An Unapologetic Ode to Family

This is a story about why I would do anything for my team—and why, despite what social media says about keeping “family” out of the workplace, I unapologetically disagree.

As some of you know, my family has owned and operated a small psychiatric office since 2004. Teenager Marina swore she’d never work with her family, but young adult me? I found myself in and out of that business more times than I can count. So did many of my friends.

A dear friend recently pointed out that this business was my safety net—a foundation that gave me the freedom to explore my talents and pursue incredible opportunities. It allowed me to go to college (for 10+ years), work for Wu-Tang, plan parties for Inked Magazine, and refine my administrative skills as an executive assistant to one of retail’s top business influencers. Along the way, I met people who would go on to shape what our organization is today.

The business that I tried to walk away from again and again? It ultimately allowed me to become me.

In 2017, I returned as the office manager after we discovered that the person in the role was stealing money and selling prescriptions (she knows who she is—and she still owes our family over $50k). I promised my mom I wouldn’t leave again. But truthfully, from 2017 to 2019, I didn’t take my role seriously at all.

Then, in 2019, two pivotal team members left for better-paying jobs. I always tell my team that if they’re leaving, I want to know—so I can help make sure their resumes shine. After all, when you’re committed to developing leaders, you have to celebrate them when they spread their wings.

But 2019 was one of the hardest years of my life. I seriously considered closing the company. I didn’t understand that cash flow doesn’t define success, and fear weighed me down.

Yet, day by day, our family let go of that fear. We began to believe in the magic that exists when you embrace the unknown. Instead of focusing on “fixing the business,” we turned our energy toward our true purpose: providing compassionate care to the communities we serve.

That’s when things started to change.

By the end of 2019, our team was just four people: my dad, a part-time doctor (and my mom’s best friend and fiercest protector), and me. But slowly and steadily, we grew. We started calling in people who shared our mission to transform the way mental health is talked about and treated. I even reached out to people I’d met on my own journey and asked them to join us.

Of course, we lost a few special folks along the way—but they remain friends. And I finally realized that I couldn’t do it all alone.

What you see in the group photo is the result of five years of building. Every person you see is a piece of my heart. These incredible humans understand what it means to be a team. They protect my time so I can dream up new ways to help our community thrive. They are my rocks.

So, this gratitude post is for you—my teammates, my partners in compassion, my guiding lights on this journey.

I’ve never loved the word “boss” because it implies inequality. But if being a boss means leading people I admire, inspiring them, supporting them, and cheering them on? Then I’ll wear the title proudly.

Thank you to the humans who fill my heart and walk this path with me.

Edit: Missing from the photos is my dad who surprised the living lights out of everyone after saying he couldn’t make it!