Celebrating 20 Years of Building a Life in Charleston

Two decades ago, I traded everything familiar about our military life at Fort Bragg for a one-way ticket to a life I had only imagined on the coast of South Carolina. I didn’t know then just how deeply that decision would shape the way I now walk alongside clients who are navigating big life transitions of their own.

From Fort Bragg to Cobblestone Streets

In 2004, I left the U.S. Army Reserve as an E5 Sergeant with the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg, pregnant with my daughter and standing at the edge of a whole new chapter. My husband, also an E5 and active duty at the time, would separate from the military in 2006, and in between those dates we were juggling diapers, deployments, and decisions about where to plant roots next.

We scouted cities up and down the East Coast, but Charleston kept pulling us back. The cobblestone streets and historic architecture reminded me of my study abroad days in Florence, Italy, while the proximity to my husband’s South Carolina family and the beach gave us the sense of connection and calm we craved. With a one- and two-year-old in tow, we closed on our first home in Goose Creek on December 15, 2005, on a budget that very much dictated where we landed—but it turned out to be exactly where we were meant to be.

Building a Life From Scratch

When we arrived in the Charleston area, we didn’t know a soul. No built-in network. No ready-made support system. Just two young parents determined to build a life from the ground up.

I had started freelancing for a marketing company in Mount Pleasant while we were still in Fayetteville, and once we moved, I made the daily commute from Goose Creek. My kids were the first ones dropped off at daycare in the morning and the last ones picked up in the evening. The long drive and heavy traffic wore on me, but what really got to me was how many hours I was away from my children every day.

Within about a year, I knew something had to change. My husband was working shift work as a police officer, which meant his schedule was unpredictable. I needed flexibility. I needed a career that allowed me to be both present for my family and fully committed to my work.

Building Foundations in Real Estate

In 2007, I got my real estate license. It wasn’t a glamorous start. The market crashed not long after I entered the business, and there were plenty of days when it would have been easy to walk away. But the discipline, resilience, and focus I learned in the military were non-negotiable parts of who I was. Quitting wasn’t an option.

Instead, I leaned into the grind. I learned the market, built relationships one conversation at a time, and committed to serving people the way I had been trained to serve: with integrity, attention to detail, and calm in the middle of chaos. Over time, those early struggles became the foundation for a business—and a reputation—built on trust.

Finding Home in Hanahan

In 2013, I spotted a great opportunity in Hanahan, and within a month we moved from Goose Creek into the home we still live in today. Hanahan quickly became more than an address; it became our community. It’s geographically convenient for the areas I serve, but more importantly, it has that small, tight-knit feel where neighbors know each other, look out for one another, and show up when it counts.

Yes, the traffic has gotten WAY worse since those early days of commuting from Goose Creek to Mount Pleasant, but the life we’ve built, the friendships we’ve formed, and the roots we’ve put down here make it clear: this is home.

Why I Love Serving People in Transition

Because I’ve walked through so many transitions myself—military to civilian life, state to state moves, career shifts, young kids to older kids—I naturally connect with people who are stepping into their own “next chapter.” I’m inspired by clients who dream of a different life and then have the courage to chase it, even when it’s messy and uncomfortable.

Supporting them is one of the greatest privileges of my work. I’m the one reminding them who they are when doubt creeps in, revisiting their “why” when they feel overwhelmed, and, yes, talking them off the ledge when the process feels like too much. The same steadiness I needed when I left Fort Bragg with my young family and an uncertain future is the steadiness I bring to my clients when they’re facing their own big decisions.

Looking back over the past 20 years, what I’m most proud of isn’t a sales number or a trophy. It’s that the four of us—my husband, my two kids, and I—stuck together, struggled together, grew together, and built the exact life we once only dreamed about. If I could talk to the younger version of me packing up her life at Fort Bragg, I’d tell her: “I’m proud of you. You’re about to create the life you imagined.”

If you’re standing at your own crossroads—retiring, divorcing, downsizing, relocating, or simply ready for a new chapter in Charleston, Hanahan, North Charleston, or Summerville—I’d be honored to walk that road with you. When you’re ready to talk through your next move, reach out, and let’s put you in a position to start building the life you’re dreaming of, one thoughtful decision at a time.