I started my career as a research biologist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), driven by a deep desire to understand the science behind health and disease. But over time, I realized I didn’t just want to study wellness — I wanted to help people live it. So, I made a bold move: I left the lab and became a certified integrative health and wellness coach. My passion shifted from microscopes to mindsets, from biology to behavior change. I wanted to work with real women, in real life, making sustainable changes to feel stronger, healthier, and more at home in their bodies.

At 40, and a newlywed, I was building my wellness practice — hopeful and excited about this new chapter. But just four months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, I was the one who needed support — navigating chemo, radiation, numerous surgeries and hormone therapy that threw me into instant menopause. My health journey became deeply personal. And everything I thought I knew about wellness took on a whole new meaning.

When you go through something that turns your world upside down, it changes how you show up — for yourself, and for others. Going through cancer, abrupt early menopause, and severe bone loss wasn’t just a personal health crisis — it was a complete re-education in what real wellness looks like. As a coach, I had all the knowledge. But as a woman in the thick of treatment and transition, I had to learn how to live it — in a body that felt unfamiliar, with emotions that were heavy, and a sense of isolation that ran deep.

I stopped chasing perfection and started prioritizing sustainability, simplicity, and self-compassion. I became more focused on creating strategies that meet women where they are — physically, emotionally, hormonally — and walk with them forward. Because wellness isn't about pushing through. It’s about tuning in.

Now, when I coach, it’s from a place of empathy, real-world experience, AND science-backed strategy — because I’ve lived the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it when everything feels hard.