For 13 years, I ran a beloved brick-and-mortar children’s shop in Oakland. It wasn’t just a store — it was a community hub. I helped parents navigate a major life transition, often coaching them through identity shifts as much as product choices. Behind the scenes, I mentored emerging local brands and grew a business I loved.

But during a difficult three-year negotiation to keep that business in my divorce settlement, I realized something profound: my freedom and years were more important than any asset. The business wasn’t the magic — I was. And if I built that, I could build anything.

Now, through Real Life Oakland, I help unfulfilled corporate professionals create a business that reflects their deepest truth — not just their résumé. I work with people who’ve spent decades years climbing the ladder only to realize it’s not taking them where they truly desire. They’re burned out. Under-recognized. Worried about layoffs. And more than anything, they’re ready to create something of their own — something aligned, lucrative, and alive.

I help them design a Wildly Specific Offer based on their unique healing journey, their life’s purpose, and the transformation they’re here to lead. We craft high-value, premium offers that are differentiated not by marketing gimmicks but by soul-level clarity. I help my clients connect the dots between who they are, what they’ve survived, and what only they can offer. Then we package it into a business that allows them to leave their jobs — on their terms.

My clients say that after just one session, they feel more clarity and hope than they’ve had in years. That I see their story and its power even before they do. That I bring a rare mix of deep empathy and firm, grounded leadership.

This work is spiritual for me. I believe our pain is not random — it’s meant for healing, and when we share that healing through our work, the whole world benefits. Our businesses become vehicles for justice, joy, and generosity. We create the new economy based on aligned mutual exchange.

Over the next decade, I’ll help hundreds more launch businesses that are both personally fulfilling and collectively liberating. I’m building a vibrant alumni network of solopreneur-healers who live these values — and support each other in creating a new normal for how business is done.

If there’s one thing I want you to remember, it’s this:
You don’t have to compromise your values to build wealth. You can create a business that feels like home, pays you well, and makes the world better — all at once.