Why Perseverance Matters
From Food Stamps to HR Manager: A Story of Resilience and Relentless Determination
There I was. It was 2015. I was 27 years old, and I had just told my husband of seven years that I wanted a divorce. I had a two-year-old daughter and had been a stay-at-home mom since she was born. Before that, I had spent years moving around the country, supporting my spouse during his time as an active-duty military service member and afterward. I had no plan, no career, and no idea what I was going to do next.
I started sleeping on my then-best friend’s couch, unemployed, hopeless, and completely humbled. I spiraled out of control while he seemed to move on just fine. Then I remembered the ambition, determination, and work ethic I had always possessed, and I refused to feel sorry for myself.
I picked myself up and worked with my mom for a few years so I could bring my daughter to work with me every day while building a strong administrative skill set. Eventually, I managed to get into a low-income apartment and survived on food stamps and $200 a week. I could barely afford the $450 monthly rent, and even putting gas in my tiny car felt overwhelming. Life was hard.
At the time, I didn’t realize those struggles were shaping me.
Then Hurricane Harvey came and changed everything for my family. We lost nearly everything as floodwaters rose to the top of my head inside the house — 64 inches of water filled their home. We worked hard to stay afloat financially, but eventually we simply couldn’t keep up anymore.
I was already struggling, and I truly believed this was what the rest of my life — and my daughter’s childhood — was going to look like. We were struggling in ways I hope never to experience again.
There I was again, back in the same place, except this time I had rent, a car payment, and a six-year-old to get to school. My life was a mess.
I remember one Christmas when I bought my daughter five gifts, all from Five Below. No disrespect to the store at all, but as parents, we want to see our children’s eyes light up on Christmas morning. Thankfully, I found some pretty great items, so she never realized how poor we truly were. Still, the luxury of going fun places and doing exciting things was often left to her dad.
Talk about mom guilt.
One day, I called a friend I had known my entire life while sobbing uncontrollably. She told me, “You have a job. You start tomorrow. Come with me.”
I wasn’t in a position to ask questions.
The next morning, she picked me up, and we battled downtown Houston traffic. That was when I quickly realized this was a sales job — 100% commission.
Uh, what?
I am not a sales girl.
It was a good thing we had carpooled because she knew I would have turned around and driven home immediately. Instead, I decided to do whatever I needed to do to pay my rent, cover my small car payment, and keep the bills paid.
I hated it. Every minute of it.
A couple of months later, the owner mentioned that he needed an office manager to help handle the growing administrative workload he no longer had time for.
“Pick me! Pick me!” I begged.
I was much better at paperwork than sales.
I stayed in that role for about a year until I found another opportunity closer to home that paid $18 an hour. I completely threw myself into work, refusing to look back, and I began excelling quickly. Then another opportunity came. Then another.
Before I knew it, it was 2022, and I was being hired as the HR Manager — a department of one — supporting 150 employees across three states.
Needless to say, I am no longer living on food stamps or in a low-income apartment.
I remarried and had twin babies, who are now two years old. They will never have to weather the storms my oldest daughter experienced with me, but they will know the story of how we do not use bad luck or difficult circumstances as excuses to feel sorry for ourselves.
There is always opportunity, even when it comes disguised as something you never wanted.
That sales job I hated opened doors I never would have had otherwise.
This is only part of the reason I chose my field. I believe in compassion, but I also believe in hard work. I believe in showing grace to people when they need it — and sometimes even when they don’t. After all, it is not my place to judge someone else’s story.
When I hear people talking about giving up, I remind them that everyone has to start somewhere. I didn’t walk into a company in 2015 as a hot mess with a toddler and announce, “I’m your girl.”
I had to work.
And when I say work, I do not just mean having a job. I mean working hard to become the person I always knew I could be. I had to work to create a better life for myself and my young daughter, and none of it came easily.
But perseverance overcomes all.
Your attitude, mentality, and work ethic do not cost a dime.
If there is one thing I learned from all the years I struggled before my career finally took off in my 30s, it is this: KEEP GOING.
Even now, every year I reflect on where I am, where I want to be, and how to get there. Every year, I push myself a little harder to grow. I put myself in rooms with people who are smarter than I am, I stay quiet, and I listen. I absorb everything I can.
Growth — whether personal or professional — has no ceiling.
And that is why I am so honored to be recognized by Influential Women for 2026.
