My world changed when I bought lunch for a homeless woman holding a sign that read "It's my birthday" almost ten years ago. The experience launched my writing project and speaking career. I was feeling very stuck when I wound up as an account specialist at a medical billing company in New Jersey just a mere year later...The reality was: I settled. I was saying yes to things for other people and not the things that personally fueled me. And I ended up in a position that I felt stuck. It was a random Facebook message from an old connection that brought my back home to Northeastern Pennsylvania where I began my journey at a small town digital marketing agency called Coal Creative, a name that pays tribute to our roots with a focus on an innovative future. I didn't know the possibilities at the time but over the last 8 years I have worked alongside my team to build a company that truly cares about our collaborations, our communities, and one another.I never set out to be an advertising executive. I was originally after a career in education. Talk about pivoting. A single thread, however, fastens every link in my career. Wherever I land, the people around me flourish and meaningful change starts to happen. In 2020, the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal named me to its “Top 25 Women in Business” list. The year before, in September 2019, the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce named me the Northeastern Pennsylvania Influencer of the Year. Previously, the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal included me in its “Top 20 Under 40” list and I was a contender in the Forbes “30 Under 30” list. Those achievements both happened in 2017. Competing against the largest foundation in the region and a veterans’ support nonprofit, Coal Creative won the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce SAGE Award for Best Practices in Community Involvement in 2021. Coal Creative’s extensive charity work in the region, its support for the local Dress for Success chapter and the Rainbow Alliance, helped to clinch the prestigious award.In 2022, I served as Co-Chair of the first ever PrideFest Parade in Downtown Wilkes-Barre where over 700 individuals walked in the parade and over 3,500 community members attended the celebration. Additionally, I have served as Chair for Dress for Success Luzerne County’s 31 Days of Women in Power campaign, which has raised over $90,000 since 2021.In the background of this incredible life, I set a personal goal to spend time in all 50 states in the United States. I finished this goal in May 2024.