It is tough balancing being a woman and a lady. It is even tougher being both domestically and professionally powerful. As society continues to accept women as equal power brokers, the rules of how to define, manage, and sustain it are ever-changing. It seems that success for women is often defined by an imaginary checklist: learn proper etiquette, get good grades in formative school, achieve higher education, and land a good job and or a “good man.”

And then what? What’s next? When the “rulebooks” go away, women are often left to “figure it out” on their own. They must learn to laugh at and redefine what it means to be powerful. For the past 18 years, I have been in a virtual fog about what to do next, who to be next, and how to behave in the next situation. While there are numerous examples of phenomenal women who have achieved unprecedented success in business, and even greater success in work/life balance, there are limited platforms for women embarking on their “next phase” of life.

Throughout the elevation of my career, I found myself relying on my own personal intuition and interpretation of what I saw the boys doing. With fingers crossed, I’d add a “plus up” feminine twist and hope for the best. Oftentimes, I stubbed my toes, acquired a few bumps and bruises, and even made a complete fool of myself—but through these experiences, I learned what works and what doesn’t. If this memoir arms one woman with the courage and know-how for what’s next in her life, then my bruises and scars were well worth it.

We as women need guidance, (and quite frankly, license) to think beyond what conventional teaching has taught us. We need the green light to go in the boys’ world while still being able to kick our feet up with our female counterparts and coexist in both spaces authentically. What Mommy Never Told You provides alternative options in order to create success on your terms once the guidance, direction, and checklists of society expire.

This book is meant to be an exploration of a woman’s journey beyond the general rules and guidelines of adolescence, opening up a broader lens to the possibilities of the next stage in life. To the woman who is looking for the next thing in her life, yearning for the courage to get it done, I say…the time is N.O.W (No other way).