Thankful for the Beautiful Kind of Crazy

This morning I came across a quote that said many successful people hold a small amount of delusion, the kind that lets them believe they can figure things out long before anyone else sees the path. It made me pause because it carried the same spirit my three daughters brought into our home during one of the hardest chapters of our lives.

There was a season when our house was filled with both grief and determination. Their father had passed away from cancer, and the four of us were trying to find our way forward. In the middle of that heartbreak, the girls would stand together and sing “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten with a mix of confidence, innocence, and a kind of joyful chaos that only siblings can create. Their little voices filled the room with emotion that was bigger than their bodies. It was powerful and tender and unforgettable.

One of my daughters always added her own kind of crazy to those moments, which is why the video I am sharing with this post means so much to me. She sang with full personality and full spirit, turning an ordinary moment into something wild and beautiful. The other two lifted their voices right alongside her, each bringing their own style, their own courage, and their own spark. Together they were messy and joyful and determined. That little trio, standing shoulder to shoulder, reminded me that strength takes many shapes.

Those memories carried me into the years when I took my first leap as a founder. When I mortgaged my home to build something from nothing, I kept the image of those three small girls singing in my mind. Their courage had come from a place of love and loss that we had all lived through, and it taught me that courage does not need to be quiet or composed. It can be loud. It can be imperfect. It can hold fear and hope in the same breath.

Now they are grown. My oldest is a mother herself, which still amazes me when I watch her hold her own child with the same tenderness I once held her. My middle daughter continues to bring her boldness and humor into every room she enters. My youngest still carries that spark of joyful unpredictability that once turned our kitchen into a stage. They are three extraordinary women who shaped the leader I became.

I feel that same intensity now as I build Illuminate XR. The work is demanding, the mission is ambitious, and the purpose guides every decision. My children see a version of me that continues to grow, stretch, and push forward. They watched me build once before, and now they watch me build again with a new level of clarity and resilience. I hope they see that the spirit they brought into our home years ago still fuels everything I do.

My days are filled with global conversations that connect me to people in Mexico, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Chicago, Connecticut, San Diego, and soon Singapore. These moments remind me how far the journey has taken us. They also remind me that my girls taught me to stay open, curious, and brave long before IXR existed.

This work shines because of the team around me. My Co-Founders and our experienced group bring heart, purpose, and unwavering belief in human centered immersive education. They align with the mission in a way that feels both grounding and energizing. When I imagine the lessons I want my children to see in my journey, this is one of them. Surround yourself with people who honor the mission and lift the work.

Throughout this week I heard questions that made me reflect. People asked where we have been and why our work is not already everywhere. Others said IXR feels like the future of education and that our approach opens new possibilities. These conversations validate the vision we are pursuing and remind me why all of this matters.

As I share this message, I am including the video of my three young girls singing “Fight Song” with the kind of beautiful chaos only siblings can create. The clip is joyful and raw and filled with everything we were trying to hold together. That moment captured the heart of our family. It captured who they were and who we were becoming.

Success is never guaranteed. What is guaranteed is the chance to grow, the chance to create, and the chance to build something meaningful with the people you love at your side. My daughters taught me that long before I taught it to anyone else. Their spirit sits in everything I build, and their courage continues to guide me into what comes next.

I am grateful for every step of this journey. I am grateful for the beautiful kind of crazy that shaped us then and carries us now.