Becoming a CEO.

When I was growing up, I often answered the question of what I wanted to be when I grew up with the answer of 'a mom'. I don't think it was until I was in eighth grade that I remember someone following my answer with the question "yeah, but what else do you want to be?" I remember pausing and thinking several thoughts, including 'oh, I have to be something more than that to really be someone' and 'what's my new answer to that question?'. It was this snapshot in time that made me uncomfortable and curious and set me out on the winding path of life. That path took me through college, with thoughts of being a family therapist or social worker, to a career in hospitality that has spanned more than two decades working in a variety of roles, from sales to operations to marketing and communications with a stop in human resources and a little labor relations thrown in the mix. And now, I am also jumping into this newest adventure of being a life coach, with a focus on helping women leaders achieve their best life.

Fast forward to today, I am not a traditional mom but I have found so many ways to fulfill that dream, from working with teen moms to help them learn how to develop the skills they need to supporting my goddaughter through mentoring and rock star aunt fun and all the dog mom, cat mom, role model, mentor and work mom adventures, I found ways to create the life I dreamed of, just from a different perspective.

Now, you might be asking yourself - what does this story have to do with becoming a CEO? Did I give up being a traditional mom so I could be a CEO? Did I reach the CEO level and realize my life was unfulfilled? Nope, none of that. My story is my own reminder that we get to choose our dreams, we get to choose the path we take them on and we get to choose our future. We get to be the CEO of our life. And isn't that the most fun CEO job out there?

I am still on the journey to live my best life, because I have learned that dreams and goals don't stop because we reach a certain age, or a certain milestone. They stop when we stop and I am not done. I am becoming the CEO of Me.