Who has been impactful in your journey as a mother?

My mother, Irene, has been impactful to me as a mother. She taught me how to love and meet people where they are. She taught me how to support those in need. My mother also taught me to think out of the box and that differences were good. I also had other women in my life like my stepmother, Ms. Geraldine, and my godmother, Brenda. I learned from these ladies that you do not have to be a birth mother to provide love and support to a child in a motherly fashion or way!

How has being a mom shaped your life?

Being a mom has changed my life in many ways. I was on the road to being a businesswoman and working in corporate America. From having hard pregnancies and births, I found myself changing into a work-at-home/stay-at-home mom. After having a child with a special need, I left the job altogether and started daycare so I could stay home and help other mothers. Now, for the past 20 years, I have been an advocate for moms via business, special needs, and mental health.

Share one of your favorite stories from motherhood.

One of my favorite motherhood memories is seeing my then three-year-old at the McDonald’s playground stand up for her sister who had cerebral palsy and could not walk as well as other kids. When a much bigger kid pushed her big sister, Zaria, my 3-year-old went over and said “Hey, my sister has special needs. You or nobody is going to treat her like that. Don’t push her. Do you know what cerebral palsy is?” This was a touching example of sibling love and sibling advocacy.