I was a successful and single television marketing executive in New York City when my life changed forever. One afternoon while sitting alone in my living room, I heard my inner voice quietly, yet clearly, ask me: “If this is the next thirty years of your life, is this enough?”

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I was stunned. And in a millisecond I knew what was missing - children.

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I decided to visit an emergency shelter for children who had been abandoned and abused. I started reading to them in the evenings, and one night after story time, I followed the staff to the “bedroom.” The children slowly climbed onto couches and futons. Some were crying as the caregivers tried to comfort them. There were no hugs from moms or dads, no snacks or whispers or prayers. There was no changing of their clothes from the tight or soiled clothing they arrived in. I knew this was not at all how bedtime was supposed to be for a child and the words that tumbled out of my mouth were, “Can I bring the children pajamas?”

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The next week after I read their stories, I gave each child a brand-new pair of pajamas. One little girl, about six years old, refused to take a pair of pink PJs from me. Her hair hung in lopsided pigtails, she wore a stained top and a pair of too-short lavender pants, and extra-large sneakers flopped as she walked. She watched me for a long time, and when I finished with the others, I tried again to give her the pink pair. She again shook her head. I knelt down and whispered, “See how soft these pajamas are? Go ahead and feel them,” I said to her. “You can keep them always.” And as she gingerly brushed her hand gently across a sleeve, she asked me the question that rocked my world. Her question and the life and leadership lessons I learned from that moment, are what I now share in my presentations..

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I took a leap of faith, left my life as I knew it, and Pajama Program was born. Going from corporate executive to nonprofit founder wasn’t easy, but after much fear and doubt, thousands of sleepless nights, and tears that could fill the Atlantic, I overcame challenges I thought would ruin everything. I met each turn with faith, determination, and moxie. I found my purpose, and a chain of events, set in motion by a little girl, is creating a legacy we can only attribute to the magic of the human connection.