The Person She Became Because of Her Business

Starting Racebrook changed everything for me. It helped quiet some of the anxiety I used to feel when there wasn't a clear path forward and gave me the courage to trust myself when taking big chances. I've become much more comfortable jumping in without needing someone else's approval first and saying no when a yes would be unhealthy for me.

Entrepreneurship revealed that I am not just building a business, but actively shaping my own identity; it stripped away the need for external validation and replaced it with a deep, unwavering trust in my own voice and timing.

I didn't know how strong I was until I had to build something of my own while fighting for my kids. That resilience became the foundation of my career, and now it's the exact thing that lets me motivate other women and teenagers to keep going.

Becoming an executive changed me in ways I didn't expect. I thought leadership would be about learning how to manage people, solve problems, make difficult decisions, and keep an organization moving forward. What I didn't realize was how much it would force me to learn about myself. I discovered that I am far more resilient than I ever gave myself credit for. I've learned that I can walk into difficult situations without having all the answers and trust myself to figure out the next step. I've also learned that leadership doesn't require me to become the loudest person in the room or pretend to know everything. Some of my greatest strengths are being able to connect with people, bring humor into stressful situations, listen, and make people feel like they matter. It also changed the way I define success. Earlier in my career, I measured success by degrees, titles, promotions, and what I could accomplish next. Those things still matter to me, but today I pay much more attention to impact. Did I make something better? Did the people around me feel supported? Did I create an environment where people wanted to show up and do good work? Perhaps the biggest thing leadership revealed is that I am capable of rebuilding myself. My career and my life have not followed a perfectly planned path, and there have been times when I have had to completely redefine what comes next. Instead of seeing that as starting over, I've learned to see it as starting again with experience. I'm still ambitious. I still want the next challenge. But I no longer need to have every step mapped out before I take it. I trust myself much more than the woman who first stepped into leadership did and that may be the most valuable thing I've built.

Owning a travel business has helped me see myself differently. It has encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, connect with new people, and trust what I have to offer. I'm learning that I don't have to have every answer to take the next step but I do have to be willing to learn and follow through. One of the most meaningful parts is helping others explore owning a travel business of their own. It has shown me that I have something to share, and that my experience can encourage someone else to begin. I still love farm life and time with my grandbabies, but this chapter has opened doors to experiences and possibilities I hadn't imagined. It has reminded me that I can value the life I've built and still make room for new ambitions. The biggest discovery has been that I'm still capable of growing, trying something unfamiliar, and creating a new chapter for myself.