The Hustle
Years in Tampa Bay
I’ve been in St. Pete in my current form for about three years. But I was born and raised in Sarasota, so I’ve been in and out of this area for a while.
Hustle (job)
Creative Organizer is probably my most appropriate job title. I’m a freelance writer/designer for money, but my hustle is really concentrated on my volunteer roles and passion projects.
What do you do?
Most people know me as the host of CreativeMornings/SP. My team and I put on free monthly events to connect, inspire, and support the creative community in Tampa Bay. We’re part of a global organization that does the same thing in more than 185 cities across the world.
Why do you do it?
I do this because of all the joy and connection it brings to our community, the vast majority of which I never hear about. We have an amazing community of creatives in our area, and that includes artists and designers, as well as people putting creative spins on traditionally non-creative professions. They create a city worth living in, so we offer them this monthly gift of time and space to connect with each other and experience perspectives, ideas, narratives and approaches that help fill the creative bucket from which they draw their inspiration and motivation. If we brighten one person’s morning, and they bring that energy back to their workplace, their family, their friends—it’s worth it to me. It’s such a small thing, but multiplied by the global community over time, it has the power to change the world.
What was your Catalyst? (How did you get started?)
I was waiting for someone else to start CreativeMornings here, so I could attend. It was one of those things where I kept asking, “Who’s going to do this?” until it became clear that it was me. Around the same time, I joined the team at Roundhouse Creative, convinced them to help me, and together we launched the chapter.
What’s a common misconception or unknown aspect of what you do?
People often ask “who benefits?” from CreativeMornings, or how we make money. The whole idea of what we do is that it’s a gift to the creative community, from the creative community. We are 100 percent volunteer-run and donation-supported. Our events are free across the world and no one makes money, but I’d say that everyone benefits. It’s a really special concept that creates a vibe of goodwill and camaraderie I have yet to experience anywhere else.
What’s the most challenging part of your Hustle?
I’m always struggling to find more time or money to pour into what I believe in. Fortunately, I’m surrounded by an incredible team of people who are as passionate as I am, and they all generously donate their time, talent and products in service of our collective give-back to the community we all love.
What’s the most valuable piece of business advice/insight that’s helped you?
“Always ask.” The very first speaker we booked for CreativeMornings/SP had that as one of his talking points, and I internalized it at the very beginning. It’s always a “no” if you don’t ask. So we always ask and have been pleasantly surprised at how consistently our community says “yes” to what we’re doing.
What should people know about CreativeMornings/SP?
Everyone is creative in some way, and so everyone is welcome at CreativeMornings. It’s always free, always on a Friday morning (typically the fourth of the month), and you are definitely invited. Oh, and bring your own mug. Our events are certified zero waste (woot!) and we take great pride in our planet-friendly practices.
