 cohort for providing the space, challenge, and community that helped bring this next chapter into focus.

The work was already underway.

Now, the mission is clear.

Policy informs culture. Stories preserve legacy.