she`s so skirt!

Anne Byrd / Motivator

Rule followers take note: Anne earned her MBA from George Mason University without an undergraduate degree. “I had ten years of business experience, so I said a little prayer and asked the dean to give me a chance.” When she didn’t hear “No,” Anne seized her opportunity. A single mom, she entered GMU’s two-year program as her son entered kindergarten, squeezing classes and homework into her full-time work schedule for Sallie Mae. Now a founding partner of Hallstead Inc., a local leadership development company, Anne teaches business school classes at Mary Washington University and works with private clients on personal and career growth. But why stop there? She published her first book last year and is working on a second. Says Anne, “When I do book signings, I always write: Dream big dreams and have the courage to make them come true.”