I come from a family of insatiable learners who weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and try new things. My dad was an auto mechanic and my mom and my uncle built our entire living room. Watching them take on new things successfully was inspirational.

In my 20s, I went to Tulane University, where I got my BS in Psychology, with a focus on cognitive and social psychology (which made me a kick-ass bartender). I also studied English Literature (I’m one Shakespeare class shy of a minor) and business and economics. Fascinated by what makes things work and how trends are created and predictable in everything, this combination set the foundation for my entire future.

I loved the career that I built for many years. In fact, I thought I’d be in it until I retired of old age. Instead, I quit in 2014. It was a sales management position in the wine and spirits industry… a rare space to find women. I started in restaurants and hotels, worked for a distributor, owned a retail store and then worked for an importer and marketing company for almost 12 years. My final 3 years in libations, I held a 13-state territory and managed our largest national partner. Despite my pride in my accomplishments… it was time to move on to something better, to tap into my professional background and to actually be happy and work with people I wanted to spend time with.