Every step of this journey has been more difficult than I could have imagined...

"My partner decided to push me out of our business while I was on vacation in Miami. He said I was spending too much time at the beach — even though I was working quite a lot. It was so unexpected. My wife was pregnant so we couldn't immediately go back to Russia, where we were from and where the company was. I was really angry. I had this feeling of, 'I'll show you I can make it here, just like I did in Russia.' I was determined to launch a business in the US. The anger motivated me, which I'm thankful for because even the process of getting a work visa was challenging. By the time I got the visa, I had a new baby and still no company. Every step of this journey has been more difficult than I could have imagined. We had about three months' worth of savings, and my wife doesn't have a working visa so I was the only one who could provide for the family. I decided to launch a new marketing agency here in Miami and I contacted some of my old customers from Russia. I was lucky — that led to my first contract. From there, it all came together very quickly. Now, I work from 6 AM to 8 PM, which is much longer than I worked in Russia. And I'm investing all the money I make back into the company so I'm on a tight budget. But I definitely think this has all worked out for the best. My wife has already made good friends. My daughter is starting school. And there are always interesting business opportunities here. For now, I'm enjoying the challenge." ⠀