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My dad was born in 1952 in Cuba — the namesake for my favorite Mood Dept. solution, M52. At just 13 years old, he came to the U.S. with my grandfather, not knowing it would be 15 years before he’d see his mother and brother again. That alone is an unimaginable hardship.

He dropped out of school early to work. Not because he loved it, but because he had to. Life moved quickly — my dad became a father young, raising three kids with his first two wives. Then, 21 years later, he became a dad again, this time to me and my brother Jagr. And if there’s one truth about him, it’s that he lived for his kids.

He was the type of man who could have $10 in his pocket and give you all of it if you needed it. Providing for others wasn’t just something he did; it was who he was. His greatest accomplishment — beyond his family — was building an empire from scratch. In 1999, at 43 years old, he founded Company X. The same year I was born. That company grew into something far bigger than him, bringing in partners, scaling, and eventually being sold for a number that still supports me in more ways than one.

While my dad may no longer be here physically, his story and legacy live on. He continues to guide, provide, and inspire me. Losing him has been the hardest hardship of my life, but also the spark that fuels me.

Mood Dept. was born from that desire — to build something that guides, provides, and inspires others.

Just as he did.