When did you realize you were getting your "big break" at work?
"I spent almost ten years as a local news reporter and anchor in San Francisco, and in my hometown of Indianapolis. We're talking 4 a.m. call times and 16-hour days. I did a lot of feature stories — everything from food to fashion, but I gravitated toward entertainment. I would sit in my living room watching Live from the Red Carpet on E!, and think to myself: ‘I could do that. I could do that very well.’ Although my job in broadcasting was lucrative and enjoyable, I had a severe itch to get to Hollywood. I asked my agent in NYC to set up some meetings in L.A. A few months later, I found myself auditioning as host for The Daily 10. Here I was, a mom of two from Indiana, the only mother, nearly the only brunette, and one of the few without fake boobs at the cattle call audition. A couple of callbacks and six weeks later, and the girl from the Heartland was packing for Hollywood!"

H&M Top, Shorts, and Black Bracelet, Celine Shoes, Henri Bendel Silver Bracelet, Oliver Peoples Sunglasses, Tacori Wedding Ring.

Photographed by Molly Cranna