About me

I was born and raised in small-town Iowa. My dad is a farmer (shocker!) and my mom worked full-time. My grandmother raised my older sister and me. It was a fabulous childhood, and I would not trade it for the world.

I was always the 'nice' one growing up. I kept the peace, made people laugh, and was friends with everyone. I was even Miss Congeniality at my town days. I didn't know it then, but I didn't have good boundaries. I compromised my values, and had low self-esteem. No one would have ever guessed that. I didn't even really know it either.

Yes, you read that correctly. I am on my third (and final) marriage. Remember, slow learner. This is where my advice and lessons for all of the single ladies comes in. The guidance on listening to the red flags, setting boundaries, and being okay with walking away when your gut is screaming at you to run. I have too many horror dating stories. We will get into those (podcasts and blogs!)

Is that still right? Bruh? It is has probably changed. I have two children (one girl and one boy) that I carried in my belly (stretch marks to prove it), and two bonus girls. I got divorced when my kiddos were 3 and 5. I got re-married when they were 11 and 13. Now, our kiddos range from 21 to 13. Being a single mom for 8 years was not easy. Having to be both mom and dad is not something God built me for. I am clearly good at the nurture, mom thing. Blending families is also not easy. So many emotions and feelings that you just didn't know where there can creep in. But hey, life in general is not 'easy.' That doesn't mean it is bad. It just means we need a little help along the way. Thank goodness for Jesus, family, and the best friends a girl could ask for!

I am a full-time working mom with a corporate job as a VP of Marketing for a B2B company in the home medical equipment industry. It is a great company, and I have an amazing team. My passion is helping women. As you read and listen more about why I started Something Better, My Darling and Here is the 114, you'll learn that I had some rough lessons. I am thankful to have learned and now have resources to help all of the women out there! It could be needing help with the everyday challenges of being a mom, tackling the dating scene as a single, or just trying to survive the teen years. Whatever it is, my hope is that you find the inspiration, encouragements, and tools you need right here!

Oh, I do not know where I would be without my friends. And I have to do a collage of pictures because I have the best friends, ever! I have a group of college girlfriends that has been through it all. Marriages, divorces, miscarriages, loss of a sweet girl, adoptions, jobs, businesses, and I can keep going! The point is you are not alone. I am guessing your life may not be exactly the way you thought it would be. Mine surely is not. I was supposed to be Katie Couric by now living the Morning Anchor dream in NYC. I mean, I'm close. Back in the small town of 2,000 people where I grew up, not on TV, and divorced twice. Nope, definitely not the path I had planned. But God is funny, and He has a way of getting us where we need to be.