Become a Conqueress

My story begins with loss. I was still young when I lost my mother to a house fire. That tragedy didn’t just take her away—it set off a chain of events that shattered the foundation of my world. The grief was unbearable, and with no guidance on how to process it, I carried it like a weight that grew heavier every year.

Then came the separation from my children. The pain of losing them—of not being the mother they needed—was a wound that cut deeper than any physical injury ever could. But back then, I didn’t know how to cope. I didn’t know how to survive without numbing the pain.

Addiction took over my life for nearly three decades. Alcohol, drugs, the streets—anything to silence the shame, to quiet the voices that told me I was too far gone. I fell into a world of abuse, toxic relationships, prostitution, and self-destruction. I was raped by my cousin and later by my son's father's friend, and I lived in a cycle of trauma, numbing myself to the past while losing pieces of myself with every passing day.

I had two near-death experiences, moments when my body should have given up, when the darkness should have won. But something—someone—kept pulling me back. I didn't know it at the time, but God wasn’t done with me.

It took 30 years of darkness before I finally found the courage to step into the light. I entered treatment, not for the first time, but this time, I chose to fight. Recovery wasn’t just about quitting substances—it was about healing, forgiving myself, and believing that I was still worthy of redemption.

It was in that process that I found my purpose.

Rise Beyond: A Second Chance for Others

I didn’t just want to recover—I wanted to help others do the same. I knew how hard it was to get treatment without insurance, how the system failed so many who were desperate for a way out. That’s why I started Rise Beyond Foundation—to give people a chance to receive 90 days of treatment without insurance. Because I knew firsthand what it was like to need help and have nowhere to turn.

I started writing my memoir, Conqueress, because my story wasn’t just about survival—it was about victory. I wanted to share my journey, the unfiltered truth of my past, and the hope that comes with true transformation.

From there, my mission expanded. I began writing children’s books like Frankie’s Heavy Backpack to help kids process emotions like shame before they grew into wounds like mine. I started the Recovered Movement, because I believe that we are not just recovering—we are recovered. I built Graced by Fire, a community that would uplift and empower others, and created my podcast, books, and speaking platform to spread a message of faith, resilience, and freedom

Today, I am not just a survivor—I am a conqueror. I have been graced by fire, not burned by it. I have found my purpose in the ashes of my past.

I stand before the world now as a woman who has lost everything and built it back again—not as the broken version of who I once was, but as the healed, whole, and powerful woman I was always meant to be.

This is not just my story. It is a testament to God’s grace, to the power of redemption, and to the truth that no matter how lost you are, you can always find your way back home.