Hi! I'm Bryan.
I grew up dreaming to work with animals. I graduated with a Bachelor's in Biology, minors in Chemistry and Psychology and entered the animal care field. I spent about 18 years working with penguins, seals, dolphins, Beluga whales, otters and, mostly, sea lions who stole my heart and gave me my nickname "Sealion Bryan".
I thought I had everything... In 2016, my partner Clayton and I moved down to the Florida panhandle for my work. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
Mid 2017, my father lost his battle with opioids and alcohol. Four months later, Clayton became infected with ringworm from gardening. It entered his bloodstream and doctors put him on antifungal medication. They upped the dose multiple times without testing his liver values. I questioned them, but we weren't married so they stopped talking to me.
Four months after my father passed, I rushed Clayton to the hospital where he was diagnosed with terminal liver failure. The doctors wrote cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol. Eight months later, Clayton passed away at 42 years old, and I was alone in our new beach town full of broken dreams.
I started to write a weekly widowed blog representing the LGBTQIA community for Soaring Spirits International. Writing brought the emotions out and helped me navigate my new normal.
My first big decision was to evaluate all the chemicals and medications in my life. I had gained a fear of medication watching two important men in my life shift over to the other side just 10 months apart. My doctor wanted me on blood pressure medicine and antidepressants. I refused to feel numb, but my health was so terrible from being a caregiver that I had to take the blood pressure medicine or risk a heart attack (Doctor's words) at 39.
I needed another option, and that's when I found Young Living Essential Oils. I traded in chemical energy drinks for their antioxidants. I traded in a stressful atmosphere for a diffuser with essential oils.
A month after Clayton passed, I realized I was going to be responsible for all the bills. At 39, I was widowed and needed a second job to make ends meet. Knowing Young Living had an affiliate Brand Partner option, I loved the products and felt passionate about helping others, so I began building a wellness business in addition to my full-time job. It was what I had to do for me.
As I started to gain traction in my journey, the world shut down in 2020, and I found myself isolated from moving forward - or so I thought.
I had two choices:
Sink into the sadness
Grow through the grief
I chose the second one. I was the only one who could light my spark again, and no one else could create the type of joy I needed to gift myself. I chose one thing I have always loved - Dancing. I have no formal training. I just love music and dancing, so I jumped on the TikTok bandwagon. My first dance video I posted and put the phone down. I could delete it later if I wanted. The next morning, I woke up to thousands of new followers and amazing supportive comments. Right then, I decided no matter how the day went, I would do a dance to pour back into me and refuel the fire.
My followers started to learn about my story of loss. Seeing someone dance and grow through grief at the same time created a unique community of support. Love and loss are the great unifiers.
In 2021, social media introduced me to a handsome guy named Devin. We began talking on Facebook, leading to FaceTime calls every night that lasted hours. Three years later, and we are happily married (although he has to put up with my bad "Hey Babe" jokes 🤣).
Our Young Living business has grown successfully. I left my animal career to cherish more time at home & help more people move away from chemicals towards botanicals. I have published my 5 years of widowed blogs into a book: The Widowed Dancer - Growing Through Grief with Gratitude. My social media has exploded to over 1 million on Facebook, 300k on Instagram, and 460k on TikTok. I never expected that making a decision to dance a little each day would lead me to such incredible places.
I'm full of gratitude for all I have been given and all the lessons that grief has gifted me. I just hope my story inspires more people to believe in their own strength during difficult times. There are smiles waiting for us in our future.