My understanding of entrepreneurship started with my family.

My father was an immigrant plumber, the youngest of five children, who built a successful business through hard work, relationships and a reputation people could trust. My grandmother couldn’t read or write English, yet she acquired five brownstones in Brooklyn without her husband knowing. Her determination and business instincts changed the entire trajectory of our family.

I grew up seeing what ownership could make possible. I also learned that each generation has to decide what comes next. My brother chose to build something of his own rather than take over my father’s plumbing business. That choice stayed with me: How do you honor what your family built while creating an identity and a future of your own?

My path was marketing. My career has taken me from work with major brands such as Sears and Miller Genuine Draft to helping businesses including Windowrama and H2Pro+ navigate growth and change. Along the way, I’ve helped small business owners tell their stories, earn customer loyalty and compete in an increasingly complex marketplace.

My superpower is seeing what a business needs quickly. When I sit down with an owner, look at their sales and understand how they do business, I can connect the dots between what’s holding them back and what will help them grow. From the customer journey and AI automations to e-commerce, influencers and selling products and services, I turn those insights into a practical path forward.

On Long Island, relationships and reputation run deep. For the next generation, the challenge is often earning your own place while honoring the people and relationships that helped build the business.

Today, my own daughter works alongside me. The questions of legacy, independence and opportunity are part of my life, too.

I’m creating Second Gen Networking to bring owners together for honest conversations, useful connections and shared learning about what comes next.

Lasting brands and generational businesses require a long view: knowing what to preserve, having the courage to evolve and giving the next generation room to make its mark.