This is a super vulnerable story, that I thought would only be appropriate for Facebook and Instagram until one of my mentors said: share your story, share your thoughts, use your voice, shift the narrative for what LinkedIn post should look like.
So here it is.
I’ve spent probably too much time this week sobbing over this picture and the reason for taking it.
The tears have come from deep reflection—especially with it being Women’s History Month and constantly being asked, Who inspires you? What women inspire you? I think about my two grandmothers, who lived simple yet challenging lives, doing the best they could with what they knew to survive and take care of their children and grandchildren. My mom did the same—she did the best she could with what she had.
Acknowledging the real and true sacrifices that were made for me to be here, in this moment, receiving a Women of Influence award, is overwhelming. I wouldn’t have any of this without the lived experiences of these three women—the generational trauma they endured or their will to break cycles.
Being awarded the 2025 Woman of Influence award by Albuquerque Business First has been an experience in itself. To some, it’s a huge achievement. To others, it may not seem significant at all. I’ve had to navigate my emotions around that. Yes, at times, it brings me to tears, but it also reminds me how resilient and strong I am. I think about how proud my grandmothers would be if they were alive today, and how proud my mother is of me now.
I often remind myself—I am living my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Yet, I struggle to feel proud or say, I made it. I just do my best to help others, lead with my heart, and make a difference—not for recognition, but for purpose.
On her deathbed, in the home she worked so hard for, my grandmother Lillie Alice told me as I said my final goodbye: Please get your education. Don’t be like me and work the way I did. Please do better, hita.
I carry those words with me every day. They remind me that my success is not just my own—it belongs to the women before me who paved the way, to the sacrifices they made, and to the legacy I hope to continue. This award is a reflection of them as much as it is of me.
Cheers to all the outstanding, exceptional, talented, fierce, strong, and resilient women I had the absolute honor of standing alongside at the Albuquerque Business First 21st annual Women of Influence Awards. It is truly a privilege.
