I am 2 years old, my Dad decides it's time that I learn to ride a horse by myself. He puts me on a 16 hand high horse, now for reference, each hand is 4 inches tall, so 16 hands is 5 and a half feet tall at it's withers, and for more reference, I am tiny, probably no more than 30 inches tall so I hit the horse at it's knees. My dad boosts me into the saddle, I am terrified. All I can see is how far down it is to the ground. I begged to get off. My dad tells me, big girls don't cry, big girls show the horse who is boss. I do not feel very bossy, in that moment, all I want to do is cry. I asked for comfort, my dad tells me, "Big girls don't need comfort, big girls show the horse who is boss." I learned in that moment that I couldn't count on someone comforting me, so instead, I asked my dad for my doll. Which he did grant me. Once I received my doll, however, I realized it wasn't comfort, I was still terrified. To this day, I remember how far down it was to those rocks beneath me. I can still hear and feel the shifting in the breath of the horse, as it was awaiting instructions from me, someone who couldn't give instructions even to myself at that time. I learned that I had to take those reigns if I were to ever survive this situation, I needed to ride that horse, which I did. The biggest lesson I learned, however, was not that I could overcome my fear, but that no matter what, I could do things scared and get through them. Which has proved to be invaluable throughout my life.

I had a very difficult childhood, full of emotional upheavals, I was the middle child but the first girl, and I went through many traumatic events during my growing up years. Because of this, I made the decision to help others so that they might not have to go through the devastating events, thoughts, and emotions that I had. Which necessitated me going back to school, getting a masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and starting a journey for self and others. I knew there had to be more that I could do to help others as I was stuck in a job with no ability to grow. So I branched out. Women in power positions have not been the norm throughout my career and it is time to change that. So I branched out again and created Pathway to Empowerment, a company designed to address the mental and emotional framework that holds us back as individuals and especially as women. My belief is everyone should have the opportunity to fulfill their passion, make the amount of money they want to make based upon their experiences and abilities, while also having a home life and finding joy and fulfillment in all areas.