It was never about reinventing yourself. It was always about becoming who you were supposed to be.

Depending on when you met me, you know a different version of me.

Maybe you knew me as the model and makeup artist in college — the girl who learned how to bring clothes to life in front of a camera, who fell in love with beauty, art, and the power of visual storytelling before she even had words for it.

Maybe you knew me as the woman who started a nonprofit to showcase artists and build a platform for creatives — long before Instagram, long before TikTok, back when "building a following" meant printing flyers, posting in Facebook groups, and showing up in person to make it happen.

"I was learning how to make others shine before I even realized that was my gift."

Then I got laid off early in my career. And instead of falling apart, I picked up a camera. Photography became my pivot — and that pivot cracked open a whole new world. Speaking events. An online course. Social media strategy. Partnerships. A growing audience that trusted me.

But I expanded too fast. Burnt out. Did not grow my team quickly enough. And I had to pivot again.

So I got laser focused on my corporate career — GEICO. TruStage. Window Nation. I stopped looking at the pieces and started learning the full picture: brand strategy, creative direction, business at scale, the ebbs and flows of what it actually takes to build something that lasts.

And somewhere in all of that, something became crystal clear.

"Every single chapter — the modeling, the nonprofit, the photography, the burnout, the corporate boardrooms — was building the same thing."

It was all rooted in helping others shine. In understanding business from the inside out. In using creativity as a bridge between who someone is and how the world sees them.

That is not a reinvention. That is alignment.

I did not become someone new. I became more fully myself. And when I look back now, I can see that every experience gave me exactly the leverage I needed for the next chapter.

Your story is the same way. The job that felt like a detour. The thing you built that did not work out. The version of you that people knew five years ago. None of it was wasted. All of it was preparation.

"Your purpose lives in the space between your gifts and your experience. And with a little reflection, you will realize — this is exactly where you were always supposed to be."

The Brandmixologist is not a new idea. She has always been here. I just finally have the full recipe.

Celebrity Brand Lessons: Cardi B’s Brand of Perseverance

Can I tell you a guilty pleasure of mine? I love Cardi B. Is she the best rapper? No. The greatest entertainer? Depends. But is she entertaining and authentic? Absolutely. Cardi B may not check every box as a performer, but her personal brand is powerful—and it’s what keeps people invested in her.

What makes Cardi B stand out is her story of perseverance. We’ve watched her fight to be taken seriously, moving beyond her stripping past and proving she’s more than a stereotype. She owns her flaws, shares her struggles, and lets people witness her growth. That raw honesty makes her relatable in ways many celebrities aren’t.

Still, Cardi B faces a challenge: how will her brand evolve as she gets older? Music alone won’t sustain her. To maintain and expand her brand, she needs to lean into what makes her great—her personality and her talent as an entertainer. We’re already seeing glimpses of this with her product ventures like Whipshots, but her next big lane could be acting. Think of how The Rock went from wrestling to blockbuster films—Cardi could do the same, using her wit and humor to create a new career path.

Takeaway for You

If your brand is growing fast, your presence and personality are what keep you relevant. Like Cardi B, your willingness to own your story—and adapt into new spaces—will help you stay on a steady uphill climb.