You may know by now that I *rarely* seek or take advice, but I had an experience recently that almost brought me to the ground.

For months I told myself to reach out to Miguel, one of the founders of Siete Foods, for business advice and mentorship.

We go back to the beginning, when I was teaching paleo seminars in gyms and he and his family were making a single, almond flour tortilla (branded as Must Be Nutty).

He would have helped in a heartbeat if I had reached out. But I held myself back because I didn’t want to be a burden, or ask for more than I should, or bother him.

Well, turns out, the Universe heard my whispers… and a couple of weeks ago, I quite literally walked straight into him. We both entered Erewhon in Los Angeles at the same time. Don’t forget, I live in San Francisco and Miguel lives in Austin.

We entered the Santa Monica store together with hugs (along with Alex, Miguel’s amazing wife), and we parted ways into the store from there.

As I grabbed my favorite chile and lime mango, I thought to myself, “1. I need to ask Miguel and Alex if they have tried this because if not, they need to, and 2. I should grab them for a pic to commemorate this crazy moment of coincidence.”

I found them in the back of the store next to their buñelos end cap and in front of the yogurt case, stopped to snap a pic then we began to chat. Turns out, they had just tried the mango and also loved it. We know good food.

And then Miguel, being the warm, wise, generous, and insightful person he is, poured out. He listened to my current challenges with my business and my efforts to build my brand, and he responded with clear, concise, and thoughtful advice.

We chatted for what had to be around 40 minutes. And I soaked it all in.

When Miguel and Alex walked away, I broke down crying as if I’d just had a therapy session I’d been needing for a year.

I guess it was the Universe saying to me, “DIANE, IT IS TIME TO TALK TO MIGUEL, NOW.”

It was an important reminder in the power of asking for the help that you need.

And I’m not talking about seeking out free advice from professionals who you need to pay for expertise — like a business coach or nutrition consultant — but insight from a mentor, peer, or colleague who may walk a similar path as you, or can closely relate to your journey.

So whether you are the one who needs to seek advice, or perhaps the one who can offer it, I hope this serves as a reminder of the power that lies in being vulnerable to giving and receiving help.