Working a contract onsite as a billable employee can feel extremely disconnecting from the defense contractor you’re employed under. Burnout can run rampant as you rarely see the light of day while working in a SCIF.
Corner offices of executive level leadership look attractive – they come with more sunlight, more responsibility, but even more rewards.
Such is the story of Tiffany Shaffery – CEO and founder of Assertive Professionals, and former contractor for multiple agencies after military service and starting a family. Her story lends insights into the life of a working mother, a veteran, and many times being the only woman in the room. After frustrations as a billable employee taking on more responsibilities with no pay increases in hopes of upward career mobility down the line, she decided to throw in the towel and create her own company from the NICU watching over her son.
This is (some of) her story.
Tiffany got her B.A. in Intelligence Operations through American Military University and an Executive MBA through Virginia Tech. She served in the Army as a Military Police Officer and as a HUMINT Collector. She completed a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan in the service, then supported business operations, project management, and targeting for a few contractors.
Transitioning from Billable Employee to an Executive Leader in National Security
Today she is the CEO and Founder of Assertive Professionals, an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business and a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. Their partners bring 30+ years of Department of Defense and Intelligence Community experience together. The company is not only armed with expertise, a passion for the industry, and an employee centric corporate culture, but that stems from Tiffany’s experience building out benefits programs that had the veteran in mind.
A mom who serves in the military provides a unique opportunity to explore the intersections of duty, family, and personal aspirations. Tiffany shares with us what motivated her to join the military, how her perspective or plans changed along the way, some of the challenges she faced, and the support systems she relied on through service, the transition, and all that came next.
If you want to learn more about Assertive Professionals, visit their website or find them on social media.
