Chapter 1: Let’s Begin

A millennial with a different set of tools

For me, I don’t think of technology as a go-to solution for hardly anything that I do in life. Working hands-on with tangible products and maybe a little manual labor every now and then, suggests to me a definition of work and progress.

Early on in life, I set my focus on the culinary field. Keeping in mind one of my life themes is to be an entrepreneur, my visions didn’t include an online empire to grow my interests.

My dreams, in fact, my plans were brainstormed through the brick-and-mortar structure. I took classes on building my dream businesses from the ground up.

My building tools consisted of a chef knife and apron, not an internet connection from home.

The culinary industry is known for being service based. I had always envisioned my future establishments being person-to-person interactions for such a service. The thought of acquiring a service online was not the way I saw my career being built.

It’s always been so important to me to see with my own eyes that my customers were satisfied, whether or not that meant being the owner of my own company or indirectly through an establishment, for which I was simply the employee.

My passion was driven by my desire to create, plan, and bring to life ideas.

Every experience of the work I put forth always provided me with much joy and accomplishment. The full satisfaction was complete when customers would approach me before leaving to provide me with an immediate review of their experience.

The thrills of all the hard work and effort were how businesses grew. Like so many before me, we had believed, this was the only system that works for growing a business.

With how things are quickly changing in business, I was soon to get a lesson showing that there is more than one way to grow a business.

Breaking the chains to complete the cycle

One of the fastest tools out there for starting an internet marketing business was going to be my breakthrough answer for finally becoming an entrepreneur. Over the years of starting to enjoy my service-driven career path, I married and the birth of my son followed.

To my delight, we share the same birthday month. But talk about getting creative for cake ideas!

I had become a stay-at-home-mom for the time being, but there was little chance my dreams of still being a part of the culinary world coming to fruition. Being in complete awe of my beautiful son, how could I choose to go back to afternoon and evening shifts – like most chefs work – devoted to culinary creations and customer service? There had to be a way for me to create income from home and still be my son’s only trusted, provider.

I was fortunate enough to have, at the time, a spouse bringing in an income to support me being a full-time stay-at-home parent, and without a doubt, my son received a hundred percent of my attention and a wonderful start on the world of my delicious homemade food.

Little did I foresee, being a stay-at-home-mom had its repercussions.

After unsuccessful attempts to save a marriage on a path to nowhere, I settled back home with my son in Texas. After about two years of family court hearings to settle a bitter and unjust divorce in favor of my abuser, came another couple of years of more injustice for my son and myself.

The devastating conclusion of my custody case became something I had to fight with complete focus, not leaving much time for anything else.

During these years of losses and gains for both sides, I picked up small jobs here and there. I even took a class to help further my culinary education, should I return to the culinary field.

But no place really sat right within my passionate soul.

The years of abuse and the grueling custody battle began to affect my health and reflected in my appearance, and that down-home sweetheart I once used to be was forever changed.

Initially, I was devastated by the ending of my marriage, but I ultimately came to realize that the end of an abusive relationship was a blessing, and despite the awful experience, I received the greatest gift of all, my beautiful son.

Time and reflection heal, always

When things were at their worst with my case, I had a moment where time stopped and I had a heart to heart with God. I asked for forgiveness for not putting faith first in a better outcome for the case and relying solely on man to rule.

After this turning point, an enormous transformation began to take hold within me.

I had grown up Catholic, but after seeing a new perspective on the ugly side of failed marriages and the legal system, religion no longer was good enough to pull me through.

I was shifting to a place of spirituality for the betterment of my soul, spirit, and as a human being who belongs on this Earth.

To be continued…