Why I Started Glow Up: Learning to Take Good Care of Me

Me in 2015.

For 50 years, I believed taking care of myself was selfish.

My to-do list was always centered around everyone else—my husband, my children, my home, and my career/job. I poured out everything I had until I was running on empty. I believed being a good mom, wife, friend, and professional meant putting everyone else first. And for the first 50 years of my life, that’s exactly what I did. It’s what I was taught.

Then, on July 4, 2017, everything changed. My husband passed away unexpectedly, and I was left to lead my family forward. But I made a conscious decision that day—not to collapse, not to shrink, and not to simply rebuild what was lost. By God’s grace, I would build a new life. My children would not lose both parents that day. That would not be their story and not mine, either.

With God's strength, I stood up. I would not fail them, and I would not forget myself. That moment marked the beginning of what I now call my Glow Up—a journey of learning to care for the woman I had long neglected. I came to understand that caring for my family started with caring for me.

Even my faith, which had always been my anchor and compass, reminded me to love my neighbor as myself. But I had completely overlooked that second part—loving myself. I was giving everything to everyone else and leaving nothing for me. I had become a shell of a person.

Over time, I also came to a hard but freeing truth: I had to take full ownership of my physical, emotional, and mental health. No one was coming to save me. No one else was monitoring my energy levels, my well-being, or my mindset. Only I lived in my body. Only I carried the weight of my emotions. Only I truly knew what it felt like to walk through my days in my skin. That realization is called personal responsibility—and agency. I grabbed ahold of it with both hands and started treating every area of my life as if it were its own enterprise. My health, my home, my time, my future—I began approaching it all the way I naturally think: like an entrepreneur. And the more I did, the stronger I felt. Agency feels good.

This mindset shift didn’t just change how I lived—it also changed how I worked. I knew I didn’t want to invent or develop my own product. I was drawn to something with structure, with excellence, and with proven results. I wanted the freedom to make something my own without having to start from scratch. That’s how I found Stroll, a franchise company rooted in high-integrity, hyper-niche marketing that connects the best local professionals with the residents who need them most.

There’s a difference between being a business owner and being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs build from nothing. Business owners take something good and make it great. While I absolutely have an entrepreneurial mindset, becoming a franchise owner was the right fit for me. Through Stroll, I help trusted local professionals connect with their ideal clients—and I help homeowners connect with businesses they can rely on. It’s a relationship-driven business that reflects everything I value.

That same approach influences how I work—I call it concierge marketing. It's not about how many people see a message. It's about who many. The right people for the right businesses.

That clarity is exactly what led to the birth of Glow Up.

In my own journey of healing and rebuilding, I eventually tried to get serious about scheduling all the things I needed to take care of—doctor visits, wellness appointments, home projects, car maintenance, and more. But the logistics were overwhelming. I could only make calls during my lunch break, and when the return calls came, I was back in meetings. It felt impossible to keep up. Everything I needed was scattered, and I didn’t have the time—or the energy—to chase it all down.

That’s when the idea came to me: what if I could bring all the right resources together in one place? Like a personal resource mall. What if, in just 60 minutes, a smart, busy woman like me could meet the people she needed and schedule what she’d been putting off for months? It would be efficient. It would be smart. It would honor the reality of our lives.

So I created Glow Up.

Me in 2024.. (Photo credit: Cornerstone Photography / Laura Humpa)

It’s a gathering of vetted professionals and local experts brought together in a beautiful, intentional space. Glow Up was designed for the women I know—women who juggle so much, give so much, and deserve a simple, personal way to take care of themselves and their responsibilities. These are women who love their families, their homes, and their work.

Because taking good care of you isn't selfish. It's sacred. And it just might change your life.

It did for me.