I chose to break the tradition of surviving quietly. By naming the truth out loud, I changed not just my life but the trajectory of every woman who comes after me.

I challenge the conventional belief that we consciously "choose" our careers; rather, I contend that our true professional callings are often unveiled through unforeseen life experiences, guiding us toward paths that ultimately prove transformative or essential.

Diversity grows A culture, a viewpoint, strength, Widens perspective.

One tradition that I've never been fond of is the traditional household dynamic. I don't believe the home care role lies solely on the woman, I am very untraditional in that sense. I've always worked two jobs and been independent even while taking care of and raising our kids. Women are just as capable as men and holding this dual role has been challenging and rewarding.

I realized the only way to become comfortable speaking in public was to keep putting myself in uncomfortable situations. I'm still working on it, but every time I step up, my confidence grows.

I chose to challenge the idea that business has to be transactional. The strongest partnerships, and the greatest growth, come from leading with relationships, integrity, and a genuine desire to serve others.

I learned that breaking generational patterns isn't rebellion, it's stewardship. Challenging the belief that leadership requires a title reshaped my sourcing career, showing me that courage, ownership, and everyday influence can elevate supplier partnerships, strengthen enterprise trust, and drive meaningful change across the business.

I wasn't given healthy traditions to carry forward. I was given cycles to break. Choosing recovery meant challenging everything I believed about myself and learning to love myself for who I am, not who I was told I should be. Every day I choose healing over survival, turning my pain into purpose and creating a different legacy for my children; One where hope is passed down instead of hurt.

I refused to accept that survival was enough. By choosing education, recovery, and service over the expectations placed on someone with my background, I didn't just change my own life, I showed my children and my community that second chances are often someone's first opportunity and the possibilities are limitless.

I chose to challenge the belief that leadership is about transferring knowledge. True leadership is about developing people. The classroom may introduce change, but it's the investment, coaching, and encouragement that follow which creates lasting transformation.

I rejected the belief that we must fit into a single linear box or wait for permission to advocate for our worth. Defining success on my own terms transformed my professional trajectory and showed my family and community that our potential has no ceiling.

I challenged the belief that you have to be deeply rooted or well-connected to make a difference in a community. By simply showing up, serving others, and building genuine relationships, I created a life and sense of belonging far greater than I imagined.

I stopped believing that success meant following the expected path. Choosing purpose over comfort transformed not only my life, but also the way I lead, serve, and empower others to embrace their own hills.

I refused to accept that being indispensable meant being unpromotable. Leaving a company that valued my work but not my growth taught me that investing in yourself is sometimes the bravest career move you can make.

When I started my career in 1979, there were no women salespersons in the department at the company where I worked, which employed over 20,000 employees. When I received memos addressed to "Salesmen" I would return it to my company and tell them that it must have been in error. Eventually, the company changed their verbiage to "Salespersons". This may seem like a small victory, but words matter.

I challenged the belief that leadership is about having all the answers. Over time, I learned that my greatest impact wasn't measured by what I accomplished, but by helping people believe in themselves and become more than they thought possible. "Because when people believe in themselves, there's no limit to what they can accomplish".

I chose to break the belief that success belongs to those who collect the most. I believe it belongs to those who give the most: more integrity than expected, more compassion than required, more value than promised, and more hope than people thought possible. I never wanted to be remembered for what I accomplished. I wanted to be remembered for how people felt after they crossed my path, because in the end, our greatest achievement isn't what we build for ourselves, it's what we leave behind in others.

One tradition I have broken is treating exceptional experiences as "once in a lifetime" experiences. I attract amazing adventures with luxury elements because that is how I want to travel. And I do it again and again. My mom once told me to enjoy a trip because I wouldn't have that experience again. I told her emphatically that I would not say that. We all deserve to choose how we are seen and how we are treated. The next year I took my Mom on a 5 star experience and now she is ready and planning for one next year. It was magical to see her transform from, "I don't belong with this level of people." to "I don't want to travel any other way." in just a few weeks. By living the life that mirrors your truth, you inspire others to dream bigger too.

They laid me off in 2013, but they unknowingly set me free. Starting my bookkeeping business gave me the freedom to choose my clients, control my time, and build a life I truly love. The best career move I ever made was believing in myself.

Every expectation I inherited told me to wait my turn, to be chosen before I could lead. I finally understood that the door I kept waiting on was mine to open, and faith gave me the courage to walk through it without apology.

The belief that postmenopausal women do not have endometriosis is plain wrong. I am starting a support group for postmenopausal women with endometriosis. It's time we are included in research also.

I stopped assuming 'the way we've always done it' meant it was working for everyone. Asking who gets left out of a tradition is often the first act of courageous leadership.

I broke from the traditional path of graduating from high school, going to college, building a career, and then getting married. I eloped at 18 while I was still in high school, and from then on, life became my classroom. Instead of allowing that unconventional beginning and the painful chapters that followed to define or limit me, I kept finding ways to reinvent myself. There has always been a voice inside me that pushed me to keep going and figure things out. Even on the days when I wanted to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed, I would say out loud, "Mary, you've got this. Get up," and I got up. I would get up, look at what was in front of me, decide what I could do, and take the next step. I learned to focus on what I could control instead of becoming consumed by what I could not. Over time, I became an entrepreneur, a leadership facilitator, a content creator, a business owner, and a mentor. Today, I teach principles that many people may first encounter in a college classroom. My path may not have been traditional, but it became an education in its own right, one shaped by experience, resilience, courage, and the willingness to keep moving forward.

For much of my life, I believed my purpose was to support everyone else's dreams. I poured my heart into my family, my career, and helping others succeed, and I wouldn't change that for anything. But somewhere along the way, I realized that my own dreams mattered too. At 45, I made the decision to go back to school and earn my master's degree. That choice, along with finding my voice as a speaker and saying yes to opportunities outside my comfort zone, reminded me that it's never too late to pursue the dreams that have been quietly waiting inside you. Pursuing those dreams didn't take anything away from the people I love. If anything, it allowed me to show up for them with even more confidence, joy, and purpose. If there's one tradition I hope more women will break, it's the belief that they have to wait until everyone else is taken care of before investing in themselves. Growth isn't selfish. It's one of the greatest gifts we can give the people around us because when we become the best version of ourselves, we give others permission to do the same.

I chose to turn one of the hardest chapters of my life into a platform for education and hope. When we stop protecting our pain and start sharing our purpose, we give others permission to find their own strength.

I never broke with the family tradition of working hard to fulfil aspirations, but I did break the boundaries that limited those aspirations geographically and cerebrally.