It began like any ordinary afternoon—or as ordinary as life can get when you’re juggling a fledgling career in marketing and a quarter-life crisis. I had just wrapped up a brainstorming session at the local coffee shop (read: I was staring blankly at a Google Doc while pretending to sip artisanal cold brew). My phone buzzed on the ironwood table. The caller ID flashed: David Kramer.
Let me set the scene here. David Kramer wasn’t just any guy. He was the friend of a friend of an acquaintance, the kind of networking trifecta you just don’t ignore when you’re a young professional trying to hustle in Phoenix’s tech scene. He was also something of a local legend—a startup mastermind who managed to turn a vague idea about drone delivery into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. This was not the kind of call you screen.
I answered. And even though I didn’t know it yet, this was the call that would change the trajectory of everything—not just my career, but the way I thought about life and, as corny as it sounds, love.
The Big Opportunity
“Hey Nate, it’s David,” he said, his voice smooth but just gruff enough to tell you he was constantly juggling a million things. The kind of guy who always had an espresso in hand and a new TED Talk queued up. “Heard you’re good with people and stories. I’ve got a spot opening up on my marketing team, and I think you’d be a great fit. We’re launching something big.”
Now here’s the thing about big opportunities: they rarely come wrapped in pretty packages with enough lead time to get your life sorted out. No, they crash-land in your life like a summer monsoon, leaving you scrambling to figure out what just hit you. My first instinct? Say yes before he could change his mind. My second instinct? Pinch myself. My third? Panic over what I’d just agreed to.
Within a week, I was running strategy meetings in a modern office space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Camelback Mountain, rubbing elbows with developers who used words like “disruption” and “synergy” unironically. It was intoxicating… and intimidating.
But here’s where the real story starts. Taking that job taught me a lesson about making bold moves, not just in the professional arena but in relationships too. And believe me, they have more in common than you’d think.
Lessons from Business (and the Desert) That Apply to Love
1. Make the Call, Even if You’re Afraid
There’s a specific kind of gut-wrenching that happens when you’re about to do something uncertain. It’s the same feeling I had when I picked up David's call: part excitement, part terror. That’s also the exact sensation you get when you ask someone out who makes your heart race—whether it’s approaching the girl you’ve seen every Saturday at your favorite brunch spot or finally replying to that promising DM.
In both cases, the rule is the same: you have to make the call. Because nothing extraordinary happens in the safety of your comfort zone. As David used to say, “It’s not failure that’ll haunt you—it’s the ‘what ifs.’” So if you’re wondering whether to text your crush, or take a leap of faith on that budding romance, the answer is yes. Yes to the call. Yes to showing up. Yes to trying.
2. Know Your Brand, But Stay Open to Reinvention
One of the best lessons I learned in marketing? Your brand is your story—but that story is never set in stone. I used to think that "me" was this buttoned-up, no-nonsense guy from the suburbs who had a five-year plan and knew how to play it safe. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. It turned out life had more desert winds and unexpected detours in store for me than I ever anticipated.
The same is true of dating. It’s good to know who you are—your strengths, quirks, and values. But you also have to leave room for reinvention. You might start as the person who only dates within a five-mile radius (because gas isn’t free, let’s be real), but end up falling for someone across the country who makes you see the world differently. Don’t box yourself in.
3. The Desert Teaches Patience
If my upbringing near the Sonoran Desert has taught me anything, it’s that the most beautiful things take time to bloom. Relationships are no different. Whether it’s career-building or dating, instant gratification is tempting but often overrated. True connection—whether it’s with a partner, a job, or your future self—requires patience, trust, and the willingness to stick it out through dry spells. Not every encounter needs to be fireworks; sometimes it’s the slow burn that leaves the deepest impression.
The Humbling Call-Back Moment
Fast forward a few years. The job David offered me launched me into a new professional stratosphere. I had made connections, pitched campaigns, and developed a knack for storytelling that caught the attention of not just clients but people in my personal life, too. Suddenly, I was that guy who could intertwine facts and feelings, crafting narratives that made people not just listen but lean in.
The irony? The call I’ll never forget wasn’t just the start of my career—it changed the way I showed up in relationships. David didn’t know he was teaching me marketing lessons for love, but here’s how it played out.
A few months after leaving David’s company to pursue writing full-time, I met someone—a whirlwind romance born from spontaneity and a touch of reckless optimism. What set it apart wasn’t just chemistry but my ability to apply those marketing lessons. I learned to pitch my authentic self, to take risks, and to trust the process even when the desert seemed endless.
And when we hit rocky terrain (because, be real, every love story does), I thought back to that first phone call. Sometimes the biggest gifts come wrapped in jitters and uncertainty. The key is answering—even when you’re not sure where it’ll lead.
Why Every “Yes” Matters
To this day, I think of David’s call as the metaphorical starting whistle for a deeper journey: one of faith in myself and the unpredictability of life. Maybe for you, it’s not a job offer. Maybe it’s a text from an old friend, an apology you didn’t expect, or a stranger at a party who smiles at you just a second longer than usual.
Who are we to ignore life’s little nudges?
Here’s the deal, though: saying yes doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps, twists, or flaming hurdles along the way. Expect missteps. Lean into the mess. Whether it’s love, work, or self-discovery, the journey’s worth every tumble.
So my advice? Keep your phone handy. Because the call you’ll never forget might not look like anything special at first, but trust me—it could be the one that changes everything.
