I was sitting across the Global Human Resources Director at one of the top branding firms, and had asked why I continue to get passed up for a promotion?

“You don’t have enough gray hair," she says. Translation: I didn’t look old enough.

It was in that moment that I learned that perception is everything!

And no matter how solid my qualifications or credentials, people’s perception of me would matter MORE. Several months later, I was fired due to “corporate restructuring.” I was devastated but ended up getting recruited to work several other consulting firms, including a unique opportunity to work in Dubai, U.A.E. But the universe had something else in store for me, and after a series of life-changing events (including a romantic break-up that shook me to my core), I fell into a dark depression and began to question my next move.