I Once Had No Place to Call Home. Now I Help Others Care for Theirs.

There was a time in my life when I didn't know where I was going to sleep.

Today, I co-own a company that helps people improve the very thing I once struggled to have: a place to call home.

I often think about the extraordinary contrast between those two chapters of my life.

But my story isn't simply about going from homelessness to entrepreneurship. It's about discovering that sometimes the very experiences that leave us feeling powerless can teach us how to become powerful leaders.

I didn't build my business because life gave me the perfect opportunity. I built it because I refused to wait for one.

My life wasn't a straight line from struggle to success. I experienced heartbreak, devastating losses, financial hardship, and homelessness.

There were periods when simply getting through the day felt like an accomplishment.

But those experiences taught me something I carry into my business today: leadership doesn't always begin with confidence. Sometimes it begins with making one difficult decision after another when you don't yet know how things will turn out.

I've learned that leadership requires more than being willing to work hard. It requires knowing your worth, communicating your expectations, and having the confidence to make decisions.

I don't want to be successful simply because I managed to succeed in an industry where women are underrepresented.

I want other women to recognize that their ambitions don't have to be limited by traditional expectations.

Whether they're holding a paintbrush, managing a construction project, developing technology, or leading a corporation, they deserve the opportunity to pursue work that reflects their abilities. I don't want to be the exception that proves women can succeed. I want to help make that success an expectation.

You can care deeply about people while maintaining professional standards. You can listen to someone else's perspective without abandoning your own judgment.

And you can acknowledge that you don't know everything while remaining confident in your ability to learn.

To me, those are the qualities that make leadership sustainable.

The young mother who returns to school. The woman who opens her first business after experiencing financial hardship. The entrepreneur who has the courage to enter an unfamiliar industry. The leader who creates opportunities for someone else.

I believe influence begins when your decisions create possibilities that didn't exist before.

It's found in the businesses we establish, the people we encourage, the promises we keep, and the example we set.

My own journey is far from finished. I have businesses I want to grow, ideas I want to develop, and goals I'm still working toward.

I want my daughter and grandson to see that ambition has no expiration date, that difficult beginnings don't eliminate future opportunities, and that success should never be defined by someone else's expectations.

My goal isn't simply to build a successful business. It's to build a legacy of opportunities, independence, and possibility.

My Definition of an Influential Woman

I don't believe the greatest measure of an influential woman is how many people know her name. I believe it's how many people discover their own potential because she was willing to lead.

My greatest accomplishment won't be measured solely by the businesses I've built, the money I've earned, or the recognition I've received.

It will be measured by the example I leave behind and the opportunities I help create.

I once struggled to find a place in this world. Now, I'm determined to build a legacy that helps other women find theirs.