In 1980 she entered the Miss Rodeo Kansas pageant and was honored to take home the crown. She spent the next year promoting the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) by making personal apperances, doing radio and television interviews, and working at rodeos greeting and talking with rodeo fans.

In December of 1980, she represented Kansas at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

Today Debra still supports the rodeo queen industry by providing a non-profit training website and Facebook page called Queens In Jeans, for young women competing in equine scholarship pageants. 

After completing her year as Miss Rodeo Kansas, Debra transitioned into the advertising industry as an account executive and desktop publisher.

As a result of volunteering as a Director for several pageants, Debra met the owner of the top Modeling Agency in the Midwest and was soon hired as the Director of New Faces recruiting new talent for the Agency.  After taking classes, she ended up working extensively as a regional full-figure print and runway model.

Debra opened her own agency, The Professional Edge Modeling and Talent School, Agency and Salon, in Missouri.

Soon after joining the American Modeling Association, she was voted by her peers to serve two consecutive terms as the President.  In addition, her agency was awarded “Agency of the Year” by the American Modeling & Talent Convention.  During her years as a model/talent agency owner, Debra became a highly sought after speaker and trainer within the skin care, modeling and corporate arenas.

In 2000, Debra turned her attention completely to motivational speaking and corporate training.  Today, as an International Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer, and Author, Debra utilizes her experience as a business owner, corporate trainer and performer to provide a whimsical, no-nonsense approach to providing Personal, Professional and Financial Empowerment.