From Barefoot To Stilettos

One woman recounts her rags-to-riches journey.

Pizano grew up poor in a tough South Side Chicago neighborhood, and eventually became an unhappy trophy wife before becoming a confident, self-sufficient woman with her own entertainment company. Her early years were spent surrounded by strong, loving family members who taught her to always try to find her “yes” in whatever she wanted to pursue. Her first lesson, she says, came after hearing her mother speak of sexual molestation she endured as a child—an event that eventually prompted her mother to start a nonprofit to help missing and abused children. Pizano’s mother told her that when something bad happens, one has two choices: play the victim, or do something about it. During her nomadic life with her mother, Pizano had her own share of challenges, including a very serious motorcycle accident that derailed her plan to become a model in California. It set her on a path to the financial industry and the man she would eventually marry. However, she says, she found that her husband’s family expressed little love or empathy—a burden that she had to bear in her own marriage. She relates how she fought to keep her sense of self as she became an isolated woman—a situation that only worsened with a move to Memphis. Using the stiletto as a metaphor for finding one’s voice, courage, and perseverance through tough, emotional times, Pizano effectively writes of her difficult life in this memoir. She recounts her journey in a straightforward manner throughout, and readers who have been through similar situations, such as a difficult divorce or sharing custody, may find her story relatable. Some of the sections in this book read more like diary entries, such as late chapters regarding her business dealings. Overall, however, it’s an intriguing, motivational memoir that may assist others as they attempt to regain their own power.

A personal story about traveling a long road to empowerment and self-sufficiency.