About Me
I am a mother. I am a friend, a daughter, a sister, a leader.
A few years ago, my definition would have been different. A few years ago, my self-worth was defined by my profession. Defined by what I wanted others to see.
A few years ago, I was struggling and I was killing my Body, my Mind and my Spirit.
Growing up, I was told “too bad you’re smart, since you’re just a girl.”
In my head, I heard: “this is your first challenge”
Through my teens, I strived to justify my worth and my value.
This is also when the constant pain began – whether it was angry menstrual cycles or raging migraines – this was the backdrop while struggling to prove my value.
I was 18 when I had my first emergency surgery to remove an ovary due to Endometriosis. At 19, my Thyroid was removed. I was 22 when part of my Cervix was taken out for pre-Cancerous cells.
At the same time, I had moved out, was working full time in corporate America and was going to school at night. I worked as a waitress on weekends.
By the time I was 25, I had bought my first house, was running a marketing department and managing a $5million budget.
Yet, while I was outperforming my peers, I was being paid less for better work and was reminded that I was “just a woman.” And I was told I was “too scrappy”, “too honest” and “too young.”
I saw each of these as challenges to prove myself, prove my worth, prove my value.
My health issues continued throughout these years and my mental health was being kept at bay through antidepressants and anxiety meds.
In 2007, I was working in internal comms for MasterCard and was asked to take a stretch role launching affinity groups and running their women’s initiative. Thus began my DEI career.
I had a tiny baby at home. But, this exciting new opportunity was the opportunity to not only prove my value as a woman, but to help other women.
So I worked with some amazingly awesome, glass ceiling breaking women who mentored me and championed me.
And they taught me how women need to lift each other up.
And I got to meet different types of people and learn about what it was like to face hardships different from my own. People who inspired me and motivated me to persevere.
And my DEI career, which began primarily focused on women evolved, and in 2017, I began to launch my firm’s largest initiative focused on Wellness and Mental Health.
But while I was focusing on lifting other women and championing the importance of mental health and self-care, I myself had lost sight of my own health and self-worth.
I had been working nearly non-stop my whole adult life.
My entire life, my people knew weekdays I was working or traveling. My responses to texts would be delayed and I didn’t do phone calls. I worked on my vacations.
I was fat, I drank every night, I was in constant pain… but I was too busy to see it, too busy for self care.
I never stopped to reflect. Reflect what it was doing to my health – my Body, Mind and my Spirit.
And one day, it all came crashing down. I received a call that was my wake-up. I had the Chek2 Cancer gene.
Life as I knew it stopped that day.
That was my opportunity to stop and reflect.
I realized I was exhausted and drained.
I was unhappy.
I also realized somewhere along the way I lost perspective….
And, I quit my job and took my life back.
And each day that passes since, I find myself further from that shadow of who I was.
I am healthier.... But I have to work at it.
My Body aches some days from my spine pain and migraines, but I find community in my gym and moving my body helps it to heal.
My Mind spirals on who I once was, while celebrating who I am becoming and trying to find my focus in my new life.
Sometimes my Spirit misses my old “self” …
So now I share my journey of being a woman … and my journey towards health of Body Mind and Spirit.
