I became a keynote speaker when I was crowned Miss Kansas a very LONG TIME AGO. The year was 2005. I guess it wasn’t that long ago but if you ask the majority of my audience they will remind me it was before they were born! You be the judge.

As Miss Kansas I was thrust into the public eye with a microphone in my hand for 365 days. I learned very quickly I had an amazing opportunity to make profound impact. I found my calling and I didn’t even know I was looking for it!

My bigger goals were to be a professional performer (singing, dancing, acting). I was on course to make that happen until I had a tragic accident that left me in the trauma care unit prepping for multiple surgeries and wondering how I was going to deal with my new deformities.

I went to work in the healthcare industry where I finally landed my dream job (in healthcare) as the Marketing Director for a prestigious group of orthopedic surgeons. It was a fascinating job where I had a front row seat to developing medical technologies, one of which I ended up having surgically implanted in myself!

Part of our orthopedic outreach program was working with the seven local high schools. Each of our surgeons served as the head doctor (i.e. the doctor that stands on the sidelines during the football games). Because I was the Marketing Director I was the one who fielded the calls from the schools when there was a teen suicide - and then another one - and another.

Everyone was asking how to help, but didn’t know how. I felt God tugging at my heart. I could help in a bigger way.

After months of conversations, I put pen to paper and started reworking my school assemblies and teen conference keynotes. I didn’t want it to bluntly be about suicide but I wanted it to empower teens to build the foundation of self-confidence, know how to ask for help, set goals, and move in the direction of their dreams. It was an ambitious goal, but I knew it was possible.

In 2016, I left my marketing job behind and started working with teens full time. The response has been humbling and the amount of people I have been able to serve has been remarkable. Sure my programs have grown as I have grown. I may be a “speaker” but so much of my job is in the writing of power-packed content as well as LISTENING. My goal is not for a teen to know my name but to have the empowerment to be the best version of who God created them to be!

To sum up this little summary, I am a performer once again. I had no idea two decades ago I would eventually harness my performance goals to deliver life changing programs in a fun, educational, and (at times) over the top fashion. God truly has a sense of humor!