Skip to Content

My.Army.Mil. Learn more about your Army media. How you like it.

Fort Hood Press Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 14, 2012 12:00:00 PM CDT

Army wife manages time, businesses and family

Article and Photos by Staff Sgt. Gregory Sanders, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs

HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas – Most military families are met with the ordinary challenges of everyday civilian families.  When you add in deployments and changing installations, you’ve got a situation that most spouses would call challenging.  Some spouses, however, thrive under this type of pressure. 

            One such Fort Hood-based spouse has taken this challenge ‘by the horns’ as she established two successful businesses, written a book about military moves, contributed to the community and actively reaches out to support the community of Killeen to assist other small business owners all while raising two children and managing a house and land with her Soldier husband.
            Sandee Payne, wife of Lt. Col. Michael Payne, executive officer of the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade, takes her success modestly and attributes her ability to accomplish so much to time management and professional independence.

            “It’s time management,” Payne said. “The reason I started my own business was it made it flexible for me-I wasn’t tied down by a boss or a schedule.”

            Payne, however, does not settle with individual success.  As a military spouse, she recognized and experienced the difficulties of military life first hand and wanted to share some of her experiences and design expertise with other families, while providing new families the opportunity for a quality product at an affordable price.

            “When we got here and we knew we were going to stay, I just wanted to own my own business and help families in their homes,” Payne said. “People are moving a lot so it’s a good avenue for people to off load some things or new military couples that have just bought their first homes but don’t have the budget to buy everything new- it gives them the chance to have nicer things on a 50 percent-off type concept.”

             Having settled for an extended period of time, Payne saw an opportunity to share her experience that she gathered from seven previous moves, so she began writing a blog.  Over time her writings were compiled into a book entitled “That Military House: Move it, Organize it & Decorate it.” In her book, Payne provides hints and tips to other families to make their moves a little easier. Payne is also asked to write for USAA Federal Savings Bank from time to time as a consultant for her money-wise techniques for military families..

             Aside from running two store fronts, writing books and managing family life, Payne speaks to local groups of interested small business owners and prospective owners alike.  Recently, Payne was asked by the Killeen Business Resource Center to share her experience and knowledge with promoting business using social media.

             With an audience of budding entrepreneurs, seasoned business owners and even Fort Hood Soldiers, Payne highlighted the need to keep things fresh and interesting so as to avoid stagnation as a business.

            “The reason I get into social media is because the demographic is always changing,” said Payne. “You have to make sure you don’t get stale, or settled.”

             Whether she is working in the design studio, writing a book or supporting her family, Sandee Payne is guaranteed to stay busy- not just with social media but in all aspects of her day to day life.

 -30-

At Buy the Hour

Sandee Payne sits in her design studio of Buy the Hour in Harker Heights.Recognizing an opportunity, Payne established the interior design business five years ago when she and her Army husband arrived to the Killeen area.  (Photo by Staff Sgt. Gregory Sanders, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

Social media breakfast presentation

Fort Hood Soldiers listen as Sandee Payne briefs a small audience on the usefulness and capabilities of a relatively new social media forum, Pintrest, during a monthly social media breakfast March 6.  Members of the Killen Business Resource center invited Payne to speak on the subject, citing her experience and use of the site to promote her business.  (Photo by Army Staff Sgt Gregory Sanders, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

Helping the 3rd cavalry Regiment ladies

Sandee Payne provides instructions on how to create fabric flowers to a group of 3rd Cavalry Regiment wives during the group’s scheduled coffee meeting.  Payne offers her design studio as a space where groups of military spouses can get together and discuss the goings on within the unit while also learning a few simple design tips. (Photo by Staff Sgt Gregory Sanders, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

 

For more information contact:
85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs
Public Affairs
(254) 553-6690
85th Civil Affairs Brigade
Fort Hood, TX 76544
[email protected]