Wish Dish | Share Your Story

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A Tribe Out of Tragedy

Within today’s world, business is extremely difficult.

It seems as if we have created most anything and it is becoming increasingly more difficult for people to stand-out in our society. However, author Seth Godin poses that in today’s world, we have an extremely rare opportunity: to bring people together. In his work Tribes, Godin suggests that people are ultimately looking to connect with others who have similar beliefs, interests, and experiences and make lasting connections. I witnessed this phenomenon personally, although I did not realize it at the time.

During high school, I embarked upon an extremely difficult goal. At the same time that I was seeking a Division I golf scholarship and was enrolled in the most challenging high school in the Midwest, I decided to take a school project to an entirely new level. This was when my company Fashion With a Passion was born.

As a part of my high-school curriculum, I was required to create my own project that combined the elements of Creativity, Action, and Service.

Being the over-achiever that I am, I wanted to not only make my school proud of my project, but also find a way to give-back to the community that supported me in every way. This was when I allowed my creative juices to flow. I ultimately decided to start my own handbag company that combined my love for fashion, passion for life, and motivation to make a difference in the community. With the mentoring of my cousin who was a fellow handbag designer, I designed, marketed, and brought my signature “TLC Bag” to the local spotlight.

My company was centered around the Donate Life campaign. As I am the daughter of an organ recipient and the niece of an organ donor, I wanted to give-back to the community that gave my dad the gift of vision. Not only did I strive to raise money for the foundation, but I also sought to increase the amount of donors in my community and change the negative stigma of organ donation. Through my hard work, I quickly attracted attention and was featured in various local magazines, newsletters, radio shows, and even made a TV appearance. After my appearances in the local media, the project immediately took-off and I sold-out of my entire inventory within a week. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I wasn’t selling purses; I was assembling a tribe.

According to Godin, humans long to connect to one another and form “tribes,” which was what happened during my project.

Looking back, my supporters weren’t looking to buy a purse, but were instead looking to connect with other people whose lives had been affected by organ donation and join a movement bigger than themselves. As a part of Fashion With a Passion, I made it a point to let others share their stories with me on the phone and on my website, allowing for a support network to form within my company. This was the true core of my business because it allowed everyone to share their stories and it showed everyone that they are a part of a greater community. Although this tribe was bonded by tragedy, it was strong nonetheless.

Although I reached my fundraising goals, I eventually concluded the project with a much bigger impact than I had ever anticipated. Not only did this experience teach me how to run a company, it also allowed me and others to connect with a greater community whose lives had been touched by organ donation. Through hearing the stories of others and sharing my own, I gained a stronger appreciation for life and eventually went-on to achieve all of my goals both inside and outside of the company. Perhaps the biggest lesson that I learned through this project is that tribes can assemble anywhere, out of both the greatest miracles and through the worst tragedies.

All a tribe needs is one person who is willing to assemble them, and together, they are unstoppable.

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A Tribe Out of Tragedy

As a part of my high-school curriculum, I was required to create my own project that combined the elements of Creativity, Action, and Service.

According to Godin, humans long to connect to one another and form “tribes,” which was what happened during my project.

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