Thank You from Isla Mudra ~ to All who have Contributed

One year ago today, I moved back to California and brought Isla Mudra with me. Today I have the honor of being featured in Enjoy Magazine, and it was so exciting to share more of the story here in my new/old home. Keeping the ship afloat has not been easy, and sailing it sure never has been either, so I want to take a moment to thank the people who have helped me navigate these unpredictable waters since day one. When they say you can’t go it alone, they mean it.

I’d first like to thank and congratulate my dear friends Amanda Evans and Tatiana Muniz, who just got married, and are the reason Isla Mudra looks so great through their incredible video and photography work at their company, Ghost Edits PR! They are not only a couple of the most talented people I know, they are also two of the most kind, helpful, fun, and genuine.

Thank you to Star for the encouragement and helping me build Isla Mudra up brick-by-brick in some of the toughest times. You are what true friendship is made of.

Thank you to my talented cousin Josiah Gonzalez for designing my website and logo, literally helping me shape my brand and give it life. 

Thank you Brandon Winslow for putting in so much of your time and incredible skill to helping me make my products and labels look professional, and for seeing and believing in my vision.

Thank you Francis Davis for the sparks of creativity, moral support, and very first beautiful product images.

Thank you Cristian Pellicier for the immeasurable support and belief in me and my brand. You lifted my mindset, urge me to believe in what was all actually possible, and put in plenty of actual lifting as well.  

Thank you F. Javier Gil for helping me create stunning marketing visuals and merch in record time. And Annalysa Gil for modeling my products!

Thank you Maria Benedetti and all the herbalists and keepers of the land I was so blessed to meet and work with in Puerto Rico. You not only inspired me, you shaped me and made me grow in ways I never expected.

And the greatest thank you to my mama, Noel Ross, the woman I moved back to CA for. Thank you for shaping me into a world-caring human, hard working dreamer, plant whisperer, and for literally helping start my company from scratch as my sole initial investor. You helped me become the women I am today who keeps growing into the next necessary version of herself, and have always been my biggest supporter through it all, and I will never forget that. 

Isla Mudra would not exist without all of these beautiful humans, they literal assisted in creating my small business from the ether.

I also want to extend a special thanks also to all the small business owners who hosted and repped my line, friends who set up at markets with me, to Villa Playa Maria and Selma Cabrera for the uplifting and sometimes surreal opportunities, and to all my close friends and family for their support and love.

And thank you Kimberly Nicole Boney for taking an interest in my story and being a literal earth angel. You are a treasure. Blessings to you and your amazing mama, Michelle Woods.

There are so many others I would love to thank ~ I know you know who you are and you are so appreciated, and always will be. Blessings in this life, everyone. This project has been the hardest, most painful, and most fulfilling and rewarding thing I have ever done, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I've heard it said that entrepreneurship is a spiritual journey masquerading as a financial pursuit, and that is the truth as I have experienced it. I am so grateful for everyone who has believed, supported, and helped me along the way on this incredible journey. And with any luck, I’ll be able to continue it for many years to come.