Victoria Tyler

I worked through the self-consciousness and constant self-doubt of my 20s, soldiered through the struggles that came with motherhood in my 30s, and now I’m confident, wise, and ready for new challenges in my 40s. I look at women in their 20s and 30s and I just want to tell them, “Hold on! It gets better!” I am using this newfound confidence to follow my dream of being a songwriter. It is scary to take a chance on a new career at my age, but it's also liberating.

It took many years to realize that my mood is greatly affected by my physical health. For my mind and emotions to be strong and balanced, I have to have a strong body. So I start with exercise, eating well, and limiting alcohol. For exercise, I do weight training three times a week with personal trainers. I love weight training because it builds muscles that work for us all the time; I want to start a podcast and tell women that they don't have to run for hours on a treadmill to get in shape!

I would use it to lower my debt from graduate school; I have a master’s degree from Harvard that I worked on for 4 years while supporting my family as an academic tutor. As a single mother, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but also the accomplishment of which I am most proud. I would also use the money to kickstart my music career. This would leave me with more time to spend with my kids, who are 14 and 17, before they both go off to college.