In 2016, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable blood cancer. The prognosis was grim: three to five years. I remember sitting in that sterile hospital room, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, as the doctor delivered the news with clinical precision. I felt my world tilt. I was a mother, a businesswoman, a leader. And suddenly, I was also a patient. A statistic.

Nearly a decade later, I’m still here not just surviving, but living, leading, building, and daring to be seen.

On November 3, 2025, I’ll release Resilient By Force, a memoir that captures that journey, the moments that broke me, rebuilt me, and redefined what strength really means. But this isn’t just a cancer story. It’s a story about invisible battles the ones we fight behind closed doors, in quiet moments, in the spaces where strength and vulnerability collide. It’s about resilience, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and the radical act of redefining yourself when life refuses to follow your script.

Writing this book was not a linear process. It was an emotional excavation. I had to dig through memories I’d buried deep: hospital rooms filled with fear, missed milestones that still ache, the quiet grief of accepting the diagnosis while mourning the dreams I thought I had a lifetime to pursue. But I also unearthed moments of triumph: the first time I spoke publicly about my diagnosis, the businesses I built post-treatment, the women I mentored who saw themselves in my story. I wrote this book to honor the fight behind the smile. I wrote it to be honest. To be raw. To be real. Because invisible battles demand truth without apology.

This book matters because it holds space for the stories we’re taught to hide. It’s a blueprint for resilience, a mirror for those navigating unseen struggles, and a reminder that our most unfiltered truths are often our greatest sources of power.

The D.A.R.E. Framework At the heart of my story is the D.A.R.E. framework — Determination, Action, Resilience, and Execution. It’s not just a catchy acronym; it’s the blueprint I used to rebuild my life from the weight of diagnosis. It’s how I raised my daughter while navigating treatment. How I launched businesses when my body was screaming for rest. How I showed up for others even when I felt broken.

● Determination kept me grounded.

● Action moved me forward.

● Resilience held me together.

● Execution made it real.

This framework isn’t just for those facing illness. It’s for anyone standing at the edge of uncertainty, wondering if they have what it takes to leap. Spoiler alert: you do. There’s a quiet revolution happening — led by those living with invisible disabilities. We are rewriting what leadership looks like. We are challenging the idea that impact requires perfection. We are showing that healing and ambition can coexist.

My book is part of that revolution. It’s a call to action — a vision of a future where inclusion is the standard, leadership is courageous, and women no longer feel the need to apologize for being human. Because here’s the truth: You can be chronically ill and still be a visionary. You can be exhausted and still be effective. You can be broken and still build. We don’t need to be perfect to be powerful. We just need to be present.

Building While Broken After my diagnosis, I didn’t retreat, I built. I launched a children’s salon, a wellness brand, and a luxury gifting company. I poured my energy into creating spaces that celebrated joy, healing, and empowerment. Each venture was a declaration: I am still here. I am still building. Entrepreneurship became my lifeline. It gave me purpose when everything else felt unstable. It reminded me that I could still create, still lead, still make an impact even while navigating treatment and uncertainty. But let’s be clear: it wasn’t easy. There were days I wanted to quit. Days I questioned my worth. Days I felt invisible. That’s why I wrote this book to remind others and myself that visibility is a choice. That legacy isn’t what you leave behind; it’s what you live through and still choose to give. I want my legacy to be one of empowerment. Of truth. Of visibility.

The Power of Story This memoir is my offering. My truth. My blueprint. It’s the story I wish I had when I was first diagnosed. It’s the book I needed when I felt alone. It’s the mirror I now hold up to others and say: You are not alone. You are not broken. You are building something beautiful. I’ve met women who saw themselves in my story, who found courage in my words, who dared to speak their own truths because I spoke mine. That’s the power of story. It connects us. It heals us. It moves us. And it’s why I’ll never stop telling mine.

Final Thoughts: Dare to Be Seen If you’ve ever felt unseen, this book is for you. If you’ve ever questioned your worth because your body betrayed you, this book is for you. If you’ve ever wondered whether your story matters — this book is proof that it does. We live in a world that often rewards the polished, the perfect, the pain-free. But I believe the future belongs to the truth-tellers. The bridge-builders. The warriors with scars. So dare to be seen. Dare to lead with your whole self. Dare to build while broken. Dare to live your legacy now — not someday, not when it’s convenient, but now.

“Strength isn’t always seen, sometimes it’s felt in the quiet battles we fight and win every day. Thriving with an invisible disability means turning unseen struggles into unstoppable resilience.” — Keisha Hickson