A few years ago, I took a risk.

Not just any risk—the kind that makes people look at you sideways, the kind that makes you question yourself in the quiet moments. The kind where you step into a space that no one is betting on, and you decide to bet everything.

That space? Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home.

Now, if you’re in digital advertising, you know that DOOH has been treated like the industry’s forgotten stepchild for years. It’s been lumped into “experimental” budgets, tossed a few leftover dollars from omnichannel buys, and constantly forced to fight for legitimacy in a room full of bigger, flashier media channels.

And when I made the decision to step into this world, I had people—smart people—telling me, “Why would you do that? DOOH is small. It’s not scalable. It’s not where the money is.”

And let me tell you something—I heard them.

And then I completely ignored them.

I saw something different. I saw the future of advertising.

I saw an industry that was growing at double-digit rates, yet still being ignored. I saw a media channel that wasn’t just a nice-to-have but a necessary piece of the omnichannel puzzle. I saw an opportunity to take something undervalued and turn it into a powerhouse.

So I went all in.

I didn’t just join the industry—I fought for it.

I fought for DOOH to get a real seat at the table.
I fought to educate media buyers who had been trained to think that out-of-home was old-school.
I fought to prove that DOOH was not just an add-on—it was a performance-driving, brand-building, high-impact channel that deserved its fair share of budgets.

I walked into rooms with media planners who had never transacted a single DOOH impression and told them, “This is your next biggest opportunity—let me show you why.”

And you know what happened?

We started winning.

Brands started seeing the impact—the lift in awareness, the engagement, the results that no other screen could replicate.
Programmatic buyers started leaning in, realizing that DOOH wasn’t just billboards—it was data-driven, audience-first, and fully measurable.
Agencies started moving budgets, not because they had to, but because they saw the performance and couldn’t ignore it anymore.

And suddenly, the thing that was once dismissed as “small” started to feel big.

Here’s what I learned:

The biggest opportunities? They don’t come labeled as “obvious.”
They don’t come with guarantees.
They don’t come wrapped in a perfect little package with a promise of success.

They come as risks.

Risks that other people will tell you aren’t worth taking.
Risks that require you to see what others can’t—yet.

And if you have the guts to bet on something before everyone else sees it?

That’s where the magic happens.

So if you’re sitting here today, weighing a decision, staring down a risk that feels too big, wondering if you should take the safer path—don’t.

Bet on yourself. Bet on the thing no one else believes in yet.

Because by the time they see it, you’ll already be winning.

I never waited for a door to open. If I wanted a seat at the table, I built the damn table myself.

From the start of my career, I understood one thing: no one was coming to hand me an opportunity. I wasn’t born into an industry network, I didn’t have a blueprint to follow, and I certainly didn’t have the luxury of waiting for the “perfect” moment. What I had was instinct, a relentless drive, and an unshakable belief that I could build something better—not just for myself, but for others who weren’t being given a fair shot.

I didn’t start out wanting to be a COO. I was obsessed with the art and strategy of marketing—how ideas shape perception, how creativity fuels commerce, how the right message at the right moment can change everything. But as I moved through my career, I saw the same patterns over and over again: brilliant ideas getting lost in broken systems, talented people being held back by outdated structures, companies failing to scale because they were too focused on short-term wins.

So I started fixing things. I built systems, optimized processes, and scaled businesses from the inside out. I didn’t just look at what was in front of me—I looked five, ten steps ahead. I built frameworks that turned chaos into momentum, that took ideas and made them executable at scale. And the more I did it, the more I realized: this wasn’t just my skill set. This was my superpower.

When I joined Screenverse, I saw something special. A company on the verge of something massive, with the potential to be more than just another player in digital out-of-home. I saw an opportunity to transform how DOOH was bought, sold, and valued. But more importantly, I saw people—talented, passionate, driven people—who just needed the right infrastructure, the right leadership, the right champion to clear the path for them.

And that’s when everything clicked. My job wasn’t just to scale a company. It was to create a space where other people could thrive.

I’ve worked my entire career in male-dominated industries. I’ve been the only woman in the room more times than I can count. I’ve seen how often underrepresented groups are underestimated, how easily their contributions are dismissed, how they are forced to prove themselves over and over while others get the benefit of the doubt. And I’ve seen how lonely it can be to navigate that world without someone fighting in your corner.

So I became that person.

I didn’t just push for growth at Screenverse—I pushed for a culture where those voices that weren't being heard weren’t just included, but elevated. I built a team where they weren’t just given a seat, but encouraged to own the table. I championed their ideas, advocated for their promotions, and made damn sure they were recognized for their work.

Because success doesn’t mean anything if I’m the only one who gets there. Real success is looking around and seeing others rising with me. Seeing them take up space, lead with confidence, and know—deep in their bones—that they deserve to be here.

In 2024, I helped lead Screenverse through a $10.5 million Series A investment. It was a defining moment for the company, a validation of everything we had built. But for me, the real victory wasn’t in the funding—it was in the people. The team we had grown, the leaders we had developed, the discounted who were now in positions of power, making decisions that shaped the future of this industry.

I didn’t get here by following the rules. I got here by seeing what was broken and refusing to accept it. By stepping into spaces where I wasn’t always welcomed. By fighting for myself and, eventually, realizing that the real power—the real legacy—is in fighting for others.

I’m not done. Not even close. Because the work isn’t just about me. It’s about every person who is tired of being underestimated, who is ready to take control, who just needs one person to see her potential and say, “You belong here.”

I see you. And I’m building the table for you.

So you can build the next.