While Ashleigh was stuck on a deployment in the middle of the ocean she struggled with depression. She decided she needed to make a change. With nowhere to go and only work to do, she decided to start focusing on what she ate. Saying no to the fried food and yes to the healthier option. This one choice led her to change her life and now she runs a coaching business to help other military women.
Ashleigh is a third-generation Naval Academy graduate. Both her grandfather and uncle attended Annapolis. Growing up she didn’t want to be a part of the military, but as high school approached her grandfather talked about wanting a grandchild to continue the tradition and she began looking into the Naval Academy. By her freshman year of high school, she had decided it was what she wanted to do and started working to complete all the necessary requirements for the application. She had her application completed by the end of her Junior year and found out that summer she had been selected.
We discussed how her struggle with fitness and weight was a constant struggle throughout her time at the Academy. She had wanted to be a leader for Plebe summer but felt unqualified because she wasn’t the best fitness member. She received advice from a leader at the Naval Academy that she still had leadership value even if she wasn’t the fastest runner and if she wanted to do it, she should.
She commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer and was one of fourteen with an Engineering option. Her first assignment was difficult and she attributes it to having a bad leader and dealing with depression. She went to the doctor on her ship while deployed to get help and was told he didn’t know what to do because he felt the same way. She decided to focus on what she could control, which was her fitness and making healthier choices at meals. That along with receiving her Surface Warfare Pin helped bring her out of her depression.
Her next assignment at Norfolk was a much better experience and she had great leadership and a more manageable job. She also met her future husband. While at Norfolk she applied to go to graduate school and moved to Monterey to get her masters in Electrical Engineering. Shortly after beginning graduate school, her husband proposed and they got married while she was attending school. Before she graduated her husband deployed and they will finally be stationed together after being married almost two years.
She has decided to leave the Navy after this assignment so she can focus on her health coaching business. She wants to have the flexibility of being able to work from home and raise a family and while she has gained a lot from serving in the Navy it isn’t where her passion lies anymore. She loves that she will continue to serve the military community through her coaching and online programs.
She tells women who are considering joining the military to do it, but you don’t have to sacrifice who you are to do it. Know what you want and go for it.
Connect with Ashleigh:
Healthy Women Warriors Podcast
www.instagram.com/ashmageecoach
www.facebook.com/groups/HealthyWomenWarriors/
www.ashleighmagee.com
https://ashleighmagee.com/wellness-challenge/
Mentioned in this Episode:
Related to this Episode:
From the Navy to the Air Force – Episode 15
Do I Belong in the Navy – Episode 6
Giving Back After Service to Find Healing – Episode 56
Read the transcript here.
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Amanda Huffman 00:00
Welcome to Episode 96 of the Women of the Military Podcast. My guest this week is Ashleigh Magee. She graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2013 and is currently an active-duty Navy officer with nearly seven years of commissioned service. She was a Surface Warfare Officer for four years which included two deployments. Next, she laterally transferred to engineering duty officer currently she is serving as a project officer for combat system ship testing. She is also building a health coaching business and just launched her new podcast The Healthy Women Warrior Podcast. She plans on transitioning out of the military to follow her passion full time she serves military women, both active duty members and veterans to help them improve their health so they can control more in their life is another great episode. So let's get started. You're listening to the Women of the Military Podcast where we share the stories of female servicemembers and how the military touch their lives. I'm Amanda Huffman. I'm an Air Force veteran author of Women of the Military and a collaborative author of Brave Women, Strong Faith. I am also a military spouse and Mom. I created the Women of the Military Podcast as a place to share stories of military women past and present with the goal of finding the heart of the story while uncovering the triumphs and challenges women face while serving in the military. If you want to be encouraged by the stories of military women and be inspired to change the world, keep tuned for this latest episode of Women of the Military. Welcome to the show. Ashley. I'm excited to have you here.
Ashleigh Magee 01:46
Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
Amanda Huffman 01:48
Let's start with why did you decide to join the military?
Ashleigh Magee 01:52
So kind of a funny story when I was little I swore I'd never go into the military. But that was mostly because my stepdad had some Marine Corps friends. And so anytime I can play and he'd be like pain is weakness leaving the body. And that's not really what you want to hear when you're like 10. But I am actually third-generation Naval Academy. So my grandfather and my uncle both went, and when I got to high school, my grandfather really wanted a grandkid to go to the Academy. And honestly, just one day, I started to actually listen to what he had to say about it. And I was really attracted to the camaraderie and being a part of something bigger than myself. So that's why I ended up pursuing the academy and eventually attending.
Amanda Huffman 02:39
So when did you start looking into the academy? Was it like your freshman year or sophomore year or even late
Ashleigh Magee 02:45
My freshman year. So, pretty much my entire high school career was solely focused on getting into the Naval Academy.
Amanda Huffman 02:52
Which is kind of important because like, there's so many requirements and things to plan for. It's good that you knew from that early on that's what your goal was so that you could make choices that align better so you could get into the academy?
Ashleigh Magee 03:07
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And it definitely, I mean, it helps also make my high school experience really well rounded, because I wasn't just doing sports, I was volunteering a lot part of like, student body and stuff like that. And well, on one side, I was, you know, to get into the Academy, and the having an added benefit of you know, making me a better person.
Amanda Huffman 03:28
Right, that makes sense. So what was the application process? Like, when did you start putting your packet together to attend the Naval Academy?
Ashleigh Magee 03:37
So I was very overzealous. So I, the Academy has a program out summer seminar that you can attend the summer after your junior year. So before you start your senior year, and so I was accepted into that program. It's like a week-long, and it's just to give you a taste of the Academy. And I actually completed my application by the time I left for the summer seminar. So I fully had my specific Naval Academy application done by that time, I didn't have the congressional nomination or anything like that yet, but I had the actual Naval Academy application done by the end of my junior year, which was way ahead of the curve or context. The Academy's first admissions board meets Labor Day weekend in September. I was really early with that. And I ended up actually getting a it's called a letter of assurance, which is essentially like I am accepted contingent on getting the congressional nomination and I had that July before I started my senior year of high school, which I found out later that's because my blue and gold officer called the academy and told them to let me in and tell me.
Amanda Huffman 04:44
Oh, so you found out early. I did.
Ashleigh Magee 04:46
I so I went into my senior year of high school already knowing that I was accepted into the Academy.
Amanda Huffman 04:51
Oh, wow. Did that like take away pressure or did it add pressure or was it just like a relief?
Ashleigh Magee 04:58
Oh, it was a total relief. Because I felt like I could, you know, really just focus on being present and enjoying my senior year like when my classmates were, you know, killing themselves over like retaking SATs and stuff like that, like I was just doing school. That makes sense.
Amanda Huffman 05:15
So let's talk about what it was like to go to the Naval Academy. It starts with essentially like a boot camp. Is that right? I don't, I don't actually know for sure.
Ashleigh Magee 05:25
Yeah. So it starts with plebe summer is what it's called. And it is it's like a mini boot camp, the Academy's version of boot camp. So I reported July 4th or July 1, 2009. And plebe summer is about two months long and it's an introduction to everything from you know, military PT to military bearing, you know, your eyes are always in the boat. It's sir, ma'am sandwiches. And it's interesting. It's, you know, it's that that process of just turning you into a little like military Midshipman, that it felt really like brutal at the time. But now, in hindsight, I'm like, Was it that bad?
Amanda Huffman 06:06
I mean, it probably was really tough. I think sometimes you remember stuff, not as bad as it was, but I'm sure it was tough to go through.
Ashleigh Magee 06:16
Yeah, and it's I think, too, I so it's run by see, like midshipmen going into their senior year. So I was a detailer on the back end of my Academy career, too. So I did experience it from the other side, which was also really exhausting.
Amanda Huffman 06:33
Yes, true. So you got both experiences as like the plague going through it. And then as the like the organizers and the trainees that's kind of interesting that you got to do both sides.
Ashleigh Magee 06:44
Yeah. So I was actually worried about being able to do please summer as a detailer because I was never really a PT stud at the Academy. I struggled a lot with like the PRT because I am a swimmer, not a runner. And so I was just like, worried about like, showing up and my senior enlisted leader in my company, and was like, Well, can you pass the PRT? You know, like, Well, yeah. And he goes, Well, then, you know, you should do plebe summer, like, it's about more than just physical fitness, like they need your leadership and like you have a lot to offer. And that was his really big, like, confidence boost for me. And just, I think it was the first time that you know, military leader had like, sat me down and been like, there. There's more to this than just like being the best at push-ups because I feel like sometimes that's how it feels at the Academy. So it was a great lesson. And I ended up being a platoon commander for plebe summer, which was crazy, because it also made me in charge of like drill. So suddenly, I was like reading the drill manual. So I could teach plebes how to march, which felt completely absurd at the time and still kind of does in hindsight.
Amanda Huffman 07:56
Yeah, I think that's really good advice. Because sometimes you think like you said, you were, you're able to pass it, but you weren't like a superstar is what you're trying to say like, you didn't max it, the leadership and the other parts are so important. That's good that you got that advice in that direction?
Ashleigh Magee 08:13
Definitely.
Amanda Huffman 08:14
How do you get to pick your jobs when you're at the Naval Academy?
Ashleigh Magee 08:17
Like as far as commissioning into the fleet? Yeah, yes. So it's kind of a multi-part process. So first of all, you're getting fleet experience all through your time at the Academy. So every summer, it's not like you get the entire summer off. There's actually it's split into three main blocks, which is it's really three months, right? So it's June, July and August, and you get a block of leave. And then there are two blocks of training. One is like small unit leadership training. The other is fully experienced training. So during this, we experienced blocks you know, you get to see what it's like to be on a surface ship. Some people do like aviation cruises, so they get to fall around pilots. Some people do like Marine Corps stuff, because they like rolling around in the dirt. I don't know. I don't know what Marines do. I'm, I'm being facetious, obviously, but so so that's like, the first part is really this lead exposure because ideally, you want to pick a career path that you're actually going to like. And then also like, for example, if you wanted to go like in the Marines, you had to have done their, like leather neck training, which so you there were some things that you had to do in order to pick certain service selections. So then, like when it comes time to select your service, it's literally like you go into this online module and just like rank your choices, and then I actually I selected an option so I was Surface Warfare with an engineering duty option. So I also had to go through an interview process to be chosen for the option because out of my class out of like, however, many people went Surface Warfare there were only 14 of us that had the option. Well, and then beyond that, if you like, if you end up going Surface Warfare, then there's like a whole ship selection process. And that's when you start like picking your quarters. So that's kind of the general overview.
Amanda Huffman 10:12
Yeah, it's a lot more complicated than I thought you were gonna say. It's so crazy that how much it's tied to like the summer stuff. And then not only do you pick your career, then you pick the option and then the ship. And so it's not they just were like, you're gonna be a civil engineer. And I was like, Okay, and then they say, you're going to this base. And that was pretty much it for doing the job. And it was, it was very complicated, it's interesting. So when you got to commission into the Navy, and leave the Naval Academy behind, what was that transition like to go from being in the academy to being on active duty?
Ashleigh Magee 10:50
It was, it was interesting. I So first, I was actually I commissioned in 2013, which, if you remember is right when sequestration happened, so and my first ship was out of Hawaii. And so I had to spend like three months in San Diego in schools before I could go to Hawaii. And like, literally, up until like, the week before I left, we didn't know if we were going to be able to get flights because of sequestration. So that was there's a lot of like uncertainty. And even though the, you know, the military was still working and being paid the civilian, you know, support staff was not so I went from my like, Naval Academy, but it is very minimal pay to commissioned, but like my BAH never updated for Hawaii. So I'm a brand new Ensign and I had to take out a loan to pay my rent because Hawaii is insanely expensive. So that was a really interesting start. But I got to the ship. And I was like this bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Ensign that like, you know, was so excited to be in the fleet and like ready to serve 20 years. And I'm sure that the jaded sailors were like, Who is this chick. But that's, that's how I started out I was really hungry, really excited. And just like super motivated.
Amanda Huffman 12:06
That's crazy that you couldn't get your BAH indicator change. I think there's a lot of like moving pieces behind when the government shuts down and like different parts keep going. But then like other parts stop, and how that can have a ripple effect. So many different moving pieces. So that's crazy.
Ashleigh Magee 12:24
Yeah, it seems like I always tend to move right around like the fiscal year ending or the calendar year ending. So I think I think I've only had one move where my BAH wasn't messed up.
Amanda Huffman 12:36
So you went to your first ship, you finally got you got to go to training because it all worked out. But there's a lot of uncertainty. And so what was like the first few years of being in the military, like when you were on your ship, did you guys go out and deploy? Or were you on home station the whole time? or What were you guys doing?
Ashleigh Magee 12:54
Yes. So I checked on board, my first ship, the week we went to a six month yard period. So on that ship, I actually experienced the full ship lifecycle. So six months in the yard, and then all the inspections. I was an engineering division officer. So I worked all the time, there is legit a month where I did not see the sun, I was rolling into work at like 5 am and leaving well after like eight, nine o'clock at night. And how was brutal. It was really, really hard. And I, I really started to get worn down. And then that rolled into an eight and a half month deployment to the Arabian Gulf. So and at that time, so about six months before deployment, I started actually struggling with depression. And that lasted into probably about halfway through my deployment. So that was really, really difficult. And then I as soon as we got back from deployment, I transferred to a staff job and met them on deployment about four months later. So in a year and a half period, I was gone. 11 months total.
Amanda Huffman 14:07
Wow. That's crazy. Yeah. So much time away. And when you were talking about depression, and you said you said you were able to break free or how did you get out of depression while you were deployed? Did you was there like a doctor that got you meds? Or did you find out like a coping strategy or how did that work?
Ashleigh Magee 14:28
Yeah, I actually got to the point where I asked for help from our corpsman onboard our doc who was achieved and his response was I don't know how to help you because I feel the same way. So that Yeah, that was the first time Military Medical failed me is so I mentioned earlier that I was not really like a PT said at the academy and going dealing with this first tour. I was really struggling with my health. I was overweight, I had high cholesterol and then attack on the depression and I was like I have to change something. So I started focusing on my health as the only thing I could control. And that became my main coping strategy. So I started working out regularly eliminating like fried foods, because that's really the only thing that you can control the ship is like, Well, I know I can, you know, choose the not fried option at lunch today. And that's pretty much all I have. So like that was a huge part of it was getting healthy. But then after that, I'm actually I'm extremely goal-oriented. And your first tour on a ship, you're really like your job really, is to get qualified to earn your Surface Warfare pin. And our commanding officer was, frankly awful. And he kept making these like, arbitrary requirements for us before we could board and to the point where like we were, we were all like, up against the wire to like qualify in time. And by no fault of our own, we were asking for boards we were asked like, and just getting pushed off. So that created a lot of stress and anxiety that I think compounded with the depression. And once I finally was able to earn my pin, it was like a huge weight was lifted. It was like the rain cloud that have been following me around, just like blew away. And I felt like I could actually like function and see again, as like my normal self.
Amanda Huffman 16:25
Yeah, I've heard people talk about depression, like as like a rain cloud, and then something happens and it like goes away or being in a dark room. And then all of a sudden, it's like you're in a bright room. And you can see again, and so yeah, yeah, that I think the leadership on a ship or on a deployment, I had a really bad commander. So I understand what it's like to not having a good leader and how much extra stress and tension that causes. So yeah, that makes sense.
Ashleigh Magee 16:54
Yeah, it was definitely that it was a pretty, like brutal start to my military career, because I went from not really happy and son that was excited to like be in the military for 20 years to like someone that was very cynical and like, get me out now.
Amanda Huffman 17:12
Right? Like, how much more time do I have? Can I just get out now? Exactly. Which is really sad that I mean, that's like the power of like, a good or a bad leader, they can really change everything about your feelings towards the military and your experience. Definitely. So then you went to the staff job. And then you deployed again, was that a better environment than the one you had been?
Ashleigh Magee 17:40
For so many reasons. I had a great Commodore. He actually recently retired from the Navy. But I mean, I would follow that man anywhere. He was awesome. So that was great. And then you know, the contrast in being an engineering officer on a destroyer versus being embarks staff on a carrier was night and day, like literally, I just had to do my job and stand watch. I didn't, I wasn't in charge of people. I wasn't in charge of equipment. I didn't have to do any of like the damage control drills. And it was great. I actually ended up I certified to teach turbo kick before my second appointment and was able to teach workout classes twice a week in the hangar bay. That was like a really great outlet and on brought me a ton of joy on this, you know, the second deployment.
Amanda Huffman 18:31
That's really cool. That's really exciting. It gave you like something that was fulfilling and that you love doing and you could do it and help other people. So that's really cool. So after that, not very long, a year and a half you had been in you are during that time you are gone. 11 months. What when you got home from that second deployment, where did you go and what happened after that?
Ashleigh Magee 18:56
So I was still with the staff for about another just over another year after I got home from that deployment. I was mostly shore-based like worked out of a cubicle I was the schedules officers. So I basically helped our nine shifts in the desert or on the Destroyer Squadron, maintain their schedules and do kind of that sort of thing. And then I also helped plan an international exercise with the Canadians. So I did like the short runways for like that exercise. But other than that I was premature base, which was really nice.
Amanda Huffman 19:32
Yeah, we'll give you some stability after being caught along. So yes. And then after that year, did you PCs or did you or did you just move to another unit and stay where you were?
Ashleigh Magee 19:44
Yeah. So I PCSd to Monterey, California and started grad school. So I got my master's in electrical engineering actually just finished in December 2019.
Amanda Huffman 19:57
So did you go to the language institute or Is there somewhere different in Monterey?
Ashleigh Magee 20:02
So yeah, so there's two schools there you have DLI, the Language Institute, and then you have the Naval Postgraduate School. So I was actually in graduate school.
Amanda Huffman 20:11
Okay. Cool. That's awesome. Was it really tough program? My husband went to AFIT and he also got his master's in electrical engineering. And it was pretty intense.
Ashleigh Magee 20:24
Yeah, it was definitely tough. I thankfully found one of the smartest dudes I've ever met. And he was a Marine. He's actually teaching at the Naval Academy now. But he was in my kind of like cohort, we had all of our classes together. So I found him I latched on to him. And because I believe one of the secrets to success in school is just like, find the person that's smarter than you and study with them always. So once I found him that made my life a lot more manageable. But it was interesting, because on top of this, when I was in grad school, my husband proposed and then we got married eight months later. So I was also planning a wedding. And we were two batches. So while I was in Monterey, California, he was in San Diego. So every other weekend, I was either fly down to San Diego, or he was flying up to Monterey to visit. So it was a lot of like, logistics and moving parts on top of doing the whole like grad school thing.
Amanda Huffman 21:21
Yeah, that is a lot. So yes. So he proposed and you got married, and then you're going to grad school and you're separated. So how long had you been dating your now husband when he proposed? Had you guys been together? I'm guessing you didn't start dating one in Mater. I have one in San Diego?
Ashleigh Magee 21:41
No, we were. We met when we were both stationed in Norfolk. So and that's where I was on the staff job. So we were dating for about a year, just over a year when he proposed. And and so like, that's why we ended up like in different locations. Because, you know, we weren't you know, as far as the military was concerned, we weren't even engaged when we moved.
Amanda Huffman 21:59
Right. And they don't, and I don't think they care if you're engaged either.
Ashleigh Magee 22:03
They don't really care if you're married, let's be honest.
Amanda Huffman 22:08
That is true. That's the truth. They don't care. You have to care a lot more than they do. So you so you graduated and are you are you in San Diego now with him or no?
Ashleigh Magee 22:21
So about a month before I graduated, he deployed to Qatar. So he's in the Middle East right now, doing a he's on an Air Force Base, which has been an interesting experience. Turns out the Navy and Air Force those things a little bit differently, go figure and he won't be back until he's gonna he's gonna be gone for like eight, nine months. So he'll be back end of August 2020. And then I have PCs to put my name in California. So when he gets back, he'll have a job here. We his deployment is essentially our deal. We kept with the detailer so we could get colocation.
Amanda Huffman 23:03
Yeah. See. That's how it works. Yeah. Yeah. To get stationed together, yo. So you guys will eventually be together after his.
Ashleigh Magee 23:12
We're gonna hit our second wedding anniversary by the time we live together for the first time.
Amanda Huffman 23:17
That sounds like military. mil to mil for sure. Yep. So what does it been like to be married to someone not be able to live together? And like all the like moving pieces in that behind the scenes to get stationed together? Do you guys think you're gonna be able to both do 20 years? Or have you not really thought that far in advance?
Ashleigh Magee 23:40
So it will, it's been interesting. For one, I still don't have his stuff that's been in storage in San Diego, it's actually supposed to get delivered next week. I'm thrilled. So you know, there's always like, that kind of stuff and the stress of getting orders and things like that. But I lucked out, I married an old guy, which I affectionately call him, he's, he outranks me, it's great. And he's at like, 17 years. So he's going to retire after this next tour, and I'm planning on just getting out we're going to become civilians together.
Amanda Huffman 24:12
Okay, so that's kind of cool that you're able to get your masters and you're doing your last you're doing your tour and then he's gonna retire and yeah, that's really cool. Cuz it military mil to mil life is like, so complicated, which you already only been married over a year, almost two years. I've already seen how challenging it is. And then I mean, I got out when my son was born, because I was like, I can do this when it's just me and my husband, but when I add kids, it's like, it's too complicated. It adds a whole nother level of stress that I didn't want to deal with anymore.
Ashleigh Magee 24:48
Yeah. And we're, I mean, we're going to start trying actually for kids probably next year. So that's definitely something that I think about a lot too.
Amanda Huffman 24:58
So I'll ask this You don't have to answer if you don't want to. But what is making you decide that you want to get out of the military, you don't want to stay in longer?
Ashleigh Magee 25:07
Yeah, for me, it's a fulfillment piece. So through kind of that health journey I mentioned, I've actually started health coaching for women in the military. And I have found so much joy, so much fulfillment out of that, and like doing my military day job, it just pales in comparison to how much I enjoy coaching and helping other people in that way. And for me, you know, I like I think there's always that fear of like, leaving the military community. And so you know, I've made my niche in a way where I'm, I'm still very, I'm going to be very involved with the military community, I really want to help change how we view health, especially when medical doesn't necessarily have our backs sometimes. So like looking at preventative health, and, and care. So we as a fighting force, and as women especially are stronger mentally and physically. So I honestly can't wait to get out of the military, because I want to do that full time.
Amanda Huffman 26:07
Yeah, that's so cool that I feel like you're one step ahead of like, where I was when I got out because I, I was a civil engineer, and I didn't really want to be a civil engineer. And I just knew that. So like, there were a lot of other factors in like, why I left, but I didn't know what I wanted to do next. And it's so cool that you've already started your business, and that it brings you such fulfillment, and that you're gonna get to transition out, and then do that full time. So that's really cool.
Ashleigh Magee 26:39
Takes a lot of the stress away of transitioning to write with my husband being a pilot, like he wants to get out and fly commercial. Like that's he just wants to fly, which I'm sure people will one day fly again. So hold on. So right now, but you know, so like, I'm actually really excited to also like, have this kind of like co-parenting situation. Yeah, this one is not fine, he'll be home. And I'll be working from home. And I just think that's going to be a really cool way to raise a family too.
Amanda Huffman 27:10
Yeah. And at the time of the recording, we're in the COVID crisis. So hopefully, in October, when this actually goes live, the world will look a lot happier than it currently does. because everything's falling apart. Let's talk about what you have going. I we were talking a little bit before. And I know that you have some coaching programs that you're just starting and that will continue to adapt and change. But can you give people a little bit overview of like what you're doing for your business? And if people are interested in learning more besides that, I'll have the links in the show notes. But you can talk a little bit about that.
Ashleigh Magee 27:46
Yeah, so I am currently launching my flagship program. So this will be this will still be happening at the time, you know, this, this goes live. But it's an eight-week program designed to help military women lose weight, and you know, just really improve health overall, I know so many of us struggle with a prt struggle with plans and I constantly see, you know, posts of people like, you know, taking laxatives before the weigh-ins and things like that. And I'm really, I really want to try to break that cycle with women in the military. So it's an eight-week program. It's designed for our busy, crazy lives. So you know, it's not super time-intensive. It's something that can do even if you're deployed, which I think is really cool. So that's kind of my like, like I said, My flagship offer. I also have a healthy women warriors Facebook group. So you have to be either active duty or veteran woman. And I go in there every day and post different like health tips. We have discussions about like, ways to improve our health and coping in you know, whatever current time you're in, or how to balance it with work. So it's a really great community. And that's something that I really have enjoyed building up as well and serving in there. And then other than that, like I'm pretty active on Instagram. So I'm Ash McGee, coach, a sh Ma, g GCO. ch. And yeah, that's, that's a little bit about what I'm doing.
Amanda Huffman 29:20
Yeah, that's awesome. And when we were talking about it earlier, you mentioned that like, the workouts are only like 10 to 15 minutes. And it's not like as drastic dieting change. It's like little changes that add up to like, big impact when you do them over time. And I thought it was really fascinating. So I'm excited to see where it goes with the launch. And I'm excited for what you're doing because it sounds like it's a really cool resource that's actually really needed, especially in the military community. So that's great.
Ashleigh Magee 29:49
Absolutely. Yeah, I think Yeah, thank you for that. It's that's the thing is I think there's so much misconception and the biggest thing is people say they don't have enough time and don't have enough time to work out. don't have enough time. To be healthy, so I actually have a personal trainer and a registered dietician on my team. And so I have customized meal plans that again, are meant to be made for busy people. And the micro workout plan, which everything is 10 to 15 minutes. And the only equipment max you would ever need are like dumbbells, but pretty much everything is bodyweight. So you can, you know, do it wherever, again, just to make it as simple as possible and as attainable as possible, because you don't have to spend hours in the gym to see change. It's tiny changes done consistently over time will get you the big results.
Amanda Huffman 30:36
Yeah, that's awesome. I have one last question. But I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything from your time in the military or at the Naval Academy that you wanted to talk?
Ashleigh Magee 30:46
No, I mean, I think we've really covered it, you know, something I do want to mention is just, it's really cool. The percentage of women at the academy continues to increase, you know, and for me, I'm, I'm a woman, I'm a woman in STEM and also like military, and I think it's really cool to see that representation increasing. And I you know, I hope that like young women are starting to see themselves more in that field and in those leadership roles, but I think it's super important.
Amanda Huffman 31:18
It is really important. And that's ties in really closely to my last question is What advice would you give to young ladies who are listening who are looking to join the military?
Ashleigh Magee 31:27
Yeah, so my, what I wish I could have told myself at the very beginning that I've learned now is you have to learn to be your own self-advocate, there's gonna be so many times in your military career, or your life where you think you, you just you have to do something because someone else is demanding it from you. But the thing is, you have to take care of yourself in order to be the best at your job, be the best version of yourself, you know, about the best, you know, siblings, spouse, child, whatever, mother and so know that going into a career in the military, I think I'm so grateful for my time in the military, even though it's been hard, it's shaped me into who I am, and really align me with my purpose and my vision. So I think military service is so so beneficial. And there are so many wonderful things about it. But you have to remember to take care of yourself.
Amanda Huffman 32:25
That's great advice. And it's so important that we take care of ourselves, and that we do what's right for us. And I love that you're taking your time in the military, and you're building a business based on I love how you're like giving back directly to women who are in the military because I mean, that's kind of what I do. And it gets me really excited. So I see like, where your passions coming from and it I really, I just think it's cool that you're like already on that path. And you still have a few more years before you're officially doing it full time. So it's really exciting to see what you're doing. And I really hope that people listening will reach out to you if they are interested. And everything is in the show notes. She mentioned her Instagram and Facebook and I'll have all that in the show notes so that people can find it easily. And thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
Ashleigh Magee 33:17
Thank you for having me. This was so much fun.
Amanda Huffman 33:24
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