Table Of ContentDedication
To my mom and dad, for teaching me
what’s worth fighting for.
To Brandon, for loving me through it all.
And to Glenn Beck, I forgive you.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
Chapter 1: Standing your ground will never fail you.
Chapter 2: I don’t want people to think like me. I just want people to
think.
Chapter 3: You don’t have to be a jerk about it.
Chapter 4: Nobody cares. Work harder.
Chapter 5: “Like” yourself.
Chapter 6: Be a voice for the voiceless.
Chapter 7: Before you ask yourself why some people hate you, ask
yourself why you give a damn.
Chapter 8: Set your price tag.
Chapter 9: You are enough.
Chapter 10: Trust God’s plan.
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
Introduction
Life begins when you live outside your comfort zone.
You may know me from the world of politics, sound bites, and hot takes,
but you don’t really know me. Yes, you know who I voted for, who I work
for, and where I stand on the issues. But you don’t know my values, why I
am the way that I am, where I come from, and the Tomi behind the “Final
Thoughts.” I want you to know who I am because I’m probably a lot like
you. There is so much that makes me me, and they’re probably many of the
same things that make you you. I don’t want to be your idol, but I would
like to be your inspiration, if you’ll let me, because I feel that I have stories
that are a probably a lot like yours and that maybe you can learn from my
mistakes and my grit. Most of us will experience that defining moment (or
two or three), where you truly don’t know what’s next, but you have to
move forward regardless. After all, very few people go from perfect job to
perfect job or perfect relationship to perfect relationship. I’ve been there,
done that, and learned a lot by coming out the other side, stronger than ever.
And that is the point of this book.
I want to share all of that and many of the things that I’ve gone through
in the hopes that they can help you, too. Why am I so certain that my life
applies to yours? Because I’m just an average girl from South Dakota from
a blue-collar family. I wasn’t homecoming queen, a cheerleader, or an
athlete. Not even close! I wasn’t part of the popular crowd. However, I was
lucky enough to be raised by two of the hardest-working people I know. My
parents never complained and showed me how to work hard, aim high, and
never take shit from anyone. The way they raised me gave me the courage
to be fearless, and if not for their example I wouldn’t have the strength to
stand up for myself. I was taught to question everything and never think
that something was true just because someone said it was. I didn’t get where
I am in my twenties by sitting back and shutting up. I’ve been fired, sued,
dropped, disinvited, heckled, laughed at, slandered, betrayed, and dumped.
But that didn’t break me. I make it work no matter what life throws at me. I
smash those curveballs. And I want to help you do the same. I want you to
feel empowered so that you can do whatever you set your mind to.
I don’t fit in any mold. I don’t look like the rest of the people on TV. I
have long, blond hair, two tattoos, and a nose ring and I’m on Fox News. I
have a boyfriend and, on the weekends, we go out and drink with my
friends. I love God, rap music, and reality TV. (My favorite show in high
school was The Girls Next Door, about three Playboy playmates who were
all dating Hugh Hefner and walking around his mansion half-naked.) In
other words, I’m not your average conservative chick. I don’t read the
playbook, I call the plays, and I don’t care what people label me because I
can’t be put in a box. I don’t play for safety; I play for honesty, and I’m
fearless.
My mom tells people I was born “this way,” but I beg to differ. Of
course, I would not be where I am today, personally and professionally, if it
weren’t for my parents, all they have done and the sacrifices they made for
me. My parents loved and believed in me. They are the reason why I won’t
settle for mediocre. They drove the crappiest cars for decades. They skipped
vacations and never renovated their house. Sometimes they worked two
jobs and yet they never complained. They didn’t baby me and, no matter
how young I was, they didn’t protect me from tough stuff—like alcoholism
in our family and money problems. They didn’t tell me I was above anyone
or that I was the best; they motivated and inspired me to work hard to
become my best. My family didn’t have a lot of money, so when I went to
the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or UNLV, many of my mom’s friends
and family questioned why she’d let me go to an out-of-state school when I
could go to a local college where the tuition was a lot less. She took so
much crap for that, but she had faith in me. She knew how much I’d get out
of it and she was right. I promised my parents when I was a little girl that
someday I would pay them back for all they’ve done for me. At age twenty-
six, I am blessed to start fulfilling that promise. They are so proud and
humble that they still try to pay for our family dinners. I literally have to
wrestle the bill out of my mom’s hand. Truth is, I could pay for every
dinner, vacation, or luxury item for the rest of their lives and still fall short.
I am where I am because they stood back and let me spread my wings and
open my big mouth.
