Growing up in Hollywood, California had been a unique experience for me since I was born and raised there. My mom and dad had been icons within the entertainment industry. Dad was a manager for high-profile entertainers, including Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger. Here is a current photo of him alongside Jagger. The baby blue Adidas-branded jumpsuit was an outstanding ensemble, perfectly coordinating and complementing his overall look. My mom used to be a model and actress, known for her habit of snacking on chips. She even got to make out with one of the big stars of the 70s, Erik Estrada! I, like many other teens, wanted to rebel; but being raised in the midst of Hollywood and attending Beverly Hills High made my approach a bit different. Instead of simply disregarding the status quo, I choose to display my "rebellion" through attending Youth Group. I would deceive my parents about where I was going, telling them I was heading to a party when in reality I had decided to join Youth Group, wanting to go against the popular opinion that material indulgence and fame is what truly matters in life. Growing up, acting was just my normal activity which included becoming the face of movie posters. Though it was just my face used in the graphic, they manipulated it through editing, and even the outfit was not something I ever really wore. I was surprised to see myself wearing something I had never seen before, and so I had no idea who it was. True to my rebellious side, I began to travel around the country taking thousands of pictures. Those photographs captured people proudly standing and showing off signs with empowering messages basically saying that imperfection is perfect. My fellow peers' acnes and scars saved their life and they and their core beliefs now have become an integral part of my own lifestyle and thinking; even our fried hair from chemo has been considered beautiful too! You know what I mean? For years and years I wrote songs about the pictures that people would send me. I mean my songwriting did start out as something taboo, but over time more and more people felt comfortable trusting me with their photographs. I decided to take everything flawed and turn them into something positive, which was why I created an album, hit the road to tour and marketed it. I had sold CDs at the merch table while also having t-shirts printed with catchphrases such as "Love Your Flaws".
Then a key on a necklace gave me an awesome look as I passed through New York City one day. The vibe was so great that I decided to put this unique hotel key around my neck and live in the moment. That key and my enjoying it then led me to drop by the locksmith shop one day and I asked if he could engrave "Love your flaws" onto a key, before I added that I had noticed some old used keys and wondered if he could engrave some other inspiring words such as "Hope", "Strength", "Love" & "Courage". Once I was back on tour, I took up a professional approach to my craft of making jewelry. With my cuticle clippers on an airplane tray along with some tweezers, I start selling the merchandise at each show. Clearly, viewers could tell the passion and care I had for jewelry-making. At the Fashion Institute, without me even going there, my necklaces flew off the merch table faster than my compact discs ever did. But people still resonated and connected with what they heard in my music and what they read on my necklaces and keys; they would have been buying these small key necklaces as a way to show their appreciation for me and for themselves. I have to thank them for that! I encouraged the audience during their songs to embrace their flaws like they do with their individual keys. I asked them to wear it and, once they find someone who needs the message more than they do, "pay it forward" by donating their keys to them, and share the story of why they gave it away in the first place. The online campaign has been an amazing story; it all started with people sending in experiences like giving their "courage" key to someone about to commit suicide and their recipient passing the "fight" key onto another person with cancer. It was an inspiring chain of inspiring stories. I initially only thought of this business model as an incredible success with the sudden uptick in customers purchasing thousands and thousands of keys.
But I realized I could do more than just build an online store along with a website - perhaps create some cute jewelry and offer even more options. I had the idea that I wanted the money to go to charity but without knowing the exact cause in which to invest, I waited for six months looking for this "missing link". As time passed, I kept brainstorming different solutions such as using my proceeds for funds to varying causes, but nothing in my business or my life ever seemed to go right. Crying and filled with emotion, I left church one day walking down Hollywood Boulevard with a heavy heart. Struggling to find meaning in life and what it all meant, I pondered aimlessly. But then I saw an unfortunate couple, ugly, broke, and hungry, sitting in the rain under an umbrella. It moved me so much that I want to help them out in some way, even if I had to go out of my way just to help. Having cancelled my plans that night, I fell in love with them instantly the moment I approached and inquiry about their story. Instead of dining out on my own, I invited them to join me for dinner together. We had a wonderful time at dinner as I bought wine and beer just for them. It might not have been standard practice, however I was filled with joy about it, ignoring the concept of charitable giving that often comes with such occasions. Then practically after the meal, I asked the girl just two hours into our interaction, "I really like your necklace, miss. You must enjoy making jewelry!" She smiled and replied, "Thanks! I do like creating jewelry." So when I saw the potential in this idea, I realized it could be great. I thought to myself, "Is this my aha moment?" and I asked my friends if they wanted to become my business partners. I went to the locksmith the next day and ordered engraving equipment up to three hundred dollars from a source I could not even recall. To accompany and finalize my purchase, I also bought a few hammers from Pep Boys. I began meeting my business partners in alleyways; though it seemed as though I was conducting a hard drug deal. When I had arrive, I would simply roll down the window of my automobile and hand them money in exchange for packs of good jewelry they would have with them. Sometimes the keys would be delivered in my partners' own creative way, like this old microwavable package. On one side were the keys and on the other was macaroni and cheese! Slits had been cut at the top so that everything would stay untangled. Those four keys were examples of that creativity.
A wrap party was organized to celebrate the end of a show I was performing in, and it had all the actors attending in a very swanky place. I allowed the smell, although it was only slightly present, to be alright. It was not at all excellent, but I smelled it. People may never have taken notice of these necklaces, however, that does not even really matter as far as I am concerned. The demand for our products was so high, that we simply could not meet all of the orders - all of those swanky stores had been selling thousands of dollars of our jewelry. We had a crazy time as we all freaked out from all of the chaos. My suggestion was to hire more help and to go to project Skid Row, though things would have cooled off eventually. Partnering with United Way and Home Path, we started to hire individuals from each location. We did not initially plan on working with either organization; however, we quickly found out what great assets they can be! Little by little, our new employees started to save enough money until they had reached a point they were able to make ends meet. Two of our employees Rob and Sarah first stayed in a motel and slowly started taking GED classes. After which, they moved into their own apartment. Rob's accomplishments were truly incredible considering his background; he came from a family living under a bridge in San Diego and yet earned an impressive score between 98 and 99 on the GED. Sometimes they just needed some motivation, and it was interesting to see that literal gold was inside all of these people. It was insane what emerged as a result as soon as I began to explore the unknown dimensions of my creativity. At one point, we ended up making the decision to hire ten people, literally right from the street. This was due to our need for more employees in order to meet the requirements of our new expansive workload; along with our other need to fulfill their own personal needs.
Five people who were transitioning out of homelessness were successful in completely eliminating the problems in question – they got their own apartments, and everything. Ten of our new employees in total attempted to make the change, with five successes. Some of us would pay hourly rates for their engraving keys and some other related tasks. Jeff and Norma were two more employees of ours, complete strangers who randomly fell in love. But as it turns out, they had initially met by milling away excess material on the engraved keys. Now, after much deliberation, the two are engaged and happy enough to stay true and loyal, all the way to the end of their potential marriage. Of course, I am not asking for much romance: I just want to be able to look at them at of the time - it is just that I love them so much! Even though it may seem awkward, all I really want is the opportunity to admire the beauty of my own provided images on them and the beauty of their love on my screen. So, open your eyes wide to all the opportunities that are present today. Motivate and inspire yourself to take action and help out wherever there is a need. All of your needs are in fact everywhere! From the tiniest corner to the largest room, they are all over the place, especially in places where you least expect them to be. "Do not depend on others for leadership", Mother Teresa advised one time to take a constant individual action in pursuit of doing good and offering help to those in need. Change everything, even personally!
If you spot someone who is famished, an easy solution would be to give them something to eat. If you see a person who is cold, why not offer them one of your extra blankets sitting in the closet? You can be so generous to that person. Do not attempt to organize something in a novel way just because you are looking for an "innovative" new organization. The process is very simple: do it because it is right, not just to stand out. You ought to be going against the economic grain if you go into finance and industry with a moral mindset such as the following: "I am determined to become a social entrepreneur, so I am focusing all my passions and efforts on becoming passionate about this endeavor; I also plan to start a non-profit organization and think of ways to make that successful." It is essential that love be genuine and derive from real care for people. Genuine, heartfelt love has to come from a place of truly caring about others and their wellbeing. This kind of compassion forms the core foundation for strong interpersonal relationships. As humans, it is our responsibility to show care and consideration for one another. It is our responsibility to support and care for those who are in need and felt weak. We, as humans, must step up to offer help during their tough times. The key to making advancements with eliminating boundaries such as social status, prejudice, complacency and narcissism is collaboration combined with compassion. Working together with open communication can help us move forward and inspire change for the betterment of society. Ensuring your safety and those of other people when feeling uncertain and vulnerable can be the most helpful way to protect one and all. Protecting yourself is key when you feel unsure and vulnerable, so monitoring the situation closely is essential. Locks seem to be everywhere, but perhaps you have the key that can unlock freedom for somebody else? These have been my loving words of wisdom and guiding keys to all of my readers.
See also: https://mygodsentangels.com/