Tori has been a go-getter since birth. Growing up she was more of a tom boy than a girly girl, always camping, fishing, or playing basketball with her brother. With her competitive mindset growing up, she went on to set her high school's all-time 3-point record her senior year. Before graduating high school, Tori had traveled to 48 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces all in an RV with her family. Once she graduated and moved on to The University of Iowa, she decided to take a leap of faith and compete for her first pageant, Miss Iowa Teen USA.

After graduating from college with her degree in Entrepreneurial Management, Tori moved to St. Louis, MO. She took a job as a commercial sales manager for a flooring distribution company. Say what? Yep, you read that correctly. With her business background, Tori was able to excel in her role, as she pursued her new passion on the side -- pageantry. Tori became obsessed with the dream of someday competing at Miss USA, so she signed up and competed for Miss Missouri USA.

With the next Miss Missouri pageant quickly approaching, Tori packed her bags and left LA for good. Her time out West learning and growing paid off, as she won the Miss Missouri USA crown on her sixth overall attempt! All of the "noes" were finally worth it. Persistence wears down resistance. Tori went on to represent Missouri at the Miss USA competition later that year. During her year as a titleholder, Tori discovered her love for speaking on stages and empowering others through her challenges and breakthrough moments. She made it her mission to speak throughout the nation on her platform, “1st ManUp,” a movement educating young men on the prevention of sexual assault and harassment by means of respecting women. Tori was featured on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, INSIDER, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. In a once in a lifetime opportunity, Tori walked in New York Fashion Week that same year. Everything felt like it was finally coming together.

With her lifelong entrepreneurial spirit burning hot, Tori launched her speaking and coaching business, Highlights ‘n Heels. Her goal was simple at the time: empower all women to feel capable and confident in their dreams! In 2019, Tori booked her biggest speaking engagement up to that point. She gave a motivational keynote to 2,000 individuals near St. Louis, MO. Tori also served as an influencer at Rachel Hollis’s first-ever “Rise Business Conference” that same year. Tori’s adventurous side continued to shine through as she also left the Midwest and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 2019. During a year of so much excitement, it would be unfair not to share the realness of 2019 simultaneously being a time of extreme heartbreak, healing, and finding "Tori" again after experiencing relationship trauma. 

At 30 years old, Tori is just getting started helping elevate womens’ lives. From speaking at business conferences to helping women discover their authentic voice, Tori is on fire to help women believe in their greatest potential. This year, she has further expanded her public speaking into the hosting arena. Tori served as a red carpet host at the most recent Global Beauty Awards. In addition, she has launched "The Unexpected Women's Academy,” an exclusive community dedicated to empowering women to live an unexpected life and become confident in who they are created to be. Tori is ready for the future and excited for all the untapped potential that lies within all of us.