THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT A woman in despair helps another in need, and both lives are transformed “ As long as you are not going backwards, you are going forward. It doesn’t matter how fast you move, as long as it is forward that you are going. ” Nicole Carty knows what it feels like to take painfully slow steps. Hers is a story of recovery and redemption. And a story of how one person’s belief in you can be transformative. I’ve been following Nicole Carty’s story since it was first brought to my attention over a year ago. She was the victim of terrible domestic violence. “When I broke my face, he still came up to see me in the hospital,” Carty told me about her abuser. “My mouth was wired shut. When I got out of the hospital, I realized … that was enough.” Like so many heartbreaking stories of abuse, Carty says she stayed with the man who controlled her and beat her up for years because she didn’t want to break up her family. Finally, she and her kids left. But the next chapter wasn’t any easier. Carty fell into the world of addiction, and after a family member kicked her out, she and her children ended up on the streets. KEEP MOVING FORWARD The first step out of darkness for Carty came when she entered a Valley rehab facility called Lifewell. “That’s when I realized I could wake up without drugs and I could function as a normal person,” Carty said through tears. After three months of therapy and hard work, she was able to take another step forward. But it was slow. There were still many obstacles to overcome. “My teeth were rotted out. I had two front teeth — that’s it. And I didn’t have any work history.” She ended up landing a job at Taco Bell and received assistance from UMOM New Day Centers, a Valley nonprofit that focuses on helping homeless families. At UMOM, Carty had a chance meeting with a woman who didn’t look at her as damaged goods, but as a human being full of potential. BECOMING A BUTTERFLY When Nicole Carty met business dynamo Alisa Glutz, her life changed forever. Glutz is a Scottsdale mortgage lender, empowerment speaker and author of “Color My Credit.” She spends a considerable amount of time volunteering at places like UMOM, helping women learn how to become financially independent. Carey Peña | Contributing Writer CAREY’S CORNER {carey peña reports} 18 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | DECEMBER 2018

Above : Carty before her personal transformation. Carty in her graduation cap and gown ( above ) and with her daughter ( left ). Left : Alisa Glutz and Nicole Carty. Below : Carty with one of her empowerment groups. DECEMBER 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 19