We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isabella Gonzalez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isabella below.

Isabella, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I could talk about my parents story forever, it is such an honor to be a living testimony of the magic that is blind love. My parent’s did everything in their power to remind me that I was put on this earth to love others, to inspire them, and to use my testimony to improve the lives of other human beings. They never let their disabilities get in the way of pouring all their love onto me and others, that love will live within me for the rest of my life. My father has had 3 open heart surgeries, was in a coma for 11 days, has had a kidney and pancreatic transplant, has a prosthetic leg, and has endured endless pain and suffering. I do not remember a single moment in my life where he used any of these things as an excuse, he has always given me the whole world and has loved me with everything he has. For the first 6 years of my life, I remember my mom suffering immense pain from chemotherapy and radiation treatments, not once did she ever complain about the circumstances she was in, instead she continued to pour love onto our family up until she took her final breaths on earth. Love heals, it might not take away from the pain and grief but it gives us something to hold onto… something to give our life a bit more meaning.

My parents constant words of encouragement, and their passion for life despite battling their many health issues left an everlasting impact on me, and it reminds me to be thankful for every moment. My parents always told me that God brought me in this world to inspire, and to leave people better than how I found them. Whether that may be words of encouragement, making someone smile, or simply reminding others that there is so much hope to be found in a world that might seem so dark, I promised them both that I would do everything in my power to fulfil Gods purpose for me everyday. Thankfully, my unique upbringing has allowed me to connect with others and fulfil this mission day by day.

Navigating the loss of my mother, my aunt, my grandmother, and almost watching my father pass away in front of me were all some of the most painful and debilitating experiences of my life. In a weird way, these experiences despite how debiliating truly cultivated my deep desire to helping others and to loving people wholeheartedly. My father always told me that life is the greatest teacher you will ever come to know, you just need to be able to recognise that whatever pain and suffering you are enduring is only a test of faith, and a test of how powerful you can be.

In Japan there is a very famous concept known as “IKIGAI”, which translates onto two things: your purpose for life, and your reason for being. My parents and my story allow me to embrace my IKIGAI every day, now think and reflect on how your testimony can help you find yours?

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure thing! My name is Isabella Gonzalez (most of my friends call me isa) & I was born and raised here in the 305. I come from a Colombian and Cuban background, and have always been known to be an extrovert by all my friends and family. Ever since I can remember, being able to make the people around me laugh, entertain others, and connecting with others has always brought me immense joy even as a child. I enjoy staying active, being outside, and spending time with the people I love.

Growing up in Miami shaped my life in many ways. I grew up in a more suburban area, and hispanic culture was all I knew up until the age of 14. When I started high school I went to a magnet school in Downtown Miami which introduced me to so many different cultures and it showed me a side of Miami I never knew existed. Most of my friends in high school grew up in the inner city of Miami, including Overtown and Liberty City. I am forever thankful to have gotten to know such wonderful people that always welcomed me with open arms and taught me so much about my own city that I never knew! I feel blessed and immensely grateful to have experienced the people and the places that built up my city to what it is today. This was when I first started to realise my love and deep appreciation for other cultures. As soon as I started my undergraduate degree, I decided I wanted to see more of what was outside of Miami and began traveling around the world. Being able travel the world has been a magical experience. I love to immerse myself with different cultures, environments, and learn from those I am fortunate enough to cross paths with. All of these human connections and unique experiences have shaped me to be who I am today.

I have many goals and aspirations in life, but one of the things I would say I am most proud of has been my ability to inspire and improve the lives around me. When I walk into a room, I ask myself “what can I learn from this person I am about to talk to?” or “how can I elevate and empower the person I am about to speak with?” To be able to help others, you must carry yourself with a humble spirit, and you must allow yourself to be teachable. As much as I want to share my story with others, I also enjoy sitting back and listening to the many other testimonies of the people around me. I am constantly learning from others. Human connection is one of the most magical things in the world, and to have the opportunity to learn from other individuals is not something I take lightly.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A very powerful lesson that I had to unlearn was to stop underestimating God’s power, and God’s plan for my life. I used to think that there were limitations on the things I could accomplish, or that certain obstacles were way too out of reach to overcome, but life has truly shown me that God’s power is boundless, and faith can move mountains.

The backstory of this happened when I was on a flight to Iceland with one of my closest friends Janet, we had a layover flight in Boston that would later connect us to Reykjavik, Iceland. Little did I know, I would not make that connecting flight because I had to take an emergency flight home to meet my dad in the hospital. My dad had fallen very ill, and was in critical condition, my worst nightmare had become reality and as soon as I found out I began frantically searching for flights back home to Miami. After many issues with flights, and endless hours of desperation I made it back to stay with my dad who was fighting for his life. I had never seen my dad so sick, and the doctors were doing everything they could to save his life. I would sit by his bedside every day and night crying uncontrollably, and praying that God could save him. Considering his previous health conditions I did not have much hope, but I still continued to pray everyday. I would question why this was happening to him, and I feared ending up completely alone. My dad is my very best friend, and the thought of not having him with me was simply something I was not prepared to deal with. 4 days into my dads stay in the hospital I remember my dad waking up in the middle of night after being in so much pain and discomfort, and he started reaching out looking like he was grabbing for someone and he began to sing worship songs. Soon after this he began to slowly recover, and he later told me that in that very moment he was singing, he encountered God. He remembers God telling him to calm down, he told my dad that he was always with him, and that everything would be okay.

9 months later and my dad is here with me, recovering day by day with the Grace of God. Everyday I am thankful and I am reminded of the power that there is in prayer, and faith. There were many moments where I doubted my dad would have even made it, and the Lord proved to me that he is always in control . After this I began embracing the understanding that no obstacle is too big, and God is the centre of everything. Anything is possible with his guidance and strength, and it inspired me to truly face life’s challenges with complete faith in him.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I take on inspiration from many influential figures. Nelson Mandela, Will Smith, Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali, the list is endless. There are 5 books I recommend to everyone I come across, these books have transformed my way of thinking, and have allowed me to continue channeling my purpose of elevating the human experience. My recommendations are:

“IKIGAI” by Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles

“A Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela

“The Soul of a Butterfly” by Mohammad Ali

“The Heart Sutra” which is a very popular sutra in Mahāyāna Buddhism

“My Days With Gandhi” by Nirmal Kumar Bose

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @isaabellitaaa