Decades after adoption separated them, Sarah Riggs Vanderford (on the left) and her sister Mel Carr (on the right) enjoy a happy reunion, having reconnected via AncestryDNA
With National Sisters Day nearing, Mel Carr, founder of Six-Figure Chicks, describes how building a community for women empowered her to find her own family
Women need community. They need to know they belong. Finding Sarah reminded me that sisterhood can change your life in ways you never expect.”— Mel Carr, founder of Six-Figure Chicks and CloversySCOTTSDALE, AZ, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — For decades, Mel Carr, the founder of Six-Figure Chicks, wondered whether she had an older sister. Ultimately, the very community she established to support women in owning their narratives gave her the bravery to pursue her own search.
With National Sisters Day approaching on Aug. 2, Six-Figure Chicks is presenting Carr’s story as part of a broader invitation for women to celebrate the bonds that nurture belonging, self-assurance, and personal development. According to the global publishing platform, Carr’s coming together with her sister Sarah Riggs Vanderford mirrors the mission that has driven Six-Figure Chicks from its inception: developing avenues for women to forge meaningful connections, share their experiences, and uplift each other.
The unanswered question had lingered with Carr since her teenage years. She knew neither her sister’s name nor her location—only that a sibling existed, given up for adoption before Carr was born. As the head of Six-Figure Chicks, an international publishing and community platform that highlights women entrepreneurs, professionals, and changemakers, Carr has devoted the past several years to helping women realize the significance of their personal stories. Through collaborative books, community gatherings, and the nonprofit initiative Her Write to Rise, the organization motivates women to celebrate not only their professional achievements but also the individuals they have become through life’s hardships.
“It began as my personal journey,” said Carr. “I was seeking connection, confidence, and sisterhood. As I read the remarkable stories women trusted us to publish, something started shifting within me. Seeing them embrace their paths gave me the permission to embrace mine.”
That permission propelled her to take one further step. In September 2023, Carr submitted an AncestryDNA test, hoping to locate the sister she had pondered for decades. Weeks afterward, the results brought her to Sarah Riggs Vanderford. Unbeknownst to Carr, Vanderford had been searching for her own birth mother for years through the same service, never realizing she had a younger sibling.
With over 27 million individuals in the AncestryDNA database, consumer DNA testing has reshaped family searches—a shift supported by published research indicating that 83% of adoptees using direct-to-consumer DNA testing do so with the goal of finding biological relatives.
For Carr and Vanderford, a few cautious messages swiftly turned into phone calls. Phone calls became visits. Before long, the two uncovered a bond that felt less like strangers encountering each other and more like sisters picking up where life had paused. Today, they see each other throughout the year, collaborate professionally, and are crafting a shared future—Carr is getting ready to move to Chesapeake, Virginia, in 2027 to be nearer to the sister she always hoped she would find.
“What we build together matters,” Carr said. “Women need community. They need to know they belong. Six-Figure Chicks has never been solely about business success or financial achievements. It’s about helping women discover confidence, connection, and purpose. Finding Sarah reminded me that sisterhood can change your life in ways you never expect.”
Carr hopes her experience encourages others to pursue the questions they have quietly carried for years and to invest in the relationships that enable people to become the fullest version of themselves.
“Sometimes, the family you create gives you the courage to find the family you’ve been missing all along,” Carr said.
To learn more about Mel Carr and her Six-Figure Chicks Community, visit http://www.sixfigurechicks.com/
About Six-Figure Chicks
Six-Figure Chicks is an international publishing and community platform that celebrates the stories of women entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders. Through collaborative books, networking, mentorship and charitable initiatives, Six-Figure Chicks helps women recognize the value of their experiences, amplify their voices and inspire others to pursue lives of impact and purpose.
Ania Kubicki
Angles Communications
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