Episode 20 · Season 1
Emily Skelton: From Math Teacher to Salesforce Consultant (A Marine Spouse’s Tech Pivot)
When a Nebraska math teacher meets a Marine on leave at a small-town charity dinner, her life takes a sharp turn into deployments, cross-country moves, and the invisible load of being a military spouse. In this episode, Marine spouse and Salesforce consultant Emily Skelton shares how she went from “passenger” in her own life to building a remote tech career through Family Readiness, Merivis, and Hiring Our Heroes. She breaks down the reality of loneliness, resilience, and parenting through deployments, and how she reinvented herself as a 7x-certified Salesforce professional working in CPQ and Data Cloud.
When a Nebraska math teacher meets a Marine on leave at a small-town charity dinner, her life takes a sharp turn into deployments, cross-country moves, and the invisible load of being a military spouse. In this episode, Marine spouse and Salesforce consultant Emily Skelton shares how she went from “passenger” in her own life to building a remote tech career through Family Readiness, Merivis, and Hiring Our Heroes. She breaks down the reality of loneliness, resilience, and parenting through deployments—and how she reinvented herself as a 7x-certified Salesforce professional working in CPQ and Data Cloud. Whether you’re a veteran, a spouse, or just standing on the edge of a big transition, Emily’s story gives you both the inspiration and the playbook for what to do next.
Takeaways
- How a charity dinner at an Elks Lodge turned into a lifelong military adventure and marriage
- The honest truth about being “okay being alone” while still saying yes to the adventure of military life
- Why Family Readiness Centers can be the hidden gateway to career resources you didn’t know existed
- How Emily used Merivis and Hiring Our Heroes to break into the Salesforce ecosystem without a tech degree
- Turning a teaching background and math brain into real value as a Salesforce consultant in CPQ and Data Cloud
- What it’s like to go from “brand-new fellow” to “go-to Data Cloud person” in just a few months
- The mindset shift from “I just need a job” to “I want to bring value everywhere I go”
- Practical ideas for maintaining work–life balance, mental health, and movement in a fully remote tech job
- What Emily would tell her younger self
- Concrete advice for military spouses: “Don’t wait until you’re desperate—go introduce yourself at Family Readiness now.”
Recommended Links
Emily Skelton on LinkedIn
Cirrius Solutions
ACP
Candorful
Hiring our Heroes
HOH Military Spouse Network
HOH-Amplify events for Military Spouses
Hire Heroes USA
Merivis
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Youtube
iHeartRadio
Castbox
Goodpods
Cirrius Blog
Greg Banks on LinkedIn
Jason Fowler Music
For questions or feedback, please contact us at CirriusTalk@CirriusSolutions.com
We cover
- Emily’s Background and Early Life
- Meeting Her Husband and Military Life
- Advice for Future Military Spouses
- Navigating the Military Spouse Experience
- The Impact of 9/11 on Military Families
- Transitioning to a Career in Salesforce
Chapters
- 0:00 Introduction to Emily Skelton
- 2:45Emily’s Background and Early Life
- 5:45Meeting Her Husband and Military Life
- 8:37Advice for Future Military Spouses
- 11:13Navigating the Military Spouse Experience
- 13:53The Impact of 9/11 on Military Families
- 16:42Transitioning to a Career in Salesforce
- 19:27Finding Opportunities and Networking
- 22:11The Journey to Cirrius Solutions
- 27:26Networking and Opportunities in Tech
- 29:26The Fellowship Experience: Learning and Growth
- 31:33Work-Life Balance: Juggling Roles and Responsibilities
- 35:10Company Culture and Job Security
- 38:08The Importance of Continuous Learning
- 42:57Bringing Value: Lessons Learned
- 47:14Advice for Military Spouses and Community Resources
Emily Skelton
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