Stephanie JirochSpeaker and Booking Agent Information

I've been the focus of what you think is best for you. My ambitions and desires were unimportant in the grand scheme of things when it came to the family's reputation. Then the unimaginable occurred. I lost virtually every single family member that mattered to me in less than ten years.

For the first time in my life, I was able to make choices that were in my best interests. I had the freedom to choose where I lived, how I lived, who I loved, how I made money, and even what my favorite color was (it's pink, in case you couldn't tell).

Don't get me wrong: my family was just as welcoming, giving, and loving as any other. They cared about people, donated to organizations, and laughed over handmade apple pie.

But their views meant the world to me, and in the end, they were guiding me down a path that would have taken me farther and further away from my aspirations if I hadn't stopped.

I wouldn't wish the deaths of close family members on anybody, but the silver lining in the midst of the storms was my own personality, its growth, and the courage to pursue ambitions that were formerly considered impossible.

I've visited over 13 countries and lived in three; I've studied Mandarin, French, and Spanish; I've become my own boss; I've dated guys ranging from cooks to CEOs, bartenders to doctors; and I've lived, laughed, and adored with my own conditions.

I may not write for Cosmo (yet), and I am not a professional couples counselor, but I understand what it's like to be in love, heartbroken, the heartbreaker, single, coupled-up, healthy, ill, overweight, underweight, and anxious. I am a lover, a friend, and a writer.

I've traveled the globe, been engaged (and unengaged), had nervous breakdowns, and dated some of the most fascinating guys on the planet.