My Grandfather’s Real Lifework
After my dad died when I was 13, my grandfather stepped in to fill the gap. Not in a grand, dramatic way, but in the steady, everyday way that actually mattered. He became the male role model I needed, and over time, I’ve realized just how much of his example still echoes in the way I move through the world.
He was born in a village in Tunisia, where his Jewish family had lived for generations. He built a life from the ground up, starting to work from a young age, at first helping his dad with his work. Eventually starting his own clothing factory, providing not just for his household but for his family around him. When Tunisia gained independence and things became increasingly difficult for Jews there, he moved his immediate family to France in search of safety and opportunity.
But even France brought challenges. As unions grew more restrictive and competition from China drove down profit margins, he pivoted again, this time to Miami. He’d gone on a vacation there with some family friends and like many was lured by the siren song of sunny weather and the American Dream. He started from scratch in an unfamiliar country (not speaking English) and wound up in the perfume industry. Not because he dreamed of fragrance, but because he knew how to hustle and the universe opened a door for him. He’d always had an innate talent for connecting with people. To reinvent himself and find a way to provide for the sake of those he loved.
For years, I thought my calling had to be about carrying on his business legacy. I literally wrote an essay about it in high school. But I’ve come to understand that the real work he did wasn’t perfume or fashion, it was showing up for people. Uplifting them. Being a force of motion, even when life kept trying to knock him off course.
That’s the legacy I want to carry forward. Not a product, but a presence. Not just building something, but building people up and creating connections that didn’t exist before. That’s the real work.