My Story

I was born and raised in Washington, DC. The good news is that my upper-middle-class background afforded me access to great educational opportunities, diversity, and culture (including funk music which I think was born there too). The not-so-good news is that I was also exposed to a very materialistic, competitive, status-defined, and power-focused culture that instilled in me a way of thinking that ultimately wasn't my own.

I followed the rules and played the games. I graduated from The George Washington University, earned a Master's degree from The Georgia Institute of Technology, and jumped right into corporate life at the age of 23. By all outward accounts, I had a good life. I was successful. I was good at the game. 

Yet something was missing.

It took decades for me to finally figure out why I still yearned for something more... and something less. My idea of success no longer included a high-powered job with a huge salary,  a large house in a prestigious neighborhood, or an expensive car. I wanted simplicity, freedom, security, fun, and lots of laughter.

The truth was I’d been living on autopilot for a long time, firmly planted in a comfort zone that stopped being comfortable years ago. I’d lost all joy and passion, was suffering from frequent migraines and other health issues, and I knew I wasn’t using the gifts and talents God gave me to make a difference in the world.

Then came the pandemic.

Living alone and being single during the mandatory lockdown gave me plenty of time to reflect on my life, my values, my goals, and my vision for my future... and none of them involved more of what I'd been doing. So, not knowing what "The Great Resignation" was at the time, I joined it and "retired" early from my long-time career.

Jumping ship a few years earlier than I'd originally planned to first felt exhilarating, and then scary. I knew I wanted to support female heart-centered solopreneurs, but I wasn't exactly sure how. Lots of conversations, research, training, and real-life experiences during my first year as my own boss finally made the area I wanted to focus on crystal clear.

Here's what I realized during those first few months as a solopreneur:

• As a recovering perfectionist and high-achiever, I was experiencing some of the same stressful feelings that I'd experienced working for a company;
• As an introvert, I had totally underestimated the value - the necessity - of having a strong support system of women encouraging, energizing, and enabling me to go all in for my dream; and
• As a planner by nature, I falsely equated endless to-do lists and schedules with being both productive and successful.

In other words, nearly everything I'd learned after 30+ years of being an employee not only didn't serve me anymore, but much of it didn't serve me then either. Sure, it served my senior managers and my colleagues, but it was tough to admit to myself that I was partly responsible for the feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and frustration I always seemed to be feeling.

This point became clear when I realized I'd brought some of the mindsets and work habits that I didn't like in the office with me to my own business. Of course, that wasn't my intention, so this was a really difficult insight to accept, but I had to because if I couldn't, I might as well have stayed an employee.  

So I started experimenting with different processes, software platforms, templates, and more to figure out how to work smarter, but definitely not harder. In fact, my goal is to run my business as seamlessly and effortlessly as I possibly can. Do I have it all figured out? Of course not. Experimenting with new things, learning from others, and sharing what I know is what makes my work fun.

Once I realized that my "ideal client" is the woman I was during the first several months after transitioning from being an employee to a solopreneur, I knew who I was supposed to support. My signature program, The Solopreneur Collaborative, was designed with her in mind. 

In addition to coaching and consulting, I'm also co-author of a #1 best-selling book on Amazon, The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Soul-Aligned Business.

When I'm not working, I can usually be found doing manual labor in my veggie and flower gardens, reading, writing, exploring new creative hobbies, or enjoying her puzzling out-of-character guilty pleasure of watching WWE wrestling with pizza and a great bottle of sweet and fruity Moscato. I love jazz, cowboy boots with blue jeans, fresh-cut flowers, photography, and creating cool designs in Canva.

If my story resonates with you, consider joining The Solopreneur Collaborative. Click here to learn more.

P.S. Just in case you want to know...

Certifications and professional continuing education:
Women's Entrepreneurship Certification, Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell University
Certified Professional Life Coach and Goal Success Coach
Positive Intelligence training from Dr. Shirzad Chamine
The Coaches Console Business School
Currently enrolled in Ph.D. program with a specialization in Conscious Business Ethics