Thistle Farms. Ghana. Nashville. Stories.

Hi friends! This post is about a life changing organization I got to work with while I was in Nashville, TN called Thistle Farms. Thistle Farms is a social enterprise of Magdalene, which is a residential program for women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction and life on the streets. You know sometimes you just have those experiences that totally catch you off guard and you feel like you are right where you are supposed to be...well, that sums up my day spent with the women at Thistle Farms. Keep in mind, most of the time when I travel I go solo...just me and my camera. I like to get lost and meet people. So I made my way to their manufacturing facility in Nashville and had no idea what I was in for...but I was so excited to document the stories of these women and learn about the products that they've created [image on the left is a shot I took of a product I watched them create and package while I was there.] I was greeted right a way with a huge hug and "are you steph...the photographer?! I got my hair done for today!" And just like that I was in....lost in this amazing adventure. If you know me well...I don't cry very often. Let's just say I cried like a baby while sitting down with 2 of these women and hearing their stories. We cried together and hugged each other. Life is about connection. I had a "ah ha!" moment while sitting on that couch....I never EVER would've been sitting there listening to these amazing women tell me what they've been through and how proud they are of what they make if I had been sitting in a cubicle. It was a friday at 2pm...I am so happy I was far from what used to be comfortable and familiar. I am in the unknown everyday and it keeps me on my toes. Can't wait to share more about my entire Nashville trip soon! I left that day with a bag full of wonderful products, candles, a handmade journal, a happy heart and a bracelet I wear everyday that was made by women in Ghana. What an amazing creative trip. Follow Thistle Farms on Twitter. 
Currently listening to: 38 Special- Second Chance.

Bored With Life?

"Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours." - Dale Carnegie

Wow, does this quote sum up my life or what?! For those of you who know me well or have been following my story you will understand that. Here's the thing...I have so many things running through my brain right now but I will try to keep this blog short and sweet. 2 years ago I quit my job as Social Network Evangelist for one of the biggest surf companies in the industry. Hurley is an amazing company to work for and I spent almost 3 years working at their headquarters in Orange County, CA. Before that I worked in Human Resources at a hospital in CA....cubicles, business suits & heels...climbing the corporate ladder towards VP of HR. I had no idea what I wanted in life...I worked hard and made a good name for myself within the healthcare system but there was absolutely no passion in what I was doing. When I got offered the job at Hurley I quit in a second...this job was fun, I could skateboard around the office and I worked with amazing athletes, bands and celebrities. Just like at the hospital, I worked hard...I moved up in the company but something was missing. That feeling in my bone marrow that there is something MORE....hmmm something more rewarding. I needed to do something that made a difference, that was fueled by the passion and drive in my heart. I wanted to make my own schedule and have more time to volunteer. Out of the blue...I handed in my letter of resignation at Hurley and shocked a few people. One of those people being myself haha. I got a lot of "who quits a dream job like working with Hurley, Nike and Converse?! Who gives up that paycheck and the perks of working in that industry and not have something lined up?" I had no idea what I was going to do besides move somewhere random and make money [hopefully] but taking photos, making art, music, designing ANYTHING that utilized my talents. It was a test....I wanted to see if i could "make it"....if I could survive doing things that I love.

Here I am today in Dallas, TX... 2 years later and I just got off a conference call w/ my business partner [yes, I own a business now! and the story of how our worlds collided is so incredible] and an executive for an organization that wants to hire us to shoot their conference. Let me just say....to answer that question from earlier....A crazy person. A crazy person quits a 'dream' job. I had to chase my dream...and my dream at that time was to travel, take photos, meet new people and hear their stories. That is EXACTLY what I am doing....it IS worth it...if you feel stale on the insides, if you want something more in your career...take a risk. It's the risk takers that make a big impact and it is so much more rewarding when you have taken that leap into the unknown and make something of yourself from absolutely nothing. Last weekend we shot a 3,000 person event for a large organization [Womens Food Service Forum] and met a ton of amazing leaders in that community. Listening to Presidents and CEOs of companies like Starbucks and Cinnabon speak about social media strategies...wow, right up my alley! Such an inspiring event and I am so happy that I have connected with such wonderful individuals and that I get to work with them in the future. As of a couple hours ago we just booked another event with Summer Brand Camp in Dallas, TX. So I encourage you....if you hate your job, change it....do something you love and tell your story. Tell it to everyone:) Big things are happening....I knew 2012 was going to be a good year. So blessed. Hugs!!

twenty-somethings‭.

"‬People have enough to live‭, ‬but nothing to live for‭; ‬they have the means‭, ‬but no meaning‭.‬‮”‬‭ -‬Robert Fogel

Why are so many twenty-somethings quitting their jobs and hitting the road‭? ‬What are the common threads between us‭? ‬What binds us‭? ‬Is it a hunger for something more than a nine to five‭? ‬Is it the need to hear other peoples‮’‬‭ ‬stories to help us on our own path‭? ‬Are we realizing that security and comfort are merely societal constructs that‭, ‬in truth‭, ‬are holding us back from experiencing the passion of life‭? ‬

And what is the root of our discontent‭? ‬I believe it is a combination of our upbringing into a society that values money‭, ‬power‭,‬‭ ‬and success‭. ‬A society‭, ‬whose definition of success is so out of line with true happiness‭. ‬So what is the answer to our discontent‭? ‬I will take a leap here and say that ONE of the answers is to find fulfillment through helping and serving others‭, ‬rather than being so concerned about our own position in life‭. ‬I believe helping those in need fills us from the inside‭. ‬Are we recognizing the beauty in being laid off‭? ‬Are we realizing that maybe‭ - ‬just maybe‭ - ‬losing our jobs and our money was the best thing that could‮’‬ve ever happened to us‭? ‬

This is our revolution‭. ‬It‮’‬s a quiet and rather somber revolution on the outside‭, ‬but inside our stifling eight by eight cubicles‭, ‬we are screaming‭. ‬We are desperate for something more than what we were taught would make us happy.This is our call to action‭. ‬This is us giving ourselves permission to be free‭, ‬and in turn‭, ‬reconciling all of those who are searching for that same freedom‭. ‬

‭** ‬A BLOG WRITTEN BY MY GOOD FRIEND LAUREN‭ **

COMMENTS‭: ‬1 COMMENTS:

lauren said...
:) So happy for what you are doing and what you will do. <3 <3
JANUARY 31, 2010 5:38 AM

there's gotta be something more.

Don't tell my work but it's 9:27am and I have done absolutely nothing today except‭:‬

1‭. ‬drink coffee‭ ‬
2‭. ‬eat lowfat blueberry muffin
3‭. ‬read blogs‭ ‬
4‭. ‬have intense conversations on facebook with complete strangers that make me think
5‭. ‬think about the future‭. ‬cultivating relationships/moving/helping others
6‭. ‬research new books‭ (‬by Daniel H‭. ‬Pink‭)‬
7‭. ‬about to pray before a work meeting
8‭. ‬drink more coffee
9‭. ‬zone out‭.‬
10‭. ‬fold a paper airplane

I can't focus because it all seems pointless‭. ‬I am making good money to sit in a cube to make money for a very successful company‭, ‬to gain status‭, ‬to make more money‭, ‬so that I can live comfortably and have nice things for myself‭. ‬When really all I want to‭ ‬do is something completely different‭. ‬hmm‭...‬keep following me‭. ‬Something is going to happen this year‭. ‬Just don't know when yet‭ ‬but It's time‭.‬

‭QUESTION OF THE DAY‭ (‬I can't stop thinking about it‭...‬thanks Matt‭)‬

‭why do you think it is necessary to work in a mode that you are not passionate about in order to attain a lifestyle that you are passionate about‭? -‬Matthew Addington

the turning point‭.

This is documentation of one girls dream to do something MORE‭. ‬That girl is me‭.‬

We all have those thoughts about that THING‭. ‬That one thing we may never do before we die‭. ‬we write about it and go on brain trips about the‭ "‬what ifs‭" ‬in life surrounding that THING‭. ‬How many of us really take those thoughts and have our way with them‭? ‬Sure‭, ‬some of us quit our jobs in search of a variety of things‭...‬or maybe‭, ‬just maybe in search of absolutely nothing at all‭. ‬just because it feels right‭.‬

I'm Steph‭. ‬I'm 26‭. ‬In those 26‭ ‬years I have lived in 1‭ ‬place‭...‬Orange County‭, ‬CA‭. ‬I am climbing that corporate ladder right now‭ ‬&‭ ‬have been since I was 20‭, ‬why‭? ‬Because it's what we are raised to do‭. ‬go to school‭, ‬get a job‭, ‬take out loans to go to school‭ ‬again‭, ‬marry a man‭ (‬if you're a woman‭), ‬get a better job‭, ‬have kids and raise them to do the same‭. ‬Honestly‭, ‬I skipped out on a‭ ‬majority of those things‭. ‬Mmmmm‭...‬doesn't this sound good‭...‬dripping with success‭, ‬dream job‭, ‬brand new car‭, ‬closets full of clothes‭, ‬a crapload of computer/photography/music equipment‭, ‬living comfortably‭, ‬having enough money to spend frivolously‭, ‬living‭ ‬&‭ ‬working 5‭ ‬minutes from the beach‭, ‬working for a big name surf brand‭...‬maybe even one day that white picket fence‭, ‬yeah‭? ‬Sounds‭ ‬like a pretty dang good life‭. ‬If you don't know me you'd think I was bragging‭. ‬Rest assured‭, ‬I am not‭. ‬I am blessed to be where‭ ‬I am right now‭ ‬&‭ ‬I know I didn't get here on my own‭. ‬People might say by leaving this life behind that I take it for granted‭. ‬I‭ ‬have spent the last 26.5‭ ‬years doing what I was doing for a reason‭...‬to get me right here in this moment‭. ‬The turning point‭.‬

What it really comes down to‭... ‬I am tired‭. ‬Tired of spending my time doing pointless tasks that don't help a single person besides myself‭. ‬And am I really helping myself‭? ‬With that success comes‭...‬long days/nights‭, ‬ridiculous amounts of stress‭, ‬being cramped in a bubble‭, ‬saggy eyes‭, ‬wearing stiff clothes‭, ‬no time for cultivating friendships‭, ‬never leaving the familiar‭, ‬maybe even‭ ‬seeing the same people everyday‭, ‬not having time to do things that make my heart happy‭, ‬working hard to pay the bills just to come home and sleep in the house you pay for‭...‬then wake up and do it all over again‭. ‬FOR YEARS‭. ‬All for what‭? <‬span style‭="‬font-weight:bold‭;">‬TO DIE‭. ‬We work so hard every single day and we don't get to take any of that with us‭. ‬what do we leave here‭ ‬when our bodies are buried under a mound of dirt‭? ‬The memories and love that we shared with others‭. ‬Have we missed the point‭? ‬I‭ ‬think yes‭. ‬Follow me on my journey into the unknown‭....‬and share your stories with me too‭. ‬This could get interesting‭. ‬

2 COMMENTS:

bonnie m. said...
i fucking love this. and you.
DECEMBER 8, 2009 10:24 PM

Steph said...
bonnie!! you made me smile realllll big just now. 
miss you large amounts!
DECEMBER 21, 2009 12:06 PM

feast.

A screenshot of a video i am putting together called "long beach"



morning conversation over the cubicles at Hurley:

"steph, what are you doing for thanksgiving?"
"eating. family. you know...typical."
"you're eating your family for thanksgiving?"
"yeah...family feast."
"i think it'd be fun to eat my entire family for a holiday"
"i think you'd feel bad about it after"
"i'd probably get in trouble"
"yeah, since it's murder and all"

east coast solo adventure.

Yep, that's right...it's that time again. For my yearly trip to the big city. This time, just me...and my camera, laptop, & knife. I would like to take my cajon & guitar because I will be meeting up with some musicians in NYC & Boston BUT i only have 2 hands. So here's my plan...first, let me say that no where in the plan am i seeing sleeping arrangements (except Delaware). Hmm, minor detail. This is dangerous my mother said...i said, no it is not. do you not remember me mentioning i have a sharp knife? Okay, anyway...I fly out of orange county on Nov. 7. Fly into Baltimore airport where a good buddy will pick me up. I am staying with her and her family in Middletown, Delaware. We will go to Philly and have a cheesesteak. Her & I will either roadtrip it to NYC or i will take a bus there. I will spend Tuesday- hmm whenever I want in the city. I will get on a bus or train sometime that next weekend & head up to Boston. Where I will play music, drink coffee, meet my best friend's sister & then fly out of Boston on the 17th. Back to the cubicle on the 18th. This is all very exciting to me...best part, my airline ticket cost $10. If I don't make it back...come searching for me, because that means I did not have a big enough weapon or i just didn't feel like heading back.

i like this.

"Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons."
- Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

I read this book back in 2006. I let someone borrow it and i don't remember who...so i bought another copy last week. Funny how you read a book the 2nd time around and it resonates with you on a much deeper level than the 1st. I read it when i first had the itch to get out there and "see the world". So cliché, right? At least that's what i've been told. Pack up my stuff. leave the comfortable. the familiar. meet people. hear their stories. take my camera and guitar and just....you know, hit the road. I have found that this feeling inside of me just won't go away. I can suppress it...sometimes for years at a time and convince myself to be responsible, save money and be adultish...if you will. I've had just about enough. I feel it stirring inside of me...this time it's much more. An intense feeling that I have put aside for too long. We were made for more than a 9-5 job in a tiny cubicle. Ellen said it best...

"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it." -Ellen D.

i just can't do that anymore. but i'll tell you more about that later.

cubes are like cages.

while my body sits in this cubicle my mind lives a very exciting & magical life.

these videos inspire me...take a look:

a night in lynchburg from John Carl on Vimeo.

when my insides do flips.

"Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul and then walks grinning in the funeral." -Kahlil Gibran

i would expand with my own thoughts and feelings but there is no need. this has started a fire in my soul. ouch.

thoughts for a Tuesday.

I have a lot to learn.....a lot. I am almost 26 and am no where near the person that I am striving to be in many areas. Sure, I have accomplished a lot, I have done SOME traveling, I have an amazing job and have some talent. I need to use these more...WAY MORE. I find that I am very hard on myself...I have too many things that I want to do that often times I get overwhelmed before I even get started. As I was driving home tonight from work I decided that it is time to buy a new lens. It is time to start taking photos again and posting it on my blog. I love photography and I have let it die in my life because of busy schedules, moving...countless excuses. I don't want it to get lost in the mix. I also love playing music...how often do I get to do it, not very often. That is sad that there is not enough time to do the things that I am passionate about. I need to take a few things at a time, focus on them, and make time...having something to show for it. So starting tomorrow I am going to post a blog a day with a photograph that I have taken or with a photograph that inspires me. In 2006, I quit my job...took a couple semesters off of school and I traveled a lot, taking my camera with me everywhere. I miss that. I don't have that now but I need to make due with what I have currently and produce results as best as I can for the time being. If my passion dies, my heart becomes stale...and there's an aching in my heart right now to DO SOMETHING. Passion and career need to go hand in hand for me...I love trying things that are new, things that make me smile and feel alive...and making money doing so. So, there you go. Enjoy.