“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He doesn’t set out to become a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.  In the end, leaders are much like eagles… they do not flock; you find them one at a time.” – Author unknown

Persistence is the key to success. I fell in love with creating new opportunities during my junior year of high school as I found myself holding the illustrious title of one of the founders of the Pep Club. It was our sole duty to generate among our peers unwavering school spirit and pride. It was, by all practical purposes, my first startup company. It was then when I realized that true leadership was about doing. It was about getting your hands dirty, or in my case, being the one who donned on the old, musty Thoroughbred costume on Friday nights so that I could do my part in exemplifying team spirit and pride in our school. I discovered within myself a passion in creating, in finding purpose and solution, and in helping others reach their goals along the way. Throughout the years, I faced like many of us, bouts of adversity, being told that I could not, I would never, or to just give up. These disparaging words only served as fuel to my fire and flamed my desire to be able to say I could, I would, and watch me.

I graduated Charleston Southern University with my BA in English, and in that same year graduated from Trident Technical College with an Associate in Health Science with a focus in Occupational Therapy. While working as a therapist, I was also on the ground floor of several startups: RA Entertainment, which included a catering and music business, and The Alley Café.  At the big downward spiral of the economy, I found myself working in the non for profit world at a CCRC, Continuum Care Retirement Community, where I was responsible for creating new ways to generate income for the community. My passion for being innovative and solutions driven was recognized by other communities. This opened the opportunity to be a part of University South Carolina and their Gerontology research team, as well as, Rutgers University, to research and pilot technologies focusing on our aging population and their safety in the home. I have presented at numerous regional symposiums and conferences as well as the American Geriatric Society Annual Conference in 2009. I was honored to present on technology, in Israel, February 2013, at an International Conference called CODATA. Along with my many speaking engagements, I have authored numerous articles on the subject of enhancing care through technology, along with being featured in Money Magazine and other publications about the ripple effect we are making in the vast ocean of healthcare. I also co-authored “Coach: Leadership vs. Management: What New Managers Need to Know about Coaching”.