Thank you “Around Reston” for including me in the 2019 Fall/Winter Issue celebrating local entrepreneurs in Reston! Here is my story highlighting my connection to the Reston community!
Growing up, my mom unconditionally encouraged me to follow my passion and said that the career would follow. She was spot on as my professional calling as a social entrepreneur found me. Energizing communities sets my soul on fire, and I am blessed to live my passion every day.
My connection with the Reston community began 2 1/2 years ago when I participated in the Reston Sprint Triathlon, and met Doug Bushee, founder of the Reston Sprint Tri and CORE Foundation. This was my first triathlon and a few weeks before the event, I realized that somewhere between childhood and adulthood I had lost my ability to swim. I couldn’t even put my face in the water and my swim time was one of the longest in the event. I ate a big piece of humble pie and ambitiously vowed that I would become a better swimmer and cross the finish line of an Ironman 70.3 triathlon. I have met that goal six times having just completed my 6th Ironman in October 2019, exemplifying that sometimes one’s greatest opportunities start with failure.
At that same time, after a successful 15 years in telecommunications, I formed the entrepreneurship, “Move Your Mission, LLC,” a boutique consulting firm specializing in empowering organizations to reach new heights through coaching, strategy, and thought leadership. www.www.moveyourmission.com Through Move Your Mission, I’ve had the opportunity to fire-up charities throughout the U.S. creating fundraising campaigns, rebranding, energizing boards and caffeinating supporters. The “Race with Purpose” fundraising concept which I authored was featured was published in Running Competitor Magazine.
However, it was my gritty athletic journey that opened the door to a conversation towards working with Reston based, CORE Foundation, a 501 (c)3. CORE supports community leaders who want to make a difference which rooted me in Reston where I now work and play. As well as running my own business, Move Your Mission, I’m now serving the community as the Executive Director of CORE Foundation and am a member Leadership Fairfax Class of 2020. Reston embodies one of my core values of community and an active lifestyle.
As a non-profit leader, I believe that we can increase our impact in the community by lane-sharing, and I love that many Restonians share this philosophy. For example, through collaboration with the Reston Swim Team Association, CORE held a joint Spring bike drive and successfully collected over 50 bikes which were then given to kids in need. Similar collaborations with the YMCA, Lake Anne Brew House, Surf Reston and New Trail Cycling brought new events to Reston including the Trick-or-Tri and the Lake Anne SUP (Stand Up Paddle Board) Triathlon which made history in the sport of multi-sport.
Professionally, I often draw from sports analogies … I utilize a bike chain component in my “Move Your Mission” logo, many of my best ideas are generated while working out, and I believe that there is enough room at the finish line for all of us. As an advocate of lifelong learning, I always tell the person that I was yesterday, “on your left.”