ABOUT

From: Where Women Create 2013

The proverbial “they” say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I am convinced they are right. The journey towards being a creative type for me has been one that has continually involved being surrounded by good people. At the age of twenty-three this has been a relatively short journey, but has been filled with valuable lessons and the conversation of good people. 

The journey started on our family farm in the tiny rural community of Centertown, which is in Western Kentucky. Those years were filled with days spent in my Aunt June’s kitchen, in the garden with my grandfather, and in the pumpkin patch with whoever would force me to hoe, or weed, or fertilize, this was usually my dad. These people not only taught the value of hard work daily, but also of the importance of being creative. The farm was established in the late 1700s and has always served as a reminder of the family heritage that is rooted in that sandy clay earth. The years in Aunt June’s kitchen didn’t just teach me how to make the perfect Red Velvet cake, along with the gardens, and the farm, and the history they planted the seed for the business I run today. Without the farm and the family I would have never understood the importance of small towns, heritage, or the old-fashioned values that I strive to represent daily. I am a firm believer that drawing inspiration from the past is the catalyst for moving into a brighter future. 

Scenes of church potlucks, BINGO games at Christmas, fall festivals at school, trips to my grandparents, where chocolate cake and rummaging through the basement were the norm, family vacations to national parks and tropical places, and early mornings at the local OC Cafe with my aunt, Linda, were the times that nurtured the creative spirit in me. The early morning breakfast conversations transitioned into a massive business that would work to save small-town America and to advocate for artisans everywhere. I don’t think Linda or I ever imagined what we had created at that cafe. Through it all she has been my sounding board, devils advocate, and of course tree climbing, property trespassing, and photo adventuring companion. In those adventures we had unknowingly started to build the frame work for the brand I would soon launch. With a fear of heights conquered it was soon time to put my fears of being truly creative aside and jump into what we are doing today. 

I never would have thought that I along with my team, would be running a national company while still in college, but that is the mysterious ways of the universe for you. Together we have experienced the highs and lows of being a creative type and business owner. We have journeyed through burning out when times get rough and money gets tight. Together we have gone in and out of focus as we have been distracted by school or by problems caused by rapid growth, each time looking at why the three of us, along with my aunt, and my staff, came together to start this originally, to truly remember that living an authentic life is the key. Of course, we come together to celebrate finding a like minded individual to join us on our journey. We join together to celebrate the highs and, to make it through and learn from, the lows. 

I am a firm believer in three universal truths to good living — good food, good conversation, and living an authentic life. Staying true to yourself is certainly of great importance, once you start to go away from your original vision things only go downhill from there. I am also a believer that one must be willing to admit their mistakes and not be afraid to admit your faults. I know I have no trouble admitting I can’t use a glue gun and am as far from crafty as one can get. The most important key in my opinion is to surround yourself with people who will join you on this journey. The people that will join you in the passenger seat while you drive down the backroads listening to Miranda Lambert will be those who help you be your most creative. Together lets journey to a small town cafe, have a slice of chocolate pie—no meringue—and have a wonderful conversation. Don’t forget to bring your camera.

MEET BEN; A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMETHING

Saying that life is less than an amazing journey is a grand mistake. I found that I've learned a lot of this life from crashing, burning and coming out on the other side. For me everyday starts a new adventure and gives an opportunity to make the day better than the last. I will be the first to admit that I am not a person of words. I am a person of actions. I plan, I make lists, I have amazing goals, and I never reach for anything less than the stars.

I have found that along this journey we meet amazing dynamic people. Some of them enter for just a piece of the journey. They provide their insight and show us how to better read the map or how to make it through a storm. Others aren't people we meet, but instead are people who ride in the seat next to us, or ride in the backseat. To say that one type of person is better than the other is also a mistake. I have found that I have some of the most amazing friends, be it in the past, present, or future tense.

For me part of this journey is surrounding yourself with beautiful people, beautiful memories, things, and places.

I love classic TV, film, and design. I am passionate about the beauty of regular objects and I love good food, good travel, and good discussion. Along this journey I have three constants, good food, good friends, and really good dynamic music. I love music of all kinds. I have hundreds of CD's of every genre and I always have a soundtrack playing in my head. I am also passionate about good fashion. I believe the way we present ourselves says so much about who we are. I love all types of fashion but you are most likely to find me in a pair of good jeans, a solid color T-shirt, and a pair of good well worn boots.  I am very independent. It is my most dominate quality.

While I love surrounding myself with people I also really appreciate the alone time where it is just me and music or me and the open road. I have really changed a lot it seems, but a lot of me feels I'm still the same person. I have however learned the importance of just being myself. Living a lie is the worst thing we can ever do in life. I have learned to live without fear and to live each day as if it could be your last.

Yes, the above is from a 2008 Facebook profile.

We don't always get to choose everything about who we are... But we do get to choose the fights we fight, the friendships we build, the way we handle who we are, and the paths we take. At the end of the day do these not truly determine who we really are?

BEN'S INSTAGRAM

A QUOTE FROM MADEA

"Some people are meant to come into your life for a lifetime, some for only a season and you got to know which is which. And you're always messing up when you mix those seasonal people up with lifetime expectations.

I put everybody that comes into my life in the category of a tree. Some people are like leaves on a tree. When the wind blows, they're over there... wind blow that way they over here... they're unstable. When the seasons change they wither and die, they're gone. That's alright. Most people are like that, they're not there to do anything but take from the tree and give shade every now and then. That's all they can do. But don't get mad at people like that, that's who they are. That's all they were put on this earth to be. A leaf.

Some people are like a branch on that tree. You have to be careful with those branches too, cause they'll fool you. They'll make you think they're a good friend and they're real strong but the minute you step out there on them, they'll break and leave you high and dry.

But if you find 2 or 3 people in your life that's like the roots at the bottom of that tree you are blessed. Those are the kind of people that aren't going nowhere. They aren't worried about being seen, nobody has to know that they know you, they don't have to know what they're doing for you but if those roots weren't there, that tree couldn't live.

A tree could have a hundred million branches but it only takes a few roots down at the bottom to make sure that tree gets everything it needs. When you get some roots, hold on to them but the rest of it... just let it go. Let folks go." — Madea (Tyler Perry)

INSIDE BEN'S WORLD