Last year I destroyed my life.
I was married, with a cookie-cutter life and a bad case of depression. I began taking yoga classes to give myself something to do. Something about the practice called to me, and I soon became a teacher. From there, I went on a retreat up into the mountains, and that experience left me questioning my entire existence and its purpose.
I came back from the trip feeling enlightened about what I had experienced, but also confused about what I was coming back to. “This wasn’t what I wanted,” I thought. “This is what everyone else wants for me.” After many rough days to follow, I decided to leave my husband. I rented an efficiency apartment close to the studio where I taught until things went sour. I found myself alone, without a job, and broken.
At this point, I had nothing else to rely on except my intuition, and that was exactly what I needed: to be in the right place for my life to transform in an incredible way.
My best friends Will and Alex got me a gig with an online accounting firm called Taxfyle. They knew I was savvy with social media marketing and wanted to give me a leg up. Working with Taxfyle gave me a taste for what I could accomplish, and I created my own company called The Startup Garden. At this point, I was making ends meet, but not bringing in enough to keep me steady. I had no idea how I was going to make an income, but knew I had to take a chance.
My hot desk at WeWork—I signed that contract, with no idea how I was going to pay for it. But it was month to month, so what did I have to lose, right? I made connections left and right and even managed to get a few clients.
In walks Israel, a Mexican-born yogi with a soul that superseded his handsome face. He had just arrived with his brother from San Francisco, and they were looking to launch their business Bosspass in Miami Beach.
He sent me a message inquiring about PR for his company, mentioning that he had heard all I did to help Taxfyle. Our business connection didn’t take off at first, but we shared an interest in yoga, so I told him to check out my class.
I felt I had made a new friend, not seeing him as anything more than someone who shared my interest in yoga and spiritual things. That was until we planned to go kayaking together. What started as a two-hour excursion through the mangroves transitioned into a deep conversation in my car, followed by lying back with the windows down listening to music. Then came a drive to Coconut Grove, lunch at LokaL, and a drink at a jazz lounge. We even got to watch the sunset.
We spent the entire day together, and it only felt like 20 minutes had gone by.
But I was still so broken by my previous relationship and all of the dates-gone-wrong in between. I was heavily guarded, but he took the time and waited. He waited for me to bring down my walls, little by little. As we saw more of each other, I got to see beauty I didn’t know existed in a man. He let me be me, and I let him be him. This was love.
We recently decided to merge our companies and grow as we create together.
Fate? The cosmos? God? I don’t know. But I do know I was meant to get that hot desk, and he was meant to get his space at WeWork so we could find each other. And I’m so grateful we did.