Gaby Juergens talks Homefront Girl, Surviving Breast Cancer, and What It Means to be a Military Spouse in an Exclusive Interview with Mistah Wilson
Gaby Juergens talks Homefront Girl, Surviving Breast Cancer, and What It Means to be a Military Spouse in an Exclusive Interview with Mistah Wilson
"I wanted positive messages, trendy, fashion forward designs and something that I had never seen as I was coming up through the ranks, so to speak. Homefront Girl was born..." -Gaby Juergens
Mistah Wilson: Hello there, Gaby Juergens! It is such a tremendous honor to have you here with us for this exclusive interview with ThaWilsonBlock Magazine! How are you these days?
Gaby Juergens: Very well, thank you! Working hard as an Entrepreneur with Homefront Girl® while at the same time trying to do good things with my creative.
Mistah Wilson: For our audience reading this, could you give us a quick background on yourself?
Gaby Juergens: Certainly. I come from a long line of family military service, daughter of a veteran, married for 28 years to a career military officer and raised a son in the life. I started Homefront Girl® after his retirement in 2013 and wondered what do I do with the rest of my life? I had been a military wife and volunteer for so many years, and then I decided to concentrate on what I loved very much and that was our military families and their service.
Mistah Wilson: Now, we have to admit, we are very impressed with your work! Tell us about Homefront Girl and what helped inspired this unique brand?
Mistah Wilson: We also heard that you've recently won a battle with breast cancer. Your story can inspire so many! Would you care to share your experience with us?
Gaby Juergens: In 2016 I was diagnosed with stage 3 Breast cancer, this came on the heels of discovering the demise in a very traumatic way of my marriage, stress can kill you, I was in a state of shock, heartbreak, rapid weight loss, hair loss from the shock and shortly after came the cancer diagnosis. So I went off to fight at Johns Hopkins for over a year for my life. I had a son, and I fought for him. I was going to leave him motherless if I could help it. I shared my journey with the Homefront Girl fanpage and I found strength in their stories and prayers. I just celebrated a year since my last treatment and I am grateful I am so far good to go.
Mistah Wilson: You are no stranger in giving back to the community. In your own words, what does it mean to be a "volunteer"?
Gaby Juergens: For many years as a military spouse, I participated as a volunteer but also as a commanders spouse in recognizing the invaluable support that volunteers give. To be a volunteer in any capacity is to have an empathetic heart, a desire to contribute, to give back in some way with nothing expected in return, except for the immense joy of knowing you've made a difference big or small. One of favorite quotes in life is: "When you look back upon your life, the moments that stand out, the moments that really mean something, are those when you did something something in the spirit of love." I live by that. Homefront Girl® comes from my heart.
Mistah Wilson: What part have you played in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Gaby Juergens: Last year I learned that Military Children had been invited to audition and participate in the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I was thrilled to hear this, but soon, it came to my attention that there were possible problems getting the children who financial support to make the Performing Camp fee, not mention, the expenses of traveling to NYC. Military service is not a money making profession, so it is not easy to make these expenses for a lot of families. When I learned that the parade appearance by our kids was having problems, I looked for someone to speak with involved with Camp Broadway, and asked how I could help; I could use my social media and roladex and contacts to raise awareness whatever could help. I told them to google me I wasn't a kook. LOL. Long story short BeAlliance the financial arm of Camp Broadway, a fabulous organization, many people I reached out and other people who worked hard to get the financial support we successfully got our military kids to NYC and they participated at Herald Square representing their service and their loved ones. They were dressed in amazing clothes representing the service of their loved one
Mistah Wilson: And we must discuss your Dr. Mary Walker award! How does it feel to receive such an honor?
Gaby Juergens: The Dr. Mary Walker award is one of the award presented to a military spouse that has exemplified through volunteer work the love of soldiers and military families. Dr. Walker was an extraordinary woman of her time, who served as medical officer, sometimes dressing as a man to work on the frontlines, her bravery, service was rewarded and she remains the sole female recipient of the Medal of Honor. It was quite an honor to receive the award.
Mistah Wilson: So, you are a designer! Where do you draw creativity from?
Gaby Juergens: As a designer, as many artists, we draw from what we know, what we care about, we all touchstone, whether as a musician,painter, writer. For me, Homefront Girl® and the design studio is really built on the experiences and memories and love of a lifetime with our military life. I learned bravery from the bravest, it got me through cancer, it got through a lot and it inspired Homefront Girl®
Mistah Wilson: In what ways do you plan to impact the World through the Homefront Girl brand?
Gaby Juergens: I hope that Homefront Girl® and the designs that I create and products will introduce to a 250 Million demographic which is what our military related population is, we have 5 million caregivers, military caregivers, I hope they cement the bonds of our lifestyle with them. We may leave the military, but it really never leaves us, the camraderie, shared experience are priceless. At the same time, I hope it gives an insight to those to whom the military life is a question mark. What they know of it are troops on deployments, welcome home ceremonies, but the not the waiting, the missed firsts (births, first steps, first words), all that is part of the sacrifice by the Brave and what I have come to call the "Other Half of the Brave" and that is our military families and children. If it lends a spotlight somehow I am happy.
Mistah Wilson: Where can people find all of your cool products?
Gaby Juergens: You can Shop Homefront Girl® at www.Homefrontgirl.com and also a new amazing apparel collection through Flying Colors will be introduced soon so please follow Instagram (Homefront Girl), Twitter (@ahomefrontgirl), Facebook /homefrontgirl
Mistah Wilson: Hey, Gaby Jeurgens. Thank you so much for taking the time out for this exclusive interview with ThaWilsonBlock Magazine! If you wanna send a Hello to anyone you know who will read this, let's hear it!
Gaby Juergens: Thank you for this opportunity and sharing my story. I want to give a shout out to our men and women serving and their families. Thank you for what you do- every day. - Gaby Juergens
Designer and Creator of the Homefront Girl® Brand
"Sharing Your Hero with the World™"
www.Homefrontgirl.com
www.facebook.com/homefrontgirl
Twitter:@ahomefrontgirl
instagram: Homefrontgirl
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/gabyjuergensthehomefrontgirl
www.Homefrontgirlink.com - Publishing Imprint
WUSA9 CBS interview:
https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/local/military-wife-designs-stuffed-bears/65-2218487
Homefront Girl® Candle Collection & United Through Reading®
2018 :https://youtu.be/qnU1BquhPYY
Yankee Candle and Homefront Girl®: https://youtu.be/2GxwmcwyUtY
R.E.D.Remember Everyone Deployed:https://youtu.be/NDCg4e_pQaY
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