Ms. Stephens pursued higher education at East Central University in Ada, OK, in 1992 where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. She served for 17 years as an elementary school teacher and worked for four years in Alaska as a teacher, coach, lifeguard, reading specialist, and after-school program director.

In addition to education career success, Ms. Stephens asserts that she is well-known throughout Oklahoma and highly regarded as an entrepreneur, professional speaker, coach, and educator. Ms. Stephens joined the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise in 2011 and open a bakery in Broken Bow, OK after four years in the classroom. Since that time, she has successfully grown the bakery into a multi-million dollar operation, featuring two locations and more than 75 employees.

The entrepreneur notes that she prides herself on keeping her customer's best interests at heart. She explained that despite facing challenges the past two years from the pandemic, her bakeries have continued to prosper and cultivate strong customer loyalty. She strongly credits her interpersonal skills and employee training for shaping her dedicated team of associates.

Always seeking a challenge, Ms. Stephens decided to focus on a new business venture in late 2021 launching Dare to Develop Consulting where she is the owner and principal consultant of the firm and works with clients to develop the skills necessary to launch and grow their businesses successfully. She is additionally available to speak on various business-related topics such as entrepreneurship, leadership, employee engagement, and organizational culture.

Touting extraordinary success in the field, Ms. Stephens has received numerous honors, including an A-List Leadership Award and the Impact Partnership Award. Nothing Bundt Cakes was also Bakery of the Year nominee in 2016. Looking to the future, Ms. Stephens would love to write a personal memoir about her many experiences as an educator and business leader. She is also focused on maintaining continued growth for her bakery and consulting businesses. She would like to dedicate this recognition to her mother, Dorine Stephens.