I have always loved numbers and had an entrepreneurial spirit since the age of 10. By the time I reached high school, I turned a $13 trip to the candy store into over $4,000 in seed money to pay for my first semester of college at the University of Michigan. I am thankful to have exhibited that same kind of resourcefulness throughout my personal and professional life.

“Lisa you’re going to grow up to be a special star!” were the often-spoken words of my mother who made me believe I could do anything. In fact, she was the motivation behind me taking a leap of faith, leaving the more traditional path offered by a career in accounting to pursue my passion for public speaking nearly 20 years ago.

Since then, I have served as a Michigan state representative, former candidate for Detroit mayor, chief of staff to the elected mayor, and vice president of a private, non-profit university.

As life has brought me full circle, I am proud to be the author of “Candy Girl Mentality,” in which I share both financial, career, and life lessons that I have learned over the years, with the biggest lesson being “Everything happens for a reason!”