b'VICTORIA CARTERWEICHERT, REALTORS505 Millburn Avenue, Short Hills973.220.3050 | victoriacarter.comB eing a real estate agent was not on my radar when I started out. After graduate school, I managed the vast food services depart-ment at the New York City Department of Corrections followed by a career at Saks Fifth Avenue, where I juggled multi-million-dollar budgets, traveled widely, and negotiated large contracts as VP of store operations. But once I started a family, I needed something more local and flexible. So, 24 years ago, I turned to real estate and professional-ized a job that was often part-time and rarely done by someone with a corporate background. My business sense, honed by years of hard work, provided me with the skill set to build a successful team in a highly com-petitive real estate market.LULU FRENCHROCKET IMPROVMaplewood973.910.2050 | rocketimprovcomedy.comW hen I was 6 years old, I was put front and center at my bal-let recital and found I loved the stage lights. That set me on a path to become a performer and I worked professionally into my 20s. When I started losing my motivation to audition, it was an improv class that changed my outlook. Improv challenged and fed me so much more than performing from a script. Once I met my hus-band, we started performing and teaching together and eventually moved to Maplewood. By 2018, I decided to open my own perform-ing arts school to teach children comedic improvisation right in my back yard. We also perform at birthday parties and corporate events. I love having my own business; it lets me create my own opportunities rather than rely on others to give me work.HELEN BIRNEYCULTIVATE HEALTH COACHINGMaplewood917.543.2732 | cultivatehealthcoaching.comIand video production followed by seven years in elemen-had no plans for a career in health and wellness. Instead, I pursued media tary education. It took a few breaking points in my personal lifeunhealthy dieting, drug and alcohol usebefore I went on a healing journey. During the course of a decade, I looked at myself as a whole person, and layer by layer dropped the habits that were harming me and embraced a new way of being, using mindset, nutrition, and exercise. This so transformed my life that I trained for several certifications and started my own company, taking the components of my journey that were helpful and bringing them to women in one-on-one and group settings. I want women to be proud of the person they see in the mirror.my career story /25'