About Me

Qualifications & Achievements, 30+ Years Experience

  • Originated the Project & Served as a Key Lead to Grassroots Development, University of Miami School of Medicine’s 16-Million Dollar Wellness Center, 13 Years 
  • Originated the Project & Key Leader in Grassroots Grant-writing, Strategy, Creative Programs Designer & Construction of Wellness & Recreation Center, Miccosukee Indian Reservation. Recognized by the United States Department of Health & Human Services 
  • Bachelor of Science Degree, Wellness & Exercise Physiology, Penn State University
  • Master of Education, Mental Health Counseling & Psychology, University of Miami
  • Corporate Consultant, Employee Wellness, 10 Years. Key Player to Fashion Beacon of Excellence in Corporate Wellness for Businesses Across the Country 
  • Creative Thinker-Doer With Proven Track Record That Produces Measurable Results
  • Founder, Current Owner, LifeDesign Lady
  • First-time Author, The Cosmic Seamstress: I Learned, I Stretched, I Changed. So Can You!  (currently in editorial phase)

Beneath lay the story of my journey to date. Fasten your seatbelt, for this tale stretches long, and if stories aren’t your cup of tea, that’s perfectly fine too. Just know that I have weathered storms & emerged resilient, chin held high & adorned with a smile. It's fair to say I took the long way home but I finally learned to surf life's ebb & flow the like's of a magic carpet excursion and boy. do I ever have some colorful synchronicities & transformational tales to tell! This life has happened for me not to me; an unquestionable destiny that has refused to surrender. I know this because at age of 12, following heartbreaking family news, I found myself sitting next to a rushing Pennsylvania stream. Tossing a single pebble is all it took; I watched as the ripples danced across the water until suddenly out from what seemed nowhere came a power greater than any I could have ever fathomed. My body's Lake Superior-esque outpouring of tears & pain-filled whaling morphed in a literal blink.   Heartbreak dissolved into thin air, my consciousness lifted to an altogether separate realm where nothing short of peace & bliss rein. My surroundings and senses amplified to unthinkable heights; hues, sounds, textures & scents grew ten-times in size as if the heart of a grinch on Christmas Day!  Then, came a message in the sound of my own voice but with undeniable clarity, confidence & calm, "Your life will be filled with passion & purpose. One day you will write a book & it will be about your life."


Safely and quietly, I tucked that profound happenstance into the deep chambers of my heart, telling no-one for decades. The shame of confessing such phenomena in a church-going household not to mention conservative small town America? Well, I thought this would likely serve nobody and nothing but would most certainly land me into a paddy wagon pointing straight toward the nearest funny farm! Thankfully, many decades & colorful life chapters later, I learned to embrace the truth of who I am, my gifts of intuition an absolute superpower!


My upcoming book, the creative empowerment programs  that accompany it, unfurl from that infamous day beside the Pennsylvania mountain stream.  As was foretold at age twelve, that day was indeed the seed destined to lead to a purposeful, passion-filled life.


Nearly four decades later the story as I had lived it began to spontaneously write itself, first the childhood spark by the Pennsylvania stream, then a long string of otherworldly encounters, many blissful, others outright dreadful, always threaded by life's strange magnetism, interconnections, chance meetings & synchronicities.


As I wrote steadily over a twelve month period, streams of information and ancient wisdoms poured in, day and night. The Cosmic Seamstress was born This is more than a confessional memoir: it dovetails into a multi-series creative empowerment, healing and personal growth program designed to teach readers to spot the common threads that bind all things and, boldly yet creatively, become weavers of their own souls, dreaming in the life-tapestry they most wish to experience. 


My hope, sparked by destiny, unconventional approaches to healing and unrelenting determination to find my way out from some mighty tight, uncomfortable, and oddly shaped life pretzels is that my work will bless you in miraculous, healing and bliss-filled ways the likes of nothing you ever imagined possible. I share these chronicles because if I can inspire even a single soul to believe that no life challenge is insurmountable, then my purpose flourishes. I believe life’s successful navigation requires a specific mindset, belief in the unseen, willingness to embody a knowing that you have the Divine power inside your own heart to shed that which no longer serves you to dream in the life you want. By rediscovering your authentic alignment, bidding farewell to societal ideas of how your life should look, combined with proven-science and spiritual tools, you too can harness your superpowers! It's important when skillfully traversing life's stormy waters to operate from Source (the divine intelligence that resides within your own heart) and to align with those energies and individuals that elevate rather than belittle. I know what it feels like to be ensnared by extreme darkness and despair, yet I have gathered a wealth of skills to better transform life’s trials. I stand ready to pay it forward—what value would these experiences hold if not shared? With open arms, I can genuinely declare that this journey remains profoundly humbling and utterly wondrous. I eagerly and humbly anticipate guiding you through life’s ups and downs, demonstrating that you too can emerge on the other side, transformed into an even brighter and happier version of you.

The unabridged journey of me

A desire to arrange things and make harmony out of objects mindfully placed in relation to one another began as far back as I can remember, that was the artist in me. With little interest in dolls, I much preferred designing and reconfiguring the interior of my doll house, persuading Grandma to knit miniature rugs from yarn remnants and repurpose toothpaste caps into planters. A yellow, oversized sand bucket, chock full of crayons, often held my attention for hours on end. It is now I realize these outlets were “art-therapy,” for my little latchkey self, not an unfamiliar reality for many Generation X’ers. This passion for meaningful, mindful creativity and deep reflection would manifest in a myriad of ways beyond childhood, shaping my story well into adulthood!


After earning a bachelor’s degree in corporate health and wellness from Penn State University, I relocated to Miami, Florida and accepted a position with a local Native American Indian Tribe, on a reservation in the heart of the Florida Everglades.

Initially considered a typical outsider by tribal members or one with little motivation for The Tribe’s best interests, it took time, patience, and the team-building skills I had acquired as a lifelong competitive athlete, before I would prevail. Noticing parallels between my rural upbringing in a PA town of only 5,000 and the small 500-member strong Miccosukee Indian Community came with ease. Healthy recreation and creative outlets were next to none. Children, adults, and tribal elders, alike, had no bona fide community gathering place. My intuition served as reminder that people are not meant to be separated from others for extended periods of time nor left with little to no meaningful outlets for expression. Feeling a sense of community, alongside the freedom to creatively and actively express one’s own terms I felt were extremely important contributors to igniting the human spirit. Before long, a relentless vision struck. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to build an inspiring space where children could partake in active, educational arts and play, where adults and the elderly exercise, socialize, learn, and creatively connect! The familiar notion, “build it and they will come” took hold. I immediately set to work on the vision. Creatively picturing every detail of the physical space came naturally. That knack for designing and reconfiguring the childhood dollhouse, childhood crayon-obsession and newly acquired health and wellness degree, alongside persistence, laser focus and deep knowing this was something I was meant to do, proved invaluable.


It wasn’t a done deal yet, however. Generating enthusiasm, within the community, for the groundbreaking of a new wellness center and developing the many interactive and meaningful self-improvement programs to accompany, was crucial, therefore it was time to go to work selling the vision. Before long, women in patchwork skirts frequented fitness creative cooking and parenting classes. Children beamed with excitement while interacting in fun, healthy & meaningful activities using whatever random space I could secure. Excitement within the community, alongside impressive pilot program attendance numbers, convinced otherwise skeptical tribal elders to approve the project. By successfully securing $1.5 million dollars in state and federal grants to reconfigure an abandoned warehouse, hire staff and jumpstart a variety of programs, the mission was accomplished. Once again, creative juices surged while selecting paint colors, mixing, and matching custom tiles, countertops, floors, and accessories as well as developing a gamut of creative mind, body, spirit health and healing programs and events. The Miccosukee Wellness Center was born! After only a single year of operation, several of these unconventional programs became nationally recognized and for a cause much greater than self!

Following several years with the Miccosukee Tribe, it was time to expand horizons, so I accepted a position with the University of Miami, School of Medicine. The task before me was to develop the University’s first-ever employee wellness department. Naturally, it didn’t take long for my vision to grow well beyond the single- seat cubicle to which I'd been stationed to begin my work. Again, this academic community lacked a “central gathering space, sense of community unity” where individuals could recreate, de-compress, move, learn, laugh, and grow. It was time for history to repeat itself! Over an eight year period the grassroots endeavor & bigger vision slowly yet surely attracted a team of influential collaborators, bringing a $16 million-dollar state of the art wellness center into reality! Having the 60,000 square foot facility as a blank canvas to design and carry out hundreds of often wildly creative, interactive and therapeutic initiatives felt so incredibly rewarding and meaningful; I had been utter blessed to be able to inspire others in this way! In retrospect, this undertaking was absolutely a “full circle experience,” closing out the small-town childhood chapter, filled with a constant yearning to meaningfully and creatively express, connect and grow! 

While serving as the University’s Wellness Program Director for 13 years, another important milestone was obtained, earning a Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling and Psychology from The University of Miami.


It appeared The Universe had been cooperatively conspiring to continuously make my life-long dreams come true however, as the wise saying goes, “there is only one constant and that’s change”! At 39, I had the wind sucked from my sails.  The end of a 10-year marriage resuled in loss of everything I "thought" my life was ever supposed to be. With that dream home and idea of the perfect family up in smoke, I'd acquired the not so sexy single mom title. In a courageous bid to reclaim my true essence, I chose to defy family pressures and the prevailing norms of society, dictating I should move into a traditional spacious new home. Instead, I embarked on an adventurous journey, choosing to downsize with my son to a modest 500 square-foot apartment on a tropical Miami island.


The first spark that led to the return of who I really am occurred shortly after relocating to the tiny island abode. A single night set in a tropical mood lit lounge led to a serrendipidous encounter with a wise, handsome yogi. That mystical night set into motion a deep spiritual quest, unlocking a long-overdue and radical shift in my approach to more authentic living.   

Just as I was recovering from the complete obliteration of my world as I knew it, I was thrust into another set of tumultuous circumstances, diagnosed with a supposedly incurable illness followed by the slow unraveling of my career as I knew it led to temporary homelessness and separation from the love of my life, my beloved young son.


In the shadow of discontent with the elusive answers offered by conventional doctors, I turned to personal research and the guiding light of intuition, unveiling environmental mold as the primary cause, With unyielding determination and unseen spirit as my guide, the transformative journey began. Embracing integrative medicine—an academic discipline under which I’d spearheaded several prior University events and most notably the ancient wisdom of traditional Chinese practices, herbal remedies, soulful prayers, healing foods healing, trauma-informed bodywork, countless yoga sessions, and a year steeped in profound meditation—I traversed the lengthy path to near-total recovery. With renewed vigor, I accepted a regional consulting role at a national employee benefits firm, spending a decade shaping the corporate wellness department into a beacon of excellence in population health management for businesses across the nation. Amidst this, a personal triumph blossomed as my son graduated from college without the weight of debt upon his shoulders, thankfully I was equipped to support him through that.


Yet a few years later the lessons continued to emerge as this thing call "life school" has a way of sometimes doing. My partner of a decade escaped death by a mere few hours following a rare bacterial infection. A month following, a fateful car accident, instigated by a drunk driver left me glued to years of natural treatments for spinal injury eventually resulting in nine months of 90% loss of use in my left arm. Faced with no choice, cervical fusion surgery was imminent. Having been stripped of my means yet again, I admittedly felt truly defeated, this time uncertain I’d manage a comeback. After slipping hopelessly into a knee-deep pity party, one morning I awoke with an idea. Not one to ever admit help is needed I forced myself to round up a productive support system. The vision I received for how I'd creatively craft this act of self-love appeared in my minds-eye, upon awakening one morning and did so with great detail! It was officially time to do what I’d been doing for others in my career and life for decades. This time, however, I’d do so as a gift of love to self; a lesson I had clearly yet to conquer because the challenges had been relentlessly sneaking through the back door of my life.  A pop-up event with purpose held in my own home was manifested, a “pre-surgery pep rally" where friends gathered and fashioned an utterly whimsical work of art for positioning  at the foot of my recovery bed. 

Following a year-long healing journey, I was graced with complete recovery, flourishing both within and without! How wondrous it is that life’s most formidable trials allow us to peel back the layers of our own existence, unveiling hidden opportunities for transformation! 


The decades-long journey back to the truth of who I really am bestowed the sacred gift of setting aside ego to unveil a treasure trove of priceless lessons. Each challenge has served as a gateway, allowing me to blend the science of healing, creative empowerment, my training in psychology, ancient wisdoms and spiritual practices and dare I say art into what LifeDesign Lady has become today. These pages will continuously evolve as I am now on a mission to invite in co-creators an collaborators who share synergy. I have lived fearlessly and passionately so my real-life story, ever-expanding creative empowerment programs and the Cosmic Seamstress Collective outlive me, bless and bestow upon others so they too can learn to be the change they wish to see in the world!