Always driven, rarely distracted. Those who know her now would most likely agree; however, most haven’t seen how she came to be where she is at today. I have known Heather for thirty years. Through school, sports, friendships and apartments I have seen how the bridge from Worcester, MA to Miami, FL came to be.

Living at home, she seemed to have more freedom than most high school age girls. Instead of running with that freedom, in which many would self destruct, she had the ability of containing it while balancing caring for her two younger brothers and holding down multiple part-time jobs.

Her infectious laugh, engaging personality and untouchable confidence made her so much fun to be around. Heather was nothing short of a blast when it came to downtime but she had the ability to reel it in back to what she needed to do. She was, in retrospect, nurturing the personality of the confident leader she is today.

When we shared a living space, she was always working hard on her college degree. It was at that time, I began to experience panic attacks. It was Heather that insisted that I put a bell next to my bed and told me to ring it for her to come in and help whenever one came on. To me, that was over and above what someone could do for me at that particular time in my life.

Heather was never drawn to material things such as memorabilia, furniture or decorations. Instead, she is in the moment. She’s talking, listening, laughing, preparing and working. She’s engaging. Avoiding the distractions, getting it done and driving home what is now a brand.

I watched her get it done; she was a girl boss in training. The only difference now is the heels. #Bossinheels