The Woman Who Shaped How I Show Up as a Founder

There are moments in entrepreneurship that feel like they belong entirely to you. The decisions I make that project my company forward. The risks I take without knowing exactly how they’ll turn out. But as much as my experience as an entrepreneur has meant paving a new path, so much of how I show up as a founder didn’t start with me.

It started with my mom.

And if I look even closer, it started with everything she carried, overcame, and chose to become long before I ever understood what entrepreneurship meant.

What I Learned Growing Up

I grew up inside a business before I ever thought about starting one. My family owned clothing boutiques in the Bronx, and from a young age, I saw what it meant to build something from the ground up, every unpolished, gritty moment of it.

It meant long hours, constant problem-solving, and figuring things out as you went. But more than the business itself, I was watching my mom.

She didn’t follow a traditional path, and she didn’t wait for permission to find her success. She trusted her instincts in a way that, at the time, I couldn’t fully understand but now realize shaped everything for me.

She’s always had what I can only describe as a magnetic energy. She leads with feeling and intuition, drawing others to her with a deep belief that anything is possible.

But that doesn’t mean things were always easy.

When I was 10, my dad passed away. My mom became a widow in her 30s, raising two young daughters while navigating grief, uncertainty, and rebuilding her life. Looking back, I don’t think I fully understood what that required of her.

But I felt it. I felt the pressure around us, and I felt her resilience as she carried us through. I felt her determination to keep going, no matter what.

And, without realizing it, I internalized that as the baseline for what it means to show up.

What I’ve Kept From My Mother’s Example

There are so many things I’ve carried with me into entrepreneurship that came directly from watching my mother.

I learned to believe in possibility, even when there’s no clear path. I learned about having a willingness to pivot and start over.

And maybe most importantly, I learned confidence.

Not the loud kind, rooted in hubris or bravado. The grounded kind laced with a deep sense of independence. The kind that says, “I’ll figure it out.”

Because that’s what she did. Over and over again.

She also taught me something that I think defines how I lead today, even if I didn’t have the language for it at the time: Entrepreneurship is spiritual.

It’s the act of creating something from nothing and believing in a dream before it exists. My mother taught me about trusting yourself enough to take the next step without guarantees.

That mindset shaped how I approached building my businesses, including Entreprenista. We didn’t start with a perfectly mapped-out plan. We followed what felt aligned. We listened. And we built in response to what women actually needed.

I’m proud to say that so much of that process came from her.

What I’ve Chosen to Do Differently

At the same time, part of honoring where you come from is choosing where you evolve. There are things my mom went through that I’ve intentionally approached differently.

She navigated so much on her own, and caring for mental health wasn’t part of her process. Support systems weren’t as accessible, and she carried a lot internally while still showing up for us every day.

And while her strength is something I deeply admire, it also showed me the importance of not doing everything alone.

Today, I prioritize community in a way that wasn’t modeled for her, and that’s a big part of why we built Entreprenista.

Related: How Online Communities Drive Real-Life Collaboration, Networking, and Business Growth

Because I’ve seen firsthand what happens when women don’t have the support they need. And I’ve also seen what’s possible when they do.

Today, my mom often says, “Community, community, community!” And it’s something I’ve built my life and business around.

Join the Entreprenista League here as a Founding Member to start taking advantage of the instrumental resources within our thriving community!

I’ve also learned the importance of prioritizing yourself and to stand up for your needs. My mom gave everything to the people she loved and the things she was building, sometimes at the expense of herself. And while that level of devotion is powerful, it also taught me how important it is to stay connected to yourself in the process and not abandon your own needs while building something bigger.

Her experience taught me another important lesson: how to evolve. My mom didn’t go to college, so I learned the importance of technology and keeping up with the times because the boutique business did not. Above all else, she taught me to believe that anything is possible.

The Throughline: Resilience, Reimagined

One of the greatest gifts my mom gave me is a simple phrase that has stayed with me through every season of life and business: “This too shall pass.”

It’s something I come back to in the hardest moments, where things feel uncertain or overwhelming or heavier than expected.

Related: Ready for Anything: Developing Workforce Resilience in an Era of Disruption

Because entrepreneurship, like life, isn’t linear. There are highs, and there are setbacks. There are moments where everything feels aligned, and moments where nothing does.

But that perspective, that ability to zoom out and trust that things will shift, has been foundational in how I lead.

A Legacy That Continues to Evolve

Today, I see my mom stepping into a new chapter, building her own business, Inner Divinity Attraction, and helping others reconnect with themselves. IAnd it’s been one of the most full-circle experiences of my life.

The woman who shaped how I show up as a founder is still evolving. Still building. Still becoming.

This reminds me that this isn’t just about what we inherit. It’s about what we choose to carry forward, what we choose to redefine, and what we create because of it.

Entrepreneurship doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s shaped by where we come from and the people who raised us. 

For me, it’s shaped by her.

And every day that I show up as a founder, I carry that legacy with me, while also building something new for the next generation to learn from.