S2 E40: It's Not Just Military Life. Why So Many Careers Carry the Same Hidden Weight

In this episode of Closing Chapters, Brittney records on the go while gearing up for a day of showings with a young military family who are finally ready to put down roots after years of constant movement. 

The conversation sparks a bigger reflection: the kind of uncertainty military families live with, the waiting, the contingency planning, the not knowing where you'll be next, is not unique to military life alone.

Brittney shares two stories that brought this into focus. The first is about a friend married to a college football coach, a career she once assumed was stable and contract-bound, until she learned just how much travel, pressure, and unpredictability comes with it. The second is her current buyer client, whose husband has spent the past decade in the production industry working tours on and off, and who is now hesitant to commit to a home purchase because his next job location is still up in the air.

This episode is a reminder that the instability military families know so well shows up in more careers than people realize, and that finding a realtor who truly understands what it means to live in limbo can make all the difference. Brittney also opens up about the role of kindness, appreciation, and referrals in her business, and why she'll always make room for clients navigating uncertain transitions.

Key Takeaways

• Military families aren't the only ones living with constant relocation uncertainty. Careers like college coaching and touring production work carry the same instability.
• Feelings of frustration about a spouse being away often are valid no matter the career path. One hardship doesn't cancel out another.
• Clients navigating job uncertainty need a realtor who can hold space for a flexible plan, not just push toward a transaction.
• A little kindness and appreciation from clients goes a long way for agents who give their time, mileage, and energy to every showing.
• Referrals remain one of the most valuable forms of thanks a client can offer.
• Finding a realtor connected to the military and high-mobility lifestyle community means working with someone who already understands the limbo.

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© 2025 Brittney Frye. All rights reserved. Realtor, license # 352197 in NC. Brokerage: REAL Broker l Military Division

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Hey there, friend, and welcome back to the closing chapters podcast where every mission has We're gonna do something a little bit different today. We are going to do a closing chapters podcast while I am getting ready to go out and show houses. Um today I have the pleasure of meeting with an awesome couple. We got to meet last night, um actually and look at a few houses, and we're going back out at today. But it was kind of eye-opening, and I've been thinking a little bit about something that I've seen as a correlation, and I wanted to kind of talk about it with you. You know, there is a way of life that military families understand that most people don't connect with. We understand that our our spouses are gonna come and go. We understand that we're gonna have to move. We're in like very strenuous circumstances. Uh doing a lot with a little, like no information, you know, let's go figure it out where we're going. Maybe we're gonna go there, maybe we're not. And I'm starting to learn that that that's not the only career path that this was really prevalent in. And what I mean by that is recently, not recently, actually, I have a friend in um Tennessee years ago, who um is now in Texas, and she is a football coach's wife. And I had no understanding. I mean, I guess it makes sense a little bit that, you know, like, okay, they travel for football, it's college football, and so they travel a lot, they have a lot of practices and stuff, but you don't understand to what extent unless you're in that world. Um, it was very eye-opening. This gentleman is gone a lot, a lot. And oh, by the way, you want to talk about the stressors of the world. Like, I didn't realize that there was so much at stake with that job, and there truly, truly is. Um, as much as it's like a performance-based job, I mean, you would think it's a contract. So that was my understanding was like, you know, oh, they've got a contract for X amount of years, and then if they want to go elsewhere, they go elsewhere at that point. Um, that that's not it's not that simple. So that was really interesting and eye-opening to hear. And so it just makes you think and pray for these families. But the same thing, whenever they're making a transition, um, there's not a whole lot of control in it. You know, it's like I I think I might be going here, so I'm gonna have to prepare to be here, but I don't really know if I'm going here or not. Um so very similar to military life. And I remember sitting at dinner one night with my friend and her saying, you know, I don't ever want to complain about my husband being gone. It has nothing to do with how it is for you all. And I said to her, It's it's not, but it is, right? Like you're you're allowed to be upset that your husband is gone a significant amount of time. That is not fun for anybody. And just because it's a different career path doesn't mean it's less legitimate your feelings and like this hardship, especially raising a kid and not having the stability of dad being home. And I truly believe that. Well, this current client that I'm working with, that's exactly why they're moving, right? He has um worked in like the production industry for a really long time and has basically been on tours on and off for the past 10 years of their marriage, and they have a little baby, and it's time for life to settle down, they want to be together underneath one roof, and that's commendable. So he's been working really hard to find a job that's gonna be a little bit more stable in terms of not traveling as much and staying in one place, and that can be extremely hard. A lot of the places here, it's like uh you just it keep interviewing, interviewing, interviewing, and waiting for nothing or waiting to hear. And he has multiple different locations that he's interviewing in. So he has to try to have a plan in place for both locations. And I get that, right? Like logistically, I understand that for him. He feels uh honestly like quite heavily about the fact that like we're here looking at houses and he doesn't know if he can commit to buying a house here. It's it's weighing on him. And he is so kind and generous about it, which is amazing. I'm not really used to that. Like, I understand that it is what it is, and most people can't control that circumstance, and we just do the best we can with what we've got. Um, the whole point is to have a plan in place and hopefully to be able to execute it. And if not, it's okay. Like, um, we've done the best we can. And I I know he is doing the best he can, and I know where his heart lies. Like I know what he desires, and you know, I am so blessed and thankful to spend time with him and his wife today. But it's just been extremely eye-opening that there literally are a lot of jobs that keep people from being home. And and that's tough. That is really, really, really tough. So I just want you to know once again, if you were in one of those jobs, um, it would behoove you if you were ever in a scenario like this where you're in between jobs or trying to decide what location I can go to, or waiting for someone to tell you to find a military spouse or a military member or um someone associated with military lifestyle that is a realtor to work with. Um, because we get it, that we we understand we the limbo lands, we know you're making contingency plans and just waiting to plug and play. Um, but just a reminder that also um a little bit of kindness goes a long way. I expect nothing out of these folks, and they're trying to find ways to compensate me up front, which I think is very, very, very, very appreciative. Um and you know, sometimes I would say that would be really nice because there's a lot of times that we work and people really just brush us off and think that it's no big deal, and we are taking a lot of our time, a lot of our money in our vehicles and showings and whatever else have you to spend time with you. Um, but when somebody just greatly appreciates it, there is no better payment than just really spending time with good people, honestly. And the other piece is always a good referral. So last night I told them, I said, you know, could you please just duplicate yourself like 10 times so that I can have like more clients like you? Um, that would be fantastic. So, anyhow, it's just over the past couple of years, it's been very eye-opening. I I knew that there was a lot of jobs that were shift work or um what I would say, you know, like first responder line, like, you know, where it's like, okay, the police officers, the EMS, the firefighters, every single day their job is honestly a risky job, right? In comparison to the military, where we, when we're home-based, a lot of times we have a lot less risk involved than when we are gone, right? So like it's not a always a day-to-day risk assessment thing at home. Um, so I feel like, you know, there's so many days where I'm like, gosh, I appreciate you. Well, you're doing it every single day. Like every day your spouse is walking out that door and you just don't know. Now, the reality is that that's all of us. Every time we leave our house, every time we get in a car, like there's risk involved. And I totally understand that. But I'm just here to say, like, there is more than just our bubble. You know, I love being in the military bubble and knowing that I thoroughly can take care of a military family and understand the ins and outs of it. Um, but it's been extremely enlightening and eye-opening just to see that there are so many other jobs and career paths that have very similar impacts on families with the decisions they have to make, the plans that they need to have in place, whether or not they get to use them. And um, I just want you to know that I'm here for you and I support you. Like we get this. And if you are ever in that scenario, please feel free to reach out to me because I will put you in touch with like-minded realtors that understand that scenario and know exactly how to help you best and support you every step of the way. Hey! I just wanted to say thank you for being here and listening in on this episode of Closing Chapters with me. I truly enjoy putting this content together, and I hope that you enjoy it too. If so, could you like, subscribe, and share this episode with somebody you know that will enjoy it just as much as you did? Thank you so much.