Often, those who tread off the beaten path are misunderstood or mischaracterized and so we asked folks from the community to reflect and tell us about the times they’ve been misunderstood or mischaracterized.

Jennie O’Connor

I’ve spent most of my life being misunderstood.

To the outside world, I was flaky. Distractable. A woman with so much potential, if I’d just settle on one thing.

At age three, I announced that I wanted to be an actor/singer/dancer. At 15, a veterinarian. I entered college thinking I’d fight biohazard level 4 diseases at the CDC and came out with a degree in theatrical costume design.

Over the years, I’ve been a bartender, CEO for an Upper East Side couturier, a food blogger, a wedding planner, a private chef specializing in food allergies, a travel writer and a brand strategist—just to name a few. Read more>>

Sheba Johnson

Here’s the thing, I’m a Jamaican girl that teaches Turkish/Mosaic Lamp making. Oftentimes people are intrigued by this but those in my Caribbean community are not always receptive to learning about such a foreign thing. The silver lining is that I get to not only be a creative— but a trailblazer. Paving a new path for the two cultures to meet. Read more>>

Tee Morris

When you say to people “I’m a paranormal investigator…” there are (on average) two reactions. One reaction is genuine interest and enthusiasm for what we do in the field. The other reaction, though, is the more common one people think you do what Zac Bagans, Sam & Colby, and some of the more sensational in this field do. We at OSI try very hard to showcase the different between paranormal investigators (Jason Hawes, Paranormal Quest, Amy’s Crypt) and paranormal entertainers (Bagans, Sam & Colby, Twin Paranormal, etc.). Our focus is on the history and on the stories of what it is we are investigating. And while we are more about investigation and research, OSI also believes that the process can be highly entertaining.. Read more>>