Born at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Watched dolphins from my swingset in the backyard while fighter jets boomed overhead for training exercises.

Spent the first of eight childhood summers at my paternal grandparents’ home in upstate South Carolina. Woke up every morning to the sound of the rooster crowing in Grandmama’s chicken coop and played all day with my cousins, before shucking corn or stringing green beans together before dinner. Realized my grandparents, who grew up sharecroppers in the segregated rural South, had a dramatically different childhood than I did. Their love, integrity, tenacity, faith and intelligence (despite the lack of formal education) deeply influenced and shaped me.

Mom said she wanted to “capture the era” in this pic.

We moved to Frankfurt, West Germany. This is my fourth grade pic at Rhein Main Air Base Elementary.

Five years after moving to Colorado: That’s my husband above me in the Smoky Hill High School year book. Clearly, it was the 80s. We both popped our collars and my hair is lopsided.

Modeling shoot in downtown Denver during my senior year. Accept a Presidential appointment to the US Air Force Academy that year. I called my Dad who was stationed in South Korea to tell him. He’s so excited and proud, I hear him cry for the first time.

After a tough year of academic probation, parents’ divorce, surgery and three hospital stays, I leave the Academy, doubting myself and not totally sure what’s next. Follow Mom to Monterey, CA.

Transfer to Florida State University, intern in the late Governor Lawton Chiles’ press office. Graduate a year later.

At age 21, earn master’s degree in journalism at Florida A&M University. Rushing to overcompensate for past failures, I miss the traditional college journey. Move to Dallas following graduation.

Launch public relations firm, fulfilling my entrepreneurial spirit, but not my passion. I don’t know what that is yet. Start praying to know my purpose.

I have an epiphany about my life purpose during a visit to a Barnes & Noble in downtown Seattle during NABJ Convention: To write and speak as a vehicle to inspire others to live more fulfilling lives. Begin writing first book three weeks later and self-publish it a few months later by borrowing $6,000 from my credit card. Broke even in three weeks.

Random House buys self-published book! Releases it with the same title a year later.

Leave PR to pursue writing and speaking full time. Become trained as a life coach the following year. Become co-host of national television show, The Potter’s Touch with T.D. Jakes.

Get married. Move to Prince Georges County, Maryland. Land book deal and write my second book, Listen to Your Life.

Accepted to grad program at the University of Pennsylvania in applied positive psychology. Graduate in 2008 and soon need to apply my degree to my own life as I reach a low point. This a picture with world-renowned professor and psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, father of positive psychology.

Marriage fails after six years. Consider giving up on writing and speaking. Very afraid that my dream of motherhood may never be realized. Devastated. Decide to move south to be near family. Land in Atlanta.

Launch the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute. Begin training others to become personal and executive coaches.

Successful Women Think Differently, my seventh book, is released. It is based on my Capstone project for my graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania. It becomes a national bestseller and is translated into multiple languages.

After a year dating the love of my life, a high school friend who saw Successful Women Think Differently at an airport bookstore, Jeff and I marry. I become a bonus mom to two energetic girls, ages 6 and 9.

We become parents to the cutest boy ever, Alex.

The CaPP Institute hosts its 15th Coach Training Intensive since 2010.  There are graduates from every state and ten countries on four continents.

At the invitation of friend and leadership legend Dr. John C. Maxwell, begins serving as thought leader and the coaching mentor to more than 40,000 Maxwell Leadership Team members worldwide.

Jeff, me and all three kids