We had the good fortune of connecting with Zaida Marin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zaida, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in West LA. and my parents migrated from Guatemala. My parents were (what most would call) a typical latino mom and dad. My dad worked extremely hard and went from working multiple jobs for years until he was able to start and own his own company while my mom was a homemaker. My upbringing was very tough. Very sheltered. Parents were extremely critical and had High expectations and a “no- excuse mentality”. Although my parents were very tough – they were very loving and family oriented. Family get together’s and communication were extremely important. I believe my upbringing gave me structure and discipline and gave me the belief that anything was possible and life had very few limits. I would see my parents sacrifice and their constant positive attitude and hope for better that I felt I owed it to them to succeed and one day (hopefully) take care of them. I thank them for my discipline and resiliency through tough times and I’m grateful they kept me busy in after school activities. Because of them I took part in language courses, piano, dance, math and science club and so many activities and it really opened me up to feel confident enough in my adult life. Although I’m very grateful for all of this it did cause an overworking mentality. Taking on too much was a bad habit and overworking my self to burn out was a constant struggle in my young adult hood. It’s something I’m still working through for a more balanced lifestyle but I’ve definitely improved in the last 5 years.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets Saddle soirée apart from other bartending services is that we incorporate herbs, supplements and adaptogens into our Functional Mocktails that can provide immunity support, brain boosting power and a sense of anxiety relief if taken over a long period of time. It’s a fun way to share and teach others the type of herbs that can benefit your lifestyle without it costing an arm and a leg and be extremely accessible.

Starting this business was very tough because of my personal journey. I own a construction business but 4 years ago I had a stroke and was later diagnosed with Lupus. This forced me to slow down. I couldn’t take on larger contracts and of course my bills only piled up. In order to find a way to have an income while I recovered and was able to go back to construction full time. It was very difficult to work through painful periods in my life. It definitely taught me the importance of mental, physical and lymphatic health and I was able to incorporate a lot of my learnings into our Functional Mocktails.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Day 1: Broad Museum + sightseeing in DTLA (Bradbury Building, Pershing square, Walt Disney Concert Hall + so much more) then lunch at Grand Central Market and head back for dinner and drinks Culver Hotel (my absolute favorite beignets) and end with drinks on Main Street.

Day 2: Full day Disney & DCA

Day 3: Full day Universal Studios

Day 4: Concert at Hollywood Bowl – street tacos at my favorite – Tacos Guelaguetza on Melrose + end the night with drinks at the Tiki Bar.

Day 5: Randy’s Donut & Coffee, Sunday Gravy for late lunch. Watch a sports game or show at the Cosm & end with drinks and food at Cork & Batter

Day 6 & 7: drive up to Sequoia – Hike the weekend away and drive back

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely have to thank my dad! He’s aways been a pillar in my life. He’s always had an ability to be vulnerable and share his emotions and insecurities with me while staying strong and hopeful of the future. He doesn’t try to be perfect or hide the truth from me and it’s always allowed us to have a very open and honest relationship with each other.

He’s always been supportive and pushed me to be better in every aspect of life and I’m very grateful for that constant in my life. I’m not sure I would’ve been able to overcome obstacles the way I have.

Website: https://www.opulentglassinc.com

Instagram: @saddlesoiree & @opulentglassinc

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.