We asked experts from a broad range of industries to open up to us about things they know about their industry but that we probably don’t and we’ve shared some of those responses below.

Blake Rehling | Drummer

A lot of people don’t realize how many times you have to fail before finding your footing. I think it’s hard for people to understand how, even though I enjoy what I do, it’s still work for me. I put a lot of hours into my craft and it’s not always easy, but I am lucky to do what I love every day and wouldn’t change it for anything. Read more>>

Richard Villasana | The Sherlock Holmes of foster care

Foster care across the U.S. is managed at the county level leading most of the public to believe that their tax dollars are funding all aspects of foster care. The majority of people are not aware that many counties contract out some or several services to nonprofits. One of those services is family finding, the process of identifying, locating and notifying adult relatives when a child enters foster care. Family finding is a powerful process that can and often does result in a child being placed with family instead of spending years alone in group homes or bounding from one foster home to the next. Using national databases, counties and nonprofits have about an 85% success rate when relatives live in the U.S. Read more>>

Jersten Seraile | Assistant Professor & Playmaker

I think folks are often unaware that this industry has so much to do with community. My biggest realization is that community takes years of ones time to build. It’s a meaningful and intentional endeavor that goes beyond a job or gig; it’s not transactional. Over time you make friends and find your people who are interested in the same ideas you are interested in. Playmakers are full of heart in everything we do. Read more>>