Creativity Is Not Privilege It’s An Inherent Part Of Our Nature
Embedded Inside All Of Us Are Acres Of Diamonds We Just Need To Mine Our Own Business
During the early days of the pandemic a popular meme started circulating around the net.
If you don’t come out of this quarantine with:
- A new skill
- Your side hustle started
- More knowledge
- You never lacked time, you lacked discipline.
That was a harsh pill for some people to swallow, so they adjusted the meme to reflect their worldview. You’re doing just fine. We are going through a collective traumatic experience. Not everyone has the privilege of turning a pandemic into something fun or productive. Stay healthy. Matt Bartlett said: “Ignore the pandemic productivity guilt trap-it’s bullshit.” I wasn’t so quick to dismiss meme as bullshit, nor did I feel guilty reading it whilst eating some Hagaan Dazs Butter Pecan ice cream and watching Netflix. Perhaps Matt felt triggered. If you hang a dope ass people you’re going to end up doing some pretty dope shit yourself.
Sunday March 15, I parked the car in the garage in Bridgeport, walked upstairs in my sisters house to check in on her before heading out Wallingford.
CNN was on and I got the sense that things were really starting to heat up. When I got home that evening, I quickly calculated my finances and figured I’d ride out the pandemic. A few years back, I decided to drive Uber full-time while I built BTW Podcast; this pandemic came at the worst possible time. Is there a perfect time for a global pandemic? The first few days were fine but then I started getting a bit stir crazy home alone.
I binged watched Ozark and few other shows and got sucked into a pandemic news conference cycle, I started exploring some creative options with green screen and invested in a Masterclass. We went through a hell of a time, starting first with the modern day lynching of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor’s murder by the police in her own home. The tipping point that launched protest around the world were those 8min 46seconds of George Floyd’s murder that was captured on video.
Amidst that backdrop Nikkis Campbell and Zsa-Zsa Porter launched a business Exposed Vegan. WE ARE OFFICIALLY EXPOSED!!!!! I didn’t know what to expect when I read the caption, there was a build up leading up to the announcement and then they dropped the news-we’re starting a business. I was immediately excited and curious about the focused thinking and mindset it takes to work, raise a family, train for three disciplines-swimming running and cycling-now toss into mix a global pandemic. Did I forget to mention that they are both IRONMAN? Yes, they are both IRONMAN.
What happened in the middle of a pandemic? Two African American Women came together through Zoom Meetings, early morning kitchen labs, late night web designs, and started a business. Nikkis and Zsa-Zsa were in the beginning of a Pandemic as they watched and learned that COVID19 was hitting the African American community hard, along with those already battling pre existing conditions. Instead of complaining about it they decided to do something about it. You might be asking yourself, what do you get when two African American female IRONMAN triathletes come together? You get determination, consistency, and success.
Their Genesis story is incredible, they weren’t childhood friends or college roomates, they connected via social media. Their story is the quintessential example of what happens when you allow yourself to be vulnerable and show up in the world transparent and authentic, people connect with you in a deep and meaningful way. Exposed Vegans was born out of a desire to serve, it was not a money making entrepreneurial endeavor. Having watched family members and friends suffer and struggle with obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. They decided to share their journey with the world starting first in their home town. Zsa-Zsa and Nikkis are on a mission to expose vegan myths. Educating and building healthy communities. Partnering with local farmers to produce delicious food and fresh juices. Encouraging you to live healthy. Exposed Vegans aren’t coming for your bacon. There’s a subtle vulnerability, a humorist approach which Exposed Vegans take to dispel the myths of a vegan lifestyle
We had the honor of interviewing Nikkis and Zsa-Zsa for Behind The Wheel a show dedicated to highlighting the accomplishments of ordinary people who are doing EXTRAordinary things within their communities.
The Grand Opening & Ribbon cutting ceremony for Exposed Vegan’s store front in Charlotte, North Carolina will be held on November 1st pre-orders will begin Oct 26th for food and juice weekend delivery. Door Dash will begin November 7th.
