MESA, Ariz. — For one Valley woman, a layoff became the fuel she needed to make her dreams come true.
For years, ABC15 has reported on the pandemic’s devastating impact on local businesses.
Marina Flores said she worked in corporate America for nearly 20 years before the pandemic hit.
“I was climbing the career ladder after buying a house and feeling very good about myself, and then two weeks later, COVID-19 hit and my position was gone,” Flores said. said.
Like many people like her at the time, she had to get creative and turn her side hustle into a full-time job as the bills kept coming.
“I make shave ice. I’m just going to do it for a living,” Flores said.
For four years, she operated out of a trailer, building her dream and eventually partnering with multiple local schools to support their students and programs.
“We don’t charge tuition to our students, we just make money from the money we get from them and give them a portion of the profits,” Flores said.
On Saturday, Flores will finally open his own brick-and-mortar shave ice shop just down the street from where he grew up in Mesa.
“Like my mom said, good things always come out,” Flores said. “There’s always something better, but this one was good for me.”
Flores wants to encourage entrepreneurs of all ages to bet on themselves.
“I could have lost my job in my 40s and started a completely new career and started completely over,” Flores said.
Marina’s Fresh Fruit Shave Ice will open near University Drive and Alma School Road.
