twin bed

My family migrated to the U.S. with very little to our name. For many months, I slept on the floor of an empty room.  I watched my parents working their butts off to create a new home for us. (I mean, can you imagine moving somewhere with three kids, little English, no money, and no idea of how to “make it”?)

One day my dad came home with a surprise, a shiny new twin bed. I was so excited. I was so proud of my dad and my family for this huge achievement. The next day, I COULD NOT wait to go tell the other fifth graders in Mrs. Burns’ homeroom class about my new twin bed!

Unfortunately for me, one of my friends had a birthday party over the weekend and they got a brand new Xbox. (This was a BIG deal, ok?) As I got settled into my desk, I heard my squad oooh-ing and awwww-ing at the gift. 

Suddenly, I felt shame flooding my little body. How could I have been so stupid to think that my friends would be happy for me? A bed was NOT COOL. An Xbox was cool.

It’s little moments like these that make us feel foreign. Like we don’t belong. And unfortunately, for some of us, they happen in every stage of life.

Maybe you were in school when you realized speaking what was actually on your mind would not be “cool”.

Maybe it was a time in the professional world, where your environment made you cover-up. Cover up anything that made you different. Your beliefs, your accent, your rage, yourself.

Or maybe it was in the entrepreneurial world, where the message was that you had to show up perfectly. (aka don’t be yourself!)  Find a way to get perfect photography, perfect social media posts, perfect funnels.

I don’t teach others how to share their story because it came naturally to me. The opposite is true. I STRUGGLED to be myself. I struggled to share myself. And, that struggle is what makes me a great guide. I had (sometimes have) the shittiest mindset. I was (sometimes am) scared to say what I’m thinking.  None of this easy, and I believe that’s what makes it necessary.

I help others through this messy journey. To help you uncover your gifts. You’ll learn to peel off the layers that come from years of covering up.  You can learn to create a brand that fits like your favorite outfit. Where you are comfortable, and can just BE.

Cheers to you and all the things that make you “weird”!