Why I Built Drive Her Forward

I grew up in the automotive industry, surrounded by men.  And to be clear, I don’t consider it a bad thing.  Many of those men mentored me, supported me, and taught me invaluable lessons about life and business. I admire them to this day.

Here’s what was missing: a woman I could look up to. I craved a female mentor in my life, one I truly admired, looked up to, and wanted to emulate.  Every time I got the school assignment asking, “Who is your hero?” I came up empty.  I tried to name a woman, but no one ever measured up to the mold I was searching for. Not because great women weren’t out there, but because I didn’t see anyone living in a way that matched the fire burning inside me.  I tried to put several women on a pedestal, only for them not to fit what I wanted in a “hero” or mentor.

I went on and built my career.  After spending more than two decades in the automotive industry, I’ve had to discover many things on my own.  I learned lessons the hard way.  Lessons that were common but rarely talked about.   The further I advanced in my professional career, the lonelier I felt on this journey.

I looked outward for answers, reading every self-help book I could get my hands on.  Some had insights, but most left me more discouraged than when I started. I tried to involve myself in female-driven networking events, hoping for a connection, only to feel those were fake and more focused on tearing down men than building women up.  That never sat right with me.  If it weren’t for the men in my life, particularly my father and husband, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

Continuing my search, I immersed myself in empowerment platforms on social media, only to find them redundant without any substance.  Week after week of recycled quotes and surface-level motivation.

I asked myself questions I think so many women quietly carry:

Is this really it?

Am I the only female feeling this way? 

Is there not more out there for us than pink and frilly quotes?

I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I built it!

Drive Her Forward was built for women like me.  Women who know they are meant for more.

They are tired of performing instead of living. Burned out from chasing everyone else’s definition of success. Ready to stop shrinking and start owning their power.

Yes, impostor syndrome is real.

No, the playing field isn’t level.

I’ve been told to “be quiet” and “know my place,” all while trying to prove my worth. I’ve had companies offer me roles, only to later offer those same roles to men, at double the salary. I’ve traded my self-respect for approval more times than I care to admit.

No more.  I’m done!

I’m done trying to be chosen. I’m done performing. And I’m especially done waiting for someone else to give me permission to lead my life.

I know what I bring to the table, and I’m not afraid to sit there alone.

This isn’t a comeback.  It’s a return to who I’ve always been.

I’ve come to understand that sexism was not the most significant barrier, nor was it the boys' club or industry. It was the silence, self-doubt, and the belief that I had to earn my power by being agreeable, polite, and perfectly prepared.

Drive Her Forward was created in response to the hustle culture and performative ambition.  Women don’t need more meaningless motivation; we need measurable progress we can trust.

Why now?

Women are more educated, more ambitious, and more qualified than ever before, but are still vastly underrepresented in the highest seats of power.  Not because we can’t get there, but because somewhere along the way, we started believing we needed permission.

That ends here.

We don’t need more soft encouragement.  We need strategy, structure, and accountability.  We need direct conversations about power, pricing, boundaries, ambition, negotiation, execution, and all the things women have been conditioned to second-guess.

Drive Her Forward is not about empowerment.

It’s about ownership, getting out of your own way, and stepping fully into the life and leadership you were born to build.

I decided I’m done playing small, and it was time to build my life by design, and not by default.

If you’re reading this and nodding, even a little, you are already a part of the movement.

We’re done shrinking. We’re done proving what we already know. We’re building something different, and we’re doing it on our terms.

Let’s go out and build our lives.

This is Drive Her Forward.