Why Grace?

Now that we’ve met and I’ve gotten the opportunity to introduce myself, you may be asking yourself (very validly), “Why choose to work with Grace?” I mean, if we are being honest here, I am just a woman you met by chance who happened to give you her card (or link)— nothing much incredibly outstanding there.

But while I will not be trying to act as though I am something I am not, I do believe there are several crucial components I bring to the table professionally.

I like to describe myself with 3 adjectives to give people a 30,000 ft view of who I am:

Creative, Passionate, and Driven

Now let’s run through each individually.

Creative- As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a “project” going. When I was 6, it was painting birdhouses. When I was 8, it was hosting plays (complete with a concession stand with homemade popcorn, hand-sewn costumes, and backtracks/lighting… all the works) in my basement playroom that my parents had built a small stage in. When I was 12, it was a small business that I used to sell my cupcakes (complete with self-designed marketing strategies like business cards). When I was 17, it was working on painting backdrops for school plays. In college, it was working on anything and everything that captured my interest from sewing and fashion design/styling to painting with 3D mediums to writing poetry. During my gap year, it has been taking stagehand jobs for Broadway musicals and touring artists. The drive to create has never stopped pushing me to take up new mediums and project opportunities, and I continue to find joy in following the creative process wherever it leads. If there is one thing I have discovered about myself, it is that projects/volunteer opportunities and jobs that allow me to be creative (or at least be in a creative setting) are where I truly thrive.

Passionate- I’ve lived with myself long enough to know I don’t do anything casually. When I am in something, I am IN it. You can bet that whatever I am working on will become a part of my personality for however long it takes to complete it. If you do what you love, it’s easy to bring passion to work with you every day. If you’re looking for someone high on life, full of energy, and relentlessly positive, I have just the person for you: me!

Driven- Growing up in a Southern Baptist town, I’ve had many quotes about hard work such as “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise,” (Proverbs 6:6) and “He who does not work shall not eat,” (Thessalonians 3:10) engrained into my brain. And whether or not you stay religious, those words of wisdom stick with you. I know that nothing in life is handed to you, nothing in life is free, and your dedication to succeeding through hard work is one of the only things you can hang your hat on at the end of a long day. Working diligently to see the hard-earned fruits of my labor brings me a deep sense of satisfaction. No matter what I find myself in, I’m going to make sure it’s done right.

A little bonus info:

Friends, coworkers, and employers have consistently described me as someone who always shows up to work with a smile on her face. In fact, I once had a coworker ask, “Grace, how do you always stay so smiley all the time?”

Well, I’m one to be upfront with my emotions, but I also find that it’s always easier to get through a stressful day with a smile on your face. You create the atmosphere around you just as much as it helps form you, so why not start a self-repeating positive cycle?

For more info on the projects, jobs, and extracurriculars I’ve worked on that may help answer the question “Why Grace?”, be sure to check out this page: My Works