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I'm all about Truth Talk,
so let's dive right in...
Statistics predicted I would end up dead, in jail, or homeless by the time I entered adulthood. 😳 But that's not how it went down... 😏
The bravest thing I’ve ever done is turn extreme abuse, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts I experienced into fuel for my passion + purpose in life. 😰→😤→💪
I ended up alive, free, healthy, + happy, with a college degree, touching the lives over 400,000 young people in 24 countries. #grateful 🙌
These days, I show teens how to figure out their truth + find their path so they can enter adulthood feeling confident in their ability to function in the world + fulfill their purpose.
When I was a teenager,
I dreamed of becoming a psychologist.
I wanted to fix my family.
I wanted to fix my friends’ families. Actually, every family... if possible.
Then something weird happened. (besides puberty 😂)
I was recruited to study Music Education at University. I accepted, subconsciously hoping that studying my mom’s unfulfilled dream would be the ticket to earning her love. I figured I could always get another degree in Psychology and then start helping families “for real”! 🤔
While I was busting my butt studying music education and coaching middle + high school drumlines on the side...
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I stopped caring about becoming a psychologist.
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I was tired of waiting for someone with special letters after their name to judge me as “good enough” to help people.
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I opened a youth performing arts organization.
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60 kids showed up to the first rehearsal.
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I taught over 900 students by age 25.
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My students performed for over 60,000 people.
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I composed + arranged over 50 music scores.
In addition to completing my degree in music education, I tirelessly studied leadership, the psychology of teams, child development, healing from childhood trauma, and… well... how to survive in this world as a super-sensitive person.
Then something even weirder happened…
No matter where I was teaching, more + more students would start showing up to rehearsal early + staying late… they’d randomly ask things like:
"When did you know you were gay?"
"I want to do what you do.
What did you major in?"
"How do I get my
brother/classmate/teacher
to stop bullying me?"
"Can my parents make
me get an abortion?"
"Have you ever thought about suicide?"
"Do you know any
trans people?"
"I quit using drugs, but how do I
get out of the drug biz alive?"
"How do I move out after
graduating like you did?"
(Mind you, I was “just a music teacher”... not a psychologist or guidance counselor. Somehow, they just felt safe to talk to me about… EVERYTHING.)
