How it all began...
The room was busy, full of life, sounds of soft music, clinking glasses, chatting lunch patrons and servers buzzing about. The aroma of delicious Mexican cuisine filled the air. I’d driven to the Southside for a scheduled lunch interview in hopes of finding the missing link to our team. I was new to my young supervisory role and though I was still being polished myself, I knew I needed someone that matched my hunger to work and was eager to do things right. From the applications that had been submitted, I was impressed with the applicant on paper. In speaking to those that had personal and work experience with her, she had promise as a hard and charming hard worker. She breezed in and with her heartfelt smile and genuine words... nearly immediately had me intrigued. You know when you know? I didn't doubt my gut intuition as a young professional as I had in other instances in those first years. I had this pick right. I knew, I had to get her on my team. We belonged working together. We had plans to make and projects to execute. Even then, I simply knew. Now in all honesty, if back then, you would have asked me if a decade later we'd be setting up an office, signing contracts, chasing our passion and changing lives together - I would have likely, hopefully and sheepishly grinned and said "Anything's possible, right?!?"
Over the years, our roles have allowed us to work in different capacities and most of the time, in the trenches side-by-side through the thick and thin of many difficult personal & professional 'character-building' projects. In the last ten years we have had struggles and victories that we have tackled alongside one another. We've done all life's things: the losses, the celebrations, the tears of joy and the tears of hurt. That kind of connection you can't fake or manufacture in a team environment. We show up different, because we are different.
Though we are planners to our core, during our first organizing project we didn't do a lot of prior discussion. Imagine if you will, we did not have a mapped out plan of attack. We wanted to play it by ear and see how well we naturally worked in the environment together. We went in, turned on some music and got straight to it. Afterwards feeling super accomplished looking at a beautifully organized home office and some ecstatic home owners... I recall thinking in relief, it was meant to be. Candice was an extension of all my effort. We flow so well in regards to our: thought process, like mindedness and our goals. That is what a partner is. Someone who supports your enthusiasm, allows you to be the best version of yourself and reminds you that you are made for more! Here is to everything that got us to here and all the memories ahead!
XOXO
