There, visitors can listen to the Richmond Hill resident's weekly radio program. She and her guest "gurus" discuss everything from sex to gardening to how to decipher an Army pay stub.

The hour long show is also available as a Podcast, a downloadable audio file through Web sites such as Apple's iTunes.

When she began about 30 people tuned in, she said. She now reaches about 1,000 listeners a week, and recently signed on her first advertising sponsor.

"That was the first paycheck I've seen," she said. "I was dancing in the street."

Operating a successful business from home is hard work, but the Internet has opened a world of possibilities for stay-at-home moms, said Kelly McCausey, who helped Crooks start her own show.

McCausey also runs a talk radio program aimed at helping mothers start home-based businesses.

Last year, the Gaylord, Mich. resident invited Crooks to talk about an earlier Web-based business she started. McCausey then connected Crooks with the tools and software she needed to start her own radio talk show.

"None of that would have been possible just five or six years ago," she said. "The possibility for starting an online business and telecommuting is huge."

For those looking to start their own home-based business, McCausey has one crucial piece of advice: Buyer beware. The Internet is full of fraudulent get-rich-quick programs that don't work.

She suggests joining an online forum to share tips with other work-at-home moms.

"It's really easy to get scammed, so surround yourself with people who tell the truth," she said.

Crooks said her radio program gives her the freedom to stay home and raise her child the way she had always hoped.

With the right software, a good microphone and an in-line patch that allows her to conduct phone interviews, she's able to tape her show on her home computer.

Soon, she plans to broadcast it live online. And she eventually wants to build an entire online network for spouses from all branches of the military.

Anything she can do to help spouses, especially young ones who are just entering the military community, is rewarding work, she said.