Life has a funny way of pulling you exactly where you’re meant to be. My path? Less straight line more zigzag. Still, every turn had purpose.

It started with a little curiosity and a lot of support. Like many good stories, mine started with strong women. My grandmother and mom led their lives with full purpose. They drilled into me from an early age that education was everything. Read. Study. Get good grades. Excellence wasn’t optional, it was expected. And honestly, I’m grateful. That foundation gave me the work ethic to chase (and survive) every twist and turn that came next in my life.

I wanted cosmetology. They wanted accounting. I had dreams of becoming a cosmetologist. I could already see myself helping people look their best – a palette of makeup colors in one hand, lip gloss in the other. My parents? Not so much. 

“Absolutely not,” they said. “You should look into accounting. That’s a sound career”. I was great at math and to them it made sense. So, I went to Chico State with a major in accounting and a minor in not sure how this is going to play out?

Then life did what life does. I got into a car accident my second year and had to come home to recover. With a lot of time on my hands and creativity in my heart, I took a slight detour and became a certified makeup artist. Enter my Nordstrom era working cosmetic lines and living my best eyeliner life.

My rainbow chapter. Next came a colorful stretch of career moves, each one adding to a new hue to who I am.

Weight loss counselor (don’t ask, I’m still not sure)

• Receptionist
• Accountant
• Controller
• Jewelry maker
• Home renovator (yes, I own a tile saw and know how to use it)

Every job added a skill and a spark. And through them all the commonality was creativity and helping people. I was painting and selling art, taking on big renovations for my home, and geeking out over color palettes and grout lines. It was messy and magical. Until 2008 rolled in with a recession.

After that, I leaned into accounting. It paid the bills, and I enjoyed it. Then one day, I walked into Robert Half looking for a recruiter job and walked out with one on their accounting team. Turns out, I was really good at it. I hit a million-dollar milestone in under a year! But eventually, the feeling of wanting more returned.

The coach who lit the spark. In 2021, recovering from a back injury I did something totally unexpected, I hired a life coach. Cue lightbulb and full-body a-ha moment. I realized that no matter the job - recruiting, designing, painting, makeup was always helping people figure things out and it filled me with purpose. That was the common thread. That was the magic. That… was me.

So, I became a certified coach. Started my own business and people came. First, they wanted help with career direction. Then came resume rewrites, LinkedIn enhancements, and interview coaching. Before I knew it, I was guiding high school and college students through major choices and helping them avoid wasting loads of money on the wrong degree.

Average is not for me. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve figured it out, I’m not your average coach. I’m a pink-loving, power-tool-wielding, spreadsheet-building, makeup blend of strategy and heart. My path was perfectly mine. And now, I help others find their path whether they’re feeling stuck or just tired of chasing someone else’s version of quote, un-quote - success.

It’s never too late to be what you want to be. Whether you’re 18 or 68 you CAN reinvent yourself. If you’re standing at a crossroads wondering which way to go, let’s talk. One conversation could be the start of your own zigzag-to-purpose story.