Lately, as I do my hourly Facebook check (it's what we stay-at-home moms do to remind ourselves that there is life on the outside), I've noticed a few things:

1. I don't know any of my friends' last names.

2. I'm invited to a lot of direct-sales-type parties by people with no last names.

I attribute both of these phenomena to the fact that my "friends" list disproportionately comprises fellow military spouses, who, I generalize, are:

1. Duly paranoid.

2. Desperate for some sort of employment that will fit the complicated military lifestyle.

I usually avoid direct-sales parties. I'm the kind of gal who likes to take the merchandise for a stroll around the store three or four times, and then maybe to lunch if things go well, before I commit to looking at it online for two to three business days. But I have been to many of these parties (the food is always exceptional), and I'll say that I'm usually more interested in who's doing the selling than what's being sold.

A military spouse who manages to find employment in her chosen career field is as rare as a unicorn that can sing like Bruno Mars. Don't take just my word for it; a 2013 study by Syracuse University and the Military Officers Association of America reported that 90 percent of military spouses are underemployed.

Thus, the challenges of military life make direct-sales businesses all the more appealing to service families, offering portability, flexibility and extra money.

We're all thinking it. At least all of us skeptics are thinking it — that it all sounds a little too easy. Is it too good to be true?

I spoke with a few of my direct-selling, military spouse buds to get the skinny on what these businesses really are like. I'm hardly ever wrong — just ask my husband — but I was genuinely surprised to find that many of my long-held assumptions turned out to be different from the girls' actual experiences.

A quick introduction to the gang and their direct-sales endeavors:

  • Katie: Pampered Chef (ret.), was in the business for five years off and on, working less than seven hours per week.
  • Brook: Rodan + Fields, in for two years, works five to 10 hours per week.
  • Laura: Beachbody, in for less than six months, works 10 to 15 hours per week.

Not only have all three consultants seen a real return on their time investment, but the ladies who've been in the biz a bit longer have actually been able to cover bills like car payments, student loans and preschool tuition. That's surprising, right?

I was also taken aback by their overwhelmingly positive responses, given the opportunity to gripe anonymously in a public forum. But they also offered insights into a few, not-often-highlighted downsides to being your own boss.

First off, of course it looks easy. If it looked painful and time-consuming, no one would even think of trying it.

However, one challenge that all three of my interviewees mentioned was their discomfort with "selling" and how that was a challenge they had to overcome.

As Katie pointed out, different businesses have different required levels of selling. Katie said Pampered Chef "is different than other businesses like this because you have to show what the products can do, kind of like those corny infomercials, whereas with bags or wraps they kind of sell themselves."

The consensus remedy for this obstacle was to pick a product that you don't have to "sell" per se, but can "share authentically," as Brook put it.

The amount of selling required is arguably the most important factor to weigh when considering a direct sales position.

Now the broader question: Are direct sales positions the answer to the military spouse employment crisis? Will you replace an accountant's or a nurse's income with fewer than 10 hours of work per week?

Probably not. But extra income in any form is awesome. You won't see me turn it down, and when a spouse career even sorta kinda fits into the military lifestyle ...

It might just turn out to be a Bruno Mars-singing unicorn miracle.

Lauren Mendel is an Air Force spouse. She has a master's degree in personal financial planning.

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