I was raised on a 5,000 acre grain and livestock farm in Missouri. From age 7 to 18, I raised thousand of head of pigs and cattle, drove tractors, baled hay and quite active in all the other responsibilities of farm life. I loved the hard work it took caring for the land and livestock - in my opinion, there’s nothing like a hard days work. However, I did realize at a very young age that farm life was not my planet and made the decision to simply keep my head down, do what these people told me to do and when the time was right I would move on and find a life more fitting.

The adventure began shortly after graduating High School, when I enlisted in the United States Air Force and became a Military Intelligence Operative during the Cold War. After 2 years serving in this position I was recognized as the best Operator in the European block and earned a slot on a Mobile Training team. There were only 12 in the world qualified to teach this extensive course to Marine Corps, Air Force and Army career personnel. I was the first female on the team, the only one in their first term, the only one under 25, and the only unmarried member of the team. It wasn’t the warmest welcome in the beginning, but I was able to prove I belong there and served in this Elite Air Training Command unit for almost three years.

When my five year Air Force enlistment was complete, I felt the need to shake off some of my overdeveloped masculine energy and realized one of my little girl dreams by becoming a flight attendant. It turns out, it was a heck lot of fun but not as glamourous as I had dreamed and was fortunately furloughed after two years in the air. I then attended Florida Metropolitan University and earned my Video Arts and Science degree.

Shortly after college, I began my corporate executive leadership career as an Employee Benefits Consultant. I thoroughly enjoy working with my clients in helping them achieve their goals in saving money and increasing employee’s benefits through self-funded medical plans and successful well-being initiatives. After several years in the corporate environment, I resigned in November 2018 and opened my own employee benefits consulting firm, TLW Consulting.

In early 2020, I joined SoberSis, a program designed for women like me that didn’t drink every day, or even every month, I could actually go several months without it. But every now and then I’d have a night where it was too much and the scary part was, I never knew when it was coming. This program offered a 21 day reset where you withstand from drinking and while doing so immerse yourself in education and observation about why you drank. I realized in the first days of this journey that I didn’t actually crave alcohol but craved to “fit in”. As I moved further into this alcohol-free lifestyle, I became aware of what I truly yearned for - it was not to “fit in” but to “belong”. The further I stepped away from this old behaviour, the more authentic I became allowing my true self to show up. As a result of my decision to eliminate alcohol from my life completely, I now have more energy than ever before, I look better, I feel better and most importantly, I have a circle of friends who love, support and accept me for who I am! I belong!

So it’s safe to say, I know a little about stress and anxiety, finding balance between the masculine and feminine energies and making decisions that invoke a bit of fear. Because of my life experience, there is no judgment on anything a client might share with me. I have most likely experienced something similar in my own life or know someone close to me that has. You may rest assured that what happens at Dragonfly, stays at Dragonfly.