I’ve had a talent for drawing from a very young age, and everyone who saw that told me I should be an architect. When some cousins who were also good at drawing went into graphic design, I started looking into that and it seemed like the perfect job.

I started to consider working at a bank shortly after graduating from high school in Topeka. I wanted to build up my resume and get experience in a professional setting. Plus, a friend had worked at a bank and told me they’d learned a lot of valuable skills there. 

Before starting my career, I thought about studying law or psychology. I was intrigued by rules, laws and consequences. Plus, communication is a strength of mine, and I’m always trying to figure people out or understand the deeper meaning behind certain situations. Human resources ended up being the perfect fit because it combines all those skills and interests!

I became interested in real estate while I was in high school. My mother was a real estate agent, and I always enjoyed hearing her talk about helping people purchase their first homes and the excitement that they had. I finally decided to make the transition to becoming a real estate agent myself at the age of 39, and I could not be happier.

I’ve been interested in design and marketing for as long as I can remember. According to my mom, it began as soon as I could hold a pencil. There's a photo of me in a high-chair, drawing “perfect circles,” as she liked to recall.

Throughout my childhood I was so inspired by Walt Disney’s incredible storytelling that I dreamed of animating movies for the company one day. When PIXAR arrived on the scene, my fascination turned to the many unique ways in which a story could be conveyed visually.

I’m not sure that as a child I ever decided what I wanted to be when I grew up. But now, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.

The path to my career wasn’t what you would call “traditional.” I earned average grades in high school and felt that a four-year college just wasn’t the right choice for me. I tried community college for a year and a half because it felt like everyone was going to school, but it just wasn’t what I was looking for.

I've been around vehicles my entire life. As soon as I could walk and talk, my passion for the automotive industry began to develop.

You could say it’s in my blood — my dad has always been a gearhead, too. He owned and managed shops that worked on semi trucks and he had muscle cars as a hobby. I always looked up to him and his friends in the industry, mesmerized by how they could tear a whole car or engine apart and put it back together just like new. On the weekends, I watched them at nearby racetracks.