We should all live our lives trying to see the best in people and empathize with one another’s stories and journeys.
Dana Clark and her initiative Heroic Humans does just that by appreciating and emphasizing the importance of vulnerability, bravery, and courage in relating to one another’s experience and recognizing that our similarities far outnumber our differences.
We chatted with Dana about Heroic Humans and what inspired her to bring it to life.
The best piece of advice that I have received is…
You are worthy no matter who you are or what stage of life you are in.
Someone I look up to is…
My Mom.
My favourite Instagram account to follow right now is…
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is…
I light candles. It’s very calming I find.
I couldn’t do what I do without…
I couldn’t do what I do without the incredible Heroic Humans and the vulnerability behind the many people willing to share their stories and journeys.
What is Heroic Humans?
Heroic Humans is a global social impact movement. It works as a platform to recognize and acknowledge acts of heroism all over the world.
How did you get into the social/non-profit space?
The way it all started was when I said, “If I want to be a heroic human, and if I want to show up for people, how can I get other people to wake up every day and show up in different capacities however they see fit?” That started with my community, local workshops, and panels of people coming together and sharing their journeys and stories and what they’ve been through to ultimately connect us all on more human and real things. It started as workshops, and then people began submitting online, and that’s how the social platform started.
Have there been key steps in your professional development that have led you here today?
I work part-time at lululemon, and I was in a meeting with my management team, and was asked, “Who are you here to be? What qualities do you have that are unique that make you who you are? What are you bringing to the world?” I said, “I am here to be a good daughter, a good sister and partner and employee. I want to show up for people. I want to be a heroic human.” If someone didn’t hold the space for me to be able to discover and ask me the hard question and hold the support for that, I don’t know if I ever would have been able to decide what actually means here for me. That was a pivotal moment for creating Heroic Humans.
Why do you love your job? What sort of cool things do you get to do?
I get to take part in people’s stories of vulnerability, bravery, courage, and resilience. I get to hold the space for them to share it with the world.
How does this career feed into your overall Notable Life goals?
Heroic Humans helps me obtain my overall Notable Life Goals by allowing me to connect with people. That’s what keeps me grounded and human and alive and makes me feel — being able to connect with other people and see the rawness that we all have and talk about the hard things and good things. That’s what matters to me, and helps me with my Notable Life.
What are the first steps to founding a company?
Make sure what you’re after is something you feel authenticly about. If you are doing something that doesn’t ring true to you, it won’t fulfil you. Logistical things like buying your domain, and seeing what other businesses and entrepreneurs are doing and if it’s anything similar to you, is also a good first step to finding your place within the market.
What type of person or personality is suited for what you do?
That’s the beauty of Heroic Humans. There is no one not suited for it. If you believe in people, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in humanity and heroism, you are a Heroic Human. You can’t compare people’s bravery and stories to another person’s because we are all just people feeling on the planet. That’s what makes it special. But regarding entreprenurship: creativity has a lot to do with being an entrepreneur and starting your own business. Ambition and having the courage to put your ideas out there and bring them to life is another big part of starting your business.
What are three tips for being successful in starting your own business?
Believe in yourself, never give up, and be patient.
What is a secret about your job?
Sometimes when I get the opportunity to feature people with incredible stories, I cry. I feel blessed that they are sharing their journey with me and that I am the person on the other end who gets to celebrate what they have been through with them.
Do you have anything exciting coming up?
In 2019, I am launching an online program for Heroic Humans called the “Live Heroically Program”. The program is going to certify people as Heroic Humans and create a new community.
Where can we learn more about you and connect with you?
To stay connected with me, you can follow @theheroichumans on Instagram.