One Year Later...

One year ago, I walked into a gym.

Not for a “summer body,” not for some Instagram flex.

I walked in to reclaim something I lost long ago: myself.

Today marks one year of me choosing me, of getting stronger not just in my body, but in my boundaries, my beliefs, and my sense of worth. This anniversary isn't just about lifting weights; it's about finally putting down the heavy crap I carried for years in corporate America.

And strangely enough? I'm thankful for the nonsense that broke me.

I’m thankful for the gaslighting and the constant undermining.

For being replaced by an underqualified male subordinate.

For watching high-powered men pass off my work as their own.

I’m even thankful for being told to smile more, compromise more, and be less.

Because every single indignity lit a fire that corporate America couldn’t extinguish. And when I finally walked away, I didn’t just leave a job—I left a life that was never really mine.

I started my career as a marketing coordinator, often the only woman in the room. I never took it for granted. I had to fight like hell to get into that room in the first place, and so I learned to “play the game,” even when the rules kept changing. But I climbed fast, held leadership roles, and stood toe-to-toe with execs twice my age and three times as comfortable in their power.

And when I succeeded, my work was repackaged under someone else’s name. When I spoke up, I was told I was being difficult. When I advocated for myself, I was reminded I could be replaced…but I was “on the inside”.

So, I hired and mentored women of all backgrounds. I used my position to secure corporate sponsorships for organizations like the YWCA. The same way they’d throw money at golf tournaments, I made the case for women’s empowerment. And it worked. Because even if the system was slow to change, I wasn’t.

Eventually, the soul-deep fatigue set in.

You know the one—the “maybe it’s me” spiral.

Spoiler: it wasn’t me. It was the burnout.

The politics.

The endless compromises that wore down the parts of me I used to be proud of.

So, I did something radical.

I left.

Not with a dramatic speech or a flaming exit email.

I just stopped trying to survive in a system that needed me silenced to stay intact.

I became a fitness instructor. A treasure hunter. A teacher of movement and mindfulness.

I swapped office chairs for Pilates reformers. Whiteboards for sculpt weights.

And the life I gained? It’s not fancy. But it’s mine.

Let me tell you what success looks like now:

• I live on less, but I feel rich in every way that matters.

• I’m healthier—mentally, physically, emotionally.

• My marriage is stronger than it’s ever been.

• I have more meaningful relationships.

• And most importantly—I’m irreplaceable in my own life.

I grew up a poor kid with a learning disability in rural Colorado. I’ve been knocked down more times than I can count. But I keep getting back up. Keep evolving. Relentlessly screaming into the void, “I. Will. Not. Break.”

And here’s the dirty secret no one in corporate wants to admit:

The “American Dream” isn’t dead—it was never designed for us in the first place.

When they made the word priority plural back in the ‘60s, they doomed us all to a life of performative overwork and burnout disguised as ambition.

What Is Corporate America, Really?

Let’s get specific:

Corporate America is the network of high-revenue, profit-first companies—especially in industries like tech, oil & gas, finance, and telecom—where decisions are made by a small, privileged few who are rarely impacted by the consequences of those decisions.

It’s a system built to protect power, not people.

And, The Numbers Don’t Lie*

They say executives earn their pay because of the pressure, the decisions, the "round-the-clock" responsibility. But when you look closer, the reality doesn’t quite match the narrative:

Role	Average Weekly Hours	Average Annual Salary
Executives (e.g. CEOs)	62.5 hours	$16.8 million+ (Fortune 500 CEO median)
Senior Managers	54 hours	~$140,175
Non-Managerial Employees	47 hours	$40,000–$70,000

Now let’s be real: this isn’t a question of working harder. The folks on the ground—admins, techs, analysts, customer service, operations—are grinding just as much, often more, without stock options, golden parachutes, or country club “strategy sessions.”

So why the massive pay gap?

What’s Really Going On: Corporate Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping in corporate culture isn’t always obvious, but it’s everywhere. It’s the silent, calculated practice of limiting access to opportunity, information, and influence to protect those already in power.

Here's what that looks like:

• Restricted Advancement: Promotions go to those who “fit the culture” (read: don’t disrupt the status quo).

  
  

• Opaque Decision-Making: Big calls happen behind closed doors, usually benefiting the highest earners.

  
  

• Siloed Information: Need-to-know becomes a weapon—used to exclude, control, and deflect accountability.

Gatekeeping isn’t about leadership—it’s about preservation of privilege. It’s how the system keeps rewarding the same people, while others are left doing the work, hoping someone notices.

But here’s the truth: you don’t have to keep waiting for permission.

You don’t have to burn out for someone else’s bottom line.

You don’t have to prove yourself to people who benefit when you stay small.

And you don’t have to climb a ladder that was never meant to support your weight.

Here's What I Actually Did

Before I walked away, I left my fingerprints all over the industries I touched—and not in subtle ways. Let’s talk legacy, not leftovers:

1. I made pet retail cool. When the industry was trapped in primary colors and rawhide, I brought in fashion, color, and design. I turned pink into a statement and helped an entire category evolve from basic to a billion-dollar industry.

   
   

2. I was the first to put Velcro on a bag. While everyone else was using unreliable zip seals, I pitched and implemented the Velcro closure that’s now standard across food, beauty, and supplement packaging.

   
   

3. Wrapping pegboard in decorative paper? That was me. I developed and pitched that idea to top national retailers in the early 2000s to elevate in-store displays—and it worked. You’ve seen it everywhere since.

So no, I didn’t just survive Corporate America—I changed it. And when it tried to box me in, I built something better.

This isn’t just my story. It’s a rally cry.

Leave if you’re ready. Stay if you must. But know that you deserve more.

The time to become irreplaceable in your own life is right now.

*Stats provided by Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and Payscale