{"id":18058,"date":"2021-09-01T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prose.com\/?p=18058"},"modified":"2022-05-18T10:03:39","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T14:03:39","slug":"helen-nwosu-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prose.com\/blog\/helen-nwosu-interview","title":{"rendered":"Down to the Root: Get to Know Prose\u2019s VP of Social Impact Helen Nwosu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
Background check<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Has your career always revolved around social impact?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve always had a passion for finding ways to create balance and engage both internal and external teams for numerous causes. I was born in South Sudan and come from a tribe of semi-nomadic herdsmen that were intricately connected to the land, cattle, and a native social-economic system. That is why I\u2019m so passionate about sustainability and social impact and creating a balance between our people, our planet, and our community as we conduct business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nA South Sudanese herdsman who lives in concert with animals, land, and has built societies based on nomadic herding.\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Where do you think Prose\u2019s potential to make a social impact lies?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prose\u2019s potential to make a social impact lies in our core pillars of diversity and sustainability. We are, at the heart of it, a brand that elevates the individual and in doing so we are saying, \u201cYOU ARE BEAUTIFUL as you are! You don\u2019t have to fit into any box that we have created for you, instead, we are going to do the work to get to know you!\u201d\u00a0 It is a powerful thing for a brand to celebrate individuality because it allows each and every one of us to be exactly who we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who makes you feel most yourself? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well it\u2019s actually a collective who…my bees do. When I\u2019m out in the beeyard, it’s a very visceral feeling because there is no fashion, no makeup, no hair, no conversations, no relationships. It’s just you and the bees and you are participating in biological and evolutionary processes that have amazing downstream effects on our planet. What a miracle to witness, 35,000 bees working together for the survival of the colony. It certainly makes me feel like a tiny cog in our big world, which is both humbling and edifying at the same time. We all have our part to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nHelen tending to her beeyard in upstate New York. \n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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What is something you can\u2019t live without doing every day?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, in the summer I ride my bike everyday! It\u2019s one of the most freeing feelings careening down a Brooklyn street and feeling the city go by. I used to work on 57th and 5th and the late photographer Bill Cunningham used to ride his bike all the time, too. We bonded over bike-riding in the city and he told me he has had his bike stolen 32 times since the 1970’s. He sent me a small note with all the pictures of me on my bike riding to work. Those pictures are my most prized possessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nHelen riding her bike to work. Photographed by the late Bill Cunningham.\n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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When do you feel the most challenged?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is this wonderful saying that if you can run a mile, you can run a marathon. It’s hard to conceive, but the little steps we take towards a goal are so critical for process and execution. My biggest challenge is to make the mundane…magical. To honor the little things that we do everyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where do you feel most at home? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feel most at home in my garden. Pulling weeds and trimming shrubs, and trying out plants that 50% of the time don\u2019t make it! Ouuff! I\u2019m trying to plant a yew hedge right now and my vision of it is 5 meters and manicured; highly reminiscent of an old English garden.\u00a0 But the plants are right now not even .5 meters. and completely unkempt. It\u2019s an exercise in patience to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nHelen tending to her garden in upstate New York. \n<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Why do you do what you do, professionally speaking? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do what I do because I really do believe human spirit is a magical mystery and when we work together to effect change we transcend hurdles and challenges. I love exploring this path between inspiring individual commitment and creating collective action. It’s the secret sauce to my job and I learn from my colleagues and teams everyday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hairy details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s your hair routine like? Are you a minimalist or maximalist when it comes to your strands? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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