WORTHY's relatable stories will make you snort in laughter and sob in heartbreak as I share my failures and successes from dirt-poor Iowa field worker to corner-office Microsoft executive. Too scrappy to fail, too stubborn to give up and too scared to let others down, Worthy is a vulnerable journey of grit, wit and learning self-worth is not defined by what others say, expect or have, but by what you make, claim and give of what you got. These stories are what I got to give.
Born the fourth kid in a one-bedroom house, my path was forged long before me: get married, make babies and stay on the good side of the church and the law, in that order. The law did me no favors, but a gnarly nun did, securing a $320 scholarship to a future I didn't know existed. I left for college before my folks knew I was gone, selling dad's used carpeting and mom's prayers to pay my way.
Penniless and married at 20 years old, I had an MBA at 24, first saw the ocean at 25, commuted to South America each week at 31, brought two sons into the world by 35, was a millionaire at 37, and was one of a select few Microsoft executives at 40.
Along the way to the corner office, I've been hit on, spit on, shot at, yelled at, a zero and a hero. I've been called a bulldog, a bitch, brilliant and inspiring all on the same day. Dismissed and underestimated by many, often myself, I sought relief through addiction, found support from the least expected, and hope when it mattered most.
I've learned on the journey I am worthy as I am. I didn't have to earn it or prove it. No one gave it to or took it from me. I didn't become it. Worth didn't come in a Tiffany's box, a graduate degree, a bank statement, or a title. I didn't lose it with failure or get more with success. I am worthy as I am. And so are you.
