I’ve thought long an hard about writing this post. as loud, quirky and “open” as I might seem to be, there is a part of my personality that i’m fiercely private with. My best friends can attest to this, usually telling me they have to pry any real info about of me. But I want to share just a snip bit of my story, because what i’ve learned I want to share. I want my story to be an inspiration, I want young girls to look at my life and know that regardless of where you grew up, what you had or didn’t have, you can do anything, anything that you set your mind too.

So here goes, I’m dyslexic and while logically I know i’m “smart” have felt dumb most of my life. I make stupid mistakes in spelling and math that are so very obvious to the general public. reading and re reading emails, blog post, text message to still miss misspellings or gramatical errors ( now i just blame all that on suri.. thanks apple! )  But my mom always told me, you are smart, you will be wildly successful, and guess what she was right.

I spent the last 8 years in a marketing executive position building a little beverage brand that would be sold to Coca Cola and then going on to Manage one of the biggest names in sports, Tim Tebow. Yes, that was my life. Not something I brag about or really discuss. It’s just a fact. Now i’m building a successful photography business in a city that I moved to 15 months ago.

So what do I want to tell my 16 year old self ( what I want to tell YOU Miss 14, 15, 16, 17 + yr old) that the most important thing a girl can wear is her confidence. I want you to know that the struggles you have now are there to teach you what you need to know for the future. I want you to dream bigger than you can even imagine, because you can obtain your dream if you work hard.  I want to tell you that you are the future of our country and you were designed to shine. Don’t let anyone hold you back. Don’t listen to those who don’t believe in your dream. I want to tell you to live with a purpose everyday.

16 year old self I’ll be here cheering you on, to listen when you need to chat, and encourage when you’re down, and push you when you want to quit.

So thank you Louisville for opening your arms to my business and passion. Thank you for your support and for allowing me the opportunity to follow my dream. I hope along the way I can be an inspiration to you.

With a very Grateful Heart,

Geni