Growing up, I have always been in environments that pushed me to grow. Seeing my dad work with my grandfather on the family business, helped me see the value of “what you put into something is exactly what you get out of it”. As a dancer, I was continuously told (for better or worse) that I could always improve my skills, my effort, and my passion. Everything in my life added subtly into my desire and my need to try and improve upon processes that were around me. To make things better. To make myself better.

I think about how my life would be different if didn’t believe I could start my idea or if I thought I wasn’t good enough to figure it out. When I started a company, I didn’t have the vision to be a thought leader. Starting something is not what makes me a thought leader, I am a thought leader because I motivate others to find out how to own their everyday.

During my freshman year of college, I started what is now my current company, Fashion Buddy. Fashion Buddy is an app for when you don’t know what to wear or what to buy when you’re shopping, we partner with retailers to enhance the shopping experience and increase sales. It is the first platform to bring customer to customer fashion feedback. In short, my passion for Fashion Buddy is really to help people’s confidence be more consistent for themselves. Something I wanted for myself. Through meeting with my peers and with mentors from the Close School of Entrepreneurship, it was clear that I would be able to learn a lot about myself and about entrepreneurship through focusing on Fashion Buddy. So that’s what I did.

Many ask how I overcame getting started. I think back to my passion, persistence, and resourcefulness that played a role in the development of myself as an entrepreneur. I was able to recognize that there was no worst-case scenario if at least I tried. I didn’t get stumped with fear and I was able to use the transparency of my failures and successes to be a leader. Learning and sharing my experiences opened a new door full of insights in my life. It was important for me to recognize that most of us go through the same challenges in the course of personal development.

To be a leader, I had to learn from a leader. I cannot put enough importance on the value of the role that mentorship plays in personal and professional development. Not only do mentors guide you in the right direction, they always see your fullest potential and push you towards developing the steps to achieve your goals.

I had the fortunate opportunity to have an amazing mentor day one of my college career. She pushed me to believe in myself, find my value and take on leadership positions. I became a leader in all aspects of my life. I became a leader of my company, Fashion Buddy, a leader within the entrepreneurship community, and a leader outside of the academic realm within Philly’s startup scene.

Above all, I learned that people want to help you. Get it out in front of yourself. I have had people tell me that I was one of the most successful people they have helped because I kept going back to them for help. No one cares if you fail — so long as you are TRYING. I like to remind myself, “even if I don’t succeed big time, I learned so much doing it.”