How I Rebuilt My Life After Starting Over With Nothing

There’s a photo of me in Paris, standing on a quiet street near the Eiffel Tower. What you can’t see is what it took to get there.

Less than a year before that moment, I had left a 30-year marriage that nearly cost me everything—my peace, my voice, my sense of self. I walked away without a plan, without a backup account, and for a time, without a permanent address.

But here’s what I did have:
A story.
And the willingness to tell it.

That decision—to speak up and start sharing—became the foundation for rebuilding everything: my income, my impact, my freedom.

No, it wasn’t easy. But it had to be done because I understood that cultivating an image wasn’t the point.

Being honest was.

The Mistake So Many Women Make

Here’s what I see far too often:
Smart, accomplished women doing all the things to be seen—posting constantly, investing in photo shoots, rewriting their bios over and over…

But they’re not telling their story.

They’re curating.
They’re performing.
They’re packaging a version of themselves they think people will buy.

The problem? People don’t connect with “perfect.”
They connect with real.

What Actually Works

Your personal brand isn’t your logo or your color palette.
It’s the story people remember after they’ve experienced you.
It’s what builds trust and connection.

And it starts with three core actions:

1. Stop hiding the truth that qualifies you.

You’ve lived through things that people are praying to survive.
They don’t need you to be the expert at the top of the mountain. They need you to say:
“I’ve been where you are. And here’s what helped me climb out."

Don’t bury your hard-earned wisdom under generic advice.
Your story is what gives your voice weight.

💭 Ask yourself: What have I lived through that makes me the perfect person to help someone else?

2. Use your story to lead, not vent.

Let’s be clear: Vulnerability isn’t dumping.
It’s direction.
When you share a challenge, always point to the shift.

What did it teach you?
What did you do with what you learned?
How did it shape the way you show up now?

That’s what creates transformation—for you and your audience.

💭 Try this: The next time you write a post or share a story, ask: “What am I helping someone else see more clearly?”

3. Show up where you want to grow.

You can’t build a brand in secret.
Visibility is a skill—and like any skill, it gets better with use.

Go live.
Send the email.
Speak up in the room.
Start where you are, with what you have, and let your story open the door.

I didn’t return to Paris because I had a perfect plan.
I returned because I remembered the bold girl on tour there at 21—singing in cathedrals, dreaming out loud, and unapologetically taking up space.

And I decided to connect with her again. Deeply and on purpose this time.

You can do the same.

The version of you that’s bold, brilliant, and free?
She’s not lost.
She’s waiting for you to reintroduce her to the world.

💭 This week’s invitation: Tell one real story. Not the filtered one—the true one. Then pay attention to who it resonates with. That’s your Tribe.

Because you don’t need to shout louder.
You don’t need to do more.
You just need to tell a better story—your story.
And I promise you: It’s enough.