Congratulations! If you are reading this page, chances are that your spouse just got into the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program. There is also a pretty good chance that you have no idea what to expect and are freaking out! If you aren't, you are a much calmer person than I am. I am going to do my best to explain to you all the questions that I had when my husband first got accepted and we found out that we had 3 weeks to hit the road on this crazy journey that we now call normal life. Many things have changed since he has gotten into the program, so I will give you the most current and up to date information that I can to ease your mind.
What should we do with all of the stuff that we own?
This is going to be a personal decision that you and your spouse will need to figure out together. We did the math and decided that for us, to get a storage unit large enough to hold all of our belongings, it would cost us $500 a month. Since you will be in the program for at least 2 years, that would cost us $12,000. For us, the risk of keeping all of our furniture and belongings in storage for that kind of money and not being able to check on it for that extended period of time, was not worth the risk. We chose to keep certain things, like most of our clothes, our dishes, china, and Christmas decorations at one of our parents' homes. Everything else, we sold. We made multiple trips to furniture consignment stores, had two garage sales, and used the 5mile app to sell our belongings as quickly as possible. We also sold my husband's truck, but kept my SUV at my parents' house. But, like I said, what to do with your belongings is definitely a very personal decision, so speak to your spouse and make a plan.
What do we need to pack? How much can we pack?
This has definitely changed over the last several months, so here is the updated information. You will be reimbursed for up to $100 per person in your traveling family up to $500. So if it is just you and your husband, you will be reimbursed for a total of $200. If it is you and your husband and 4 children, so a family of 6, you will only be reimbursed for $500. This money allotment will help you determine what you can pack. The role of the program that your spouse is currently in will also hold some bearing on what you will need to pack as well. Keep in mind that baggage prices on each airline varies. On average if you fly 2 bags on the plane, it will cost you $75 to check your bags per person. You can also bring 1 carry on and 1 personal item on the plane for free. (Unless you are bringing an animal on the plane. That will take the place of your carry on bag. See my Traveling with Pets page for more information on pet travel.) You will still have a remaining $25 that you can use to ship items. That $25 is great for shipping a box with a crock pot/ kitchen supplies or anything that you couldn't fit into your suitcase.
You can ship both FedEx and UPS. Some LDP participants ship their suitcases instead of bringing them on the plane. That is a completely valid option. BUT.... make sure that you place your suitcases into a box first. Our first transition we had heard from another participant how great it is to ship your suitcases, so we did and insured our luggage just like we do boxes that we ship. Our suitcases were only 5 weeks old, and when we received them at our next location our suitcases had 1 of the 4 wheels left on the suitcases and another suitcase looked like it had been sliced open with a knife. When we contacted the shipping company they said that while the contents of the suitcases were insured the actual suitcase was not insured. That if we wanted the actual suitcase to be insured, that we should have placed the suitcase in a box first. After 5 months of phone calls and e-mails with the company that was their final decision. So, put your suitcase in a box if you decide to ship them.
If you have a family member, like a parent, who is willing to keep some boxes of clothes for you, ask them to do so. Have a box that is for winter clothes, and one that is for summer/spring clothes. You may need them to ship you some items periodically depending on your location, weather, and the season. If you start off organized it will make your life so much easier.
IM Packing
Spouse: Most of the time your spouse will be working. They will typically work 6 days a week. That only leaves Sunday that they will need normal clothes. They will need an assortment of button ups, ties, polos, and dress pants. They will need a few options of casual clothes, athletic clothes, and pjs.
You: Depending on your involvement in the store, you will need your CFA uniforms, casual clothes, dress clothes, athletic clothes, and pjs. (As a girl it will be extremely hard to decide what you need. You need so much less than you think, but it is so hard to go minimalist.)
GOS Packing
Spouse: While the store is not open, your spouse will typically work 9-5 Monday through Friday. Once the store opens they will work open to close. They will need an assortment of button ups, ties, polos, and dress pants. They will also need their suit and a sports coat to wear to the Dedication Dinners and other special events. They will need a few options of casual clothes, athletic clothes, and pjs.
You: You will not be able to work at the store while it is not open. If you are a CFA trainer you will need your CFA uniforms. You will need a dress or nice dress clothes to wear to the Dedication Dinners and other special events. You will also need casual clothes, dress clothes, athletic clothes, and pjs.
How do we book flights, hotels, and rental cars? Who pays for them?
Flights, hotels, and rental cars will all be booked through a company called Uniglobe. your spouse will set up a profile on Uniglobe where you are able to put in your preferences on hotels, flight seating, and all of your reward numbers. Uniglobe is pretty great about getting your preferences as much as they can. With that being said, sometimes you won't even know you are flying somewhere until only a few days before your flight, so remember that you and your spouse may not be able to sit together, and you will survive a two hour plane ride sitting next to a stranger. If you have points through a certain hotel chain, you will receive those point while your spouse is on the IM side.You will not while they are a GOS. (It is due to the way they now have to setup the reservations.) Your spouse will be provided with a rental car through Avis or National. They will be fully insured and (yay!) you can drive their rental car as well. Your flight, hotel, and rental car will all be prepaid for you by Chick-fil-A through Uniglabe.
What can I expect as an LDP spouse?
This is a hard question to answer and it will vary greatly depending on you and your spouse. Here are the honest answers that I can give you and they are not all pretty. You are going to feel lonely. Face it, you are in a new city, with no friends, and nothing to do. You are also sharing a car with your spouse, who chances are will need their car during the day to run errands, file paperwork with the city and get permits, etc. Sometimes you will be at an assignment with other LDP spouses. It can be great and it can also be awkward. Try to make friends with the people that you are on assignment with. Those LDP families are away from home and friendless too. It can be hard to bond sometimes, knowing that you are going to leave and probably never see them again. But, they are your source of community and there are very few people on this Earth that understand your life, but they do.
If you work from home already, this may not be such a bad adjustment for you. If you left your job so that your spouse could take this job, you are probably going to be bored. If you want to and if your spouse will allow it, you may consider learning how to work at Chick-fil-A. It will help you meet your savings goals and it will also give you something to do during the day. It is also super incredible to witness your spouse making an impact on the team.
Your spouse is going to need your support more than ever through this process. Some assignments are going to be easy and others are going to be unbearable. On those unbearable assignments, your spouse may work open to close 6 days a week for several months at a time. If that is happening, don't make your spouse feel guilty for not being back at the hotel with you having dinner or guilty for not being there when you fall asleep. Trust me, they don't want to be away from you that much and they are going to be so stressed and sleepy that sometimes you are going to be in awe that they are still functioning. When it gets like this, iron his clothes for him, grab his favorite go to caffeine drink, and leave him a note on the hotel desk telling him that you made him a midnight snack to eat before he drags himself to bed. If he is too exhausted to move and go explore the 700 interesting places that you found to visit in that city on Pinterest, don't pout, just remember that he stood up for 80-100 hours that week, was completely understaffed, and that he wishes CFA Cares Complaints were never invented and that he just needs a day to think of nothing. Not all weeks and not all assignments will be like that. Some will be so easy and your spouse will walk into an amazing team and get to come home for dinner and they will be ready to go an adventure on Sunday. And when that happens, just be ready to have fun and enjoy your time together!
People are not going to understand what your spouse does. You are going to get asked the same questions over and over by friends, family, and strangers. Just get used to it. You are going to feel like a record on repeat each time you move. Haha! Welcome to your new normal.
This is a beautiful journey! Enjoy it! You are going to get to visit parts of the country that you may have never been, or cities that you have never been to. You are going to meet hundreds of amazing people that are going to impact your life. You are going to find out that you and your spouse are stronger than you think and that God truly has His hand in all of these things. You are going to witness so many miracles and make so many friends along the way. Find the joy in the journey.
My favorite scripture is Habakkuk 2 :3 "But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it surely will take place. It will not be delayed." I think this scripture is perfect for the LDP life.
Hopefully this information is helpful and eases your mind about your upcoming adventure. Visit the other pages on my site for other helpful info.
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