How many times as a child where you told to “Be quiet”, “Stop making all of that noise”, “Get somewhere and sit down”, or “Don’t do that”. The list goes on and on, but you get the point. I believe the moments of being a child are the moments where we express our authentic selves. More times than not this authenticity is ridiculed out of us, thus creating a psychological contract with others on how to behave. Marching in harmony to the beat of someone else’s drum, we turn down our own beat and abandon the very thing we were born to do….be ourselves.  

Story Time

In 2012, I saw an Instagram post that stated, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” -Unknown. I remember exactly where I was when I read the quote, and the resonation was deep. I thought to myself “I’d do a lot of things”. Then, I dared myself to do the things that frighten me. Accepting the dare, I auditioned for a musical and secured one of the leading roles. I had a six-month-old and was married, so I was also on a mission not to lose who I thought I was in the mix of life. After the musical ended there was a fire inside of me that I wouldn’t be able to describe until several years later. In the interim, I did more musicals and plays. As the fire continued to burn, I ventured to writing country lyrics in 2013 and 2014. Acting inspired me to do more of the things that fueled the fire inside. If you don’t know by now, I love country music, and the lyrics just poured out of me. Side Note: I was in a singing group in middle school through high school, so I’ve always loved music in general.

For some reason, I could NOT stop writing country lyrics. Because I didn’t know how to play guitar at the time, I recruited friends that played to help me put music with the lyrics. I also had this bright idea of pitching my songs to record labels. As I researched, I quickly realized the best way for me to pitch a song was via a pitching company/association. Most pitching companies required an annual membership, for a fee, and provided opportunities for songs to be heard by music publishers/labels. Being a member of a pitching company was a safe way to advertise new music for all parties involved.

After I found a pitching company I wanted to join, I phoned a friend to tell her of the good news. This friend was a trusted source, and someone I felt safe sharing my dreams and aspirations with. I knew she wouldn’t mock me or say anything to extinguish the fire I had fueled. She and I met for lunch, and I shared with her what I’d been up to. I told her everything…. the songwriting, the pitching company, and how I also wanted to eventually visit Nashville, TN. Without pause, she asked “What’s the cost of the membership for the pitching company?”. I replied, “Two hundred fifty dollars.”. She immediately reached in her purse and wrote a check for the amount. She told me that she wanted to be the first person to invest in my dream. She also expressed to me that the check was a gift and not to worry about paying her back, but to go and do! Tears blurred my vision. I was overwhelmed as I didn’t meet with her for money; I met with her to say that I was finally going to pursue a dream that I had been so afraid to acknowledge.

I joined the pitching company and got an amazing opportunity to co-write a song with a songwriter who’s had a number one song on the US Country Songs Billboard. It was an amazing experience! I recorded several songs, most at home and one in a studio. Eventually, life called. After a couple of years of pitching my songs, I answered the call of life and put my music on a shelf.

The fire dimmed and I focused on being the best I could be for my young family. Life seemed to stampede along, and in 2016, my friend passed away. That’s a blog post for another time. I instantly knew I wanted to honor not only her friendship, but also her generous heart. I knew I wanted to have a scholarship in her honor but, had no idea what that looked like.

Today, I am proud to share TenDale, Inc. with you. TenDale is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization focused on providing resources to micro-businesses owned by women, as well as women who are interested in entrepreneurship. As my friend invested in me without hesitation, her generosity will live on through TenDale. We want you to know that we believe in you and your dreams. No, my music didn’t take off but look at what it did do!!!! I now know that fire I felt sent a smoke signal for me to turn up the volume and march to the beat of my own drum! #YouCantStopTheBeat

Lastly, months before my friend left this earth, she gave me some literature about great friendships. On the very back was the statement “We’re great together”. Look at us being great!!

TenDale, We’re great together!

For more information about TenDale, Inc. visit and follow our Instagram page @tendaleinc.