Building Businesses, Creating Opportunities, and Bringing Women Together

A few years ago, my life looked very different than it does today.

I was three months pregnant, raising my one-year-old daughter, and my husband and I had just purchased our first home on Long Island. Like many families, we had carefully planned our future around two incomes, stable careers, and the security that comes with a steady paycheck.

Then I was laid off.

Suddenly, I found myself facing uncertainty during what should have been one of the most exciting times in my life.

At first, I did what I thought I was supposed to do. Every night after finally getting my daughter to sleep, I would sit at my computer searching job boards, updating my resume, writing cover letters, and applying for positions. Many nights stretched until two or three in the morning. I was exhausted, pregnant, nauseous, and overwhelmed.

But there was something else I couldn't ignore. I didn't actually want those jobs.

The more applications I submitted, the more I realized I was trying to force myself back into a path that no longer felt right. For years, I had dreamed of building something of my own.

"What if this isn't the setback I think it is? What if this is the opportunity I've been waiting for?"

Instead of continuing to chase another position, I decided to take a leap of faith and bet on myself. That decision became the foundation of Sun Kissed Media — a growing business focused on helping organizations increase visibility, attract customers, strengthen their brands, and achieve sustainable growth through strategic marketing.

Along the way, I also launched Binkibands, bringing a patent-pending product from concept to market while navigating entrepreneurship, motherhood, and the many lessons that come with building a business from the ground up.

As my businesses grew, I met countless women who shared similar stories. Women who had left corporate careers. Women building businesses while raising children. Women navigating career transitions. Women chasing dreams while balancing responsibilities, uncertainty, and self-doubt.

I realized that while every journey was different, many of us were facing the same challenges. We needed support. We needed visibility. We needed opportunities. Most importantly, we needed community.

That realization led to the creation of She Means Business: Long Island — the kind of community I wished I had when I was navigating one of the most uncertain seasons of my life.

Today, She Means Business is more than a networking organization. It's a community of ambitious, supportive, and inspiring women who believe that success becomes more meaningful when we help others succeed along the way.

Looking back, being laid off while pregnant felt devastating in the moment. Now, I see it as one of the greatest gifts I've ever received.