AI Llama Art - Business & Recovery: Authentic Lessons from the Startup Process

Business and Recovery: Authentic Lessons From The Startup Process

As someone who’s been in the trenches of both personal growth and professional development, I want to share a genuine update on what’s happening behind the scenes at Stigma Marketing & Development. It’s been a journey of growth—not just for the business, but for me personally. I don’t hide my history with alcoholism, at least not as much anymore. One-on-one, in private, I could easily talk about my recovery and confidently navigate the conversation. Looking back, I was getting more comfortable with it for many reasons: time, growth, and getting over the shame that drove me to alcohol in the first place. Yet, starting Stigma wasn’t exactly a black-and-white, clean decision. What was a clear decision was to leave my GM position at a fast “craft” food restaurant. Several things were going on then: Navigating the Messy Reality of Career …

Marketing Basics: How To Make Authenticity Work For You

Marketing Basics: Building Authentic Connections from the Ground Up Starting a business, especially one rooted in authenticity and genuine human connection, is no easy feat when you’ve spent most of your life avoiding vulnerability. It requires not just a good idea, but mistakes, strategy, and a lot of perseverance. When I launched Stigma Marketing & Development in Missoula, Montana, I knew it had to reflect my journey—both the highs and lows. In part, it started to make me do the kind of things I knew I should be. Drawing from my life experiences—my professional management and development background, my struggles with mental health, GMing an Arby’s, my near-MBA, and the lessons learned from my sobriety journey—I aimed to create a marketing company that wasn’t about gimmicks but about believing in people, their visions, and helping them succeed. This blog post …