Advancement is necessary however it seems as though the value of your education and your skills set can be stifled by receiving pay below your qualifications. So I continued my education, and I continued showing up in rooms with people where my presence would matter. Being prepared to speak allowed me to be heard by those who were willing to listen. Being a subject matter expert (SME) as a Pharmacy Technician, I find it very important to avoid being placed in a box so I advanced by education and I kept knocking on doors.

The hardest moments in my life taught me that growth rarely looks impressive while it is happening. It looks like showing up when things feel unclear, staying committed when progress feels slow, and trusting yourself before the results appear. Through that process, I learned resilience, discovered my capacity to lead, and found meaning in choosing consistency and purpose over comfort.

For years, my identity was deeply intertwined with my role as a corporate marketing executive. I thrived in the fast-paced world of marketing, strategy, and leadership. But over time, I found myself grappling with an increasing sense of exhaustion. The politics, red tape, and internal power struggles that once seemed like minor hurdles became overwhelming. I was burned out, physically, mentally, and emotionally. At first, I chalked it up to needing a vacation or a change of scenery. But even as I tried to push through, something felt different this time. I was losing my passion for the work that had once excited me. Yet, admitting that to myself was terrifying. Marketing had been my career, my expertise, and, in many ways, my identity. If I wasn't that, then who was I? It took nearly a year of soul-searching before I finally allowed myself to consider stepping away and making a corporate transition. The moment I did, I felt an unexpected wave of relief. Letting go of what I thought I should be doing freed me to explore what I wanted to do. I gave myself permission to dream again, and in that space, I rediscovered an idea I had over a decade ago, launching my own fitness and travel-related TV show. While I ultimately didn't pursue that exact vision, it opened the door to something even more aligned with my passion and purpose. I realized that my experience of feeling stuck and unfulfilled wasn't unique. So many high-achieving women were wrestling with the same questions: What's next? How do I transition into something more meaningful? How do I leave the corporate world after being in it my entire career? That realization ignited a new calling, to help women navigate their own reinvention journeys. I immersed myself in research, sought out mentors, and built a network of inspiring individuals who had successfully pivoted their careers. Finally, I made the leap and am pursuing my life coaching certification, giving me the foundation to guide others through their transformations. But I'm not stopping there. I want to integrate my long-standing love for wellness and travel, so I will be designing retreats that combine self-discovery with adventure, creating spaces for women to reconnect with themselves and map out their next chapters. Reinvention doesn't happen overnight. It requires deep introspection, honesty, and the courage to let go of what no longer serves you. But when you allow yourself to step into the unknown, you create space for new possibilities to emerge. My pivot wasn't just about leaving corporate life, it was about reclaiming me. And now, through Purposeful Pivot, I'm helping other women do the same.

Some of the most defining moments in my life did not look like breakthroughs when they were happening. They looked like uncertainty. Like being misunderstood. Like carrying more than I felt prepared for and showing up anyway. As a child, I grew up with a visible skin condition that made me stand out in ways I did not choose. Long before I understood confidence or self worth, I understood what it felt like to be seen for the wrong reasons. I learned early how quickly people make assumptions and how deeply words can shape the way you see yourself. That experience stayed with me. For a long time, I tried to shrink parts of myself to fit in, to avoid being noticed, to stay safe. But what I did not realize then was that the very thing that made me feel different was shaping my ability to truly see others. It was teaching me empathy. It was teaching me awareness. It was teaching me that everyone carries something unseen. As I grew older, I found my first sense of confidence in the fashion industry. I worked in marketing, presenting brands to retail buyers and learning the power of storytelling, positioning, and presence. Fashion gave me language for expression and taught me how presentation can shift perception. But more importantly, it showed me how much confidence can change the way someone walks into a room. That chapter led me somewhere deeper. Over time, my career transitioned into marketing leadership and brand strategy. I began working across industries, helping founders articulate who they were and what they stood for. I realized I was no longer just building campaigns. I was helping people feel seen, understood, and confident in their voice. The hardest chapter, however, came when I became a single mother. Balancing responsibility, ambition, and emotional weight forced me to confront what really mattered. There were moments when I questioned if I could continue to build something meaningful while carrying so much. Time felt scarce. Energy felt stretched. And yet, purpose felt louder than ever. What I discovered in that season was this. Pain does not block purpose. It sharpens it. Being a single mother taught me to design my life differently. I learned that success could not come at the cost of my well being or my presence. I had to build smarter, not harder. I had to trust that my story was not something to overcome, but something to honor. That mindset reshaped everything. It led me to create Undivided Attention LLC, and later, to begin building SinParAI, an AI platform designed specifically for single parent entrepreneurs. What once felt like a limitation became a lens. My lived experience became my greatest teacher. The meaning I found in my hardest moments was not about proving resilience. It was about alignment. About building a life that reflects who I am and who I am becoming. I learned that when you stop running from your story and start building from it, clarity follows. Strength follows. And purpose becomes something you live, not something you chase.

One of the most formative periods in my life came during a recent stretch when I was navigating multiple transitions at once: professionally, personally, and emotionally. Professionally, this meant stepping away from a secure role to start my own company, without a clear blueprint or guarantees. Personally, it required learning how to balance ambition with self-trust while managing persistent imposter syndrome as I built something from the ground up. Emotionally, it meant sitting with doubt and questioning many of the assumptions I had carried about success, stability, and even my own capabilities. On the surface, I was doing all the "right" things: advancing academically, building a career, and pursuing opportunities that looked meaningful from the outside. Internally, though, I was learning what it meant to carry uncertainty without a clear map forward. That season taught me how to sit with discomfort rather than rush to resolve it. I learned that strength isn't always loud or visible; sometimes it shows up as endurance, discernment, and the willingness to keep choosing alignment over approval. It also clarified how much of my identity had been tied to achievement, and how important it was to build a sense of self rooted in values rather than outcomes. What emerged from that period was a deeper trust in my capacity to navigate complexity, both my own and others'. It reshaped how I understand resilience, not as constant motion or productivity, but as the ability to stay grounded, reflective, and open to growth even when answers aren't immediate. That understanding now informs both my work and the way I move through the world, with more patience, intention, and compassion for myself and others.

I never set out to write Interrupted Prayers as a strategy or a platform. I wrote it because I needed to heal. I needed to make sense of the pain I carried, the questions I had prayed through, and the moments in my life where it felt like my prayers were unanswered or delayed. Writing became my release. Page by page, I gave voice to experiences I had buried for years, experiences that shaped me, challenged my faith, and ultimately strengthened my resolve. What I didn't expect was how many women would see themselves in my story. As readers began to reach out, I realized something profound: my story was not just mine. Women shared how they, too, had endured abuse, trauma, silence, and survival. Some were still in the middle of it. Others were years removed but still carrying the weight. Their stories echoed my own, and in those conversations, a burden turned into a calling. That is when Interrupted Prayers stopped being just a book. It became a bridge. I knew then that storytelling alone was not enough. Women needed safe spaces, resources, and community places where healing could continue beyond the page. I felt compelled to create something that would offer support, encouragement, and empowerment in real, tangible ways. That conviction led me to establish Her Story, The Gathering Inc. Her Story, The Gathering Inc. was born from purpose, not profit. It is rooted in faith, compassion, and the belief that no woman should have to navigate her healing journey alone. Through this nonprofit movement, I am able to support women who have endured what I endured, as well as those currently walking through similar challenges. It is a place where stories are honored, voices are restored, and strength is rebuilt, together. What once felt like interrupted prayers became answered purpose. I learned that healing doesn't end with telling your story, it expands when you use that story to help someone else rise.

i look for purpose in every moment of every day, by the choices I make in the day. I feel a sense of belonging daily, by the small thing I do for people everyday. I follow my heart and give to people my kindness. I reflect on the struggles and challenges have taught me when I was a single mother of two sons, but I also had honor in the challenge of building strength in my self and in my sons as i teach them the love we have for each other. The strength I needed to do what I wanted for myself and for my sons. I was able to bless myself with a gift every week to not forget to give and appreciate myself.