After spending 20 years in corporate America, a force tugged inside Robin Emmons to leave her job in the financial services industry for an unplanned journey. One week after quitting, Emmons helped her brother find residence in a mental health facility; however, while being treated he became unhealthy due to the consumption of canned and sugary foods. Robin, a gardener, donated produce to the facility and her brother’s physical health improved dramatically.
It was here, in 2008, where Emmons found her passion – using food as a vehicle to promote social justice on important issues such as food access in marginalized communities. The advocate, activist, humanitarian, gardener and now, farmer, dug up her entire backyard and sowed the seeds for the non-profit, Sow Much Good. She dedicated herself to eliminating systemic barriers in the food system that disproportionately affects the working poor and underserved populations.
I Am Driven By | Creating. Building something from nothing and growing it into something useful; something that will contribute to our evolution, connectivity and consciousness as human beings. That is what excites me and fuels my drive as a social entrepreneur.
My Definition Of Success | Success for me has evolved over the years, through many experiences that served as life lesson for me about the things that truly matter. Before that, for many, many, years I subscribed to a mainstream narrative of success that involved an insatiable drive for material gain. The narrative prescribed mandates and measures outside of myself that had nothing to do with my love for humanity, my desire to have deep meaning and purpose in my life, or the unique gifts with which each of us are born. Today, I measure success by the quality of my relationships, the joy I experience in doing the things I love and the understanding that my legacy will be solidified by the service I provided humanity rather than the material things I might have amassed otherwise.
A Key Talent | I believe that “confidence” is an individual’s greatest ally and is also a pre-requisite to any success you desire. While many mistakenly ascribe to the faulty notion that seeing is believing, I have learned the “Believing” – in one’s own ability and worthiness of all of the goodness we can possibly stand – is in fact, the first step in “Seeing”. So go confidently toward your dreams – whatever they are, knowing that “confidence” is a muscle that must be strengthened. So exercise it, and while you may experience bouts of fear from time to time, with every win you will grow more assured in your ability to confidently continue your journey. Make no mistake, while some believe successful people are fearless, the truth is, successful people embrace the fear, mustering all of their confidence, and they do it anyway!
Principles I Live By | Principals I believe most important to live by are 1. Intention – being intentional in your actions and your communications understanding what your goals are and remaining focused. 2. Integrity – Being in integrity with oneself and the people with whom you interact and 3. Authenticity – Being self-aware and always working toward one’s own self actualization. These are the values and principals by which the best leaders live.
Critical Skills I Develop | I believe that communication is one of the most critical skills you can develop in striving for your success. The ability to communicate an idea effectively is a skill well worth developing. You may have the best idea in the world, but if you can’t articulate it or write it down in a way that conveys your idea’s uniqueness, beauty or brilliance, it will remain inside you and never impact the world or contribute to your burgeoning success.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | Meditation is a wonderful practice useful in silencing the external noise and finding balance in what can be a chaotic world. Go to books to keep me grounded, focused and in integrity with myself are The Alchemist by Paul Coelho and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. Finally, any opportunity to connect with nature on the land, farming, gardening or sitting in a park, provides space for reflection and solace vital to my well-being and creative energies.
The Meaning Of Life | I believe the meaning of life is as Joseph Campbell who stated: “The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning.” However, I will add to that, that the thrill of being alive is most felt when we subscribe to our highest and best selves through service to others.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | The best advice I ever received was to embrace every single challenge in my life as a lesson designed to inform and equip me for the next leg of my unique and personal journey to greatness. If we did not have challenges how else would we get important lessons about persistence, perseverance, creativity, resilience and the many other tools we must somehow acquire to craft our success and our personal legend?
Advice On Building Wealth | Live simply, understand what is truly valuable, and give generously. I am every amazed at the inverse relationship between my financial status and my diminished need to participate in the hyper consumerist culture in which we live. The clearer I have become on what I really need to live and what really holds value, the more rapidly my wealth has increased.
On Inspiring Others | By creating a meaningful space for people to find their voice, nurture their passion and stand in their truth. When I create an environment for my team to thrive and for diverse ideas to be shared, I grow and reach my highest potential along side my team. Energetically it just works like that. When you create a platform for others to succeed, you also succeed and propel your dreams forward with the energy of like-minded people, but also with people with differing ideas, who challenge stretch and grow you in ways you otherwise would not.
I Am Inspired By | My ancestors on whose shoulders I stand. They are my roles models. They make me fearless by their regal demonstration of the highest levels of bravery, ingenuity, innovation, perseverance, fortitude and determination.
The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | I want to leave a legacy that speaks to the value of living a life of service. One that frees people to follow their dreams and to listen to their hearts. I want my legacy to embolden people to block out the extraneous noise and listen to our deepest knowing that informs our life decisions.
