Hi! I think most of you who will be reading this know who I am and what I’ve been up to the past several years. If not…here’s a quick refresher.
- I was born and raised in Carthage, MO (pronounced Missour-ah)
- I have 3 sisters and 9 nieces and nephews
My 9 nieces and nephews
My 9 nieces and nephews
- I went to Baylor University
- I received my MBA from Wake Forest University
- I’ve lived in MO, TX, Florence Italy, Washington DC, NC, Philly, Denver and I currently live in Chicago
- I’ve worked in marketing for the past 14 years for Campbell Soup and MillerCoors
On a work trip to Belgium to sample beer
- I absolutely LOVE to travel. I’ve been to about 40 foreign countries (give or take a couple) and 37 US states.
- I have the cutest dog in the world named Winston
The adorable Winston
So those are the facts. What you might not know is why I’m currently living in Delhi, India and not home with Winston. SO…the best way to describe it is that I got tired. Tired of corporate life and tired of traveling every week but mostly I just got tired of working for ‘stuff’. I had tons of stuff and yet I kept working and acquiring more and more. One promotion led to the next, which led to more money, more travel, more responsibility and yes…more stuff. I’m not saying I’m ready to give up all my stuff 
I just don’t want to make it the center of my life or what I work for everyday. I want to work for something more meaningful. I love marketing and business, but I’m truly passionate about making the world a better place. I always have been. As a kid my dad used to call me an idealist and not a realist. While age and ‘the real world’ have definitely helped me become more of a realist, I still have that idealist voice in my head that says ‘everyone truly can make a difference’. It sounds corny I know, but I do believe it’s true. So, I’ve come to India to learn about how NGO’s work. (That’s the fancy international word for non-profit. It stands for non-governmental organization.) I want to put my business skills and my passion for marketing and helping others together to find a new career path. One that’s more meaningful. This is the only life I’ll have and I can’t take all that ‘stuff’ with me when I’m gone! All that will be left is the impact I’ve made while I’m here.
My adventure begins in Delhi, India with an NGO called Salaam Baalak Trust. They are an internationally recognized NGO that began working with street children in 1988. My job is to work with some of the older boys and train and coach them to be tour guides. The SBT has a program that offers City Walk Tours through the slums of Delhi and provides insight into the lives and situation of kids living on the streets in India. The tours are led by the former street kids that I will be working with. These are boys that have grown up at the SBT and this is a way for them to learn English, job skills, confidence and take charge of their future.
And the journey begins…