But First…

Welcome to my corner of the internet!

If you’ve landed here, you’re likely a leader, an aspiring leader, or someone who cares about growth—the messy, honest kind. So, I figured the best way to start this blog is by sharing a little bit about where I come from and why leadership (and how we develop it) matters so deeply to me.

Sitting here now, I am quite confident that I was destined to learn things the hard way.

I’m the eldest daughter, with one younger brother—no trailblazer ahead of me to show me how to navigate life at my level. I had to carve out that path myself.

We were military brats, which meant adapting wasn’t a skill we learned; it was a way of living.

And on top of that, I was a shy child. A people pleaser. Someone who never wanted to disappoint anyone. I paid close attention to everyone else’s needs long before I ever considered my own (do not worry friends—therapy has helped me unpack a lot of that).

For most of my life, it felt like when presented with two simple choices, I’d somehow pick the more difficult one.

Did I learn? Absolutely.
Did it cost me? One hundred percent.

Motherhood changed everything. It gave me a voice I didn’t know I had. Eight months in, I left a disastrous marriage and began parenting on my own—fully aware that every decision I made carried real weight.

Around the same time, I was navigating a career path that often felt like “the wheels were coming off of ’er” (if you know, you know). I went back to school with a toddler in daycare to earn another diploma—encouraged by someone who recognized my potential long before I did.

Fast forward to today: a woman in legal tech, working in a space where I had to prove myself. Supporting people who were, in many ways, earlier versions of me—busy professionals balancing expectations, pressure, and not nearly enough time.

It wasn’t easy.
But the more I shared my lived experiences, the more I was accepted.

I “got it.”

Still, I kept myself small.

That inner critic—loud, untrained, unexamined—didn’t serve me well. I felt I had to dig deeper, bring “receipts,” and constantly go the extra mile to prove my worth.

I know now this story isn’t unique. Many leaders, especially those who grew up as the “responsible one,” the “adapter,” the “people pleaser,” walk a similar path.

This blog is my way of pulling back the curtain.

Here, I’ll talk openly about:

• the real lived experience behind leadership
• the messy parts of growth
• the moments where resilience is built quietly
• and the ways we can lead with compassion—starting with ourselves

If any part of my story resonates, you’re in the right place.

I’m glad you’re here.