I was lying on my Brooklyn apartment floor, my 6-month-old son in his bouncer next to me staring at the ceiling and babbling happily while my own silent tears flowed in heavy contrast.
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How had I gone from winning a Gracie Award & a much needed parity salary bump to being fired right before Christmas, all in the same year?

Let me take you back to that moment in 2016 when everything fell apart… and how sharing that story changed everything.

Just months earlier, I’d been on stage in LA, accepting a Gracie Award (think: Emmys for women in media). I was 3 weeks postpartum, wrapped in what felt like 7,865 lbs of Spanx, desperately trying not to leak milk and for sure conscious that I could probably balance my entire place sitting on my chest.

But I didn’t care – I’d FINALLY made it at NBC’s TODAY Show.

Then came the call that would change everything.

A hot media startup wanted me.

They promised the world (and actually offered to PAY for it – my media people know how rare that is).

My boss at NBC even told me to “get out of here and come back as his boss.”

So I did what any ambitious young mom would do.

I left my dream job at TODAY… for what I thought was an even bigger dream.

Except that dream turned into a nightmare. Fast.
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100 days later, I was fired. Right before Christmas.

They tried to silence me with an NDA. I refused to sign.

I will spare you all the details but in those early months with my second son I was about as depressed as one could get while still dealing with postpartum hormones.

A new second baby, NYC rent breathing down my neck, and my self-worth completely shattered. (I KNOW you can relate to this story as so many women have experienced their own)

Here’s the part I kept secret for YEARS…

I didn’t start my video business because of some “burning passion” or brilliant idea.

I started because I was too broken to interview for “real jobs.”

I took video freelance gigs in February 2017 purely out of financial desperation.

For three years, I told everyone I’d LEFT that startup to pursue entrepreneurship. (That was a lie.)

The shame of that failure felt too heavy to carry, let alone share.

I’d smile through networking events, dodging questions about “that startup job,” while inside I was still that woman on the floor, wondering what went wrong.

But then on January 6th, 2020 something in me shifted.

I was so tired of hiding the real story.

I posted my real story on Instagram.

No strategy.
No business angle.

At this point I was not running online classes, workshops or making money online.
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I just NEEDED to get the real story out. I didn’t even really understand why but felt it deep in my bones.
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The response to this post? Overwhelming.
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My DMs flooded with messages from others sharing their professional war stories.

Stories they’d never told anyone.
Stories of failure that led to unexpected success.
Stories that needed to be told.
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Our hardest stories are often our most powerful.
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This realization transformed my entire business.
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I went from running a video production company to becoming obsessed with helping others tell their stories.

Because I realized – every entrepreneur has a story they’re afraid to tell. A story that could be their biggest business asset.

That’s exactly why I created Founder’s Fire.
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​Because right now, you are probably sitting on your own powerful story.

Maybe it’s a failure that taught you everything.
A pivot that changed your life.
A struggle that became your superpower.

But here’s what I know: Your audience needs to hear that story. Not the polished version. The real one.
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And to be frank, you need to tell that story for yourself.
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In Founder’s Fire, I’ll help you:

• Uncover the stories you’ve been afraid to tell & what parts you should share…and what you should keep to yourself.
• Transform your biggest challenges into your most powerful content.
• Build genuine connections through your own stories that drive real business growth or industry recognition.
• Package your journey into compelling videos that attract your ideal clients.

​If you’re thinking about applying to Founders Fire, but you’re still unsure, I get it. I’ve been there, too.

I do ONE big program a year for my business so I understand the time and financial considerations you have to make.

Ask yourself:

• What stories are you hiding that could connect deeply with your audience?
• How many opportunities are you missing by not sharing your full journey?
• What would change in your business if you could turn your experiences into powerful content?

If you’re ready to transform your story into your biggest business asset, apply for Founder’s Fire now.

Because your story matters more than you know.

Reminder… if you apply by Sunday and it’s a great fit you’ll get:

• A VIP Storytelling Strategy Session with me, to be used before we kick off in may OR during the writing phase of the program (where you will want this…trust me it’s my 6th cohort so I know!)

XO,
Patrice