When did you find her?
I found her after losing my mom and realizing how quickly life can change. I had spent years building a career at the same investment firm, and losing her made me stop and really question what I wanted my own life to look like. I realized I wanted to build something that was mine, take more chances, and create a life that felt meaningful to me, not just keep following the path I thought I was supposed to be on.
What are you building?
I’m building Stay Delusional with one of my best friends. It came from this idea that sometimes you have to believe in a life that doesn’t exist yet so strongly that everyone else might think you’re a little delusional.
For me, it’s not just about starting a company. It’s about building a life I’m actually excited to wake up to and creating something of my own that has meaning behind it. We’re starting with a lifestyle brand, but the bigger dream is to build a community around people who are brave enough to believe in their crazy ideas before anyone else does.
And one of the pieces that means the most to me is eventually having a portion of the proceeds support young people with a “delusional” dream of their own, giving them a little help believing that maybe their idea isn’t so crazy after all.
What did it take?
Losing my mom changed the way I look at time. It made me realize that the life you keep saying you’ll build “someday” isn’t guaranteed. It took leaving behind a version of my life that looked stable on paper, moving across the country, starting over, and being willing to not have everything figured out yet.
I’m still very much in the figuring-it-out part. Stay Delusional hasn’t even launched yet. But maybe that’s part of my story too, I’m submitting this while I’m still becoming her.
What are you proud of?
I’m proud that I’ve been willing to start over. To leave behind what was comfortable, move across the country, meet new people, try new things, and build a life that feels more like mine. I definitely don’t have it all figured out, but I’m proud of how much I’ve created from starting again.
What makes you feel most like yourself?
Adventure. Being outside, doing something that scares me a little, laughing with my friends, dreaming up ideas that are probably way too big, and being around people who make me feel completely myself.
What would you tell a woman beginning now?
You don’t need proof that your dream is going to work before you start. Sometimes you have to be a little delusional first. Believe in the life you want before it exists and then start building it.
