Finding the Right Recipe for a Happy Life

Jamila Ross and Akino West met as culinary students. They communicated through their love for food. A little therapy helped, too.

Jamila Ross and Akino West both work in the food and hospitality business, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. When the pair, who had dated off and on for several years before becoming a couple, opened the Copper Door Bed & Breakfast in Miami in 2018, their schedules were grueling. “We were at it 24/7,” Ms. Ross said. “Our differences were not situational, but there were times when we didn’t want to be near each other.” Both 29, Ms. Ross is the more creative of the two; Mr. West is methodical. She is chatty and outgoing; he is more reserved.