I'm the only person in my family to go to grad school and become an entrepreneur. I often feel guilty for 'making it.'

"I was lying under a cabana in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, working on my computer. My two children were playing in the sand 10 feet away from me. It was at that moment that I realized that I had "made it." An overwhelming sense of pride swelled inside me, but almost immediately, it was followed by guilt. I was proud of everything that I had accomplished, but I felt guilty about surpassing my family."

"Growing up as a first-generation American and as a daughter of an educator, college was a requirement. I started with an associate degree, but when I completed my master's degree as a salutatorian, I felt a deeper sense of achievement. Even while in school, I had an entrepreneurial spirit. I started a tutoring company, which laid the groundwork for what was to come next. After graduation, I founded Infusion Enterprises, a marketing agency, and today, I'm running a tech startup called 4kiddos."

The narrator realized she had "made it" while on vacation, feeling pride immediately followed by guilt for surpassing her family. She grew up as a first-generation American, the daughter of an educator and a hospital tech, and progressed from an associate degree to a master's degree earned as salutatorian. She started a tutoring company during school, founded Infusion Enterprises, and now runs a tech startup called 4kiddos. Every milestone was achieved through trial and error without a blueprint or generational wealth. She feels the invisible responsibility of being first, worries about leaving family behind, and is trying to let go of guilt and break the cycle.

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