She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but was raised in Clermont, Lake County, Florida. Hard work and perseverance were ingrained in Mrs. Smith at a very early age as she spent her teenage and college years assisting her parents in running their family-owned restaurant. While doing so, Mrs. Smith obtained her Associate of Arts degree while in high school. In addition to excelling academically, her competitive spirit also enabled her to excel in extracurricular activities such as soccer and martial arts. She went on to play semiprofessional soccer, earned her black belt, and was dubbed the world champion fighter in her respective martial arts style.