People love to glorify the grind, but no one talks about what it feels like to grind while grieving. When I lost my mom, I didn’t get to take six months off and go sit on a mountain. I had bills. Responsibilities. Kids watching me. And a heart trying to piece itself back together in silence.

The Balance Isn’t Balance—It’s Integration

Some days I showed up strong. Other days, I showed up just enough. But I never stopped moving forward. I learned that healing doesn’t mean stopping everything. It means learning to carry your pain with purpose. It means working with tears in your eyes and still giving hope to someone else.

Letting Pain Power the Mission

I built my life insurance business while healing. Not after. Not once I “felt better.” During. Because I knew if I waited to feel fully ready, I’d never start. The pain gave me fuel. It gave me fire. It reminded me daily why what I’m doing matters—to give families peace before pain forces their hand.

What Kept Me Going

• My sons—who need to see that we can rise even in pain.
• The families who didn’t get the chance my mom didn’t have.
• The purpose bigger than my grief.

If you’re going through something and still building, I see you. You’re not weak. You’re not behind. You’re courageous. Keep going. Grief doesn’t cancel your dreams—it reshapes them with deeper meaning.