Where I come from…

The internet is a wild place, and somehow the universe knew you needed to be right here with me reading this post. Welcome! I like to think of myself as an open book and love any opportunity I have to share my story and hopefully inspire as many women as I can to take control of their lives and their wealth.

I've had incredible experiences—one of life’s greatest treasures, as my grandmother would say. While I've had some big wins, the little moments in between are where the magic truly happens.

When I started college I began as a political science/communications major, but everything changed when I wandered into a personal finance class. The professor had a formula on the board showing how $5,000 invested could grow to a million-dollar retirement, and my life was changed forever. I became obsessed with learning all I could about building wealth, determined to not only play but win what had traditionally been a “man’s” game.

In 2009, I graduated and moved to LA for grad school. This was the first of many huge leaps of faith that brought me incredible adventures, hard lessons, and wild stories. During this period, I learned about grit, taking risks, going after what you want, and not letting anyone put limits on what you can achieve.

I moved to LA to work in the apparel industry, starting as an executive assistant and eventually running product development. This job brought me lasting friendships, taught me everything about trade shows and managing an outside sales staff (hugely important for the business I own now), and gave me experiences I had once only dreamed about. My first job at 16 was working at Nordstrom, and now I was designing clothes sold there—talk about a full-circle moment. I look back on that time with immense gratitude. I was living my 20s in the "Hills" (any Laguna Beach fans here?!) and made sure to take it all in: Hollywood nightclubs, stints on reality TV, ocean swims, Vegas road trips, roommates, 3am taco shops, red carpet premieres, friendships, heartbreaks and eventually marriage and babies.

My daughter was born in 2014 and turned my world upside down. She is the most challenging and best thing that has ever happened to me. Kids have a funny way of putting things you thought were forever truths into a wildly different perspective. Suddenly, my dream job meant leaving this tiny baby for 12 hours a day and working just to afford the high childcare costs in LA. I started doing business consulting for female-owned startups, but I was only one person with limited time and even less childcare. I loved helping female owners scale and thrive, but I was burning myself out. Something had to give...

When my daughter was just six months old, we took a wild chance on a house we could barely afford. When I tell you it was a project house, I mean it. The first weekend my parents visited, our neighborhood was locked down by SWAT. It was safe to walk west on our street but definitely not east, and we had frequent all-night-long "club" parties thrown by our next-door neighbors. Even with all that, I knew this house could change our story. By putting our blood, sweat, and tears (literally) into a project, we could build long-term wealth from it. That first house eventually led us to a 7-figure real estate portfolio. I had found the holy grail—a place to take my love of design and make some serious money.

While LA will always hold a special place in my heart, over time, I began to outgrow the city lights and longed for something different. In 2018, we sold that house and moved back to my home state of Oregon. I had accomplished what I set out to do in LA, and it was time to go home. After fully remodeling our house and selling it when the market was perfect, we moved. Now, here is a part to pay close attention to: We could have used the money we made on that house to buy a big, beautiful "dream home." We were full-on adults by then, with one child and another on the way. We deserved the dream home, didn’t we? Not so fast...

When we moved to Bend, we moved into the most affordable rental house I could find. I knew I wanted to build our real estate portfolio and bring in cash flow by owning rental properties. Less than two months after our move, I stumbled upon a dilapidated property, bought it, and became a full-blown real estate investor. If you hear me say one thing about real estate investing, hear this: HGTV is a fairytale land and not a real place. Ripping out urine-soaked carpet and crawling under houses doesn’t make for good TV, but it makes for a major return on investment. I took on the task of fully remodeling two houses simultaneously and added a third before the second was complete. I taught myself how to file for permits, read architectural plans, do basic plumbing, fix siding, rip out fences, order and load materials, schedule subs—basically everything needed to bring those houses from uninhabitable to high-end.

The only reason we were financially able to afford those two rental properties and eventually our own home was because we never lost sight of our long-term goals. We continued to save, invest, and pay ourselves first, ensuring we had the resources to pursue other opportunities. We avoided consumer debt, drove affordable cars, maxed out our retirement accounts, and set ourselves and our children up for long-term financial stability. We never received a huge inheritance, giant bonuses at work, or handouts. We literally took $100 here and $100 there, over and over again, until it grew to a 7-figure net worth. We said no to fancy dinners, expensive vacations, and material possessions in exchange for true financial freedom.

As time moved on and the real estate market shifted in Bend, I found myself primed for another transition. In 2020, my son was born (the day Oregon locked down, yay!) and the opportunities created by COVID birthed the business I own and run today—a large commercial finance company that lends to business owners nationwide. All those past experiences, risks, lessons, and accomplishments prepared me to be ready when opportunity came knocking. I never thought I would circle back to my true finance roots, but one thing I've learned on my journey is that every single choice stacks on the last. As you make hard but strategic decisions, the opportunities that come into your orbit become better, more fulfilling, and more in line with your true purpose in life.

I didn’t set out to find this little corner of the internet and write to all of you, but here we are. I did set out to build a life unlike most. By taking charge of our budget, savings, and investments, I ensured that every hard-earned cent worked for us, rather than us only working for our money. Achieving a million-dollar net worth is within reach for the average person. My husband and I, working mid-income jobs, paying off student loans, living in a modest apartment, and driving our paid-off vehicles, embarked on our wealth-building journey. I got where I am because I did the work, but it is repeatable and achievable for you too.

Women are powerful forces, and building financial stability is an important part of that power. At this stage in my life, I feel it is time for me to look back and grab the hand of as many women as I can and pull them up with me. This education is life-changing, generation-reaching, and world-shaping.

Thank you for letting me share it with you.