We didn’t meet at a glamorous rooftop bar. Our story started like this...

Aprons dusted in flour. Hair smelling like fryer oil. Closing shifts that bled into midnight. The kind of grind that humbles you.

I had just fallen flat on my face.

A business I poured everything into had failed. Not quietly either... like, spectacularly. The kind of failure that makes you question your instincts, your intelligence, your identity. So I did what you do when your dreams collapse: I went back to work. I delivered pizza. I swallowed my pride. I put my head down. I moved from MA to Denver, CO to crash on my friends couch while I got it together.

I was rebuilding.

I was working at Domino’s to get back on my feet while studying to become a mortgage broker - again chasing entrepreneurship, again betting on myself. I was on what I called a “no-boy order.” No distractions. No dating. No detours.

Just discipline.

Alex, on the other hand, was in his own in-between.

He was already a mortgage broker! Smart, talented, sharp in his niche... but not quite successful enough yet to hang up the Domino’s hat. He was coming off what he lovingly refers to as his “hoe phase” and had decided he wanted someone he could bring home to his mom… not just to bed. He was still having fun, going to festivals, and being in his 20's.

So he asked me to a Halloween party.

No.

Then a concert.

No.

The third time, he asked me on a real date.

Enjoying the New York accent, flirting over cheesy bread, and laughing during my shift was one thing, but I just couldn't justify a DATE with everything I had going on.

I finally looked at him and said, “Listen. I’m trying to get my mortgage license. The test has a 51% pass rate. I don’t have time to flirt. I need to study, work, train, build. I’m starting a business with my friend and that’s my entire focus. You’re not part of the mission.”

Turns out he already was.

He smiled and his mischievous blue eyes shone through those unfairly long lashes when he said, “Well… I’m a mortgage broker. I could probably help you pass that test. Let’s get coffee and study.”

Damn. He got me. No excuse. I did need the help. I sucked at finance. I'm the big picture guy, not the one with the numbers.

And just like that, our first “date” was highlighters and practice exams.

We made a deal: our first real date wouldn’t happen until after I passed.

So he met me where I was.

Literally.

If all I had time for was early morning walks, he showed up for the walks. If all I was eating was steak because I was on some weirdo carnivore diet, he took me to a Brazilian steakhouse for unlimited meat on our first official date.

He didn’t try to pull me away from my mission.

He joined it.

I passed my test.

I launched the business with my friend.

And then… my friend bailed. The pressure was too much. Entrepreneurship isn’t romantic when it’s real.

But Alex was still there.

He was already doing loans, and doing them well. He understood investor financing, creative structuring, complex deals. What he didn’t have was visibility. Branding. Scale.

What I didn’t have? Operational loan talent. I was terrible at the technical side, but always did well at the building.

It was inconveniently perfect.

He had the engine.

I had the fuel.

So we built Team Reid - investor-friendly real estate lending. We helped investors finance portfolios while quietly building our own.

And slowly but surely fell in love on the way.

We used the same creative strategies we preached.

We bought a condo in Denver on pizza delivery salary, and both quit dominos shortly after.

Then A place in New York.

A mountain property in Colorado.

A spot in Tampa, Florida.

We bought them ugly. We moved in. We renovated. We moved out. We rented them. We repeated the process across state lines. It definitely wasn't always pretty. Late nights, broken pipes, deadlines, payroll... But that's the hard we chose, together.

Business partners. Travel partners. Life partners.

Somewhere between closings and construction dust, we also managed to cross the country three times by car, explore Africa, wander through Turkey, France, Italy, and Spain, climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and take more spontaneous trips than we can count.

At some point we decided we never want to do all this crazy shit with anyone else other than eachother :)

We are on a mission:

All 50 states.

All 7 continents.

A beautiful, abundant life filled with knowledge, community, and LOVE.

This next chapter feels different though.

This time, we’re buying and building with family in mind. Roots, not just rentals. A home we plan to stay in for a while. A legacy instead of just leverage in Denver. Our home base for the foreseeable future (If you see us move again no you didn't)

And now we’re inviting you into the story!

Our 47th state.

An Alaskan wedding cruise.

Glaciers, vows, champagne, and one more wild, beautiful leap into the unknown, hand in hand.

This has never just been a love story.

It’s been a partnership.

And we’re just getting started.

- Samantha (soon to be) Reid