One of the joys of publishing and media conferences is the chance to meet and get to know publishing entrepreneurs from a vast array of markets and topics. This is especially true at events aimed at niche interests, whether B2B, consumer, or association media. Sometimes you catch up with customers or old friends. Sometimes you meet new ones. Sometimes you meet existing customers. Sometimes you convert a prospect into a customer. But all that is really just the effect, an outcome. Just being at these kinds of events is invigorating and stimulating.
One of those people we’ve met along the way is Julie Miller, owner of U.S. Military Publishing, the Woodstock, Illinois-based publisher of two magazines and a variety of related websites and newsletters.
She’s got a fascinating story about how she came to be the owner of these titles, and a life at the confluence of media and the military. Let’s dig in.
Fox Tales: Tell us about the genesis of your company. In particular, your bio indicates that you worked at a predecessor company, and now own the present business.
Julie Miller.
Julie Miller: In 1999, the founders of what was then AmeriForce Media launched the company from the ashes of a previous firm where we had all worked—a publisher of military magazines that had closed after 30 years. At the time, the portfolio included several titles: Regional relocation guides, a magazine for active-duty service members and their families (versions for stateside and overseas), and the uniquely focused Reserve + National Guard Magazine—a segment often overlooked by advertisers, yet vital to America’s total military community.
I worked for that former company, Off Duty, during its final year, managing a $1 million sales territory inherited from a previous representative. After a divorce, I relocated to Virginia with my children and pets and purchased my first home. Needing immediate employment, I secured a new position while staying in touch with the two AmeriForce founders. Three years later, in 2003, after they had successfully established the new company, they brought me on as vice president of advertising sales.
Over time, one founder exited the business, and in 2015 the remaining founder sold the company as he prepared for retirement. It was rebranded as AmeriForce. The new ownership shifted focus away from many print publications in favor of expanding digital products. While the industry was evolving, we continued to recognize the enduring importance of print within the military niche.
In the summer of 2023, the owners decided to sell. After more than 30 years in the industry—and not eager to start over—I chose to purchase the company and its brands and assets, reestablishing it as U.S. Military Publishing. Since then, we have expanded our digital offerings while continuing to produce our flagship magazines, Military Families and Reserve + National Guard.
I was fortunate that our editor-in-chief from AmeriForce joined me in this next chapter, and together we have earned several industry and personal accolades—achievements for which we are both grateful and proud.
Fox Tales: You have two distinct brands. What’s your business strategy there?
Miller: Our mission has remained constant through three ownership transitions: To inform, educate, and entertain the total military community. We assist those who serve (and those who support them) by providing news, resources, and information tailored to the unique realities of military life.
Through our two flagship magazine titles—distributed globally at the request of military leadership and affiliated locations—we reach active-duty service members, spouses, transitioning and current veterans, reservists, and National Guard members across all branches. Our audience also includes key decision-makers, from Pentagon leadership to state adjutants general, the National Guard Bureau, and other senior officials.
Digitally, we extend our reach through branded websites, social media platforms, and bi-weekly newsletters. Our national advertisers have access to a wide range of integrated marketing opportunities, including print advertising, sponsored content in both print and digital formats, targeted eblasts, and themed digital guide sponsorships.
At our core, we are deeply connected to the community we serve. Everyone on our team has a personal tie to the military: I come from an all-Navy family; our editor-in-chief is the spouse of a retired Marine; our associate editor is an Army spouse; and our social media and marketing manager’s spouse is serving in the Army. Our writers are primarily military spouses and veterans from every service branch: Active-duty, Reserve, and Guard. We don’t just write about this life—we have or currently live it.
Fox Tales: Do your brands serve different markets, different reader needs, and a different ad base?
Miller: While the military community is united in many ways, it is also diverse—and our advertisers recognize that. Some seek to reach our full audience, while others focus more specifically on one or two of these: Active-duty service members, spouses/families, transitioning veterans, or reserve and National Guard members. Although our magazines are distributed globally, we also offer a range of digitally targeted products that allow for both audience and geographic precision.
Our editorial content—across both print and digital platforms—is designed to address the distinct needs of each segment, while also providing topics of broader relevance. For example, reserve and National Guard members typically do not relocate as frequently as active-duty personnel, but subjects such as personal finance or transition planning resonate across all components of the military community.
Fox Tales: How has our country’s recent history of extended military conflicts affected both your audiences and your company as a media endeavor?
Miller: We continually adapt our content and resources in response to changes in the market and the world around us. For example, with the onset of recent global conflicts, we made the decision earlier this year to reintroduce our Military Deployment Guide, which had not been published since 2016. The Guide is designed to help service members and their families prepare for overseas deployments, offering practical information as well as guidance for managing separation and navigating reintegration upon return.
We also make it a priority to identify and incorporate valuable resources from trusted experts and reputable organizations. Our focus is always on delivering content that is relevant, helpful, and aligned with our mission—while remaining non-political. That’s simply not our lane.
Fox Tales: What’s your product mix, and how is it based on reader demand/preference?
Miller: As mentioned earlier, our product mix is designed to provide both breadth and flexibility. It includes our two print magazines—also available in digital format to web subscribers—along with branded websites, social media platforms, and a variety of print and digital sponsored content opportunities.
In 2021, in response to growing advertiser demand, we introduced programmatic advertising options, particularly appealing to clients seeking geographic targeting. We also offer sponsorship opportunities within our themed digital guides, which focus on areas such as military education, veteran transition, insurance, finance, and more.
Whenever possible, we recommend integrated, packaged campaigns that align with our clients’ specific goals, target audiences, and budgets—ensuring a more strategic and effective approach.
Fox Tales: You come from a military family. How did you pivot into journalism/publishing?
Miller: I often joke that no one goes to college planning a career in sales—although maybe a few do. For most of us, it’s something we fall into. As one of my favorite mentors likes to say, “If sales were easy, everyone would do it.” Today, even as an owner and publisher, sales remains my primary responsibility.
My interest in business started early. In high school, I joined DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), knowing I was drawn to marketing and entrepreneurship. Initially, I envisioned a career as a retail buyer or owning my own clothing store, which led me to attend the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. While there, however, I met and married my husband, who was in the Navy—and that changed the trajectory of my career.
With each new duty station, long before remote work was an option, I had to find a new job. My biggest break came in the 1990s in San Diego, when I joined the community relations department at the San Diego Union-Tribune. Although there were several moves and roles along the way, I never left the world of publishing and advertising sales.
In 1997, I entered military publishing ad sales—and I’ve never looked back. I found my calling, combining my passion for advertising, sales, journalism, and marketing with a lifelong connection to the U.S. military. That connection runs deep: My maternal grandfather was a Navy captain and pilot who graduated from the Naval Academy in the 1920s; my father was also a Navy pilot; my sister is retired Navy, as was my husband; and my aunt and uncle both served as Naval Reserve officers. This isn’t just my profession—it’s my passion.