100 Articles Later: The Journey to Norvana
I never thought I’d start a business after a layoff.
For most of my career, I stayed the safe course. I chose stability. I prioritized family and finances. I suppressed the creative urges, shelved the entrepreneurial ideas, and told myself there would be time “later.”
But deep down, I always knew there was something else waiting for me — a calling to carve my own path and, as Coach Ken used to say, “hang a shingle.”
After all, I’m an Aries — a cardinal fire sign. And even when I tried to keep the flames low, I was always drawn to the spark.
A Candle. A Kitchen. A Start.
My first real “business” wasn’t planned. I got into candle-making for fun — playing with colors, scents, molds. I brought a few to work at my first job (an insurance agency on Long Island), and to my surprise, they became a hit. Orders came in from coworkers, their families, their friends.
It was the holiday season, and people loved choosing their own designs. My kitchen turned into a mini-factory — wax on the stove every night. I barely broke even, and it drove my newlywed husband a little crazy, but it sparked something in me.
Eventually, I traded the wax pots for soup pots — in the name of peace and practicality. But the fire had been lit.
From Candles to Cuisine: The Restaurant Chapter
In 2008, my husband shared his dream of opening a Mediterranean eatery. I said yes again — to the vision, the partnership, and the unknown.
We poured our hearts into it. It was chaotic and beautiful — and came just in time for the financial crisis.
But even through the struggle, I learned how to build a brand, serve customers, run the numbers, and keep going when everything felt impossible. Those four years were a crash course in entrepreneurship, leadership, and sheer grit.
I didn’t know it then, but those lessons would become the foundation of everything I’d build later.
Corporate Grit, Human Heart
Over the next 30 years, I devoted myself to delivery excellence inside five organizations. Four of them I still hold in the highest regard. (One — well, two years was enough.)
What I loved most wasn’t the tools or processes. It was the people.
It was leadership. It was service. It was showing up for others and learning to lead from the inside out.
Along the way, I gathered a set of guiding truths — shaped by mentors, experiences, and voices that deeply influenced me:
"Give honest and sincere appreciation." – Dale Carnegie
"Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less." – John C. Maxwell
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." – Peter F. Drucker
"Begin with the end in mind." – Stephen R. Covey
(...and "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.")"You are never going to feel like it. You have five seconds. Start before you’re ready." – Mel Robbins
"Human beings are not motivated by money. They are motivated by purpose, autonomy, and mastery." – Daniel H. Pink
"Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change." – Brené Brown
"People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it." – Simon Sinek
"Your personal brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room." – Jeff Bezos
"People do business with those they know, like, and trust." – Coach Ken
These aren’t just quotes. They’re anchors. They kept me grounded — and lit the path ahead.
Discovering My Voice — And Using It
In 2014, I took the CliftonStrengths test and learned that my #1 strength was Strategy. No surprise there.
But what I discovered more slowly — and with more resistance — was the power of my voice. The creative spark I had suppressed for so long became impossible to ignore.
I realized that words — written and spoken — were tools for change. That sharing my truth could help others. That being vulnerable wasn’t weakness — it was leadership.
And so, I began writing. Not just memos or training docs. Real stories. Hard lessons. Honest reflections.
I didn’t know if anyone would read them. But I kept writing anyway.
100 Articles. One Unstoppable Truth.
This is my 100th article.
It didn’t happen because I had time, or energy, or perfect clarity. It happened because I committed — even when I was tired, scared, or unsure.
It happened because a coach once asked me:
“What if you just start?”
So I did. I wrote every two weeks. I shared when I didn’t feel like it. I opened up even when it was uncomfortable. And slowly, I built something bigger than content — I built courage.
This milestone isn’t about metrics. It’s about resistance — and choosing to show up anyway.
It’s about putting your thoughts into the world when no one asks for them, and doing it consistently, thoughtfully, and with heart.
It’s about vulnerability — the kind that cracks you open so others can find their way through.
The Norvana Chapter
Norvana didn’t come from a pitch deck. It came from a pivot. A season of uncertainty that became a season of clarity.
It came from rediscovering everything I thought I had left behind — creativity, courage, conviction — and realizing it had all been there the whole time.
I founded Norvana not as a polished product, but as a powerful expression of who I’ve become. And every article, every client, every connection has been part of that unfolding.
This Is Not for the Faint of Heart
This journey? It’s been a mountain climb. A marathon. A slow, sweaty, soul-stretching push toward something I couldn’t fully see — but believed in anyway.
It’s not easy. It’s not fast. And it’s certainly not for those who want guarantees.
But if you care deeply, if you show up consistently, if you dare to share even when it’s hard — then the rewards are breathtaking.
I’m proud of this milestone.
Not because I hit 100.
But because I did it the hard way: with honesty, vulnerability, and resilience.
To everyone who's been reading, cheering, sharing, or simply watching — thank you.
You've helped me find my voice.
And that’s the greatest milestone of all.
