We recently had the chance to connect with Monica Davis and have shared our conversation below.
Monica, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day begin in gratitude. I start and end every day the same way, in prayer, thanking God for everything. It’s easy, with all the challenges life brings, to get distracted and focus on what’s hard or unresolved. I try to be intentional about not losing sight of how much I am blessed. I’m living in many answered prayers, and even on the difficult days, I want to remain grounded in that truth.
After that quiet moment of reflection, my focus shifts fully to my children. I start getting breakfast ready, packing things up, and helping them prepare for their day. It’s a busy window of time, but it’s also my favorite part of the day. There’s something incredibly grounding about those moments, they are a constant reminder of what matters most.
Being their mom brings me more joy than anything else in my life. No matter what I’m carrying as a business owner or entrepreneur, those early morning moments center me. They remind me why I do what I do, why compassion and purpose matter so deeply in my work, and why I try to lead Eternal Water Cremation with the same care, love, and presence I give my family.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Monica Davis, and at my core, I’m a mom, a community builder, and the founder of Eternal Water Cremation, a pet aftercare service based in North Miami. We specialize in pet water cremation (also known as aquamation), an eco-friendly and gentle alternative to traditional flame cremation.
Eternal Water Cremation was born from both personal loss and purpose. Like so many pet parents, I’ve experienced the heartbreak of saying goodbye to a beloved companion. In those moments, I realized how much families need not just a service, but compassion, clarity, and dignity during one of the hardest days of their lives. That understanding became the foundation of our brand.
What makes Eternal Water Cremation different is how deeply personal our approach is. We are hands-on, transparent, and intentional about every interaction—from the first phone call to the moment families receive their pet back home. We don’t rush grief, and we don’t treat this work as transactional. Every pet is family, and we honor them as such.
I’m also deeply invested in my community. As a North Miami resident and business owner, I care about creating something meaningful, ethical, and sustainable—not just for today, but for future generations. Everything I build is guided by empathy, faith, and a commitment to doing right by people when they are at their most vulnerable.
At this stage, I’m focused on growing Eternal Water Cremation thoughtfully—building trusted partnerships with veterinarians, educating families about aquamation, and continuing to raise the standard for what compassionate pet aftercare can look like.
More than anything, I want people to know that this work is heart-led. It’s not just what I do—it’s why I do it.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
For a long time, I didn’t associate power with myself at all. Growing up and later climbing corporate America, I rarely saw people who looked like me—especially not women of color—in leadership roles. Power often felt distant, like something reserved for others. Even in spaces like pet aftercare, where compassion is central, there are still very few women, and even fewer women of color, leading and owning businesses.
My earliest memory of feeling truly powerful didn’t come from a title or a promotion. It came later, when I realized that I didn’t need to wait for permission to belong in rooms where I wasn’t represented. Power showed up the moment I decided to step forward instead of shrinking, to speak up even when my voice shook, and to trust that my perspective had value—even if it wasn’t reflected around me.
The shift happened when I recognized that my power wasn’t just personal—it was communal. I began to understand that by creating opportunities, building businesses, and opening doors intentionally, I could help change the narrative for others who also didn’t see themselves represented. That’s when power stopped being about fitting into existing systems and started being about building something better.
Founding Eternal Water Cremation reinforced that feeling. Creating a business rooted in dignity, compassion, and ethics—while showing up fully as myself—was a declaration of agency. It was me saying: I belong here, and so do others like me.
Power, for me, has become less about control and more about ownership—of my voice, my story, and my ability to create space where there once was none.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes — absolutely. There were moments when giving up felt like the easier option.
There were times when the weight of responsibility felt heavy — navigating leadership in spaces where I didn’t always feel seen or represented, building something from the ground up while balancing motherhood, and carrying the emotional labor that comes with working so closely with grief. There were days when progress felt slow, when doubt crept in, and when I questioned whether I had the energy to keep pushing forward.
What kept me from giving up was remembering why I started. I’m building something bigger than myself — something rooted in compassion, purpose, and service. I’m also deeply aware that walking away would mean silencing a voice that deserves to be present, not just for me, but for others who are watching and wondering if it’s possible.
On the hardest days, I lean into faith, reflection, and the grounding reminder that even growth that feels quiet is still growth. I’ve learned that perseverance doesn’t always look like strength on display — sometimes it looks like showing up again the next day, choosing belief over fear, and trusting that the work will meet its moment.
Giving up crossed my mind. But staying true to my purpose, my family, and the impact I hope to leave always pulled me forward.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes — the public version of me is very much the real me, but it’s not the whole me.
What people see publicly is my values: compassion, faith, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility to the work I do and the communities I serve. That part is authentic. I don’t believe in showing up as someone I’m not, especially when my work is centered around trust and care during vulnerable moments.
At the same time, the public version of me is more composed, more measured. Like many people, there’s a quieter side that exists behind the scenes — the moments of doubt, exhaustion, prayer, and recalibration that don’t always make it into public view. Those moments are just as real, but they’re more intimate.
I’ve learned that authenticity doesn’t mean sharing everything; it means being honest about who you are and why you do what you do. The real me is grounded in faith, deeply human, constantly learning, and doing my best to lead with empathy — both publicly and privately.
So yes, it’s me. Just one part of a fuller, more layered story.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I showed up with love — especially when it mattered most.
I hope they remember me as someone who led with compassion, who treated people with dignity, and who never lost sight of humanity, even in difficult or uncomfortable moments. I want it to be said that I created space where there wasn’t any before — for women, for people of color, for those who didn’t always feel seen or represented — and that I used whatever influence I had to open doors rather than guard them.
I hope they say I was a devoted mother who loved her children fiercely and modeled faith, courage, and kindness for them. That my work was purpose-driven, not ego-driven. That whether through Eternal Water Cremation, leadership, or community involvement, I brought care into spaces that needed more gentleness and intention.
Most of all, I hope people say I lived with gratitude — aware that life is fragile, love is sacred, and service is a privilege. If the story told is that I made others feel cared for, respected, and less alone, then I’ll know I lived the life I was meant to live.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eternalwatercremation.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalwatercremation/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eternal-water-cremation/about/?viewAsMember=true
Image Credits
Monica Davis
