Go Big or Go Home

Back to Brandon & the Big 3

In my last blog post I mentioned three things Brandon Stanton (the founder of Humans of New York) said that stood out to me. Hearing someone like Brandon talk about how happy they are doing what they love everyday inspires me. It teaches me not to settle for the easy option. Brandon Stanton spoke about his initial dream and how different it was than what HONY ended up being. Simply starting a journey is the hardest part and once you start, it will work out and develop into what you need to be. He also spoke about not waiting to receive affirmation from everyone around you. A direct quote from him was:

"Do you know how many people thought it was a good idea to pack up, move to New York, and take pictures of people? None."  

If you know what you want to do just go for it! Pursue your dreams without a safety net. Brandon Stanton is the example of what if looks like to go after what you want with all that you have. If you don't have a backup plan you are forced to give 110% to make your dream happen.

Drumroll please…

I’m sure you all have been on the edge of your seats wondering what Emily Wilhoit wants to do post-graduation. For those of you who know me, you know that ending human trafficking is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. During the past few months I have been working closely with the nonprofit, Free The Girls, both nationally and here at UGA. FTG works to provide jobs to women who have been rescued from sex trafficking by collecting donated bras and providing them to rescued women as inventory to sell in their communities. So what if we took this idea one step further, what if by buying a bra you could support these women; and thus comes the idea of:

BoGo Bras stands for, "buy one give one" bras, with every bra that is bought one will be donated towards inventory for rescued women to sell.

Put me in coach

The BoGo Bras website is in the final stages and will be launching soon. I have already gotten incredible feedback and support for the idea of BoGo Bras and would like to extend an invitation for anyone to jump on board! We are in the process of creating an ambassador program of sorts that will be call the, "BoGoGetters". You will help get the word out about BoGo Bras, get special offers, and be a part of the initial BoGo team as we work to get this idea off the ground. If you are passionate about helping women and want to make a difference, click this link and give me your email! If you would still like to follow the journey but not be a BoGoGetter we would love to have your information as well.

Vote for BoGo!

So friends, family, strangers who are nice enough to follow my journey, wish me luck as I pursue my dream! I have decided this is my post-grad plan, my answer to the dreaded question. Stay tuned for updates and if you're already interested, follow BoGo Bras on instagram @bogobras! Feel free to share with your network of friends if you want to help a girl out :)

Already have questions? I would love to answer them, leave them in the comments section below!

YOU GET A JOB! YOU GET A JOB! YOU GET A JOB!

Let’s Talk Vacation Days and PTO

As a senior in college,  I’ve already been asked the dreaded, "So you're graduating in May? What do you think you're going to do?", question at least 2-3 times a week. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE dreaming of the future. Being the idealist I am, I usually think of the future as a world of opportunities just waiting for me to pick a dream and say, "I think I'll go and achieve that". However, lately it’s been getting more difficult to maintain this mindset. Many of my friends received job offers from their summer internships, others have a constant stream of interviews lined up, and the rest have plans to pursue a master's or law degree. Meanwhile, I’m cringing thinking about sitting in an office from 9-5 and living for weekends, vacation days, and PTO.

Dreams vs. Reality

My international affairs major has allowed me to spend the last four years learning about topics that actually interest me and gave me a new perspective on the world and how it works. It did not, however, prepare me for a job outside D.C. or for a job where a master's degree isn't necessary. I feel the pressure to join the ranks of corporate America by  getting a “good” job and put all my dreams on hold. Some people may say this is me just coming to terms with the reality that we can't always do whatever we want and that is part of growing up. But I don't believe that.

Thank you HONY

A few weeks ago Brandon Stanton spoke at UGA about his experience starting his blog, Humans of New York. HONY has gained traction all around the world and has MILLIONS of followers and supporters. He has traveled to over 20 countries and given a voice to Syrian refugees, US prison inmates, pediatric patients in the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and of course, humans in New York City.

During his speech he said three things that I have not stopped thinking about:

1) You can't wait until something is perfect to start it.

2) Don't wait for everyone to tell you it's a good idea before doing it.

3) Chase your dreams without a safety net.

So what exactly is my grand plan? My vision starts with BoGo Bras. Stay tuned for more updates!