Even if you are from the same neighborhood as someone else, you might still be coming from different places. Where you are from is a complicated question and it elicits complicated, but interesting and thought-provoking responses. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Adrienne Moch | Freelance Writer/Editor

I was born in Chicago and raised in its northern suburbs. I didn’t know it at the time, but my family was “house poor.” My parents wanted us kids to go to great schools, so they sacrificed to live where we did. My dad was in the education field; he was a high school teacher when I was born, and worked two other part-time jobs to make ends meet. When my youngest sister started school full time, my mom started working, something that was quite unusual where we lived back then. I share this to demonstrate the kind of values that were instilled in me at an early age, specifically the need to work hard to build a good life for yourself. We earned our allowance — it wasn’t just given to us. And unlike many of our friends, we weren’t handed the keys to a car when we got our driver’s licenses or spoiled in any way. My dad wouldn’t even let me get my license until I got a job. Read more>>

Kory Stetina | Founder, KINDRED

Most of the team members of KINDRED (which we call the KINDRED Kult) including myself, grew up in the punk, hardcore, or metal scenes. These communities have shaped just about all the important aspects of who we are as people, and therefore who we are as a business. It’s baked into our being, such that it subconsciously influences everything from our aesthetic taste, to our political outlooks and therefore our company values, our spirit of experimentation, our desire to challenge tradition, and our sense of family and community and thus, our hospitality. So KINDRED is in many ways a shrine to heavy music and heavy music culture before, or at least as much as it is a shrine to the food and drink and service. Read more>>

Alessandra Eck | Fit4Drums Master trainer

Originally, I’m from Naples, Italy. Italians are known to be passionate about their interests. At a young age I discovered a passion for dance. As time passed I met a wonderful person and soon found an additional passion for raising a family that consumed most of my time for several years. My new passion required me to move with my husband in the U.S. Navy and take care of my children. The stress of learning new places, being left alone, and of motherhood required a lot of effort and left little time for anything else. As soon my children grew and I had some time to myself I started to notice I was not in the same shape I was a few years before. I was attracted to fitness, in particular aerobics. I decide it was time to focus on my health. I worked hard, ate healthier, and felt better about my image and decided to help others achieve their goals by becoming a Fitness Instructor. Read more>>