I thought I had my path lined up.

Degrees in International Law & Diplomacy, master’s degree from university in Rome, Italy, 12 years living abroad, interning/working for the Vatican embassy, contracting with Department of State, contracting for USAID, working for the US Commercial Service, I created the foundation for a career in international policy.

Then, life.

8 years ago I moved from Washington, D.C. to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a 3 day drive from DC to ABQ, and I arrived full of dreams with my chihuahua in tow. After being discouraged to move here by people working for the city, I found a job working as a Department of State contractor with a non-profit that brought international visitors to the USA to establish professional, personal, and diplomatic relationships.

That job paid me $25,000 annually.

It was a massive financial hurdle, but it gave me tremendous insight into the New Mexico market, and helped me get to know people in the state. After 8 months, I began to discover opportunities in the market.

I locked myself in my apartment for 2 months. I’m not kidding. It was prep for COVID lockdown.🤣 Until then, I’d only really been an employee – my whole family were military and in medicine. That’s not a entrepreneurial background.

During those 2 months I explored what I wanted in life, what I wanted to create, and how to accomplish my goals. Writing everything out, I created 7 business plans for just those few immediate ideas I had, and realized that being an employee would never see those ideas created.

I took out my credit card and started launching concepts. I taught myself social media, PR, started taking journalists out to coffee/lunch to learn more about the stories they covered and what would be interesting to them and their readers.

Working for the government was safe, but ultimately it was too risky for me. I had to get my ideas OUT and make them real, tangible things. The government couldn’t support my entrepreneurial ideas. The moment I wrote those business plans my life was irrevocably changed.

I became an entrepreneur, committed to seeing the journey through. My family still thinks I’m crazy, risky, and wish that I had a 9-5 but I have this drive inside that I HAVE to create, produce, publish, and without taking them public…it’s a wasted life.

I’ve launched more concepts that failed than those that have succeeded, ridden the most angelic of highs and the deepest despair of the lows. After just under 10 years of entrepreneurship, I’m even more motivated, energized, and excited about where I can take my business(es), and how I can help entrepreneurs get there too.