For years, I believed grit would save me—that if I just pushed harder, I could hold everything together. On the outside, I looked steady. Inside, I was running on fumes.

In 2019, my life shattered when I lost my only child, Aidaen, to suicide. That loss forced me to see what grit could never give me: a way to keep living, leading, and loving without collapsing.

In those darkest days, I learned that resilience isn’t about pushing through. It’s about resting, resetting, and renewing so you can keep showing up. I had to learn how to listen differently too—how to communicate in ways that built trust instead of draining me. I had to draw boundaries I’d never dared voice before, protecting what little energy I had left. And slowly, I discovered the power of small, consistent rhythms—the stability that comes when you stop swinging between extremes and start showing up steadily, one day at a time.

Those four practices—communication, boundaries, consistency, and resilience—changed everything. They became not just survival tools, but the way I lead, the way I live, and the way I help others find their footing when life stretches them too thin.

Today, I carry those tools into boardrooms, homes, classrooms, and communities. I don’t just teach resilience and leadership; I live them. My story isn’t a credential—it’s proof that you can rebuild after heartbreak, protect what matters most, and lead as one whole person everywhere you go.

I know what it means to lead the wrong way—and what it takes to rebuild.

Why I built One Toolbox Leadership™