In the next multi-part interview series with Terry Pappy, I share the real story of how I got started in real estate, and it definitely wasn’t part of some carefully planned career path.

Before real estate, I spent years in the beauty industry building a successful career, eventually moving into upper-level salon management, training, and expansion work. But everything changed when I was unexpectedly downsized while seven months pregnant with my third child. At that moment, I realized I never wanted my financial future controlled by someone else again.

I talk about the mindset shift that pushed me toward real estate, the early lessons I learned from watching my parents build stability through property ownership, and the brutal reality of starting from scratch during the aftermath of the 2008 housing crash. This wasn’t a glamorous beginning. It was uncertainty, rejection, financial pressure, and months without a paycheck while trying to support a growing family.

I also share the early struggles that nearly made me quit, what kept me going, and the unexpected phone call that would ultimately change the direction of my career forever.

This episode is the foundation of everything that came later: the failures, the lessons, the resilience, and the beginning of what would eventually become Growing Empires.