While it was a challenging mindset to have at times, it ended up paying off in major ways —

I attended the University of Alabama on a full-ride scholarship, the first in my family to do so (fellow first-gens say hey!). I went on to compete nationally as part of the Speech and Debate team, eventually landing a dream offer in New York City. 

At first it was blind panic. Staring out at the 100-person sales floor, heart in my throat, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. But every story starts there, right? I wanted to learn and grow and so that’s what I did, jumping from one opportunity to the next until I landed on the management team, where I got a taste of my life’s purpose: teaching. Like everything in life until then, I stumbled until I could walk, and then I ran; and it was there that I built the sales foundation I still lean on today.

Let’s jump ahead to 2017, and my very own Eat, Pray, Love moment.

I sold my stuff, quit my corporate job, and hopped on a one-way flight to Brazil, where I traveled solo through South America for a year. It was transformative in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I am beyond grateful that I had the means to make it happen. 

After traveling I moved into an Ashram to continue my deep personal journey into mental health, and went on to complete a 6-month yoga teacher training program. Today I’m certified in breathwork, meditation, and yoga, and it’s a thrill to use what I learned in these incredible countries to help make the sales world a more mindful and inclusive place. 

If I know you—and I think I do—you’re jazzed about your product or service because you know it will change the lives of your customers. But your drive goes beyond that: you sense we’re at a pivotal moment in time, one in which big change can be made, if we have the guts. 

Antiquated views of what it means to be a salesperson are evolving, and as women continue to be trailblazers in all areas of business, we can do more to back them in sales and leadership positions. Mindfulness is growing in significance, leading to management that’s meaningful, not stressful, and high performance that comes as a result of health and happiness, not at the expense of it. 

Now, we can choose: to build diverse and inclusive teams, made up of stars who want to stick around; to create healthy, supportive environments in which all motivated people can safely express themselves—and find success.

So that’s my driving force right there. It’s about you, it’s about your teams, and it’s about the world too. Together we’ll take meaningful, progressive action that feels good for all involved, in the hopes of making it a better place. Let’s get it!