I wasn’t the girl anyone expected to succeed. I was the one failing classes, fighting at school, and becoming a mom of two before I even could even buy my first legal drink. I grew up on food stamps, wondering how we’d make it through the week. People like me weren’t supposed to build empires — we were supposed to stay stuck. And for a long time, I believed that story.
I hated what everyone was saying about me, what they were saying about what I had done to my boys... what kind of life they would never have, because of me... but more than that, I hated that I believed it... that I felt every word as my truth... that I felt so broken...
The Beginning
At 22, I bought my first house with no money, no plan, and honestly, no idea what the hell I was doing. That messy leap turned into something I never could’ve imagined — flipping dozens of homes, selling over $200 million in real estate, and eventually owning more than twenty houses myself. But what matters most isn’t the numbers — it’s that every closing, every flip, every risk was proof that the story I had been handed didn’t have to be the one I kept living.
The Turning Point
Success didn’t erase the storms.
I’ve buried two brothers.
I’ve battled anxiety, depression, and the kind of grief that steals your breath in the middle of an ordinary day.
But here’s what I’ve come to learn... scars don’t disqualify you. They are proof you’ve survived. They’re the evidence that hope is still alive.
That’s why I share my story...
Because if the girl who was “never supposed to make it” can rise, maybe you’ll see a piece of yourself here too — and believe that your story isn’t finished either.
Remember this: you have purpose, even in the moments you doubt it.
XO — Denae
