Finding Myself Again After Losing My Dad While Running a Business

Grief changes you.

When I lost my dad in 2022, it wasn’t just the heartbreak of losing a parent—it was like losing a part of myself. One day you’re in the middle of building dreams, juggling meetings, creating content, strategizing your next big move—and the next, life pulls the rug from under you. Suddenly, everything feels different. The things that used to matter so much feel small. The person you’d call to celebrate every win, or to just check in after a long day, isn’t there anymore. And you’re left trying to figure out how to keep going.

I won’t sugarcoat it: navigating life after dramatically losing my dad has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. As a full-time entrepreneur, I didn’t have the option to just hit “pause” on my responsibilities. Entrepreneurship doesn’t come with PTO, sick days, or someone to step in when you’re falling apart. I had to keep showing up, even when I barely recognized the woman in the mirror.

But here’s the thing—grief doesn’t wait for the right time. It doesn’t check your calendar. It will meet you in the middle of a client call, in between content shoots, or while you’re boarding a flight for your next opportunity. For me, it became this quiet shadow, always there, reminding me of my loss even as I was pushing forward.

Getting back to me after losing my dad has been a process. Not a linear one, either. Some days, I feel like my old self—confident, inspired, and ready to take on the world. Other days, I can’t get out of bed without tears. But slowly, I’ve learned that healing doesn’t mean going back to the person you were before. It means learning who you are now and giving her grace.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve leaned into building a life that honors both my hustle and my heart. I’ve started choosing projects and partnerships that truly light me up. I’ve allowed myself space to grieve without guilt, even when that means saying “no” to opportunities I would’ve jumped on before. I’ve given myself permission to be human—to cry, to rest, to mess up, to start again.

The hardest part? The silence. My dad was one of my biggest supporters, and there are so many times I want to pick up the phone and tell him about a win or ask him for advice. But in that silence, I’ve found a new kind of strength. I carry his voice with me, not out loud, but inside. Every risk I take, every step I make to keep my business alive, is a way of honoring him.

And here’s the lesson I’ve learned: grief and entrepreneurship can coexist, but only if you let go of perfection. Only if you stop pretending you’re “fine” all the time and instead allow yourself to move through the pain while still building something beautiful.

Getting back to me hasn’t been about returning to the woman I was in 2021. She’s gone. Instead, it’s about embracing the woman I’m becoming—the one who’s learned resilience in the face of unimaginable loss, the one who can still sparkle even through the tears, the one who’s redefining success not just as financial wins but as peace of mind.
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I don’t have all the answers yet. But I know this: I’m still here, I’m still building, and I’m still finding my way back to joy—day by day, project by project, breath by breath.
Because even in grief, even in loss, we can still find our way back to ourselves.