I made it to the Harvard Business School stage, baby!! Reflecting on my younger self, I wonder if she would believe that all of her hard work and sacrifice would bring her to this very moment, sitting on this stage, sharing in conversation alongside other beauty disruptors that I admire.  In these surreal moments, I can’t help but think about the silent battles and character-building challenges the world does not see. After graduating from Howard University with honors and a resume full of major magazine internships, I still did not land my “dream job” right out of college. I moved to New York City with absolutely nothing to my name — no job, no apartment, and no income. I remember spending hours working on a PowerPoint presentation to show my parents all the ways that I would make it in the big city with literally no budget, lol. For months, I interned again in a beauty closet and slept on an air mattress in my sorority sister’s spare room. But all of the closed doors, tears, and perceived setbacks did not outweigh the lofty dreams that God planted in my heart. And they still don’t, because the work is far from over & not easy.  Amplifying diverse representation to make the beauty industry an equitable and safe space for women of color has always been at the core of my career. I’m so grateful to my support system and every single person who believed in me along the way. Staying true to myself has led me to moments like this, a powerful reminder to keep sowing the seeds and taking up space. Thank you @hbs_rlgc for having me. LFG!!!