My run with Plant With Purpose as storyteller and communications leader has come to a close. It has been such a big part of my life for so long, so that still feels weird to say. But when it comes to feelings, gratitude is front and center.
The past decade has been a joyful adventure.
Getting to serve the communities at the front lines of climate change through the work of international development, tree planting, and storytelling through Plant With Purpose has been such a privilege.
First, know that there’s no drama. All I’ve said about the mission these past few years hold true and I’m cheering on my friends and partners still. I finish on a high note. I got to start my last week delivering a sermon on climate justice wrapped up in stories and lessons from the past ten years.
I finish on a high note. I got to start my last week delivering a sermon on climate justice wrapped up in stories and lessons from the past ten years.
At an organization that’s not far from 50 years old, it was always going to be a relay race.
And I get to hand that baton off to some of the best hands. Teammates. Partners all around the world.
I’ve been flashing back to when I received that baton.
Not only did I get the chance to enter the world of international development like I always dreamed, but I wound up at an organization that was doing everything the right way. Treating people like partners not projects. Investing in local leadership. Addressing root causes.
And my job was to put words to it. To tell that story!
I always said that I had the fun job, but that I hoped everyone felt that way about their job.
I’m pretty sure that back when I was interviewing for the role, I used the line “I’d like my growth to happen alongside the organization’s growth.”
And it really happened.
When I joined Plant With Purpose, it was doing great work. But it was small and scrappy I was a one-person department.
I got to see all my teammates level up their efforts.
To see the team grow from 15 to 50 people. To see people hired right out of college turn into senior leaders. To see programs in Malawi and Ethiopia get started. I got to help concoct talking points to make the work irresistible. I rallied for stage time and article placements and podcast interviews, and landed a couple fun ones. Made some videos I’m proud of.
Our audience grew. So did the budget. 325% baby.
As for my growth?
Some of it is obvious.
Welcoming three kids in the middle of the ride will do that.
But there’s a lot that changed beneath the surface too. I’ve grown professionally and personally.
Early on, I swung for the fences, feeling like I had a lot to prove. Lots of energy. Could’ve used more focus.
But I got to learn from partners. Learn from teammates. Learn from experience.
I went from working for admiration to working from love.
I went from doing something new every two years, setting out with a founder’s mentality to learning how to appreciate the joy of being on a team. The beauty of a long obedience in the same direction.
And let’s be real, we had some big adventures.
My Plant With Purpose journey took me from clay houses in Tanzania to the TED Stage. I got to step into hilltribe villages in Thailand and church forests in Ethiopia.
I experienced a rush of hope during a difficult time while standing in a Haitian pine forest.
I experienced healing when I planted the first tree in Oaxaca in memory of a friend.
And I experienced a lot of weird things too.
Accidentally hosting a whole bunch of diplomats in our office who all wanted to talk about cyberbullying. Bringing a David Attenborough impression to our fanciest fundraising event of the year. Doing crowd work in a village using the only 12 Kirundi phrases I knew.
When people would ask me my favorite part about my work, there was a lot to say. I got to do the things I loved doing. I got to do them for a legitimately good cause. And yes, the adventures!
But over time, that answer got a lot simpler.
The people.
I’ve worked with some great ones.
That’ll be the thing I miss most.
My comms and marketing team challenged me to always show up mindfully, strategically, and creatively.
My international partners absolutely wowed me with their courage and spirit of serving others. Some show up again and again. In war zones. In spite of so many setbacks. Some of the bravest stories are ones I can’t even talk about, because of real safety concerns.
And I’ve also been thinking about Kirstie. Durbel. Katie Gardner. People who reminded me that at the end of the day, what matters is that you showed up for others with love.
I’ve livestreamed funerals and adoption hearings with this team. Half of us became parents at the same time.
Next adventures are loading.
I hold curiosity, excitement, nervousness, and all that as I look forward to what comes next. Trust me, you’ll hear all about it.
But before jumping there, I wanted to give the past decade its due.
It was such a good one.
I’m not usually a fan of endings, but If I’ve learned anything from years of telling stories about trees and soil, it’s that nothing really ends.
Sure, things decay and go back into the earth where they started. They get chewed up by worms for a little bit. And then? Something new bursts out made up of the same organic matter of what was.
I’m so thankful for the grace I’ve gotten from everybody I worked with. That grace allowed me to grow.
I’m grateful for all the adventures. So many hilarious moments. So many beautiful ones.
And I’m hopeful the legacy of ethical storytelling, partners not projects, and choosing curiosity and hope will continue.
What a gift.