Back in 2018, Tiffany quickly became an essential part of the Ground Up family. She worked her way up to warehouse supervisor and impressed us daily with her grit, bravery, and unstoppable ambition. Add in her contagious positivity and incredible sense of humor, and it’s safe to say Tiffany left a lasting mark on our team and community. 

We couldn’t imagine Ground Up without her, which is why we’re so excited to catch up and share where life has taken her since graduating from our program. From her time in the warehouse to the inspiring path she’s on now, Tiffany’s journey is one worth celebrating.

What are you doing for work now? Tell us about your role!

I am the Assistant Manager for a Jackson’s Food Store. I help manage 9 employees along side the Store Manager. I have to do a lot of problem solving to help customers or employees if they need help. 

Looking Back...

What has your experience with Ground Up been like? How has it helped your confidence?

With my mental health, I have zero confidence. With my anxiety, I am constantly questioning everything. There are thoughts always going through my brain. The positivity and encouragement at Ground Up has changed it all. That anxious voice will always be there, but now I can fight it better. I can tell myself that it’s okay, everything will be alright. 

I have noticed how much my confidence has grown even more just within a couple weeks of being back at Ground Up. 

 What is your role at Ground Up now?

I am now the fulfillment supervisor and assistant production manager. I want to continue to grow the shipping process and find the safest, cheapest, most efficient ways to get customers their orders. In the kitchen, I want to continue being a mentor to the ladies and helping them out in the kitchen. I want to teach them new things. 

When I transitioned from working part-time at Ground Up to a different full-time job there was a lot of growth happening. I had to adjust going from this empowering, amazing, positive environment to a different environment that was not always positive. It was nice to use the positivity that I learned here to push myself and remind myself that I can get through it. I could take everything I learned here into my next job and it made my growth easier. 

What was the transition like going from part-time at Ground Up to full-time employment elsewhere and now a new full-time role at Ground Up?

Being back at Ground Up is a totally new experience. In my past full time job, I learned a lot about patience and communication. My job was a difficult experience, but what I had learned from my first time at Ground Up made it easier. My mental health did not back track at all because of the positivity I had learned. Knowing that I could get through those experiences made jumping into my new, bigger role at Ground Up a lot easier. It made me know I can control my mental health better than I thought. Mental health is not easy to deal with, but it isn’t uncontrollable. 

I can tell myself now, with my new confidence, that it’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to have a hard time. Now I have more ability to shut down the anxiety.

What does it mean to you to be back at Ground Up?

What I love most about being back at Ground Up is that there is a purpose to my work. I am helping. I am helping with my experiences, my positivity, my ability to teach and work with others. I enjoy doing all of those things which helps a lot with my confidence.

I don’t have to fight myself to get up in the morning and go to work. I am able to just do it. 

What is the community at Ground Up like? What does having this community mean to you?

The community is family. We look out for each other, we don’t just focus on our particular task at that moment. If we see someone is struggling or needs help we will stop to help them, and enjoy doing it. There is selflessness and teamwork here. We build each other up. We laugh at the tiny mistakes and don’t let it bother us. The community here is welcoming. You can always ask questions and don’t feel like you are bugging someone.

What do you like to do for fun?

I’m getting back into my music. My passion within music is symphonic, musicals and jazz. I like to find new restaurants and spend time with my teenage son. I love walking down the waterfront listening to people play music… I just go wherever I can find music. 

What is your favorite Ground Up nut butter flavor + favorite way to enjoy it?

I love the Walnut-Cashew butter and I sauté shrimp in it.