We were lucky to catch up with Kristie Stephenson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

Yes. Mr. Gail Baldwin, he was an architect in Coconut Grove Florida. I was on a work visa, an HIBI and I was at this firm in Hollywood that for an entire year we were kept on with no new projects, so I knew I would need to find something. I had put my resume out there and I sent one to Gail Baldwind Architect. Well shortly after I was made redundant at the Hollywood firm, however in the car drive home, I screamed for joy, yes I was just happy not to do that long commute and I figured its not the end of the world I’d find something. I get home and it was the time of the answering machine, there was a message from Gail. So I called him back and told him I had just gotten laid off, he said give me three hours I’m about to go into a meeting. Three hours later he called to say , ” How’d you like to start tomorrow at 9am?” I felt really blessed, lucky and happy in that moment. To loose a job and get one the next day. It was a great experience working at a small firm, I got to know him, his wife Antoinette, his adult daughters and his friends that would stop by the firm on occasion. The Grove area in South Florida had a mom and pop town feel as storefronts were owned by people and not big chain corporations. He was always a gentleman and had a way with sweetening up the the female staff at the building department, greeting all with his West Virginian accent saying, ‘Heh Baby’ because he could not remember names. We had cool projects inside the building I admired when I first moved to Florida which was the Mayfair. He shared aspects of his life with those that worked for him, I got to experience Stiltsville in Biscayne National Park where he had one of those houses out on Stilts in the middle of the Biscayne Bay. You could only access by boat. His is one of six that are remaining. I participated in the King Mango Strut, The Bed Races both Coconut Grove events that his wife was also involved in. We all did Fantasy Fest in Key West one year. He passed away last year and I do miss him and his kindness, he would give me projects on my own from time to time and warn me about the men attached to the projects, saying he will want to date you so take your money and run.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am Kristie, the creator of Story and Myth Blessing Beads. We make island inspired protection jewellery using a seed that grows on a grass, and it is assembled by a team of artisans some of whom have a disability, it is made in Jamaica with thought and intent and meant to Bless, Guide and Protect the wearer. My background is in architecture, I didn’t plan to do beads, I got into this out of a curiosity and fascination I had with this seed that grows on an ornamental grass. I had worked with a metal smith and had some designs made into pendants and charms, I’d go to the bead shops in Miami and had access to the most beautiful strands of semi precious gemstones, but it was the seed that grows on the ornamental grass that was so unique and beautiful to me. My pieces at the time looked great next to them. The earth energy vibing off of them was real to me, I still get excited when I get a shipment of seeds from one of the local farmers who harvests them. There is a time in which they pick the seeds and it has to do with the cycles of the moon. When I started making bracelets and necklaces out of the seeds and mixing them with charms and symbols and semi-precious gemstones, it became one of the products that were actually made in Jamaica, a lot of products in the boutiques and hotel gift shops were not always made locally, they may have appeared so, but often times the items were massed produced in another country and ended up in many resort gift shops and stores. So we came along at a time when there was an awareness from both store owners and patrons.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

In Jamaica we have a saying “Tun yuh hand mek fashion” It means using your hands and being creative with what you have around you. These seeds we use in some parishes in Jamaica are considered a nuisance bush and are burned. We are able to utilise something that others disregard, walk by, dismiss and ignore. I also love that we have worked with big brands in Jamaica. Creating bracelets that have a symbol or charm and crafting a story around it and it becomes something available in their gift shop.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When we first started some people who recognised the seeds we were using, were very dismissive. But I was genuinely in love with these seeds that I was using and I knew if I persisted they would eventually see their beauty fall in love and want to get some of our creations.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.storyandmyth.com
• Instagram: @storyandmyth
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/storyandmyth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristie-stephenson-a135331/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/storyandmyth
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@storyandmyth4789/videos

Image Credits
@Ripeplantains