My journey has been a long, difficult road, but worth every moment.

Since I was a young girl, I have been compassionate about helping others. All my life, people have had a tendency to look to me for guidance, advice, or simply just for a sounding board.

I find it a great honor that so many have placed their trust in me to help them in these ways. 

In college, I studied Accounting and received a Bachelor’s degree in that field. Since then, I have worked in the field of accounting and finance through many various avenues.

I enjoyed the work and especially the knowledge I have gained, but I just didn’t feel fulfilled because I wasn’t doing what my heart was truly compassionate about – helping others better themselves and improve their lives.

For the past several years I had searched and tried many new things, some I enjoyed more than others, but nothing that truly felt satisfying.

Nearly three years ago I found out about Life Coaching. Although coaching has been around for several years, I hadn’t heard of it until then – but as soon as I did, I knew it was just what I had been searching for.

I went through several months and hours of training, obtained my certification to be a Life Coach, and started my own side practice while still working full time. Soon after all the hard work I put into creating my business, my four children and I lost our home (May 2014), family pets, and much of our belongings to a house fire; my world seemed as it had turned upside down. Life was chaotic and it was difficult to get my life back in order while managing to keep up with the hectic schedule I had already been living. I didn’t believe I could continue to build my business and my dreams seemed nothing more than just that…a dream.

Fortunately, because I have had many struggles throughout my life and have learned to bounce back quickly by finding the positive in my circumstances, I was able to do likewise when I lost my home.

Less than two months later, while working with my own Life Coach, I realized I could use my situation as a symbol of the trials we all go through in our lives, so I decided I would incorporate my experience into my message to help others; I then moved forward with my business – this time with a new-found purpose.

That is when I started ‘Surviving the Fire’. 

Well…I could end there, but that’s not the end!

You see, life is about growth and progression. When we reach a goal, we don’t stop – we make another goal and we stretch ourselves further.

So I stretched further…

I joined up with a group of authors and co-authored #Love – A New Generation of Hope which became an International Best Seller in less than 24 hours!

But I didn’t stop there…

I went through a training program to become certified as a coach, speaker, and trainer with John Maxwell – an internationally recognized expert on leadership.

I merged my Life Coaching certifications and my John Maxwell certifications, partnered with my best friend who recently became my husband, Jeremy Rogers, and together we created LIFE Leaders International, Inc. where we seek to develop LIFE Leaders  (individuals who desire to make an impact in the world through Learning to Influence, Fellowship, and Empower others).

That’s right, I have married my sweetheart, my best friend, my partner. 

Yes, my journey has been a long difficult road, but worth every moment. 

Through each challenge I have faced, I have learned something more – more patience, more strength, more courage, more understanding, more success…and the rewards that followed were definitely worth it!

…and so my journey continues….

I got up early this morning with the intent to exercise.

I was just about to get on the treadmill when I realized no one took out the trash last night for today’s garbage pick-up, so I headed out to run the trash can up to the street. I then came back, grabbed the recycling bins and headed out the front door which is rarely used.

 Having just woken, my brain was not functioning fully. After I had set the bins out, I walked back to the house.

 I couldn’t get in!

I was faced with the reality that I had just locked myself out.

 The knob to the front door turns from the inside while locked and I failed to make sure it was unlocked before I closed it behind me.

 I was locked out of my own home at 5:45 a.m. without a cell phone to call for help. It was a cool winter morning (luckily the temperature was not at freezing levels), dark, and more than 30 minutes before the alarm clocks were to go off to wake the children for school, and they often sleep through the alarms.

 What was I going to do???

I thought of all the windows around the house and wondered which one would be the easiest to break into. “No”, I told myself, “that isn’t an option.”

I did not want to break any windows that could be costly to repair, and I didn’t want to cause any damage that would make it easy for a burglar to break in.  

 “Do I bang on my 16 year-old son’s window? He will sleep through most anything – what are the chances he would wake up?”

 “Do I even have the heart to wake up my tired children so soon before they need to be up?”

 “Do I want to bang on a window and frighten them into thinking someone was breaking in? How long would it take them to recover from the fright?”

I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

 I was disappointed that I was missing my workout, UNTIL…

I realized I didn’t have to miss my workout – I could run outside.

(Duh – right?) 

Well, the problem with that was that running around in an unfamiliar neighborhood in the dark during the wee hours of the morning was not a comforting thought, SO…

 I ran up and down and up and down my driveway several times, breathing in the refreshing, brisk, morning air.

 I did some push-ups against the rear bumper of my van.

 Then ran up and down and up and down my driveway several more times.

 Finally…

I saw the kitchen door open as the cat ran outside.

 My oldest son was up! Hallelujah!

 I ran to the door, thanking him!

 There are many times in life when things don’t work out the way we want them to or something unexpected happens.

No matter the circumstance, I have learned, there is something positive to be found through the situation.

I signed for the closing of the purchase of my first home on October 24th. My children and I were fully moved in on the first of November. 

It’s ironic – after the fire, six of us were crowded in a tiny two bedroom home. By the time I moved, both my sister and my daughter, who recently turned 18, had decided to go their own way. 

Now we have a more spacious home with only my three boys and myself. I am in Heaven with all this room to move!

It has felt so wonderful to have a place of my own with plenty of space for my family. 

But it really hit me in the wee hours of Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago. 

I had gone dancing – my favorite extra-curricular activity but something I have not done much of this past year – with my sweetheart, Jeremy. 

Following dancing, a friend of mine hosted a midnight housewarming breakfast in my home. 

My living room and kitchen were packed with about 30 people sharing food and laughter. 

As I sat on the wood floor in my living room with my sweetheart, observing the friends surrounding me, I was struck with euphoria.

I turned to Jeremy and said, “I have my happy place again.” 

The following week, a dear friend came and stayed for a night – my home had been like a second home to her over the past couple of years as she would stay there during her many travels from outside the U.S.

She hadn’t used my home as her grounding place since my last house burned down. 

I was so excited to have her back!

Furthermore, because of the space I have to share once again, I was also able to provide a place for my sister and her four children to sleep for a few days while she visited her in-laws over Thanksgiving. 

And yes, Thanksgiving! I had a peaceful gathering with friends over a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

I certainly have much to be thankful for this year!