My mantra?
Words without action are the assassins of idealism.
Let me tell you how this came to be my mantra.
I’ve always been a curious and creative person.
Hours upon hours of my youth were spent drawing, painting and sculpting. I would work in any medium to make my imagination real and tangible to others. As the youngest of six siblings, I didn’t often have the hottest and most popular toys, but I did always have a pencil and paper to express myself.
When it came time to choose a course of study for college, I chose to major in Anthropology.
I can hear you chuckling, but I loved it- I really, really did.
All the different ways that humans have organized their societies. Figuring out what people valued, why they valued it and how they communicated it to others.
Whenever I would learn about an impoverished community or one destroyed by war I would say, “someone should really do something about that…”
Then, I read the Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley. Malcom X was a man who grew up with very little. He had several strikes against him, but he still changed not just America, he changed the world.
After reading his biography, I read dozens of other autobiographies of civil rights leaders like: Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, Audrey Lorde, bell hooks, and more.
Each of these people could have sat by and done nothing, but they didn’t.
They were spit on, cursed at, assaulted- but they were undeterred. Their work pushed the public consciousness forward.
It was during this time in my life that I was introduced to my mantra “Words without actions are the assassins of idealism.”
How many people do you think discouraged them from taking action?
How many people told them that it’s not going to work– that they were putting their own future in danger?
I was inspired by their work, and decided to take action against injustices in the world. My first step was to organize “Rock for Kiva!” for our SUNY Plattsburgh Anthropology Club.
I wanted to empower people in the other countries I was learning about to start their own businesses and take control over their life. Kiva’s micro loan program seemed like an excellent way to take the things I was learning in my classes and make a real world impact.
After that first event, I went on to host dozens more. I helped found the Plattsburgh Roller Derby league. I loved hosting the Zombie Walks, cat art show, cupcake showdown, and every single roller derby event.
No one paid me to do it, I just wanted to do something to make my community a better place.
That takes me to today-
During those years of hosting events I learned a lot.
I soon became adept at cost effective marketing. I paid out of pocket for every event I hosted- so I learned how to stretch a dollar and maximize resources. Heck, at that time I was making minimum wage.
I learned how to design posters, write press releases, create websites, utilize social media and network with likeminded groups.
I continued to hone my marketing skills and abilities. First as the Program Coordinator for Reality Check, then as the Marketing Director at Schneider & Palcsik, and now through working with clients and continuing education.
Let me use all these skills that I’ve built and tested in the real world for your business. You want to live the life you love, and I want to help you get there.
There is nothing more rewarding and inspiring than helping someone achieve their goals and live the life they want to live.
Move forward with confidence