Hey, you inspire.

Recently I was reflecting on this industry and the amazing people that I have been able to develop relationships with as a result of being involved. As cliche as it sounds, we all know social media has a really cool way of connecting us to people that we may not otherwise have an opportunity to interact with. 

We know it can be a world of comparisons and competition. We know that purely online interaction can give us only one side of a whole person. Inevitably there is drama and politics.... but I think overall, we have an incredible opportunity to learn from one another. 

I started thinking about all the people I've met and the ways that they'd inspired me.  Why not focus on some of that? As a result, here we are.... my new Tuesday series:

To start things off I chose one person within our industry that truly inspires me. I asked that person 11 thought-provoking questions. They respond with all their wisdom and glory. We enjoy. They end by choosing the person that they are inspired by. I ask that person all the questions for the feature the following Tuesday... and so on... and so forth... for all of blogging eternity. If you're featured, you get this cute tiny little badge of honor for your blog:

So let's go, shall we?

I'm cheating a little with this first feature. Luckily, I can do that. I invented it. 

My first feature is focused on a person that I met waaaaay back in 2000, in a non-social media infused world. I was taking a sabbatical from BYU and was working full-time at a fine arts bronze foundry, and some contractors decided to knock down the house I'd been living in to make way for the new Provo Library. I needed a new place to live and landed in a new part of town without any connections.

I chose an apartment and it ended up that I moved in right across the hallway from this girl:

If you don't know her, you should. 

Camille Langston Evans (AKA @makeitworkmom and author/founder of MakeItWorkMom.com) is and has always been someone I have looked up to immensely. From first meeting, you can see her sense of humor, strength, wisdom, and amazing ability with people. She's sincere, warm, and fun. Several of my very favorite qualities. Not to mention, meeting her opened me up to a whole slew of her Langston siblings... she's not the only amazing one in her family. It's in their blood folks. Some people are just born with it.

Luckily, because of the social media world and the friendships I have with their whole clan, I've stayed connected to Camille for the last dozen years or so. She was an easy pick for my first feature. 

Let's do it.

Camille, give us the basics. Tell us a little about the family you came from, where you were born and where you've lived:

I am a twin and we are the oldest of 8 children.  Apparently, my mom felt that any other pregnancy would be cake compared to ours!  (especially since we weighed nearly 8 lbs - EACH!)  I grew up in northern Utah, where I graduated from high school, then Weber State University, then left for 18 months to serve a mission for the LDS church in Puerto Rico, where I fell in love with the caribbean lifestyle and that island of enchantment!  After the mission, I moved to Provo, taught in the Missionary Training Center, and managed an employment agency,  then stuck around the Utah County area for years, especially since one by one my family starting moving into Utah County as well!  In November of 2011, I moved to Rexburg with a man I fell in love with, and that's where I find myself today.

Define your childhood in 3 words: 

Family, Piano, Donuts

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

When I was young, I always teetered between wanting to be a pilot and a pediatrician when I grew up.  Obviously, neither of those panned out for me.  Instead, I ended up becoming a national recruiter for an employment agency.  I've been there for 17 years and have loved it!  It has given me the opportunity to keep up my Spanish, and interact with so many different personalities from different countries and industries.
 

Now that you're "grown up," what's your dream job? (you cannot answer "mother" - even if you want to) 

My "dream" job would be a jazz pianist working alongside Harry Connick Jr.  Not only would I be able to just sit and tickle the ivories with the New Orleans Big Band, but I'd get to watch HCJ in all his glory, and hope some of his ability would rub off on me!

List 5 things you're passionate about:   

• Family and Motherhood.  I know that's pretty cliche, but seriously, you don't want to get Mama Bear upset if anyone messes with her cubs!  I'm very protective of my girls (as I'm sure many mothers are) and will go to great lengths to protect them.  (Did I mention I'm a new owner of a concealed weapon's permit.)

• Anything that protects against abuse or domestic violence.  I believe that children and/or spouses deserve to be loved and cherished and not treated in any other way contrary to that.  I've seen the effects of the abusive behavior and it destroys lives and self-esteem.  I appreciate the groups and charities out there that not only provide shelter and supplies for abused women, but also give them a voice.

• Puerto Rico.  I met so many wonderful, loving, and hospitable people on that island, and experienced many tidbits of life-changing moments that my heart will always belong in the Caribbean and I will always appreciate arroz y habichuelas. (And yes, I do have a magnet on my car that says "Proudly Puerto Rican")

• Outdoors/Nature.  I can't think of any other "place" where the family bonds better, where memories are made, or where I've been able to think better than in the outdoors. There have been many a times I took a drive through Provo Canyon, to take in the beauty of the leaves changing colors, or just to "get away from it all" and think.  The best way to unwind for me is to sit on a beach and watch the tide roll in.   Living in Idaho, my husband has taken our little family outdoors so often where we have gone fishing, snowmachining, boating, kayaking, hiking, and camping, (just to name a few) and through such activities we've grown so much closer to each other and our Heavenly Father.

• Donuts and Cupcakes.  Really, can someone be passionate about a junk food?  I grew up loving donuts.  I would save my money earned from babysitting and buy donuts from the grocery store with my mom. Every week, after our early morning piano lessions, my mom would take my sister and I to Albertson's for chocolate bismarks that had barely come out of the oven! As my tastes evolved, I started appreciating the gourmet cupcake just as much.  I think I can dare say that I've tried just about every flavor of cupcake from every cupcakery in the Salt Lake and Utah counties!

How are you different now than you were 5 years ago? 

These last 5 years of my life have been the most emotional, the most trying, and the most influential of my entire life.  Thank goodness to a supportive family, supportive friends, and a willpower I thought was lost, I have been able to regain some independence, rebuild some self-esteem, and reinstate a belief that a woman can be loved by a man whole-heartedly.  I am definitely in a better place now than I was 5 years ago.

What piece of advice would you give a 21 year old version of yourself? 

ALWAYS trust your instincts!!  Never stray from what your heart is telling you.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change? 

That I wasn't so claustrophobic or afraid of heights!  My husband tried to help me overcome both those fears last year when he invited me for a ride in his friend's Mooney (2-seater airplane).  I survived....barely!

 
If you could have one super-power, what would you choose? 

I wish that I could make things magically appear - like an ingredient I'm missing while making a meal.  Or even to make an entire meal appear magically, without having to prepare anything.  (I guess that's what Crock Pots are for?)

Share with us a secret or lesser-known talent or skill you have.  

I do have a secret, but if I tell, it won't be a secret anymore! :)  As for talents, my main talent is playing the piano.  Everyone in my family and my wards know about that one, but it's not as well-known in the blogging community.  But one lesser-known talent that has recently been discovered is some sharp shooting with a rifle and a shotgun.

Share with us a quote that inspires, motivates, or moves you. 

"Come What May and Love It"  by Joseph B. Wirthlin;  You can't always control what happens to you in life, but what you can control is how you respond.
 

Are you looking at this pic and wondering what 

the heck is going on? Read more HERE. 

And lastly, who inspires YOU?

Amy Sanford who writes on her blog "The Family Trifecta". She's a working mom who still is able to make time for her family, her faith, and life in general.  And she is the kindest person you'll meet, with a smile always on her face! 

I really do want to thank Camille for being my first Inspiree here. She truly is incredible and if you don't know her, I dare you to follow her on Twitter and check in on her blog from time to time. You can thank me later for the new BFF.

Pop back in next week and find out what Amy has to say about this all. 

In the mean time, hug a blogger. That's an order.