His Legacy is My Inspiration as an Entrepreneur

This month has felt different for me.

This past Friday, my family said our final goodbye as we laid my father to rest after his passing a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been moving through life carrying a mixture of gratitude, reflection, and grief that’s difficult to fully put into words.

Tuesday morning, I attended my first networking event since his services, the “Latino Business Procurement Event” hosted by the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

If I’m honest, I wasn’t there 100 percent.

Grief changes how you move through spaces. Your mind drifts. Conversations feel different. You smile, engage, and show up professionally, but part of your heart is somewhere else.

The event took place in the morning and early afternoon, and while waiting in the registration line and later grabbing coffee at the Square Lounge, I found myself naturally doing what I’ve done for years, sharing insights with other small business owners about certifications, procurement opportunities, and navigating government contracting.

Nothing formal. Just conversation.

A few people had questions. Others were curious about where to start. One conversation led to another.

And somewhere between the check-in line and coffee, I realized something that stayed with me the rest of the day:

I’m now in a position to help other small businesses beginning the same journey I once started myself.

That realization felt deeply personal.

Entrepreneurship was never part of some grand master plan. When I started The Imagen Group, it was simply me, a sole proprietor trying to create meaningful work while also building a life that allowed me to be present for my family.

Over time, with the support of clients, collaborators, and community partners who believed in our work, the firm evolved into The Imagen Group, Inc., becoming an S corporation in 2021.

Looking back now, I see that growth was never only about business structure or contracts. It was about building something sustainable enough to support both purpose and life itself.

That flexibility became one of the greatest gifts entrepreneurship gave me.

It allowed me to spend more time with my father during seasons when time mattered most. It gave me the ability to balance work, alongside caregiving responsibilities, in ways traditional environments often don’t make possible. Looking back now, I realize entrepreneurship gave me something invaluable: presence.

My father understood entrepreneurship long before I did.

When my brother and I were children, he owned a small business focused on home improvements, roofing, painting, and projects that helped support our family. He worked hard, built relationships through trust, and took pride in providing for the people he loved.

I don’t think I fully understood then how much of that example stayed with me.

As I stood in those conversations yesterday, I also thought about the people who supported me early in my own journey, the staff members, consultants, clients, mentors, and community partners who believed in me before there was growth, stability, or certainty.

No entrepreneur builds alone.

Especially in the beginning.

People opened doors for me. Some shared advice. Others trusted me with opportunities before I felt fully ready. Many stood beside me during difficult personal seasons while continuing to believe in the work we were building together.

That support mattered more than they probably realized.

Now, during Small Business Month, I find myself reflecting not only on entrepreneurship itself, but on responsibility. Responsibility to support others who are curious about starting their own businesses. Responsibility to share what I’ve learned about certifications, relationship-building, government contracting, and navigating uncertainty as a small business owner.

Because for many people—especially first-generation entrepreneurs, women, and caregivers, this path can feel overwhelming at first.

I remember that feeling.

And maybe that was the full-circle moment I experienced yesterday. Realizing that after years of building, surviving difficult seasons, and learning hard lessons, I can now help create clarity for someone else beginning their journey.

My father may no longer be here physically, but I already feel his presence differently.

He will continue to serve as part of my inspiration and guiding light as I move forward personally and professionally. And somehow, even in this season of loss, I believe his legacy is opening new doors and new opportunities, not only for me, but for The Imagen Group and the work we continue to build with purpose.

Perhaps that is one of the quiet gifts parents leave behind: the courage to keep moving forward while carrying the lessons they taught us, even after they are gone.

And for that, I will always be grateful.