Navigating Careers, Finances, and Transitions with Sarah Roder
- S4E35
- 46:33
- August 12th 2026
Hannah O'Brien sits down with military spouse and advocate Sarah Roder to break down the realities of military life, career disruption, and financial empowerment. Drawing from her unique journey through active duty, a 10-year transition and divorce, and remarrying into a 23-year military retirement, Sarah shares actionable strategies for military spouses facing the unknowns of service life.
Action Steps & Resources
- Find a Career: Use the DoD's MSEP portal to connect with employers who actively recruit military spouses.
- Get a Mentor: Sign up for American Corporate Partners (ACP) for a free, year-long career mentorship.
Master Your Money:
- Spousal IRAs: Unemployed or stay-at-home spouses can contribute up to $7,500 per year to an IRA in their own name.
- Protect the Family: Don't overlook stay-at-home partner life insurance or VA benefit realities.
- Start Small: Overwhelmed? Stop trying to fix everything at once. Write down your fixed monthly budget to get it out of your head and onto paper.
Trusted Guidance: Visit Armed Forces Mutual for military-specific financial calculators, transition timelines, and survivor support.
Veteran Spouse Network
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Life behind the uniform isn’t always easy, and military and veteran families know this better than anyone. The Veteran Spouse Network Podcast brings real, honest conversations to the forefront, covering the challenges, stories, and victories unique to military and veteran families.
Each episode features spouses, partners, family members, experts, and providers sharing insights on everything from deployment stress and mental health struggles to navigating resources and relationship dynamics.
Whether you’re a military spouse, veteran family member, or just want to understand the true experience, this podcast offers a supportive space to connect, learn, and know you’re not alone.
Tune in and join the community that stands with you through every step of the journey.
Hannah O’Brien is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work Masters program. A native of Austin, Texas, she knew she needed to spread her wings in college, traveling all the way to the east coast to attend American University in Washington, D.C. where she received her Bachelors in Law and Society. After earning her undergraduate degree, she held several positions that included working with children in schools, supporting offenders during reentry after incarceration, offering employment guidance for low-income adults, and helping support adult literacy. Hannah then began her Masters of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas, where she completed the Administration and Policy Practice concentration, planning for a career in non-profit management.
While pursuing her degree, she fell in love with, and ultimately married a Marine Corps veteran and began immersing herself in the unique culture of the military. It wasn’t long before she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the service of veteran spouses and families. Hannah has served as the Program Manager for the Veteran Spouse Network (VSN) since 2017, helping create, implement, and evaluate peer support programs for veteran spouses and families to ensure they receive the support they deserve. In addition to her role within the VSN, Hannah has had the opportunity to coordinate marriage enrichment and PTSD treatment groups for veteran couples, as well as assist in a multitude of different research projects aimed at supporting military and veteran families.