​

My Story

​

In March of 2003, the day the war in Iraq began, I left home with one bag, $60, lots of fears and quite a few tears. Little did I know that a somewhat random decision to leave my small New Jersey hometown to start an Army career at the age of 20 to pay for college and “redeem” myself from my “free-spirited” lifestyle would allow me to travel the world, create lifelong relationships with people I might not have otherwise met, and bless me with some of the most diverse leadership and coaching opportunities in the world. After over 10 years in Europe, a couple deployments to Iraq, the blessing of becoming a mother, and spending the past several years in Hawaii learning and growing, leading teams, coaching leaders, traveling the world, becoming an entrepreneur, real estate ventures, degrees, certifications, awards, you name it… there was still something missing, and I felt horrible about it. How could the woman that “has done it all” not be satisfied?

​

Fast-forward to 2019 and what I call my "mid-life awakening" (no "crisis" in an optimist’s world). Time to get out of my comfort zone, find true passion and prove I can do anything I set my mind to (and so can you!).

 

I decided to cut my hair off (19 inches!!!), get perfect vision (LASIK Eye Surgery), run a marathon, and go all in for a dream home in Hawaii. What a year it was! Check, check, check.... Now what?!? I still felt something missing… That’s when Vision 2020 (now Aligned + Inspired) was born to help discover/rediscover passion and purpose to develop a “perfect (20/20)” vision for the year 2020 and beyond. I felt a calling to bring others along on this journey to share the motivation and positive energy – why not? Suddenly the group grew over a thousand members. I created the Vision-building Workshop, 12-week Program, and started coaching clients from around the world. Whether starting a small business, moving into a leadership role, striving for better balance in day-to-day life, or finding out what their true passion is to pursue purpose, watching my clients' goals and dreams fall into place made me fall even more in love with this journey. I took a six-month in-depth accredited coaching course to pursue my International Coach Federation (ICF) certification to enhance my ability to do what I love and best serve my clients. Finally, after many years of coaching myself and others to some exciting achievements, and retirement after 20 years of service, I am passionately living my personal vision and dream:

 

"Plan work around life instead of life around work doing what I love"
 

As a leader of various military and civilian teams and organizations, up to 160 people in the latter part of my career, I have always had a deep and genuine passion to help people achieve their personal and professional goals, and have pursued that passion in all areas of life. This passion has been reflected in various awards, recognitions, roles, and most importantly, connections to last a lifetime. I light up when I get phone calls from folks out of the blue to tell me how far they've come with their vision/goals or just to ask for advice on a milestone in their life. This is why I do what I do. I love how every individual mind, heart, and soul works intricately to make each person a unique gift to the world. I enjoy seeing people bring out their best and get the most true value out of life. And doing this is my life's work...

​

Human "being"

​

Not human doing... While all the things I've "done" above to get to this point may sound great, want to share a little more of who I am as a fellow human being on this journey of life. No different than anyone else, it has been one of constant trial and growth. Being a recovering perfectionist has brought many life lessons from ends of the spectrum of high quality output and achievement to anxiety and stress along the way. I am a giver, and as I've gotten older and wiser, I've learned that has to come with some boundaries... ;) Giving is the greatest gift, and one of the hardest things I've learned (well... still in progress) is to receive to allow others the gift of giving, too. I've been blessed with many opportunities (given and created) to support children, families, communities, homeless, Mother Earth, and non-profit organizations. It is soul-quenching. I'm definitely a "people person" that can talk to anyone. Passionate about everything I do. I'm all in. Multitasker... Which is really an oxymoron... I make stuff happen. Lots of stuff... If my mind is set on something, it's happening. And it can't just be one thing, that passion runs far and wide. I'm analytical, which has served well in many areas of life; however, can take the mind on some "over analytical" road trips. I am human, perfectly imperfect, and I accept that. Over the years, I've seen traits as "negative" and tried to fight them. As I continue to learn and grow, embracing and balancing them the best I can has made all the difference. We're all wired differently and that's what makes being a human being so amazing... Aren't we lucky?!?

​

​

Love life! Spread joy, light and laughter. The world needs it...

​​