This little girl is me.
She grew up in a single-parent home with her resourceful mother and an older sister she idolized. The child of divorce, a really bad one.
Growing up, financial resources were scarce.
She always had a roof over her head, but there were times when her mom would sell a piece of furniture to pay the mortgage, leaving the house feeling empty.
Her mother wanted to give her girls more but this little girl knew not to ask for anything.
She craved financial and family security.
She responded to the insecurity by developing her self-reliance and took pride in her complete independence.
She started earning her own money by the 5th grade with her babysitting certification. By the age of 14, she had working papers and her first waitressing job.
In high school, she started a little candy business buying Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and Hershey bars at the wholesale market and selling them from her backpack to hungry students.
She was a good student and liked to learn. She chose her major based on what she was good at and what would give her the financial stability she was determined to attain. But her roles in auditing, M&A, finance, and consulting all left her feeling empty and unfulfilled.
It wasn’t until 2001 when she was laid off from her consulting firm that she discover her true calling. Her eyes opened to a career that helped people, that leveraged her passion for teaching, that made a difference.
Today, this girl is an accomplished speaker, trainer, executive coach, and author of four books.
Today, she is celebrating nearly 20 years as the CEO of her training company, Executive Essentials.
Today she knows she has had an impact, a positive impact.
Today, she is happy.
This is my story. So why am I sharing it?
Because September 22nd is American Business Women’s Day and I want to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of each woman in the workforce, business, and leadership across the nation.
Remember: Life can take turns you never could have imagined.
Believe in yourself. You are capable more than you think.