Imagine stepping into a world where your value is questioned not by your skill, but by your gender. A world where the path to your dream career is littered with stereotypes, undermining comments, and barriers so tangible, they push you to a breaking point. This isn't just any story; it's mine, and it begins in the all-too-familiar corridors of the corporate world.

As a woman with ambitions larger than the skyscrapers that housed my first marketing job, I quickly learned that my journey would be an uphill battle. Picture this: being told that the secret to selling jewelry was not innovative marketing strategies but hiring models from Hooters. Or being labeled a "high risk" investment not for lack of talent, but for being of childbearing age. The pinnacle of these challenges? Being passed over for a promotion to a directorial position because the CEO feared my emotional response—despite never having shed a tear in the office.

Eight years of fighting to be taken seriously, of proving myself against unfounded biases, led to a revelation: The corporate world might not be ready for me, but I was more than ready to carve my own path. Fueled by a mixture of anger and unwavering confidence in my abilities, I embarked on the most defining venture of my life—I started my own company.

Turning the tables, I channeled every ounce of doubt thrown my way into building my first retail business. Within four years, it wasn't just a business; it was a multi-seven figure empire. This success wasn't just mine; it was a beacon for every woman who's been told she's too much of this, too little of that, or just not enough.

After selling my retail business in 2023, I didn't stop. I founded Cultish Marketing with a clear vision: to empower small businesses to build marketing funnels that captivate and cultivate a cult of loyal fans. My mission goes beyond mere business growth; it's about rewriting the narrative for women in business, proving that our worth is not dictated by outdated stereotypes but by our resilience, creativity, and unwavering determination.

This journey is more than a personal success story; it's a call to arms for every woman who's ever felt sidelined in the corporate world. It's about understanding what drives us to succeed against all odds, in small business or any endeavor we choose to pursue. Let's dive into this adventure together, breaking barriers and building dreams on our own terms.

My mother doesn't know it, but she should have been a tech developer. Growing up as the 6th of 12 children on a farm in South Dakota in the 70s, opportunities beyond nursing, teaching, or secretarial weren't presented. I watched as she took a job she was way too talented for in our tiny town. I watched as they undervalued and underpaid her. I watched as they continued to add on to her workload every single year but not her paycheck. I watched as she taught herself how to install hard drives on computers and the newest mapping technology for our county. I watched as these technology companies called her for her advise and feedback without ever offering to compensate her for her time.

I learned she was never invited to be more. She didn't know she could be. While the opportunity was there, she didn't know it was there for her. Opportunities like that existed only for men in her world. I used all that I learned watching her to make a different story for myself.

I went to the right schools and got good grades. I worked hard after college and for 8 years, worked my way through the corporate world in marketing. While many more opportunities exist in the working world for women now, I found that it was still an uphill battle. I never felt fulfilled because I was never taken seriously as a professional. I decided to change that.

In 2017, I started my first business. A retail business focusing on women's fashion.