Rising While Breaking, Sustained by Grace: My Journey From Survival to Significance
From Survival to Significance: What Building a Business Taught Me About Influence
Influence doesn’t begin with a title, a platform, or a perfectly curated brand.
It begins the moment you decide not to give up on yourself.
For a long time, my story didn’t look like something you’d find highlighted in a magazine. I didn’t finish high school. I’m a single mother. I’ve experienced seasons where stability felt completely out of reach. I’ve stood in uncertainty more times than I can count—wondering if my dream was too big for the life I was living.
But here’s what I’ve learned: your circumstances don’t disqualify you—they refine you.
I started my business not because I had everything figured out, but because I needed to survive—and because I carried something inside me that wouldn’t stay quiet. Cooking was my first language. I grew up in the Bahamas watching my mother create meals that brought people together, healed hard days, and reminded us who we were. When I later found myself far from home, far from comfort, and far from certainty, that same passion became my lifeline.
What began as a way to feed my family became a way to serve my community. And eventually, I realized I wasn’t just selling food—I was sharing culture, resilience, and hope.
The Truth About Leadership No One Talks About
Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room.
It’s about being willing to show up—even when you’re still healing.
The women who influence me most aren’t perfect. They’re honest. They’ve failed. They’ve doubted themselves. They’ve started over. And still, they chose to rise—not just for themselves, but for others watching quietly from the sidelines.
Every step of my journey taught me that people don’t connect to polish—they connect to purpose. When you lead with authenticity, you give other women permission to do the same. You remind them that it’s okay to build while becoming.
Success Is Bigger Than the Win
We often define success by numbers, recognition, or milestones. And yes—those matter. But real success is walking into rooms you once felt you didn’t belong in and realizing you earned your seat.
It’s being able to say, “I made it through,” and then reaching back to help someone else do the same.
Today, my mission is bigger than my business. I see myself as an ambassador—not only for Bahamian culture, but for women who are rewriting their stories in real time. Women who are doing the work quietly. Women who are raising families, building brands, and breaking cycles—sometimes all at once.
To the Woman Still in the Middle
If you’re reading this and you’re not where you want to be yet, hear this clearly: the middle is not the end.
Your journey matters.
Your voice matters.
Your experience—especially the hard parts—matters.
Keep going. Keep building. Keep believing that what you carry has value. Influence isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you become by staying faithful to the path, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Because one day, someone will look at your story and think, “If she did it, maybe I can too.”
And that—that is real influence.
