I never planned on becoming a skincare founder. Years ago, my mom was visiting me from Nebraska. We were standing in my bathroom talking, (Let me clarify, its Vegas bathrooms are as big as an apartment in Los Angeles), just sharing one of those ordinary moments that daughters and mothers share every day. I dropped something behind me. Instead of turning around to pick it up, I twisted into an awkward yoga pose and reached backward. As I did, I caught a glimpse of the back of my left calf. There was something there. It looked strange. Part of it was bleeding. Part of it wasn't. It didn't look right, but it also didn't seem urgent. I remember thinking, "When Mom leaves in a few days, I'll go have a dermatologist look at it." A few days later, the appointment came around, and I almost canceled. I told myself I was overreacting. I was alone in my large Las Vegas home that day when something happened that I still struggle to explain. Standing upstairs, I suddenly felt what seemed like hands pressing on my shoulders. There was nobody there. Call it intuition. Call it fate. Call it whatever you want. But I went to that appointment. Within days, I was in surgery. The melanoma on the back of my leg was far more serious than I ever imagined. The surgeons removed tissue all the way around the site and deep into my leg. The next day I was sitting in an oncologist's office. And when you hear the word oncologist, your world changes. Had I ignored it, I wouldn't be here today telling this story. Years later, after earning my degree in Environmental Science, and Conservation, I created SIOL Skincare. Not because the world needed another beauty brand, but because I understand what it is like to be given another chance. Every scar tells a story. Mine reminds me every day, that I am still here.
The Day That Changed Everything
