“Life’s journey is like a river, flowing with purpose and grace. Along its winding path, we encounter obstacles and rapids that test our strength, yet with each obstacle overcome, we become more resilient, shaping the course of our destiny. Like water, we adapt and find our way, leaving a ripple of inspiration for others to follow, and ultimately, merging with the vast ocean of human experience.”
My journey as a pond builder and landscape designer has been an adventurous rollercoaster, taking me from the bustling streets of Mexico City to the snowy winters of New York and finally to the sunny shores of California. It all began when I took a leap of faith and immigrated to the United States at the age of 19, driven by a dream to save money and pursue an education.
In the beginning, life wasn’t all roses. I found myself working in a restaurant, washing dishes and cleaning floors just to make ends meet. The job was fun, but it didn’t pay enough to cover my bills, let alone help me save for school. Determined to generate extra income, I took on shoveling snow and any odd jobs I could find during the harsh New York winters. It was tough, but my parents always taught me the value of hard work.
When spring arrived, a new opportunity presented itself – a job in landscaping. At first, I doubted my decision to come to the U.S., as this was one of the hardest physical things I had ever done. However, as time went by, I began to enjoy it and honed my skills, especially my muscle strength. I realized that if I could improve my English communication skills, I might be able to climb the ladder at my job.
Late-night conversations and disagreements among my roommates turned out to be a blessing in disguise. While sleeping in the living room, I used my headphones, a trusty dictionary, and all sorts of music to learn English. Oh, how I wish YouTube had been around back then!
As fate would have it, my former boss, Walter Dyer, began to trust me more and more, and I soon found myself leading a crew. I never asked for it, but with hard work and dedication, I earned constant raises. While I always shared my desire to move back to Mexico City and pursue a degree with Walter, life had other plans for me.
In 2001, my wife Carmen became pregnant with my first born, Atzin, and the idea of becoming a father shifted my priorities. I realized that providing a better life for my family, as well as for myself, was more important than going back to Mexico. Around the same time, Walter decided to retire and sold his company. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out with the new owner, and I had to part ways. But Walter saw potential in me and encouraged me to start my own business. At first, the idea seemed daunting, but with his support and some equipment, I founded Aztlan Outdoor Living.
The journey wasn’t all smooth sailing, even though in just a short couple of seasons, we went from just one man company to several employees, multiple crews, and equipment. We had our fair share of challenges, especially during the economic downturn when work dried up. We had to make tough decisions, cutting our workforce and assets to survive. But we pushed through and slowly rebuilt our company from the ground up.
Around 2012, I stumbled upon Aquascape Inc. and discovered a whole new world of amazing water projects. Intrigued and inspired, I found myself in Cabo San Lucas learning from the best in the industry. The people I met were incredibly passionate and caring, not only helping me learn about water features but also becoming a better business person.
With a newfound passion for water features, I redirected my business focus, even though it meant breaking away from my well-established reputation for patios, landscaping and design. I started taking on water feature projects, and with each completed one, I felt an immense sense of fulfillment.
However, the winter weather continued to pose a challenge, limiting our working season. To overcome this, I had to save diligently to make it through the winter months. During a convention, a good friend offered me an opportunity to work in California, which after couple of year talking about I eventually took after weighing the potential for a better life for my family, so in 2018 I sold my business.
Working with them in California was incredible, with meticulous and exciting projects to manage and design. But the entrepreneur in me couldn’t be contained, and I knew I had to run my own business again. So, I said goodbye on good terms, obtained my business license, and delved into the exciting process of entrepreneurship.
Learning, growing, and taking classes for my business is like earning degrees for me. Each milestone, no matter how small, feels like a great accomplishment. The rewards of building water features and running my own business go beyond just financial gains; they bring joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose to my life. My journey as a pond builder has been one filled with hard work, challenges, and unexpected opportunities, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world.
Life is good, and after being able to complete multiple projects of all sizes all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico, I feel there is always something new to learn and try. Our mission at Aquascape Creations is not only to create a piece of art with every project but also to build a functional pond or waterfall. For me, designing and building a pond is like creating a living painting – it requires creativity, skill, and a deep understanding of the natural world. But the true beauty of a pond comes from the joy it brings to others. As a pond business owner, it’s our responsibility to spread that joy, one pond at a time.
Gosh, I could’ve built a pond by the time it took me to convey my story! I feel so much respect for your patience if you made it all the way through here, especially if you haven’t fallen asleep.