Badassery Magazine June 2018 Issue 25 | Page 67

The Story Behind Dog Tag Divas The idea for this company was born when I realized that as a fe- male veteran I felt invisible. So I decided to change that. I created Dog Tag Divas with the aim to help female veterans navigate the tran- sition out of the military and into the civilian life. This was import- ant to me, as I had recently made this transition and found it was harder than I expected. I had such high hopes for what the organiza- tion was going to be, and how we could help. Four years passed, and I could not get this organization launched...why? Recently I was speaking with a family member that was very sup- portive of my idea and where I wanted to take Dog Tag Divas. He has launched several successful businesses. I called him to ask a question regarding branding. Fi- nally he just blurted out, “What the f*ck is taking you so long?” There is was. The question I have been running from and ignoring. All I could say is, “I know.” After our conversation, I could hear those words still bounc- ing around in my head. Why is it taking so long? I began to have a crucial conversation with myself. As I was having this internal con- versation I could hear all the voic- es of the women that work with in my coaching practice. Why do we as women consistently doubt ourselves or downplay our worth before applying for a promotion, changing careers, going back to s chool, etc? Why are so afraid to move forward? Why is it so hard to break through certain barriers? The men I work with have don’t seem to have the same reservations and hang ups. That is it! This is where my passion lies and where I begin with Dog Tag Divas. I want to help female veterans create a vision for Dr. Felicia Haecker their lives and find their voices. Let’s step out of the shadows, be bold…be DIVAS! Dog Tag Divas is committed to bringing members of our commu- nity together and build each Diva up. Let’s begin to have those cru- cial conversations that will help us move forward and be an un- stoppable force. Together we can let the world know we are each unique and our stories and jour- neys are different but nonetheless we matter and want to be heard. Let stop existing and start living the lives we deserve and always envisioned for ourselves. Stay Tuned...we are about to change the game!  Dr. Felicia Haecker is proud to be a female veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force for over 12 years and deployed three times in support of the wars in Af- ghanistan and Iraq. During her time on active duty she worked as a Still Pho- tographer, Public Relations Specialist and an Air Force Education Instructor. Dr. Haecker earned several medals while serving her country including the Nation- al Defense Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Ter- rorism Service Medal. Today she works as the Founder/CEO of Dog Tag Divas, an online leadership academy supporting female veterans, serves as Adjunct Professor at Brandman University, where she teaches Organizational Lead- ership. In her CEO role, Dr. Haecker teaches women people how to not only identify their passions and life ambitions, but to gain clarity behind their intent, and craft strategies to reach their intended goals. Dr. Haecker believes that by empowering women, she is helping them take the necessary steps to live the lives they have envisioned and deserve.  66