When Amy Morin was 26, her husband of five years died suddenly of a heart attack.
They’d started building a life together, including buying a house and becoming foster parents. So “when he died, all of the lifelong dreams I had with him died, too,” says the now 46-year-old psychotherapist and author.
Morin didn’t think she’d get married again. “I found love once,” she says she thought, and that was it.
But a few years later, she started dating her now husband, Steve Hasty. The two had met online in high school and reconnected when she needed a date to a wedding. They ended up getting married when she was 30.
These days, her relationship with Hasty is the most monumental in her life, she says. “He’s my biggest cheerleader,” she says. He gives her honest feedback and supports her in her life decisions, big and small.
Plus, Hasty dared Morin to dream big and reinvent herself. He’s one reason she’s now a full-time author and speaker, and the reason the two live full-time on a boat off the Florida Keys.
‘He had hopes and dreams of living on a sailboat’
Throughout her 20s, Morin had a pretty typical life.
She had a 9-to-5 job as a therapist that felt “safe and comfortable,” she says. She started freelance writing about marriage, travel and technology to ensure she made enough to cover her mortgage alone. And that’s what she thought her life would look like going forward.
But when she met Hasty, she learned “he had hopes and dreams of living on a sailboat,” she says. So she started asking herself, “What might that look like?” Was it something she wanted to do? Could she dive into writing full-time if they made the move?
In 2012, an article Morin wrote went viral, which led to a bestselling book, “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.” With more writing opportunities coming her way and Hasty’s support, she decided to take the plunge into full-time writing and speaking, and the two moved onto their sailboat.
Her relationship with Hasty offers meaningful companionship. But it also introduced her to a life she never imagined for herself and “just opened up new possibilities,” she says.
Last chance to save: Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate. Sign up today with coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off the regular course price of $67 (plus tax). Offer valid July 22, 2025, through September 2, 2025.
Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.
