As a teenager, I experienced homelessness, lived through situations no young person should ever face, and found myself surrounded by environments where survival—not success—was the daily goal. By 18, I was running with biker clubs, searching for a sense of belonging and trying to navigate a life without a clear direction.
Everything changed when I was 19. Fighting to help a family member escape the foster care system forced me to stop asking what life had done to me and start asking who I wanted to become. That responsibility became the turning point that reshaped my future.
I earned my GED, enrolled in college, and continued building a new life. At 23, I took custody of a 15-year-old family member, learning firsthand that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about showing up when people need you most.
Entrepreneurship soon followed. I built an automotive brokerage in Los Angeles and later owned a yoga studio in Hollywood. Like many business owners, COVID changed everything, and I lost the businesses I had worked so hard to create. Rebuilding has become a recurring theme in my life.
I entered the automotive industry determined to create opportunities rather than wait for them. Over the past 15 years, I’ve grown into executive leadership, coached dealership teams across the country, helped organizations improve profitability and culture, and discovered that the greatest lessons in leadership rarely come from textbooks—they come from adversity.
Today I speak to leaders, organizations, and individuals about resilience, accountability, confidence, and building a life that isn’t defined by where you started. Your past may shape you—but it never has to limit your future.
“My story isn’t about trauma. It’s about what trauma taught me.”
