From Lake Providence to the World: Lessons from a Country Girl

I grew up in Lake Providence, Louisiana—a small town tucked away in East Carroll Parish. At one point, based on data from the 1990 Census, the area surrounding my hometown was identified as one of the poorest places in America. But as a child, I didn't know statistics. I didn't know rankings. I didn't know what life looked like in larger cities because I had never seen them.

What I knew was home.

I knew the beauty of Lake Providence stretching out before me, where you could stand on one side and look across to the other. There was something peaceful about looking across the lake that shared the same name as the town I called home. I knew the excitement of our family moving from the "in-town" side to across the lake. I knew what it meant to belong to a community where people knew your name, knew your parents, and checked on your grandparents.

I knew Southern hospitality before I knew the phrase.

Some of my fondest memories revolve around my dad. He grew up on farmland, and we spent countless hours outside. I can still remember running up and down the levee, hopping over cow manure as if it were an obstacle course designed just for me. Entertainment didn't come with a price tag. We made memories from what we had.

I remember my dad planting a garden and teaching us that if you wanted something to grow, you had to put in the work. We would load up a wheelbarrow and collect cow manure from the levee to fertilize whatever he was growing. It wasn't glamorous, but it taught me something that has stayed with me throughout my life: growth requires effort, patience, and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

Looking back, my childhood wasn't perfect. There were good moments, difficult moments, and moments that simply were what they were. But every single one of those experiences helped shape me into the woman I am today.

The military introduced me to the world beyond Lake Providence. I traveled places I never imagined I would see. I met people from every walk of life. I learned how vast this world truly is.

Yet, despite all of that, some of my greatest lessons came from that small town in northeast Louisiana.

Lake Providence taught me the value of community. It taught me to greet people with warmth and curiosity. It taught me that you don't meet strangers for long because someone will ask about your family, remember your story, and celebrate your victories. That sense of connection became part of who I am.

It's why I lead the way I do.

It's why I mentor.

It's why I genuinely want to know how people are doing when I ask.

It's why I strive to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

Those lessons didn't come from a textbook. They came from porches and church pews, from neighbors and family gatherings, from levees and gardens, from a little town that gave me roots before life gave me wings.

I have traveled the world, served in the military, raised children, built a business, and become a leader. But at my core, I am still that country girl from Lake Providence, Louisiana.

And truthfully?

I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.

Because Lake Providence didn't just tell me where I came from.

It helped shape where I was going all along.

So, I'll leave you with this question:

Where are your roots, and what lessons from where you grew up still guide the person you are today?

I'd love to hear your story.