As a young woman, I lived a charmed life. By thirty, I had a fabulous job, wonderful family and beautiful home in New Orleans. Then, two events derailed my life. Hurricane Katrina destroyed our home forcing us to evacuate and relocate to Florida. After spending several years rebuilding our lives, I finally felt settled only to be knocked off my feet by a divorce.

While I could not control the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, I could have better managed the financial chaos left by my divorce. Here, I was educated as a lawyer, working as a stay-at-home mom and I delegated my financial affairs leaving myself vulnerable, overwhelmed and embarrassed by my lack of financial knowledge. To regain my life, I needed to become smart about money and this journey led me to a career as a financial advisor.

As I shared my story with other women and clients, I was shocked by how many women are in the midst of their own financial hurricanes leaving themselves vulnerable. That is when I realized my true purpose as a financial adviser went far beyond simply managing their money. I began to inspire women to take more ownership in their financial lives. By encouraging women to face their fears and to get smarter about their relationship with money, they become confident, engaged and empowered in their financial futures.