My Path to Entrepreneurship

I was born into a family of small business owners. My grandfather ran a mom-and-pop home goods store—think Bed Bath & Beyond, but without the hard goods. My dad joined the business right after high school, and from the time I was little, I was surrounded by the rhythms of entrepreneurship.

My mom, having seen firsthand the toll retail could take—six days a week, seven during the holidays—was adamant: “You will not go into retail.” She said it so often that I joke with her now, “You should’ve said, ‘You will not be a doctor!’”

Still, some of my fondest childhood memories are from those days in the store with my dad and grandpa. I felt empowered—from wrapping gifts, to running the cash register, to learning how to write up a sale and make change. Eventually, I helped customers. Those early experiences shaped how I think about work, people, and service.

As a first-generation college student, I worked hard to get into a prestigious school—and, perhaps unsurprisingly, I chose to study consumer economics. It felt like a natural extension of what I knew, though I hadn’t yet asked myself what I truly wanted to do.

After graduating from Cornell University, I joined the top-ranked retail training program in the country and spent the next 35 years building other people’s businesses, I had a brilliant career in fashion retail, wholesale, buying, planning, and product development. I ran multi-million-dollar businesses for incredible companies, both large and small, constantly sharpening my skills. But something was missing. I wasn’t fulfilled—and, too often, I found myself in environments that were toxic and unsustainable.

Then the pandemic hit. My EVP position was eliminated, and for the first time in decades, I took a breath. I finally had the space to ask myself: “What do I want next?”

I began exploring my strengths and how I might use them in a new way. I knew I wanted to build on my career in fashion, maybe consult, but the thought of going out on my own—finding clients, building my business from scratch—was overwhelming. The voice in my head was loud: “You can’t do this.”

Thankfully, I found a coach who helped me recognize that voice for what it was: a story. And stories can be rewritten.

With a new mindset, I shifted the narrative. I told myself: “You can work for yourself. You can be successful. You deserve the freedom and fulfillment you never had while building other people’s businesses.”

The very next day, I formed my corporation—and never looked back.

I began taking on consulting clients in the fashion industry, and I also started my journey toward becoming a certified coach. That’s where I found my true passion. Helping others uncover their

superpowers, align their values with their mission, and take bold steps into entrepreneurship or leadership—this is the most rewarding work I’ve ever done.

Today, I wake up energized by the opportunity to empower others the way I was empowered. I built a business that reflects who I am, and now I help others do the same.