There wasn't a single moment where everything changed, there was a moment where I stopped questioning if I could handle it. I realized I already had. I had survived things that were never supposed to break me, and I was still standing. That's when I knew… I wasn't just getting through it. I was stronger than it.

There was a time when I felt overwhelmed balancing my career, motherhood, and personal challenges. But even in those moments, I kept showing up, and that's when I realized my strength. What kept me going was my purpose: my children and the vision I have for my future. I learned that resilience isn't about having everything figured out, but about not giving up. Those challenges didn't break me, they built me into a stronger, more focused professional and woman.

I did it by staying grounded in purpose and relentless in my growth. By investing in people daily, knowing that real change happens through connection - serving one student, one teacher, one moment at a time.

There wasn't one moment. There were several. And each one tried to convince me I wasn't going to make it. I grew up in Atlanta, raised by my grandmother, a woman who somehow made poverty feel like abundance. We didn't have much, but she made sure I never knew how little we had until I was old enough to understand it. What I did know, even then, was that she was holding everything together with prayer, consistency, and a kind of quiet strength I didn't yet have words for. She was my first example of what it looks like to be stronger than your circumstances. I just didn't know I was taking notes. My parents struggled with addiction. That's the clean way to say something that is anything but clean. Growing up with that kind of absence, the kind that lives in the same house as you or calls occasionally but was never really there, does something to a child. It makes you either shrink or decide. I decided. Not all at once, and not without pain. But I decided. Then came senior year of high school. I was the girl with straight A's, the cheer captain, the overachiever, and I found out I was pregnant. The fear I felt wasn't about becoming a mother. It was about disappointing people. About the looks. About what this meant for the version of me everyone had expectations for. That fear was real. But something else was louder. I kept going. I adjusted my schedule. I worked. I graduated. And my church, the community that could have turned their back, wrapped around me instead. That moment taught me something I've never forgotten: the people who love you for real don't leave when things get hard. And the ones who do? They were never the foundation anyway. I went on to earn my degrees, build a career in real estate law, raise my daughter with my husband, my best friend since we were twelve years old, and eventually launch a real estate practice that has become something I couldn't have imagined from that scared senior in high school. But here's what I know now that I wish I could tell her: strength isn't the absence of fear. It's the decision to move anyway. Every single time I thought my circumstances were going to define me, teen pregnancy, financial hardship, health challenges, industry barriers, I found something underneath the fear that was sturdier than the obstacle. Faith. Purpose. The face of my grandmother. The vision of what I was building for my children and their children. What kept me going? Honestly? The belief that my story wasn't finished. That the hard chapters weren't the last ones. And the deep, unshakeable conviction that I was put here to do something, to open doors for people who look like me, who come from where I come from, who've been told the same lies about what's possible for them. I am still becoming. And that's the most powerful thing I know how to say.

The hardest barriers to break are often the ones we build in our own minds. Do not limit yourself. Treat self-doubt the way an engineer treats a broken process: acknowledge it, figure out why it's happening, and actively work to improve it.

Working in a "man's business" presented its challenges every single day, particularly in the food service industry. A lot of people had their doubts when I wasn't like everyone else, I wouldn't stay still in one position, I was a doer and I believe that no job is too good for a manager. I earned my respect for going above and beyond in my field, for having a big heart and believing in those who didn't believe in themselves. I think being a manager is like a relationship, a lot of give and take to make everyone come together. It's what has brought my success.

There was a time in my life when I was a single mom working three jobs just to keep going. Every day felt like a challenge, and there were moments when I could have easily given up. But I was determined not to become a statistic and not to fail my daughter or myself. What kept me going was faith, prayer, and the decision to push forward no matter how hard things felt. I surrounded myself with people who believed in me, people who wanted to see me succeed, and that made all the difference. During those hardest moments, I would actually say out loud to myself, "I can do hard things." It may sound simple, but saying it helped shift my mindset. It reminded me that the situation didn't define me and that I was stronger than the challenge before me. Looking back now, I realize those difficult years didn't break me; they made me stronger. They taught me resilience, discipline, and the power of trusting God even when the path isn't clear.

When I could look at myself and love ALL of ME, despite the challenges, hurdles, and imperfections, I could say, "I love ME!"

I didn't get here by waiting until I felt completely ready. I said yes to growth opportunities and committed myself to continuous learning. Working in vendor risk management means making decisions that protect organizations, data, and people, and that responsibility pushed me to develop confidence, technical understanding, and a strong voice at the table. There were moments when I had to step into rooms where I was still learning, ask questions, and advocate for the right security and risk decisions even when it felt challenging. But I stayed consistent, stayed curious, and kept building my expertise step by step. What helped me most was believing that my perspective mattered. I want other women to know you don't have to wait until you feel perfect or fully prepared. If you stay committed to learning, speak up, and keep moving forward, you can absolutely create space for yourself in leadership and influence.

There was a season in my life when everything felt heavier than usual. I was carrying responsibilities, showing up for others, leading through challenges, and trying to hold everything together even when I felt tired inside. On the outside, I kept moving. I kept working, caring, leading, and doing what needed to be done. But on the inside, there were moments when I questioned how much more I could carry. What made it even harder was that some of the things I was facing were not things I chose. There were disappointments, pressures, and situations that stretched me emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. At times, it would have been easy to give in to discouragement and believe the weight of it all was too much. But somewhere in the middle of that hard season, I began to realize something important. Even though I felt weak at times, I had not stopped. I was still standing. I was still showing up. I was still loving people, still leading, still trusting God, and still moving forward one step at a time. That was the moment I realized I was stronger than the circumstances around me. My strength did not come from having all the answers or never feeling overwhelmed. It came from my faith, my purpose, and the deep belief that hard seasons do not last forever. God was doing something in me through that struggle. He was building endurance, deepening my trust, and showing me that I was capable of more than I knew. Looking back now, I can see that what felt like it might break me actually built me. It taught me that strength is often quiet. It looks like perseverance. It looks like getting up again. It looks like trusting God when the road is uncertain. And it looks like refusing to give up, even when life feels heavy. That season reminded me that I am stronger than I thought, not because life was easy, but because God was with me in the middle of it. And sometimes that is where real strength is found.

It didn't happen in a moment of victory. It happened in the middle of uncertainty, when nothing made sense, when the odds were stacked high, and when giving up would have been the easier choice. I come from a place where limitation is not just a condition, it is an expectation. Growing up in a rural community, I learned early what it meant to live within boundaries that were never chosen, only inherited. Limited access. Limited resources. Limited belief in what was possible. There were moments when the weight of it all felt heavy, when the future felt distant, almost unreachable. Moments when everything around me seemed to quietly suggest, "This is as far as you go." But something in me refused to agree. Not because I was fearless. Not because I had clarity. But because deep within me was a conviction I could not silence, that my life was meant for more, and that "more" was not just for me, but for others whose stories looked like mine. So I kept going. I kept going when it was uncomfortable. I kept going when it was uncertain. I kept going when there was no evidence that it would work out. And somewhere along that journey, I realized something powerful: Strength is not always loud. It is not always visible. It does not always look like winning. Sometimes, strength is quiet. It is choosing to rise when everything within you feels tired. It is choosing to believe when there is no proof. It is choosing to build with what you have, even when it feels like it will never be enough. That was the moment everything shifted. I stopped seeing my circumstances as limitations, and began to see them as context. I stopped asking, "Why is this happening to me?" and started asking, "What can I build from here?" And from that place, I didn't just survive my circumstances. I outgrew them. And then, I began to transform them into impact.

There was a moment I realized I wasn't overwhelmed, I was being prepared. Walking away from stability to build something of my own forced me to confront every doubt I had about myself. But in that pressure, I discovered clarity, resilience, and a level of discipline I didn't know I carried. I didn't become stronger because things got easier, I became stronger because I decided I was no longer available for a smaller version of my life.

I realized I was stronger than my circumstances when I refused to give up on myself, no matter how hard things felt. There were moments of doubt, but I kept going because I believed there was more ahead of me. I held on to faith, stayed focused on growth, and reminded myself that my story had purpose. What kept me moving forward was knowing that one day, my journey could give strength and hope to other women.

A recovering alcoholic, there was a time when I couldn't go even a few hours without a drink. I convinced myself I was functional, until I wasn't. I held 5 jobs in one year, because I would lose one right after the other. I finally got the help I needed. I spent 30 days in rehab and I'm now approaching four years in recovery. It took two years to find the right career after getting sober. I worked as a receptionist in the mental health industry, which was very helpful in recovery, especially because the role gave me structure. Two years in, I finally found the confidence to get back into what I knew: Event Planning. Because of sobriety, I get to show up as the best version of myself every day for my career, for my family, and most importantly, for myself. Addiction doesn't mean you've failed. It means something in your life needs to change.

The moment I realized how strong I truly was came in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when my husband Barry suffered a traumatic brain injury October 2022. In an instant, life changed. Fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion tried to take over, but somehow, strength I didn't know I had rose to the surface. That experience changed me forever. It taught me that strength is not about never being afraid. It's about continuing on when you are. Looking back, I realize I was stronger than I ever knew. Not because I wanted to be, but because the people we love give us no other choice.

Leaving South Africa for the States taught us that starting over doesn't erase who you are; it reveals who you've always been. Hope came from realizing that courage grows when you choose faith in the future over fear of the unknown, one step at a time for your family.

It's everyone's natural instincts to shut down due to painful or negative experiences, but that mindset starts to get to you, making you feel powerless when/if something bad happens. The moment that you realize that despite everything that has happened to you, that YOU'RE STILL HERE... that's the moment that everything changes, and you finally see just how tough you really are.

There came a moment when I realized that my circumstances may have challenged me, but they would never define me. Through every leadership role, setback, reinvention, and season of growth, I learned that strength is not about never falling; it's about continuing to rise with grace, integrity, and purpose. What kept me going was knowing that journey was never just about me; it was about creating space, opportunity, and impact for the women and communities connected to my assignment.

Strength did not arrive before the hard chapter. It was built by walking through it. I just had to stop waiting to feel ready and trust that ready would meet me on the other side.

When I lost my mother, my best friend, mentor, confidante and smartest person I ever knew, who I spoke to daily for wisdom and inspiration, I felt lost knowing I would never talk to her again. She so inspired me. What I discovered is that she was preparing me all these years to be that person to someone else. I know she has been a huge part of my success and me being able to help others on my team when times were tough. I had an amazing teacher!

During the pandemic I was working full time, raising children, and completing my PhD. I realized that I could finish it but only by asking for support from my peers and colleagues. We don't have to carry the load alone.

Moving into case interview prep training and university partnership management was intimidating because it was such a specialized space, and there were definitely moments where I questioned whether I belonged in the room. What helped me move forward was realizing that I did not need to know everything early on because my real strengths were creating structure, building scalable systems, improving the student experience through thoughtful processes, and connecting with people in a genuine way.

I never had a moment where I felt stronger than what I was facing. I just kept waking up anyway. At some point I looked back and realized that was the whole thing.

There have been too many situations that have shaped me and allowed me to see myself stronger than I thought. Perhaps my Pride has stood the test of time. And has kept me up when the chips have fallen down. Life has taught me to stand in my power. Believe in my knowing of what feels right. Speak my truth and honor myself first.