1. Personal: Where you were born and raised; current city; family; hobbies; past business highlights....
I was born in Atlanta, GA and grew up in Athens, where my parents still live. My husband, AJ, and I live in Oak Ridge, NC, and are happy to have our three grown children and two grands nearby.
I have always been entrepreneurial. I owned a marketing and public relations firm in Savannah, serving small businesses and high profile clients such as Paula Deen. I was proud to be recognized at the US Capitol as the Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Council of America, and was named to Georgia Trend Magazine’s 40 Under 40. My business received several accolades including New & Emerging Business of the Year by Savannah’s Small Business Chamber.
My husband got a promotion that sent us to NC. I sold my business as well as the magazine I owned and published. I planned to be a stay at home Mom in NC, but that was short lived as I recognized a need for a new preschool in our small town. I opened one in 2006 and served as the Director until 2015 when I retired. My husband and I began traveling frequently as the kids got older.
Friends were always asking me to help them plan their travel and out of this, Oak Ridge Travel was born. After quickly growing my travel business, I knew I had a great opportunity to help empower others by sharing the business model and coaching them towards success.
In Dec of 2022, I was having some medical issues and ended up having a heart procedure. I made up my mind then that when I recovered, I would work diligently to be able to leave a legacy. Under the leadership of Cindy Bruggeman, Jennifer Smith, and Dawn Mosely, I, along with my team of reps, stopped jogging to Director and started running. I hit that goal on March 6 and haven’t looked back since.
2. How have you grown or personally developed since joining PlanNet?
I feel like PlanNet has allowed me to step outside of my own comfort zone, gain a clear understanding of network marketing, and to share with confidence what an amazing opportunity it affords each of us. I almost feel like there is a philanthropic slant to sharing this business opportunity, as it empowers people and that is so important to me. I love to serve others by teaching them how to seek and achieve growth. I've been able to do that as both a Master Ambassador with InteleTravel AND as a Director with PlanNet Marketing.
3. What drives you; what motivates you?
I am very competitive with myself and very goal driven. But I also truly love helping others succeed and empowering others. I was a victim of domestic violence many moons ago so I know what it feels like to be trapped in a life you desperately want out of. I am so blessed to be happily married to a supportive, loving husband for 23 years now and so thankful I found my way out of my former situation. I love helping to empower single moms, hard working families, and anyone who is struggling or in search of financial gain and time freedom and love watching them gain the confidence that comes with it.
4. Who would you consider a role model and why?
I love that the Bradleys don’t hide their faith, have philanthropic hearts, care about the people who join the business, and encourage people to make wise decisions in regard to any monetary gains. These are admirable qualities and align with my own desire to help empower others towards a better life. They are definitely great role models. Outside of the business, I have always loved that against some odds, Oprah built an empire and stayed true to who she is as a philanthropist.
5. The three words that describe me best are:
Driven, compassionate, and loyal.
6. If you had some sound advice to give to anyone, what would it be?
Don’t stand in the way of your own success.
7. What does your life look like five years from now?
My youngest graduates from college in December so we will be enjoying our empty nest. We travel a LOT, and have a calendar full of trips planned. We are both very driven and plan to continue to work from wherever we wake up! I have goals to reach!!