Mark:
I walked into The Spiral Circle bookstore in Orlando when I was 22. It smelled like incense, and it felt like home. That’s where I saw the bumper sticker that would change my life: “We are not human beings having spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having human experiences.”
Something in me clicked. I knew I wanted to write a book about The Human Experience. When I told my dad—an author himself—he gave me advice I didn’t fully understand at the time: “Don’t expect to make money writing a book. You have to have a business.”
So, I started one. I followed a friend’s lead and began selling souvenirs in Orlando. That eventually grew into Unique Ventures, LLC, with operations in three states and over 100 employees.
And my biggest operation?
Kings Island Amusement Park in Ohio.
Renee:
Meanwhile, in 1999, I was working full-time at a geriatric doctor’s office in Ohio. The work was meaningful—but emotionally draining. Spending my days with elderly patients and end-of-life conversations had started to weigh heavy on me.
So when my friend asked if I’d take a summer job with her at Kings Island, I was hesitant. She’d met this guy named Mark (yep, that Mark) while on a Christian school senior trip in Florida, where he owned a little booth at The Fun Spot Theme Park.
The business?
Selling temporary tattoos and hair wraps and writing names on grains of rice.
After chatting with Mark while getting a tattoo, my friend learned he also had a location at Kings Island. He offered her a job on the spot. She was ecstatic—until her mom stepped in. She could only allow her to work at an amusement park if she had a responsible adult with her.
Enter: me.
I wasn’t exactly looking for a second job, but something in me said yes. I think I needed something lighter, more fun—and who could resist a summer at an amusement park?
The funny thing is that I had worked at Kings Island before college. Within one summer, I was promoted into management. They even wanted me to continue working in management during college, but I declined. I needed to focus on school. If I had accepted that job and stayed on, I never would’ve been able to work for Mark. Park policy prohibited past employees from taking jobs with outside vendors within a specific timeframe. That little decision? Another twist of fate.
Mark:
When Renee showed up, I figured she was just helping out for the summer. Most of the team were teenagers. But it didn’t take long to realize she wasn’t like anyone else. She had a calm presence, a natural ability to bring order to chaos, and a quiet strength that made everything run smoother.
Pretty soon, she was managing the whole thing—staff schedules, inventory, cash flow, you name it. She didn’t just step in. She took over (in the best way).
Renee:
Mark, on the other hand, was… on his own clock. I learned early on that if I needed him somewhere at 11, I told him to show up by 10. It was the only way to get him there on time.
He had this magnetic energy—he was all about engaging with customers, keeping the vibe light, making people laugh. I was deep in the logistics while he was out front, being the face of the business.
That dynamic hasn’t changed much.
Mark:
Looking back, we were already operating in the roles we’ve grown into today. I’m the visionary, the connector, the heart of what we do. Renee is the strategist, the planner, the engine that makes it all run.
What I thought would be just another summer turned into something else entirely. I had started this business to fund a dream—to write my book—but instead, I found someone who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.
Renee:
And I found someone who showed me that lightness and purpose didn’t have to be separate. I thought I was doing a favor for a friend. But that summer planted the seed for something that would grow into a deep, soulful partnership.
It wasn’t romantic—at least not at first. It was real. Respectful. Natural. We had no idea we were building the foundation for our life together.
Mark:
When the season ended, Kings Island closed, and I returned to Florida. Renee went back to her full-time job. And honestly? Neither of us thought we’d ever work together again.
We lived in different states. We had different lives. The chapter had closed—or so we thought.
Renee:
But the universe had other plans.
Even now, it blows my mind how everything had to line up just right for us to even meet, how my friend met Mark in Florida, her mom’s mandatory conditions, and my decision not to stay in park management the previous year, which would have prevented me from being able to work for Mark or any outside vendor. So many tiny nudges led to that summer and eventually to this life we’ve built together.
Together:
That summer taught us more than we realized at the time. It showed us how two totally different personalities could create magic when united by a shared mission. It taught us to trust. Collaboration. And the value of playing to each other’s strengths.
It was the beginning of everything—our work, love, and purpose.
This is our origin story.
A reminder that sometimes, life’s greatest chapters begin in the most unlikely places.