"Do It Afraid: My Journey to Having It All"

When I stepped off the plane, three sleepy children in tow and only two suitcases between us, I had nothing but hope—and a heavy fear that pressed into my chest like a stone.

I had decided to get a divorce. I left everything familiar behind, and moved to a country where I had no family, no job, and no real support. I was a mother—exhausted, scared, and completely alone. The weight of responsibility was crushing. Every time my children looked at me with trust in their eyes, I felt both powerful and petrified.

There were many nights I cried silently on the bathroom floor after putting the kids to bed, wondering how I would make it through the next day. There were days I skipped meals to make sure they ate. There were nights I couldn't sleep, haunted by doubt.

But there came a day when I looked in the mirror and realized the truth: no one was coming to save me. And maybe that was okay. Because maybe, just maybe, I could save myself.

So, I did.

I started small—browsing manically for employment while the kids were at school, taking online courses late at night, teaching myself new skills while cooking dinner with one hand and holding a book with the other. I showed up to interviews nervous but determined. I did it afraid.

I built a career, step by step. I learned to say no without guilt and yes without waiting for permission. I stopped apologizing for being ambitious and started believing that I could have both—a thriving family and a meaningful career.

Today, I run a business that not only supports my children but inspires them. I attend school plays and business meetings. I sign contracts and hang out with my daughter at the mall. I make room for both boardroom and teenage giggles.

To every woman out there feeling torn between her dreams and her responsibilities, I want you to know: you don’t have to choose. You can be an incredible mother and a powerful professional. You can have joy at home and fulfillment in your work. It takes grit, grace, and a whole lot of courage.

You just have to be willing to do it afraid.

And that’s where your power begins.