Annette Whittenberger- Speaker, Author

12/07/2026

Today marks the halfway point to my 51st birthday on July 24.

A year ago, I celebrated turning 50 by checking off a lifelong dream—driving my dream car along California’s Pacific Coast Highway, camping near the beach, and reflecting on just how far life had brought me. It was the perfect way to begin a new decade.

This year has looked different.

I’ve become even more intentional about how I spend my time, where I invest my energy, and who I choose to share this wild ride with. I’ve learned that peace is found in protecting your heart, your purpose, and the people who choose you just as wholeheartedly as you choose them.

My children, my family, my closest friends, and the people who continue to show up—not because they have to, but because they want to—you have reminded me what genuine connection looks like. Thank you for continuing to be part of my journey.

As I get ready to celebrate 51, I can honestly say I’m no longer chasing approval. I’m chasing purpose, peace, adventure, and the people who fill my cup instead of emptying it.

Here’s to 12 more days until 51… and to embracing every twist, turn, lesson, and blessing in this Wild Ride Called Life.

Cheers. ❤️

08/07/2026

Disability doesn’t always look like what people expect.

For years, I didn’t think of myself as someone living with a disability because mine couldn’t be seen.

I live with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and the lasting effects of military sexual trauma. Yet many people only saw the retired Army officer, the speaker, the writer, the community volunteer, or the woman who always seemed to be helping someone else.

The hardest battles I’ve fought weren’t visible.

Neither are the battles that so many others fight every single day.

Disability Pride Month reminds us that invisible disabilities are just as real as physical ones. They deserve understanding, compassion, and acceptance—not judgment.

Today, I no longer hide my story.

I use it to help veterans, first responders, survivors, and anyone searching for hope know they are not alone.

Our disabilities do not define our worth.

Our willingness to keep showing up despite them says far more about who we are.

If this resonates with you, know this:

You don’t have to hide to belong.

💙

03/07/2026

Some moments show us exactly what community is supposed to look like.

Marine Corps veteran Minnie Whitzel has spent decades serving her country, supporting veterans and giving back to others. As the founder and former commander of VFW Post 12235 in Salado, she created a legacy that will continue to impact our community for years to come.

When Maria and Patrick Reed and the *Moving with the Military* team learned Minnie’s story, they knew it was time for someone to take care of her.

Over the course of 11 days, volunteers, veterans, local businesses and community members came together to transform nearly her entire home and yard. They worked long hours, through heavy rain, to give Minnie a safe, beautiful and comfortable place to call home.

I was personally there for one full day, helping behind the scenes and watching our Salado community come together. It was nothing short of beautiful and amazing.

Everyone showed up for one reason: to honor Minnie.

As I step into the role of commander of VFW Post 12235, I know I will never be able to fill her shoes. She built something special and created a place where veterans could feel welcomed, supported and understood. I will do my very best to uphold the legacy she has left behind.

Minnie deserved this home makeover, and I was honored to witness a small part of it.

I am incredibly thankful to Maria, Patrick and the entire *Moving with the Military* team for everything they continue to do for our veterans and military families.

This was more than a home renovation. It was a reminder to Minnie that her service mattered, her story mattered and she has not been forgotten.

Read the full story through A Wild Ride Called Life Media.
https://www.awildridecalledlife.com/post/a-community-comes-together-to-honor-a-legacy-of-service

24/06/2026

There are some experiences that stay with you long after you return home—and my time at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles is one of them.

Growing up in California, trips to Hollywood were part of my childhood and teenage years. I remember visiting the area and being fascinated by its energy, history and the stories surrounding it. Returning all these years later—not simply as a visitor, but as a media professional attending the National Social Media Awards with Honor Box Studios—felt incredibly special.

Walking through the Biltmore’s halls felt like stepping into another era. The architecture, the details and the history surrounding the hotel created the perfect setting for a weekend centered on creativity, storytelling, recognition and connection.

I am incredibly grateful to the National Social Media Awards for inviting us and welcoming us into such a memorable experience. Being surrounded by creators, advocates, entrepreneurs and individuals using their platforms to make a difference reminded me why storytelling matters.

A very special thank-you also goes to my team at Honor Box Studios. Thank you for creating a space for me to be part of this journey and for allowing me to contribute to something that carries so much purpose. I never take these opportunities—or the people who make room for me at the table—for granted.

This weekend was about much more than an awards ceremony. It was about the conversations, relationships, laughter and memories we created together.

Returning to a place that held memories from my childhood while experiencing it through an entirely new chapter of my life made the weekend even more meaningful.

I returned home inspired, grateful and more committed than ever to using my voice, supporting meaningful stories and helping others recognize the value of the work they are doing.

Thank you, NSMA and Honor Box Studios, for an experience I will always remember.

20/06/2026

How do you spend your Saturday?

For me it is this....

I will always be willing to learn, and I will never pretend to know everything.

I love surrounding myself with people who help me grow, challenge my thinking, and teach me how to become better at what I feel called to do.

When I revamped A Wild Ride Called Life into a media company, my goal was to continue helping others use their voices and share their stories—whether they are music artists, authors, filmmakers, entertainers, veterans, advocates, or people with a story that deserves to be heard.

Today, I am honored to learn from two amazing people during their Words Warriors Media Coaching Workshop.

I am excited to take in everything I can and see how this experience will help me continue growing, serving others, and stepping more fully into the work I believe I am meant to do.

We never outgrow the need to learn. The moment we believe we know everything is the moment we stop growing.

Today, I am choosing growth.

12/06/2026

I keep coming back to two reminders that have shaped the way I am building my life and my legacy.

Janina Simmons reminds us to “keep building bricks.”

Earl Granville says, “You must have a purpose. You have to have passion, and you must be part of something bigger than yourself.”

That is exactly what I am trying to do—one brick, one relationship, one story and one act of service at a time.

Some days, building looks like helping incredible people like Chris McPhee bring their vision and message to the world. Other days, it looks like supporting the meaningful work of Honor Box Studios or pouring my heart into nonprofits like HICKSSTRONG, whose mission fills my soul.

Not every brick is visible. Not every step receives applause. Some days are filled with progress, while others are filled with doubt, exhaustion and the quiet decision to keep going anyway.

But I am not building for recognition.

I am building something my children can look back on and be proud of. I want them to know that their mother used her voice, followed her purpose and helped others tell the stories that deserved to be heard.

I want my children—and my grandson—to understand that legacy is not simply what we leave behind. It is what we choose to build, protect and pour into every single day.

My legacy will not be measured only by a business, a platform or a list of accomplishments. It will be measured by the people I helped, the lives I touched, the doors I opened and the courage I showed when quitting would have been easier.

So I will keep building bricks.

With purpose.
With passion.
And always as part of something bigger than myself.

Because one day, my children will stand on what I am building today.

03/06/2026

When a local reporter reminds you that you are still doing the work...
Sometimes, I feel like I am not doing enough.
Does it even matter?
Am I making a difference?

Thank you John Carter Daily Herald for sending me this to remind me that it still matters.

KILLEEN — Retired U.S. Army Maj. Annette Whittenberger experienced things in combat that changed her forever, and with a husband continuing to serve on active duty, she works now to

03/06/2026

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and this one is deeply personal.

I wrote this as a daughter to a father watching down from heaven, a mother raising an adult son, a grandmother to my grandson, a sister to three amazing brothers, a former spouse, a leader, and an aunt to nephews I love deeply.

I have spent much of my life surrounded by men who were taught to be strong, but somewhere along the way, too many were taught that strength meant silence.

It does not.

Strength is using your voice.
Strength is asking for help.
Strength is showing emotion.
Strength is being human.

I wrote this for the men in my life and for every man who has ever felt like he had to carry everything alone.

It is okay to not be okay.

But you do not have to stay there alone.

Read the full article here:

https://www.awildridecalledlife.com/post/it-is-okay-for-men-not-to-be-okay

14/05/2026

I am truly honored to share that I’ve been invited to speak with Instant Teams on July 8, 2026, at 12 PM EST.

I’ll be talking about something that we don’t always say out loud…
How do we raise our children into respectable young adults?

As a mom of two—now 23 and almost 26—I can finally take a breath and say… whew, we did something right.

But it wasn’t easy.
Military life, long days, deployments, moving, childcare… and still trying to raise good humans in the middle of it all.

This is going to be a real conversation. The hard parts, the lessons, the moments that shaped not only them—but me as a parent.

If you’re in the middle of raising your kids or reflecting back like I am… I’d love for you to join us.

Register at link: https://instantteams.wistia.com/live/events/kisysab4m2