Thanksgiving always hits me like a reset button. And after the year we had? Oh boy… that reset was way overdue.
This wasn’t a light year. This wasn’t a “just drink more coffee” year. This was a brace-yourself-for-impact type of year.
Closing down Boston wasn’t just business. It was an emotional CrossFit. I wasn’t just packing tools; I was packing memories, tears, and scars.
You don’t realize how heavy 20 years feels until you try to fit it into a moving truck. And while I was wrapping up the Boston chapter, I was trying to write the Tampa one too.
Only to realize that both chapters were arguing like siblings fighting for the front seat. Typical Brazilian chaos, but with better customer service.
And Then Came Construction in Tampa
Living through construction is a special kind of torture. Dust on my food. Dust on my clothes. Dust in my brain.
Contractors saying, “We’ll be there Tuesday” but forgetting to mention which Tuesday… or which year.
Some days, my house felt like a job site. Other days, my job sites felt like my house. At one point, I wasn’t sure where I lived.
But Here’s the Magic…
This year taught me one big truth: you don’t survive a heavy season alone. You survive it with people who show up…
Who steadies the ship.
Who reminds you to eat.
Who calms the crazy.
Who doesn’t run when you start a sentence with, “Hey, quick question…”
Enter the heroes of this story…
There’s Ana, the pillar behind the pillars. The one with the front-row seat to every storm. The one who held the home together while I held the ladders.
Who absorbed the stress, the dust, the delays, the hurricanes, and my famous “just one more thing” speeches.
Ana is the quiet force, the emotional ballast, the steady heartbeat behind every wild chapter I write.
Then, comes Lismar, celebrating 2 years with Shades In Place. She came in quietly. She stayed consistently.
And she elevated everything loudly while I juggled Tampa, Boston, hurricanes, inspections, construction, licensing, and the emotional roller coaster of “What the hell am I doing?”… She kept the business running smoother than fresh apple pie on Thanksgiving.
And of course, the installers.The boots on the ground. The hands that lift, measure, level, sweat, and solve. The ones who turn ideas into finished rooms and chaos into confidence.
Kevin, Mel, Ryan, Anthony, Doug, Roger, and the extended crew that stepped in when Boston and Tampa were both screaming for attention. They kept the physical side of this operation alive. They took care of the customers when my plate was overflowing.
They delivered quality when I was juggling too many fronts. They represented the brand with skill, pride, and relentless hustle.
Why We Didn’t Sink This Year
Because of the people rowing with us.
Ana. Lismar. The installers. Partners. Clients. Friends. And a couple of angels disguised as neighbors and contractors.
This wasn’t a year of solo wins. This was a year of group survival with flashes of brilliance. We didn’t thrive because things were easy.
We thrived because we didn’t quit. And because we were surrounded by people who held the line when life threw (literally) bricks.
The Lesson I’m Taking Into Next Year
Courage is great, but courage alone is exhausting.
This year proved that grit matters, yes, but so do gratitude, teamwork, community, and delegation (even when it stings).
The storms were loud. But the support was louder. Here’s my post-Thanksgiving truth:
We didn’t make it because I’m tough. We made it because we are a team. A very audacious, slightly chaotic, deeply committed team.
And for that, I’m thankful in every language…but especially in the universal one:
LOVE.
Roger – Professional Window Dresser and Retired Snow Shoveler