Both my parents were entrepreneurs. They ran their own companies in the same building. My father owned a company that manufactured plastic vacuum-forming machines that were used to produce signs for businesses, such as the iconic Burger King sign. My mother's company sold all the components you needed to create plastic and neon signs. It was a match made in heaven.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in my mother's company's warehouse doing stock and inventory. Eventually, I got to help with Accounts Receivable where I finally felt useful and no longer in the way. Fortunately for me, I wasn't the person tasked with calling the late payers. (Still don't.)

In my father's home office, I pretended to be an entrepreneur myself. I didn't have a specific company in my imaginary empire, but I recall running a company where I helped those who came to me and had people who reported to me.

Later on, I went to college to pursue my passion of photography and attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, which, at the time, was the #1 school for photography. I majored in Fine Art Photography often turning in photos that, while meeting the specifications of the assignment, while flipping the expectation. Over time, I realized it would be unlikely to secure a prosperous financial future in fine art photography. I felt I needed to change paths...

I then moved to sunny Florida to be closer to my siblings who all attended the University of Miami. The only logical major seemed to be business. A business degree with a minor in accounting was a step toward fulfilling my childhood dream of entrepreneurship. It ended up giving me skills that could be useful nearly anywhere.

During one of my summer breaks, I drove up the east coast exploring all the major cities. When I finally arrived in Boston, it was on a Friday during rush hour traffic. I stumbled upon a bookstore in Cambridge called New Word's books. They hung a rainbow flag out front. I finally found somewhere inclusive. It was at that moment I knew this was IT.

As I neared the end of my senior year, I applied to Master's programs and graduated cum laude from University of Miami. In a single day, I found and secured my future Boston apartment. While I waited for acceptance letters, I took a job as a Calculator Operator at one of the Big Eight accounting firms. I verified every calculation in all documents that were published. I loved it.

I ended up selecting Northeastern for my Master's and earned an MS in Accounting. It was a grueling, but worthwhile 18-month program that offered an internship and placement after graduation. I ended up interning and working at Laventhol & Horwath before I ended up working in the private auditing sector at Dunkin' Donuts.

Life at Dunkin' was so logical. Determining the number of pounds of coffee and flour purchased and how that applied to determining income was easy. Being a detective as to how stores were reporting less profits was the challenge.

I wisely took classes and passed the Certified Management Accountants exam and obtained my MBA with tuition reimbursement. After this, I worked for two small, family-owned businesses. It was like going home again. I never wanted to leave small business after that. I became the entrepreneur I always wanted to be without even realizing it was happening. I am so grateful.