I grew up in a trailer and was embarrassed to use food stamps. Now I own a $13 million company.

• Erika Sinner said she grew up poor in Missouri.
• She took a receptionist job for a pharmaceutical company while doing college at night.
• Eight years ago, she started her own pharmaceutical marketing company.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Erika Sinner, founder of Directorie. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My childhood was difficult. We lived in a trailer, where my mom struggled. I remember going to Walmart late at night to avoid the embarrassment of people seeing us use food stamps.

My childhood left me feeling unworthy.

To cope, I became a people pleaser. It wasn't until later that I turned that coping mechanism on its head. Bringing value to other people actually helped me succeed.

I started my career as a receptionist

At 18, I took a job as a hotel receptionist in St. Louis, which was a big city to me. I was exposed to other walks of life, like businesspeople and celebrities. I would ask how they made money, and they'd tell me. It changed how I thought about the possibilities for my future.

The downside to the job was that it was 24/7. If the driver was sick, I'd be picking people up from the airport at 2 a.m. I wouldn't be able to get a degree with that sort of schedule.

Because of that, I got a job as a receptionist at a pharmaceutical company. It was set hours, and I could do my homework at the desk while going to school at night. While I was there, I did everything to network. I even joined the company bowling team.

As I learned about the different parts of the company, the marketing department stood out to me. I knew I wanted to join the team, but I needed a way to show them I was smart and capable.

I faked a school project to showcase my skills

That's when I told the lie that changed my life. I asked the VP of marketing to review a school project, telling him the grade was very important.

In truth, there wasn't a project — I'd put the mock portfolio together just to showcase my skills. He complimented and critiqued my work, and I made all the changes he suggested before showing him the completed project.

A few months later, a position opened on the marketing team, and he asked me to apply because I was talented and coachable. I didn't yet have the degree that the job required, but he knew I could do the work.

I'd always known that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Sometimes, you have to make those opportunities for yourself. That little white lie changed everything for me.

My safest career option was to start my own company

As I worked my way up the ladder, I realized that the pharmaceutical industry is very tumultuous. Layoffs happen regularly due to drugs not getting FDA approval. For me, the threat of layoffs created a trauma response from my childhood, when I often didn't know where we'd get money to pay the bills.

Safety is a core value for me, and I realized that the safest career move I could make was to bet on myself. I started my own marketing firm to serve the pharmaceutical industry. Today, eight years later, it's a $13 million company.

I'm child-free, but run a charity for sick kids

I'm very intentional about creating a life that's meaningful to me. My husband and I chose not to have kids — it just wasn't what we envisioned for our lives. Instead, we're raising our five Shar Peis. They fit our lifestyle perfectly.

At work, I've been able to build a culture that I love. One example: we offer pet bereavement leave. It's important to me to believe people when they say they're hurting and give them the space they need to heal.

I also run a charity, TinySuperheroes, which supports kids going through complex medical treatment. While my childhood was difficult in a different type of way, I relate to these children. I want them to know that they never have to be ashamed of what's happened to them. They can change the story and become the superheroes of their own lives.