Let me tell you an embarrassing hard truth: for a long time, I was reacting to life instead of responding to it.

I was in survival mode.
A crisis would happen? I'd spiral.
Someone said something hurtful? I'd stew.
Plans changed or things felt out of my control? Instant frustration.

But nothing challenged me more than the season when I was in the hospital caring for my daughter, who was battling stage 4 cancer—and at the same time, in the middle of a domestic violence divorce with my soon to be ex-husband.

I was showing up every day to advocate, fight, and care for my child. But behind the scenes, her father was strategically triggering me. He’d say or do things that were cruel and calculated—designed to push my buttons. And when I reacted—out of pain, fear, and protection— and guess what? I was the one who looked unstable.

The hospital staff saw me as the problem.

• Because I looked explosive.

• Because I was visibly angry.

• Because I was desperate to protect my child and no one could see what was happening behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, he played calm, rational, and concerned.

It was years later that I finally got validation in court. A child abuse case confirmed what I had been saying all along. My daughter and I were granted a lifetime restraining order for our safety. But at the time? It was just my word against his—and he knew exactly how to manipulate the system.

That season broke me open.
It forced me to reckon with what it meant to lead myself even when I felt completely out of control.

It made me ask:
How do I stay grounded when everything around me feels like chaos?
How do I respond instead of react, even when the injustice is real?

That’s how the A.C.T Framework was born. Not from a leadership book or a mindset podcast—but from real life, real trauma, and the deep desire to reclaim my power and protect my peace.

The ACT Framework:

A – Acknowledge the Trigger
You can’t change what you don’t see.
This step is about awareness—noticing when you’re triggered, when you're spiraling, when you’re reacting instead of responding.

We ask:

• “What just triggered me?”

• “What story am I starting to tell myself?”

• “Do I want to stay in this energy—or shift it?”

C – Choose Who You Want to Be
This is the game changer.
It’s the moment you pause and ask:
“If I was being the best version of myself right now, how would I be being?”

Even in the hospital, even in the face of manipulation—I learned how to shift into the version of me who was calm, strategic, grounded. Not because I didn’t feel the rage and fear—but because I knew who I wanted to be.

T – Tell a New Story
What you believe about your life becomes your life.

You get to decide:
❌ “Why does this always happen to me?”
✅ “This is developing me into someone stronger.”

❌ “No one believes me.”
✅ “The truth always rises—and I will be ready when it does.”

So many women I work with feel like they’re stuck in reaction mode—especially when life throws the hardest stuff at them. The A.C.T Framework doesn’t ignore the pain or pretend things aren’t unfair. It gives you a way to stand in your truth without letting other people steal your voice or your peace.

Power isn't something outside of you. It's something you activate—in the middle of the storm.

Your story isn't over. And you are not powerless.

Grab my short free guide and start your next A.C.T HERE.

Let this be your first A.C.T of choosing yourself again.