This weekend, we celebrate International Women’s Day—a time to honor the resilience, brilliance, and unstoppable spirit of women everywhere. It’s a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come, recognize the mountains we continue to climb, and reaffirm the boundless power we hold to shape our futures. As a woman who has walked a winding path—one filled with fire, grit, and a whole lot of heart—I want to share my story, not just as a celebration of my journey, but as a testament to what’s possible when women pave their own way.

I spent 25 years as a chef in the Bay Area, immersed in a world that demands precision, endurance, and passion. Kitchens can be intense, chaotic, and, let’s be honest, they aren’t always the most welcoming spaces for women. But I thrived in them. I learned to hold my ground and to sharpen more than just my knives—I honed my resolve. Yet, even with all the skill and success, something inside me knew I wasn’t done growing. At my core, I am a creator and I knew I needed to take the leap into building my own venture in order to continue to grow and to challenge myself.

So, I did what any strong-willed woman does: I bet on myself! I left behind the familiarity of the kitchen and stepped into the unknown. I became a founder—now twice over. I started Puppops because of my devoted love for animals, particularly for my dog River, and my passion for nourishing anyone from the inside out. Let’s be real, entrepreneurship is another beast entirely—one that demands resilience, creativity, and a huge appetite for risk. But if there's anything a woman (especially a single mom like myself) knows how to do, it's to adapt, persist, and build something out of very little.

And while I’ve accomplished so much in business, my real “job” as a single mom to a strong, incredible young woman, my daughter, Stella, has been my greatest inspiration and deepest motivation. I want to show her what women are capable of. For her to grow up knowing that she doesn’t have to get permission to build, create, and lead on her own terms. And, most importantly, I need her and other young women to understand that success isn’t about personal achievement—it’s about lifting others up along the way.

Women across the world are forging their own paths, often against insurmountable odds—yet they persist! We are founders, caretakers, dreamers, and disruptors. We push forward even when doors are closed. We innovate even when underestimated, and we do it all while carrying the weight of expectations that oftentimes were never ours to carry alone in the first place.

This International Women’s Day, we want to celebrate every woman who has ever dared to dream beyond what was expected of or for her. We honor the ones who stand tall in boardrooms, small businesses, classrooms, kitchens, and battlefields alike. I recognize the silent battles fought, the victories hard earned, the defeats that will not break us, and the sisterhood that holds us all together.

To every woman reading this—keep going, keep building, keep proving, again and again, that we are a force! The future is ours to shape, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what we do next.