Posts by Ronne
Generosity Project Scholarship Recipients Announced
It all began with a simple idea, born from a 22-car “pay it forward” moment at the drive-thru line at Chick-Fil-A. The question was asked, “What would happen if STARTers were invited to participate in an act of contagious generosity? Could the kindness of many open the door for someone to attend the START Conference?” The answer proved to be an overwhelming “yes!” as the #STARTjoy Generosity Project raised more than $5000 in just one week. In the first 90 minutes of the campaign, STARTers raised $1,000 for the first START Conference scholarship – and then challenged the #STARTjoy team not to stop there. Even Jon Acuff got involved in the #Drivefor5 goal. And by the campaign’s end on Saturday morning, 5 scholarships had been funded through the generous contributions of those participating in the START Experiment. Not only did the #STARTjoy Generosity Project exceed all donation goals, but 95 applications were submitted for scholarships – more than double the number anticipated. “The majority of the responses we received were detailed,” shares Casey Lewis, #STARTjoy founder. “STARTers shared their goals, dreams, fears, and action plans. The applications made me wish #STARTjoy had unlimited funding.” To make the review process as fair as possible, all applications were put into an Excel spreadsheet, with names, phone numbers, and email addresses removed (each submission was identified only by row number and time-stamp). The document was then emailed to a team of six people who read through the applications, reviewing each for how specifically the three questions were answered. Each member of the team independently submitted their recommendations. The field was narrowed to 22, then 14. On Friday morning, the final five were selected. As part of the screening, those applicants who requested only tickets to the START Conference were earmarked for the tickets generously donated by fellow STARTers. Though the selection process was a difficult one, Lewis is thankful one hurdle was removed. “Had #STARTjoy only raised the initial $1000, the applications of the five finalists would have then been posted for a vote by all START Experiment participants. But because of the generosity of so many, all five finalists will now be attending the START Conference! Additionally, four “ticket only” scholarship applicants are being matched with donors! That’s right – NINE people are now attending the START Conference because of the generosity of others!” The five #STARTjoy Generosity Project scholarship recipients are Heather Villalta (Orangevale, California), May Bohon (Fort Worth, Texas), Rob Beaudreault (Lakeland, Florida), Ashlee Rohnert (Boise, Idaho), and Malori Fuchs (Plano, Texas). Ticket- only recipients are Stacey Brasier, Paul (Pablo) Ellsworth, James Kiriazes, and April Best. “The Generosity Project was an experiment in awesome. We were all truly winners. We saw a group of strangers – raise $5000 in six days to help others move closer to fulfilling their dreams.” The #STARTjoy team is currently working on future opportunities, investigating other ways STARTers might help people chase their dreams and change the world around them. Want to meet the five #STARTjoy scholarship recipients? Join FrankenSTART this Friday as we share their...
Read MoreTransformer
He was known as “Fat Ben.” As far back as he can remember, Ben Dempsey was overweight. He remembers the bullying. He remembers the hiding. “I didn’t like being outside, didn’t want to be around other kids. I stayed in my house and played video games. The more you hear you’re not good enough, the more you believe it. I just didn’t think I amounted to much.” As Ben grew up in Atlanta, his father tried to encourage him to get involved in sports and change his diet, but the lack of confidence shut down his efforts. He finally tried out for the wrestling team and earned a spot in the heavyweight class. But his Freshman year in high school, he broke his hip. At 5’5” and 152 pounds, the strain on his body was too great. He was a homebound student for the rest of the school year. By that fall, his weight jumped to nearly 200 pounds. Life was an out-of-control rollercoaster, spiraling ever downward. He dropped out of sports his sophomore year and refused to try again. There was one place where Ben did feel important – in caring for others. His senior year, he earned certification as a nursing assistant, and he went on to pursue healthcare as a profession. As a physical therapist, he again came face-to-face with the reality of his own health. “Folks would ask me ‘why should I take care of myself when you don’t?’ I didn’t have an answer. You just don’t see it until there’s that thing – that one defining moment – when the walls come crashing in.” For Ben, that moment happened in 2009, when he became a follower of Jesus Christ. The more time he spent in scripture, the more he began to understand his worth. In July, he and his wife Elizabeth decided to enjoy a day at Six Flags. “I am a huge Superman fan, and that year they premiered Superman: Ultimate Flight. I was like a little kid – so excited. We waited in line for an hour and a half. And when it was time to ride, I couldn’t get the harness to fasten. It just wouldn’t reach. One of the workers came over to help, but nothing worked.” Humiliated and angry, Ben watched as his wife rode the ride. He even found the manager and told him “you need at least one fat guy ride in this park.” He wanted things to be different. He wanted to feel normal. On the morning of July 22, he woke up with a resolve he’d never felt before. It was time to change. “I wanted to be healthy for my wife and my step-son Chris. But more than anything, I had to be healthy for me. I wanted to live. So that morning, I chose to start.” As an adult, Ben had tried popular diets, but he just wanted to be done with it all. He would lose 30 pounds and gain 50 back. The idea of working to lose weight was overwhelming. But at 360 pounds, suffering from hypertension and depression, he knew he had to do more than simply lose weight. It was time to jump in and live a whole new kind of life. His starting point: confront a serious addiction to soft drinks. “I would drink 8 to 10 sodas a day. I knew the only way to quit was to go cold turkey. I knew that if I couldn’t stop this one problem, I wouldn’t succeed at anything.” That first week, Ben lost 12 pounds. That single modification led to even more changes. With his wife’s help, he changed his diet. Then he started to walk. At first, he couldn’t walk five minutes without gasping for air, but Ben didn’t give up. Five minutes became 30. Thirty minutes became 2 hours. Then Ben decided he was up for a true challenge. “I was determined to do the Peachtree Road Race – the largest 10K in the world. My goal was simple – I wanted to finish it without dying. I...
Read MoreDating // Stu Tully
Stu Tully It had been a long time since I’d been on a date, let alone been in a relationship (over five years, to be exact). After a bad breakup, I felt I didn’t have anything to offer to a lady in a relationship, `additionally, I had pretty low self-esteem about myself in general and I just stopped trying. Thankfully, the Start Experiment helped me to rid myself of this mindset. One of the goals I set for the initial 24 days was to go on a proper date with someone I met in real life. To be honest, I felt this was the most difficult of my challenges because it depended on someone else. My other goals could be accomplished through self-discipline, but this one needed an outsider to agree to go out with me. Without anyone on my dating radar, I took the risk of opening myself up more. I began attending all sorts of activities and gatherings with the intent of simply meeting people. I dropped my usual quiet façade and began introducing myself to people, taking the initiative instead of waiting for them to ask me. The turning point came at a wedding reception I attended on day 20 of the experiment. Instead of just sitting off to the side, I actively asked girls to dance. It was a risk, considering I didn’t know any of the persons I asked, but one agreed. We ended up dancing together for the rest of the night. Afterwards, I asked her to go to dinner the next week. She agreed. And the rest is history, so they say. I write this the day after our dinner date. It went quite well. I’m not sure if it will develop into a proper relationship, and frankly, I don’t care. I put myself more out there than I had in years, and although taking the risk was frightening, it was ultimately worth it. I could have never imagined this particular goal succeeding when I started the experiment, yet here I sit, knowing that making the risk was indeed the best course of...
Read MoreMusic // Tim Fisher
Tim Fisher Start Experiment was more than just an experiment for me. I had a dream in my heart late in 2011. When I got the chance to sing onstage with a well-known band, I jumped on it immediately. Someone encouraged me later to use my gift; soon after, a family member discouraged me, as I was already getting a degree. This past February, I finally made the decision to pursue singing, as I met with several friends who support each other’s goals and keep each other accountable by meeting every two weeks. I took small steps. When Start Experiment came along, I knew I had to join. I didn’t know what it was, but I thought, hey, if it’s something motivational, it will be great for me. The daily advice, as well as the network of support, has been incredible. It really came down to one piece that Jon wrote where he asked, “Are you working every day to achieve your risk?” That hit me and stuck, and since then I’ve put in the effort to work everyday, whether it’s practicing or just gathering songs. The daily communication with Jon and others has been key. I’m so thankful for Start Experiment (Round 1 and Round 2), and I really feel it’s a going to be a key component in helping me connect with others who will help me achieve my...
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