10/03/2026
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 💜
Disclaimer: this is a long post.
And this year, I want to get a little vulnerable. Not because it’s easy to talk about.
Honestly, it’s not.
But because for a long time, I didn’t talk about it at all.
I was in an abusive relationship for two years. And I never thought I would be a victim of domestic violence. I was the person who always said, “He would never put his hands on me.”
But that’s the thing about domestic violence…
It doesn’t always look like a black eye or a bruise.
Sometimes it looks like financial abuse.
Emotional abuse.
Manipulation.
Control.
Isolation.
Constant accusations.
It looks like someone slowly convincing you that you’re the problem.
It looks like being isolated from your friends and family.
Being watched through the home security cameras.
Being driven somewhere because they insisted on taking you, only to be dumped somewhere and left stranded.
And then comes the cycle…
The apology.
The promises.
The “I’ll never do it again.”
The love bombing.
The hope that maybe this time things really will be different.
And then it happens again.
And again.
And again.
For me, the eye-opener was one night that I can only describe as something out of a horror movie.
I was trying to leave the house because I was scared. He kept popping up and blocking the exits. He took my phone away. And when I almost managed to get out, he slammed my arm in the door.
A neighbor heard the commotion and called the police.
And here’s the part that is still hard for me to admit…
I didn’t tell the police what had happened.
I was ashamed.
I was embarrassed.
I was trying so hard to be strong.
So when they asked questions, I told them everything was fine.
It wasn’t.
And looking back, I wish I could go back and hug that version of me.
I wish I could tell her that she wasn’t stupid.
She wasn’t weak.
She wasn’t to blame.
She was surviving.
Leaving isn’t always as simple as people make it sound.
You can’t always just “walk away.”
Sometimes it takes multiple attempts.
Sometimes you have to make a plan.
Sometimes you’re terrified of what happens when you finally say enough.
Sometimes the person you need to escape from is the same person who has convinced you that you can’t survive without them.
But eventually…
I broke free.
And when I did, I had to start my entire life over.
I had no place to live. No income. No furniture. No idea what my future was going to look like.
I left with what I could fit into a small U-Haul trailer, my dogs, my cats, and honestly…that was about it.
But four months later…
KM Customs was born.
And now, as we approach FOUR YEARS in business, I can’t help but look back at that woman and feel incredibly proud.
Not just of how far KM Customs has come.
But of how far I have come.
I rebuilt my life from the ground up.
I rebuilt my confidence.
I rebuilt my independence.
I rebuilt myself.
And somewhere along the way, I went from wondering how I was going to survive to building something I never could have imagined.
So if you’re reading this and you’re currently in something that feels impossible…
Please know this:
You are not alone.
You are not weak.
You are not stupid.
You are not to blame.
And you do not have to have everything figured out before you take the first step.
Maybe your first step is leaving.
Maybe it’s telling someone you trust.
Maybe it’s quietly making a plan.
Maybe it’s simply admitting to yourself that what you’re experiencing isn’t okay.
Whatever that first step looks like, you deserve a life where you feel safe, loved, respected, and free.
And if you ever need someone to talk to, please know that KM Customs is a judgment-free space. 💜
You don’t have to buy anything.
You don’t have to explain yourself.
You don’t have to have the perfect words.
If you need help, need someone to listen, or just need to talk to someone who understands what it feels like to start over…
My inbox is always open.
I may not have all the answers, but I will listen without judgment.
Because I know what it feels like to feel completely alone.
And if sharing my story helps even one person realize that they aren’t alone, then being vulnerable about my past is worth it.
Your story doesn’t end where the abuse began.
Sometimes the life you build after you leave becomes the life you never thought you could have.
Four years ago, I was trying to figure out how to rebuild my life.
Today, I’m sitting here looking at everything KM Customs has become and realizing…
I didn’t just survive. I rebuilt.
And if I can do it, there is hope for you, too. 💜
Domestic violence is never your fault.
You deserve better.
You deserve safety.
You deserve freedom.
You deserve a life that is yours.
💜 You are not alone. 💜
