TURNING WELLNESS INTO {WELL}TH: WHY I’M PAYING FOWARD $15,000 OF COMMUNITY WELLNESS.
“… I'm just another black man caught up in the mix. Trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents “ - Shock G
If you see me in person, remind me to tell you the story in greater detail. However.
In June 2020, as the world grappled with the pandemic and renewed cries for social justice, I was in the middle of my own personal and professional crisis. I resigned from my position as Director of Brand + Social Impact of a wellness non-profit, protesting the mishandling of critical discussions around equity and allyship.
The resignation left me without a steady income. Yet, in this period of uncertainty, I tapped back into a unique set of skills that I’d always owned, but had dismissed in lieu of structured business mindset. My journey is a testament to the resilience and innovative spirit that cannot be taught in a business school, but is rather a gift of the direct and communal lineage from which I’m sourced. Since that day, I’ve embraced my ability to innovate, to "make a dollar out of fifteen cents."
More importantly, I focused on restoring my well-being to avoid burnout and continue being a self-directed leader.
Less than a month later, in July 2020, something miraculous happened—I received a check for $15,000. It’s the proof of concept that not only inspired my work and to capture my story, but to find a way to pay it forward.
Over the past four years, I've worked tirelessly to imagine and create wellness opportunities that step outside traditional capitalist and colonialist systems, focusing instead on equity + sustainability.
My growth through these challenging times has equipped me to support others, nurturing not just individual well-being but also fortifying our collective resilience.
I cannot—I will not—wait for my liberation. It is in my giving freely that I found a simply + elegant solution to what I had previously seen as my biggest obstacle by removing moving as the key barrier to practice. Your dollar is a vote, a sword, a cheer, an affirmation — but it is no longer a gatekeeper to what we need most — the ability to connect in community.
I am willing to mirror exactly what I’ve been asking those around me to do — deeply recognize and consider their own privilege — and then take radical action from that place.
This is my practice, embodied. When we reframe this conversation — I have invested and received so much from wellness. I have so much abundance I can pay forward that in a manner which eases the burden of those around me — is this not the thing I prayed for?
This is why I'm giving away $15,000 of wellness. It's more than a monetary gesture; it's an embodiment of my journey and the "WELLTH" I've accumulated - a wealth of knowledge, community, and resilience.
