Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

Growing up my mom worked multiple jobs to keep our family of 6 fed. I wanted to have a different life and very young I started learning how to make money on my own to afford the toys or games I wanted. She encouraged me to keep going and eventually started down her own entrepreneurial path becoming a massage therapist and small business owner. Watching her take us from a 1 bedroom apartment to buying a house in the suburbs encouraged me even further to never give up.

How do you stay motivated?

I watch my mom and think about how she worked to ensure I had the life she wanted for me. I want that for my children too. I think of my unborn son and his future siblings. I want them to have time with me while they are young. Time I didn't have with my mom until I was a teen because of how many hours at low wage jobs to make sure we had the necessities. In addition, being a business owner has always been my dream and passion. My love for entrepreneurship and creating also keeps me going.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest it into my small business Aryx Cosmetics LLC. Primarily into social media and email marketing, running ads, product development and ingredients, getting all legal things in order including trademarks, website optimization, and overall scaling my business and preparing it for my maternity leave.