Meet Teri

My Mess Is Now My Purpose

I didn't choose to go through hell, but I am choosing what to do with the ashes.

For 25 years to date, I have worked with girls ages 7 and up as a business leader, author, and speaker, training women to find their purpose and stand tall. I thought I knew what strength was. Then life tested me personally, and everything I knew changed.

This is my story. When my 88-year-old mother lost her ability to walk and speak after a stroke, I came home after living with her in another state for 8 months. My husband's parents both passed six months apart. Sepsis nearly took my life. And my husband suffered two heart attacks and faced a stage-four "incurable, inoperable" cancer diagnosis. Everything I had ever known to be my constants, my security, were now gone. And all of this happened one right after the other. I didn't think it would ever stop.

I didn't just survive the constant storms; I studied them. I took notes in the dark. I put to use what I had learned from my certified coaching training and got to work. I learned how to heal the body with practical, nutrient-dense meals, how to clean and organize our physical surroundings to create calm and peace, just to keep my mind from shattering, and I learned how to use my voice when doctors gave us no hope. Today, my mom walks at 91 years old, and my husband is completely cancer-free. And for me, well, now I am walking through what I'll call the ending storm: the medical bill nightmare.

My "why" is simple. From my mess, I have built a safe space for you to vent, let it out, and know someone is listening. This is for women, or anyone, who has ever felt alone, like they were handling things no one else could possibly understand. And worse yet, because of who you are, God forbid someone knows you are struggling, mentally or financially, or that you really can't tell anyone. You keep trying to go it alone. We hide it, bury it deep, deep down, and continue until God says, "That's it," and puts you in a position where you have no choice but to take a break, to get the help you need as a caregiver.

I decided to share with you what I have learned, for women who feel alone in the face of all that is dark. I do this because you should never have to suffer in silence while pretending you have it all together. I do this to show you that someone knows what you are trying to handle by yourself. I get that you can't let others see you break. I want you to learn, like I did, how to manage it. I want you to have a confident mindset. I want you to have the exact tools that will help you reclaim your life, just like I am doing. Know up front, I still have many moments where things are not great. But now, I handle them so differently. I feel peace in my life once again.