OUR OUTSIDER STORY

At one point or another, we’ve probably all felt the sting of not being seen, accepted, or even invited. The pain caused by these rejections, big or small, shapes us and plays a big role in how our internal narrative is developed. How we respond to not fitting in or feeling left out can either paralyze our destinies or set them on fire.



There’s a big difference between choosing our own path while valuing the opinions of others and letting those opinions shape how we see ourselves. One brings anxiety and regret, and the other brings freedom. When we free our hearts from the opinions of others, we don’t have to be invited to the table to feel significant. But when we are invited, we show up prepared to set our own place and serve others. Eventually, we learn the real secret.


WE BELONG WHERE WE SHOW UP.

We don’t wait for someone else to tell us we belong. We show up with our hearts open, our hands ready to work, and our minds prepared to learn. The driving force behind a true Outsider is rooted in love.


This path of courage is not one easily traveled. It often winds through uncharted territory and almost always requires a refusal to listen to the voices in our heads. The word Outsider might seem negative to many, but in my family, Outsider thinking has taken us on so many paths we would have otherwise missed out on. To us, this word has been a courageous call to live a life outside of the lines. It’s been an invitation to love deeply and value those in society who are often overlooked and undervalued. This road has been lonely at times, but it’s also full of adventure and opportunity for growth.

EXTREME MAKE OVER

In 2008 we lost everything because of the recession. We were forced to pack up our little family and move back home to Southern Oregon from Portland where we had been living for 3 years. In 2011, still navigating how to parent two boys on the autism spectrum and recovering from almost two years with no job, we were gifted a home by our community and ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. That gift sparked a revolution in our hearts. It created a platform for us to lead and speak and give back to our sweet town.


OUTSIDER MISSION

Our mission is to wake people up to their greatness through daily inspirational calls to action so they can love themselves and impact their community. People have asked us how we intend to do that in a 90-second interaction at a drive-thru window. What we know is that genuine connection and truly seeing people only takes a few seconds. We’ve also created an online platform through social media and special cup designs that will help spread our message.


I’m a community college dropout. I started a church in a bar. All of what I know about marketing and design has been self-taught or learned through books and Youtube. Two of our four boys are on the autism spectrum, and I’ve always struggled with feeling like a failure as a mom. Always. We’ve started businesses and failed. We’ve lost everything. We’ve faced public humiliation and private rejection. We’ve known the comfort of the golden handcuffs (being at a job that pays good enough to make us question if following our dreams is even responsible). And still, we know every day is an opportunity to risk and to step out beyond what we know and are comfortable with.


We have embraced the call of the Outsider, the less-traveled road filled with challenge after challenge. We are determined to see setbacks as learning experiences, and we will counter sleepless, stress-filled nights with the overwhelming peace of knowing we are living our destiny.


You don’t have to quit your job or flip society the finger to find your place at the Outsider table. But you do have to choose to wake up to your purpose and to keep saying yes even when it feels impossible. When we choose the life of an Outsider, we see our failures as opportunities, and eventually, risk becomes a part of our DNA.


The bottom line is, we are no longer confined to what society says success looks like — we are no longer bound to doing what is expected. We are free to say yes in the face of impossibility. We can ultimately refuse to fit in and wake up to our own greatness.


ARE YOU READY TO WAKE UP TO YOURS?


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