I built a life anyway. I became a mother of two. I survived a marriage defined by narcissistic abuse, and walked out with my children and my sense of self. I rose to my dream job in federal service at SAMHSA, and in 2025 I watched it vanish when federal restructuring eliminated regional offices across the country. And just as I was getting my feet back under me, life handed me breast cancer, which I'm fighting right now, while writing my first book. Along the way, I was "rewarded" with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which I now manage every day.
I don't share this for sympathy. I share it so you know: when I talk about resilience, I'm not quoting research, I'm reporting from the field. I've risen through the mud more times than I can count. That's where the Lotus Framework comes from.
For more than 16 years, I've stood in front of rooms of every size, from small community organizations to national conference stages and presented to thousands: behavioral health professionals, hospital teams, colleges, first responders, treatment courts, and federal and state agencies. I've consulted for organizations across the country on peer support, recovery, and building a workforce that doesn't burn out. Wherever I go, the story I hear is the same; people are running on empty.
Yes, I have the degrees and the certifications. But here's what all those years taught me: sharing my story to inspire hope is the only degree I need in this field.
My first book, Be Like the Badass Lotus: Resilience for People Who Are Tired of Being Resilient, is coming soon. My talk, Bloom Anyway, shares this story and what it taught me about resilience fatigue.
→ See what I speak about here