I grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It's an hour south of Raleigh. I was a fourth generation Fayetteville member of my family.
My great-grandfather came there I guess many years ago and was involved in the lumber business but ended up running for State House [North Carolina House of Representatives], and then my grandfather was involved in the first putt-putt [golf] there in Fayetteville
with a business partner there and ended up running for public office. In fact when I was born he was on the city council and after age two he was mayor of Fayetteville from then until his death when I was eleven or twelve.
So I was constantly surrounded by family members involved in leadership roles. Dad even got into the fray after my grandfather's death and ran for mayor and city council and state house.
So just constantly having been a part of these campaigns and seeing these male figures in my family in the public light maybe just was part of who I am and made it normal for me, in a way.