Grew up in a trailer and was embarrassed to use food stamps. Now I own a $13 million company.

Erika Sinner, founder of Directorie, describes how her upbringing shaped her career path and later business decisions. She says she grew up in a trailer and felt ashamed to use food stamps, which left her feeling “unworthy.” To cope, she became a people pleaser. At 18, she took a hotel receptionist job in St. Louis, working around a 24/7 schedule, then moved to a receptionist role at a pharmaceutical company with set hours so she could study. She claims she assembled a mock school portfolio to impress a marketing VP, leading to a marketing opening despite lacking the required degree. After seeing frequent layoffs in the industry, she started her own marketing firm, now valued at $13 million after eight years.