I've been known to call myself a Kitchen Goddess, Maven and Sustainable Lifestyle Advocate. I have a passion for pure and fresh foods, health, beauty, fashion & style and spiritual living.

A Master of Business Administration degree in management/marketing from Rutgers University and a coach training certification from the renowned CoachU, complement my business experience in marketing, corporate strategy and program management. I also like say that I'm not just a product of business school; I'm the product of life's school and its many lessons. Which leads me to my background...

I was born in Neckarsulm, Germany to a German mother and American father. I lived for 7 years in the US during my early childhood years, but spent the majority of my youth and teenage years living in Germany with my mother. (And, yes, I'm bilingual - I get that question all the time...)

Upon graduating from high school in Germany, I moved to the US to attend college and live with my father's family. I quickly became entrenched into the American way of life. I had especially taken a great liking to American junk food, which helped feed a lot of my life's discontent. My last year at college I lost the weight and became very entrenched in self-help books, alternative health modalities and just plain looking for answers. I would also say that I succumbed to the battle with the continued life struggles, constant self-evaluation, and chronic discontentment that is plaguing many American women. I had my ups and downs. I struggled personally and professionally to actualize my uniqueness. My experience in traditional business has frequently required me to compete with others and diminish what I truly wanted in life, leaving me with a bad taste, but a renewed commitment to making a difference. I am crystal clear that every woman is unique and deserves to live a life that reflects her essence and passions.

So, with these life's learning lessons, both my personal and professional passions, have evolved over several years with a number of different variations. For most of my life, I've lived inside my head instead of just "being". I've been fearful to actually succeed. At one point, I decided to just start faking it until I make it. However, I also realized that change starts on the inside by feeling good about yourself, which then reflects on the outside through natural and intuitive actions, contrary to what a lot of the goal-setting books say. Life is all about saying: "I am so ready to be, act and live."

For me, I have finally planted my European roots in American soil. I realize that I'm fortunate to have had a European upbringing to give me the skills for asserting my outer and inner beauty. Over time, these skills have become further fortified by my American roots, which provide drive, ambition and the possibilities to create dreams. I am so impacted by this learning that I have to share it with other women.

I'm also very fortunate to be married to a man who helps me accomplish my dreams, and to be a stepmother to two great teenagers. All three of them are great guinea pigs for my kitchen creations and remind me of the importance of eating together as a family.

So, with that you can tell that my degrees do not necessarily relate to my passions, but come from years of learning, experimenting and reading. I consider myself a Joyful Living Advocate and want to share my simple secrets for living naturally and joyfully with you.