What do I do?

I am a mom of two grown kids and one young dog, and I co-own Ideal. Ideal was founded in 2008, and is an independent shop located in Downtown Bellingham that focuses on objects of good, functional design. I’ve been involved with the arts for 30 years, starting out in the museum world which led me to my second career here at Ideal.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Working in a creative field can be both meaningful and fulfilling, but at times it can feel undervalued. I ask myself three things when I need to knock off the self-doubt and frustration: am I happy doing the work I do, does the work I do add good to my community, and am I working hard and being challenged. This personal check-in keeps me grounded and positive, and reminds me that I am doing the work I love.

What do you do?

I'm a M.Ed. & SUDP, helping individuals through their substance use disorder(s) with knowledge and empowerment.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

Remain humble when challenges arises.

What do I do?

I am currently the sustainability coordinator, administrative assistant, and I also provide support to the human resources department at the Community Food Co-op in Bellingham, WA. The first two are positions I’ve held for almost the last decade and I’ve been working with our human resources department for the last several months. My responsibilities include tracking hundreds of metrics for sustainability reporting which helps us keep an eye on areas I may need to audit with attention to our quadruple bottom line – people, planet, profit, and purpose. The other primary functions of my roles is project management and systems development, which we’ve had to do a lot of in the last year. I have worked for the Community Food Co-op for over 24 years because I believe so strongly in the cooperative business model and for what our co-op in particular provides to the community.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

Networking and collaboration are a big key to success in any team-based organization and are some of my favorite aspects about working in the natural foods industry. The thing that has changed the course of my career the most, however, is that sometimes you have to create your own opportunity, especially if you can prove a good ROI for your organization. When I was asked to start tracking our utilities and basic financials in what we later dubbed the “sustainability matrix”, it was just a fun project that I spent a few hours a month on. The more information I tracked, the more I saw the opportunity for the Co-op to become a leader in sustainability tracking and reporting. I proposed that we create the position of Sustainability Program Coordinator, and once it was approved, I spent a couple years developing systems and the job has expanded from there. Since the creation of my position our Co-op has been recognized multiple times for our efforts on national and local levels, but even more importantly, we’ve inspired a number of other businesses to start tracking their triple or quadruple bottom lines and have paved the way for several jobs to be created in the natural foods retail sector, modeled after my own. It is humbling to be one of the first sustainability coordinators in the grocery industry.

What do you do?

I am co-owner of Ideal, a shop focused on functional design, located in downtown Bellingham since 2008. I am also a mom, spouse, sister, daughter, friend and volunteer for causes I believe in.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

Be authentic to your vision. No short cuts! If something feels not-quite-right don’t do it, no matter how inconsequential it might seem in the short term.

Choose your business partner very carefully. You will go through some serious stuff together.

Drink lots of water!

What do you do?

I smile and ride my bike a lot.

As a purveyor of stoke, I use mountain bike skills instruction as my avenue to elevate people's belief in themselves. In other words, I am the owner and head coach for Radical Roots MTB Instruction, here in Bellingham, WA. Most of what I do is centered around bikes, community, and having fun. Running a small local business allows me to mentor all levels of riders, junior girls, and coaches in our community and beyond. I also do some marketing and event work for Transition Bikes which basically means I get to do really cool things with an awesome crew of people.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

One of the biggest insights I've gained over my nearly 20 years of being a mountain bike skills instructor is that people are far more capable of things than they often realize. The riders that come to me with a growth mindset always leave with noticeable improvements and I like to think that the willingness to be vulnerable and learn a new skill, like mountain biking, translates into other areas of life too. We must give ourselves the grace to learn new things, to find ease in risk, and to forget about trying to be perfect because perfectionism is the enemy of learning.

What do you do?

I am a working artist and muralist. I create pleasing abstract work in a variety of mediums.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

“What you seek is seeking you” — and you are so so worthy of your greatest dreams.

What do you do?

I'm a writer, artist and oracle. I'm currently leading Story Journey: A Yearlong Pilgrimage into the Heart of the Tarot, as well as working on creating a tarot deck and book.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

There's a handy little guide to prototyping a feminist business that a friend & client recently reminded me of, and the very top principle is YOU HAVE A BODY. This makes me wonder what each of our lives would look like if we believed that our bodies were worthy as they are? What would our world look like if we treated the care of our bodies as holy, not holier-than-thou? So the advice I'd like to pass along is this: You have a body that is worthy of nourishment. You have a body that is worthy of pleasure and joy. You have a body that is worthy of well-being. You have a body, and it is a vessel for beauty.

What do you do?

What a question. To get fully philosophical, I spend every day and try to base every decision on my desire to change the world. My personal hero is Oprah and when I moved to Bellingham in 2016 my goal was to take over the city and become Bellingham’s own Oprah, or Boprah. Not for the fame per se but the ability to help so many people while being able to be a representation of what a strong, Black, self-made woman looks like. Unrelated, during the 2007-2009 market crash there was a disproportionate amount of BIPOC homes that were foreclosed, and that inspired me to want to become a real estate agent. To help BIPOC, first-time and low-income buyers while they are making one of the most important financial decisions in their lifetime. So now in 2021, I am a real estate agent who is also trying to smash the white supremacists, heteronormative American patriarchy. I am working with a team to build Whatcom County’s first Racial Equity Commission while I write real estate deals, it was a surprise to me as well.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

There will never be one magical day where you wake up feeling like an adult with all of the answers. In my early and mid 20’s, I felt like I was lost and sinking at the same time. The problem was I was trying to live the life that is sold to us as the “American Dream”. Ironically I never realized that the dream being sold was almost specifically for white people. When I finally decided that I was going to live a life that made me happy and I would make decisions based on being able to sleep soundly at night, the world really opened up for me. You cannot live fully in a mold that wasn’t made for you. So pursue your dreams and know that everyone else is struggling too.

What do you do?

I am an organic vegetable farmer at Flynn Farms and a pre-loader at UPS. My farm is part of the Cloud Mountain Incubator Farm Program in Everson, WA, and this will be my 5th growing season - I have been WSDA Certified Organic since 2017. I am a member of the best market around: Twin Sisters / Birchwood Market, and I also do a small CSA. Most of the markets I supply to are for local non-profits, and this year I will be growing for the Cooking Matters program through the Foothills Food Bank. This program feeds children and their caretakers, and it fills my heart with absolute joy knowing the participants in this program will not have hungry bellies this summer. Reducing hunger in my community and closing the gender gap for farm owners are my biggest reasons to be a farmer.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Life is truly a gift, but sometimes tragedies occur that are so far beyond our control all we can do is let time pass in order to heal. I’ve had a handful of tragedies in the recent years that have made what I am trying to do feel impossible, but resilience is always possible. If you fall down or someone tries to push you down, do whatever it takes to get back up. You can do it. Resilience is key.

What do you do?

I'm a founding steering committee member of the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters and the Bellingham Deaf and Disability Justice Collective. BFDF works to restore accessible, affordable, sustainable and culturally appropriate food access to the Birchwood neighborhood. BD&DJC is by and for Deaf and disabled people, for intersectional justice and accessibility.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

As far as advice, take to heart the disability rights slogan, "Nothing about us without us!" In every community, people know more about what the challenges are that they are facing than those from outside those communities do. Make sure that the lives of the most affected are front and centered in policy, leadership and daily work.

What do you do?

I am a Wife, Mother, Step-Mom, Daughter, Grandmother, Friend, Sister, Disabled Veteran and Community Servant.

I am the Executive Director of Helping Hands food bank in Sedro-Woolley. We are the largest emergency food bank in Skagit County.

We have moved from a handout model to a grocery store model with resources to create pathways to meaningful lives.

I am an advocate for those that are silent and vulnerable in my community. No one should ever go hungry.

I was the Skagit County women of the Year in 2016

What do I do when I need to be creative?

I paint, I write poetry that only a mother could love, I have 4 novels in the works and after my granddaughter was born I started a children's book for her. "Carl the Courageous Cow"

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

"Dont fear the How". Don’t let fear stop you from finding your good. We all have a good that we are chasing. My good is to be a good person who works hard for their community and to find a work life balance.

Fear keeps us from starting our journeys. I always tell people when they say I am so nervous about XYZ, that excitement and fear live next door in your brain just choose the other door.

Also don’t be afraid to be yourself and be genuine. Who else is going to be the best you?

What do you do?

I do lots of things! I am a foamsmith first. I build armor and weapons out of EVA foam. Normally I am traveling going to conventions, making and sending out orders, selling my patterns, doing meet ups, and competitions. Since Covid last year I have started a jewelry line, a clothing line, and started making twisting wax for dreadlocs. I am currently doing the motions to get my twisting wax into bigger stores! www.mosparlor.com

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Love yourself <3 That is all. It makes everything so much easier!

What do you do?

I am an educator in the immigrant movement. As an Undocumented person, I knew I had found my voice and resilience when I started doing this work. I am the Host of a Shot of Truth Podcast including the designer, marketer, and project manager. I've been speaking all over the country for several years and have more recently presented internationally in a virtual setting. My work has exceeded the very borders that I felt kept me here for so long. The work I do is revolutionary--it's digitally organizing, connecting, building community, and sharing knowledge.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

Be kind to yourself. I've learned so much in my solitude this past year and so much of it was processing emotions I had dissociated from in the past. Allow yourself to feel and breathe through the motions of life. Hold yourself a little tighter, give yourself more compliments, it's hard out here. We all need a little bit more love.

What do you do?

I am an insurance agent. I help people. I educate and assist people in making informed decisions on what insurance products best fit their needs.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

I have lived by the phrase, “Make a decision and then make it right.” To me a lot of time, energy and effort goes into making decisions. I think decision making can be crippling but is instrumental in achieving success. I love this phrase because it gives me freedom to make decisions, and in the event it’s not a success, give myself grace. I then make a correction and the decision feels right after all

What do you do?

For the past 25 years I have had the honor and pleasure of helping community members make our home a better place as a fundraising professional for arts, education, social service and conservation organizations in Whatcom County. I just retired as Philanthropy Director for Whatcom Land Trust and am staying on very part time to help with planned gifts. For fun I sing in a mixed a cappella ensemble, Vox Antiqua, and play jazz piano with ‘Dr Jimmy and the Swingtime Serenaders’. We’re eager to get back together to practice when it’s safe to do so!

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

I’m feeling a little nostalgic and reflective in the early days of retirement. Sniffle. Throughout my professional life I have had no regrets and encourage you to see the good and lessons in every opportunity and failure. All the great jobs, all the crappy jobs, all the people who helped, the disappointments, stuff that gets in your way, and the big wins are all lessons that built the ladder of your life. Empathy, patience, understanding, standing up for yourself, diplomacy, leadership and positive attitude will never let you down. Use them well!

Mentors. Have them when you’re young and be one when you’re in a position to do so. I learned so much from women (and a few men!) who took me under their wing, introduced me to helpful people, expanded my horizons and encouraged my personal and professional growth. Thank you all! Also I am so grateful to have mentored many young women and hopefully passed along all the valuable lessons I learned from those who came before me. Their passion and wide-eyed can-do spirit always energize and keep you young. Plus, there’s nothing like getting a call out of the blue from a years-ago intern asking for a reference for an advanced degree or new job.

Dedicate yourself to lifelong learning. It never stops. It gives you great pleasure and keeps you going strong.

What do you do?

I own Glitt3r Lyfe (https://www.glitt3rlyfe.com/), a small party company and pop-up boutique. I also make sparkly cosmetics and other magical things, do graphic design (most notably for my dad, The Shrimp Whisperer), love costumes, and enjoy being on a nice stage.

Pre-pandemic I could often be found hosting events, helping peoples’ special days run smoothly, running photobooths with catered props, covering folks in glitter tattoos, creating unicorn makeovers, and high-fiving, like, so many people.

Naturally, I’ve had to shift gears quite a bit this past year! I now host events virtually, including weekly trivia and karaoke nights, dance parties, and fancy bingo. Birthday parties have been popular, too! I feel privileged with creating spaces where people can connect with others, let loose and have some fun. And since it’s all online, people from anywhere can join!

I was also the production manager for a live streamed 24-hour global music festival (HONK!United) this past Fall, moved to focusing my boutique sales online, and now provide Zoom trainings for individuals and businesses. I just recently started Subdued Entertainment, too, which I’m hoping will serve as a hub to let people know about virtual activities and media in the Whatcom and Skagit areas.

I’m grateful for how much I’ve been able to shift to working from home, but can’t wait to do it all in person again!

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

I grew up in Alaska, where some days the weather is a lot easier to deal with than others. There would often be talk about if it was a “good weather” or “bad weather” day. In response, my dad would often say, “Every day is a good day!”

It’s simple, but it really stuck with me.

I try to look at every day like that. The sun rises and sets, and that’s wonderful. (And that moon is so cute!) Even if it’s a harder set of time to deal with, there’s always something to be learned and a light to be found. I often find that light by helping create environments, experiences and items that help people feel at ease and smile. That’s really the driving force behind what I do.

Also, tell that punny joke, laugh loud, and hold this stuffed hot dog while I take your picture. <3

What do you do?

I do so many things, but one of my favorite titles is Maker. I own @care.haus where I've been making jewelry & art since 2019. Jewelry-making came into my life as a form of self care; working with my hands, creating something out of a block of clay. I focus mostly on polymer clay and brass.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

"You're not that important," - but not in a mean way. Just in the way that no one is judging you like you're judging you. I routinely remind myself that I'm floating on a rock in space & truly, it keeps me sane!

What do you do?

I am a creative, model, website designer, and multi-media director from Bellingham Wa.

Some of my work includes various photoshoots and videos: The Pride Project, The Anxious Alice Project, and The Bambi Project.

My most recent project is my Tarot Card project. The Tarot Card Project is a collaborative art series that will be complied into a deck of Tarot cards.

I brought 40 other people from the PNW area to donate their time and energy to create a unique Tarot deck. This deck has the power to open minds and connect people. Each card in our deck holds authentic and diverse energy. The deck will be a combination of photographs and illustrations.

The Tarot Card project has been a community effort and because of the generosity of my peers, I plan on donating proceeds from any sales of the completed deck to the Bellingham Alternative Library.

Celebrating art, connecting community and respecting different energies are all very important to me and are ultimate goals in each project I invest my time in.

I am so honored to have met and worked with @TTC Team. I am humbled and blessed to be apart of the Women Among Us 2021.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Love and light always!

My favorite Quote:

He who asks a question is a fool for 5 minutes.

He who does not, is a fool forever

What do you do?

I own The Dance Studio, teach, direct, create productions, and now produce films too. I have the absolute privilege to work with an incredible team of teachers, dancers and parents, spread a passion for dance and help mold and guide motivated and well rounded dancers for the future. I feel so blessed to have discovered what I was meant to be. The Dance Studio is my heart. Watching our dancers grow into confident, poised and loving individuals is a pure gift. I love the creativity that I get to explore through teaching, choreography and productions and even more so enjoy watching my students come alive, the young and the young at heart.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Lead with love. This has been a difficult year for all of us to put it lightly. I have faced more challenges than I thought possible, but the one constant that has kept me hopeful is staying true to my values and leading from a place of love and kindness. When our priority is to care for others, put people first, everything else falls more easily into place. We are more patient, open to listening and have more mind space to think up creative solutions. When faced with a difficult decision, take a breath and lead with love.

What do you do?

I'm a Backyard Chicken Educator with an education and entertainment business called Welcome to Chickenlandia.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

I've worn many hats in this life and had lots of different twists and turns careerwise. The one thing I know for sure is that the most important thing is the moment that is right before you. I spent a lot of time feeling like I failed because I didn't achieve the things I wanted to achieve, but when I look back at my life so far, I know that everything I have done up until this point had a purpose. Now that I have found meaning in my career, I'm using all that knowledge from past "failures" to catapult me forward. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "Don't worry. You got this!" 🐔❤️

What do you do?

I’m an artist and designer for my clothing brand Snaki Babi.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

manifest. i wasted too many years being painfully shy and waiting for opportunities to fall in my lap. i have this mantra in my head that goes “you are what you say you are” meaning if you want to be an artist, musician, model, anything, it starts with you. if you believe it yourself then others will believe it too.

What do you do?

I run an online community called The Yoga Church. For most of my life I felt spiritually lost and lonely… In 2010, I was introduced to the deeper teachings of yoga philosophy and my heart cracked open. I’ve been diving deep into the ancient texts of yoga ever since—including the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads. Through my study and practice of yoga, I’ve found deep healing. And over the years I’ve felt led to share the transformation I was experiencing with others. In the fall of 2018 I started offering a weekly newsletter called the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. This newsletter, which goes out to people around the world, offers a weekly sermon based in the teachings of yoga. In the spring of 2019 I started offering an in-person weekly Yoga Church Gathering at a local studio here in Bellingham. When the pandemic hit in spring of 2020, I moved the gathering online, which allowed the wider community to participate. Over the last year, the community has grown into something I couldn’t have imagined when I started sending out those sermons a couple years ago. We’re now a fully online community dedicated to connecting with Divine Mystery (however we each understand it) and working hard to build our capacity to love (together we’re wrestling with big questions about self-care, collective care, and what it means to practice revolutionary love). If this sounds interesting, please know there’s a spot waiting for you! We’d love to have you join us at the next Yoga Church Gathering.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

As an ancient scripture nerd, my life has been shaped by a wide array of wisdom traditions so it’s hard to decide what to share here! I’ll offer the practice of Kriya Yoga (found in Yoga Sutra 2.1) because it’s applicable in every situation. Kriya Yoga is Yoga in Action. In order to reduce the things that keep us stuck (like ego, attachment, aversion, and fear) we need a balanced practice of self-discipline, self-awareness, and devotion to something higher. Kriya Yoga is a 3-legged stool. If you remove one of the legs, the stool will fall over. You always need all three aspects! In our life and practice we can continually ask ourselves: Where do I need more effort? Where do I need more clarity? Where do I need to dedicate my actions to a larger vision and release my attachment to the result?

What do you do?

What do I do? Well, this is a good question. I like to pickle, make things, play music, write poetry, laugh with friends, appreciate nature, tend to a garden, bicycle in the sun! These are my usual favorites. I play the violin, a smidge of guitar, and sing. This might be my favorite but it's difficult to say, I think I like a little of all of these best. I teach violin in a fun and exploratory way. I enjoy it immensely. If you are looking for a teacher I'd love to be yours. Please reach out and we can chat!

This year I also released my first EP. Here is the link. https://celineparton.bandcamp.com/releases

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you’d like to pass on?

I've had 3 'sayings' I've been saying for years now. 1. People are crazy. 2. We should do whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it as long as it doesn't hurt anyone (it can be hard not to hurt others but do your best) 3. Certainty is a joke. I still like these three sayings. My other advice would be to be confidently yourself and kind.

What do you do?

I am the Owner of Antler Baking Co. At the moment I am a one woman show. So I wear many, many hats! Mostly I spend lots of time in the kitchen making delicious Boozy Treats while covered in frosting and arranging beautiful local blooms on Wedding Cakes.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Boundaries. I am a Go Getter and Workaholic at heart. I absolutely love owning my own business, but sometimes it consumes me in the process. I have never been great at slowing down or saying no to people. I am a recovering people pleaser, anyone else? I have learned that in being an entrepreneur the only way to not officially burn myself out and to be able to maintain a level of sanity that is sustainable for years to come is to implement boundaries in my life and business. Everyone's boundaries will look different, but make sure you take care of yourself, you can't pour from an empty glass. You got this!

What do you do?

I’m the owner of the Concrete Theatre, a nearly 100-year-old venue in the tiny town of Concrete, at the base of the North Cascades. With a stage, screen and an expanded lobby with an ice cream shop coming in 2021, I plan and create all kinds of experiences, including dinner theatre evenings, arthouse movies, and live music, along with locally produced plays and seasonal events.

I’m a healthy, active 70-ish year old entrepreneur married to a good guy who shares my love of travel and adventure. I was awarded Woman of the Year by SWAN and more recently named Citizen of the Year by the Town of Concrete. I’ve served on a variety of non-profit boards and am the president of the local chamber of commerce.

But once upon a time I was a high school dropout, a victim of domestic violence, an alcoholic, and a welfare mother. After a decade of struggle, I became the director of a victim advocacy agency, community college teacher, fitness instructor, and a marketing professional with a master’s degree. In all of my roles, I’ve hoped to inspire other women to reach their potential.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Don’t ever let your past determine your future.

What do you do?

I own Miraculous Braidz & Beauty in downtown Bellingham. I braid hair, install weaves, do tooth gems, teeth whitening & grillz. I make custom apparel, custom rolling tray sets & lots of other customizable items. I do free photo shoots inside the shop as a hobby. (I love taking pictures and creating themes!)

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

My words of advice are “Anything is possible, believe in yourself, stay positive, & talk to God.”

What do you do?

I’ll be a recent graduate of Western Washington University as of March 19, 2021 with a degree in Computer Science and Dance. Soon I’ll be a coding instructor for high school girls and nonbinary folks at Girls Who Code! I am also a professional dancer and choreographer, freelance model, activist, and a co-business owner to Blackout Accessories (@myblackoutaccessories)

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

I noticed that people around me don’t acknowledge their everyday accomplishments enough. I am a victim to this as well! One day I was told to physically write down any personal wins or accomplishments of the day and store them in a visible place to revisit. In my life, time seems to move a mile a minute and it becomes easy to feel like I’m not doing enough. I realized I was only acknowledging myself for my accomplishments that directly impact other people, not the everyday accomplishments I do for myself. Basically I’m trying to say, remember to celebrate yourself! It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow, but you deserve to take some time to truly appreciate yourself and give yourself credit for every single accomplishment regardless of its magnitude.

What do you do?

Owner of a fresh pasta manufacturing company since 2007. We make fresh pasta to folks from the Canadian boarder to southern Puget Sound, selling to grocery stores, meal boxes, restaurants, farmers markets and CNA boxes.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Take baby steps, be patient, and walk with grace. also...Doesn’t hurt to bond a good relationship with your Credit Union or Bank….don’t be intimidated by financial institutions.

What do you do?

I am a community organizer, advocate, activist & artist, local to Bellingham since 2017. Ultimately, I believe my purpose is to 1) reform, build and foster sustainable creative economies by weaving webs of integral and artistic value, and 2) help heal and strengthen communities by facilitating personal inquiry and self-discovery through an accessible and engaging lens.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Engage the collaborative experience life offers! While we create our reality, we do it in tandem; we just have to be willing to start conversations from a place of curiosity, humility and radical compassion. Talk to strangers, embrace differing perspectives and take space to integrate and evolve yours. The surprises that follow are sure to inspire.

What do you do?

For the last 10ish years, I’ve been performing, recording, and writing music under the name Cumulus. Music has always been a driving force in my life, and once I started writing songs, there was no going back to life before. Songwriting is how I process the world around me, how I share my life, and how I connect with others. I find comfort in the power of a song, to make me as the singer and writer, and then also the listener, feel less alone in this crazy world. (I just finished my 3rd record which will be released in 2022!)

In addition to music, I am a remote staffing recruiter for a boutique, woman owned recruitment firm based out of Seattle, where we help businesses find great employees. I connect people to awesome jobs. It’s been really fun to experience using all the skills I’ve developed as a connector of people in the arts, and now carrying that into a totally different industry. I spend my days seeking out and interviewing candidates and trying to make a great match between the job and the employee.

Advice/words of wisdom that affected your life you'd like to pass on?

Just because you don’t make a living at the thing you are most passionate about, doesn’t make you a failure, and it doesn’t mean you have to quit your passion. It took me a really long time to figure out how to do both, and it’s still a work in progress, but putting my foot down and really saying to myself “I can be more than one thing” was really important to my mental well being. Try to break down the parts of your passion work that fulfill you, and seek out how you can find those things in other careers too. For me, I knew that connecting people and building relationships was a huge part of my joy in music, so finding a job that utilizes that has been an awesome discovery.