There’s a common thread connecting those within our annual People Issue: they each possess a drive to pursue an inner beckoning. And, for many, that means pushing beyond obstacles, fear, or the seemingly illogical. Living grandly isn’t about how much you can acquire in a lifetime. It’s often about choosing the option that might be costly, that might cause momentary discomfort. Transition and transformation aren’t easy, but how could you settle for less? This is your one life.
Combining talent with heart produces wonderfully positive, progressive outcomes. Take Topsoil Kitchen & Market, a new food destination in Travelers Rest. Topsoil converges culinary talent (Chef Adam Cooke, formerly at Blackberry Farm and Restaurant 17) and entrepreneurs who are vested in the community (Patrick McInerney, co-owner of Due South Coffee Roasters, and Wendy Lynam, owner of Swamp Rabbit Inn). It’s like a food-driven supergroup, making music with local goods.
Kenzie Biggins is another example. The Atlanta native, now Greenville resident, left the corporate world when she felt a call to push higher. She went back to school at SCAD, then created Worxbee, a digital platform that connects small businesses to virtual executive assistants. Now with forty clients, she often bases her work out of the Village Grind in her neighborhood of the Village of West Greenville.
Then there’s celebrated bridge designer Miguel Rosales, who harnessed the potential of the Reedy River Falls as a destination and point of pride for Greenville. He envisioned an experience that would allow visitors to be as close as possible to the falls. The cable span he created now stands as Greenville’s iconic symbol, celebrating its 15th anniversary as a cultural landmark.
These stories only scratch the surface. They represent a generous lot of movers, shakers, and makers who are making this community, and world, tick with an ever-resonant beat.
And when our call-to-more rings, may we also have the courage to answer.
Blair Knobel
Editor-in-Chief
Twitter / Instagram: @LBKNOBEL
