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If there was a lemonade stand in our neighborhood I was all over that too. It’s rooted in my genes and I’ve embraced this career driven spirit since before my first summer job at 15 years old at a retail clothing store. All the while taking endless dance classes. I loved to perform. My senior year of high school I wanted to audition for the Missouri State Dance Team, as I would be attending my first year of college in the Fall. The night before auditions I was petrified but during tryouts I persevered through multiple rounds of cuts from several hundred girls to the final 25. Then at the final cut, much to my disappointment, I wasn’t chosen. My 17 year-old self was devastated.

A week after the let down I was invited to audition to sing, dance, and act in a show at a theme park as a summer job before my first year of college. I was not in great spirits to audition again, but my mother asked “if you don’t try, will you regret it?” My 17 year-old self let out a resounding yes! I auditioned and was chosen to perform in 6 daily shows all summer, and I loved it. When college started I learned that one of the dancers had broken her leg and the Missouri State Dance Team was hosting auditions again to add one more dancer for the season. I heard my mother’s voice inside my head and went back to try out a second time. This audition led me to a spot on the Dance Team in addition to receiving an athletic scholarship for dance. I ended up with two incredible experiences and opportunities. I learned at a young age that, if you fail, you might end up in a better place. I have this outlook in business today.

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After college graduation I worked for ServiceMaster where I learned how to approach clients and contact them with no prior introduction, cultivate and build relationships, and convert potential customers into clients. I learned not to be fearful of negotiations, it’s an essential part of business and I developed an immunity to rejection - rejection is never fun but it is part of life, some we win and some we lose. What's important is to keep going. After asking so many times very early in my career and hearing the word no - the no’s turned into yes. I gained confidence and clients by putting in the work - driving around Los Angeles looking up at the towering buildings, envisioning opportunity, and asking myself - “if I could have any client who would they be?” I learned how to answer that question and turn them into clients. At ServiceMaster I earned business and managed client relationships for companies including Staples Center Stadium, Home Depot Center Stadium, Westfield Shopping Centers, National Restaurant Chains, and Hilton Nationwide to name a few. I was promoted to a Regional Sales Manager of a Fortune 500 company before my 25th birthday. My company believed in me and elevated me to help the business development teams due to my knowledge of strategy, negotiation, and my ability to convert a potential client into a yes.