Following the joyous birth of our third child in 2007, my spouse tragically died from maternal complications just three days later. As a single parent of three, including a newborn infant, I had no choice but to continue on, navigating the immense grief, parenting, and providing for my family, all while working in a fast paced executive role. 

 

In 2015, just one year after I launched Schiller Bikes, our home burned to the ground and my family lost everything. Everything. And to make things even harder, I had invested almost all of my savings into my then fledgling startup and was facing near constant rejection from investors (one investor in particular called my water bikes  “the worst idea ever”). 

 

In the Summer of 2022, on the heels of marrying the love of my life on the beautiful sandy beaches of Kauai, my loving 20-year-old daughter, Naomi, died from a Fentanly overdose. And my world shattered. To bury your child is one of the worst human experiences imaginable. The grief is overwhelming, complex and debilitating. And then there’s the feelings of shame, regret, failure, and loss of purpose. 

 

And not one of these unimaginable experiences has stopped me from rising up again from the ashes, from truly living the life I was given.