American Faces #98 - Out of the ashes

I was introduced to Aaron Glanz, American Faces #98, by Kari Lazzarino of the Bearded Viking (she was American Faces #94). While interviewing Aaron I quickly came to the conclusion that he is a living example of what a second chance looks like. As his story unfolds you'll see what I mean.

Aaron told me his early teenage years were like “Leave it to Beaver.” Then in 1997 his best friend died, his parents divorced and his “traditional” life changed dramatically and started to spin out of control. He began using drugs (eventually, Meth) to numb his hurting heart he got into drugs with meth being his drug of choice from 2001 to 2005. His desire for the drugs to give him the dopamine hit he so badly wanted just to feel “good” overtook him. Chemical dependency and a destructive lifestyle of drug use  altered Aaron’s life, from his late teenage years well into adulthood.A drug-using strained marriage with his previous wife and a couple of children in a drug-using home led to charges against him by the law. 

He knew he needed to start to clean up his life so he went to Hazeldin to get clean from the Meth. Alcohol still was a part of the mix but he started to find pride in getting clean. That pride led him to keep getting better day by day. He was continually striving to be a better person. However Aaron stumbled a bit.  He started to go down a road of prepping should the world go crazy. He decided to grow Marijuana, Aaron was in a relationship at the time with a woman who was into mushrooms (not the edible kind) and Aaron decided he needed to get a gun. Well, Aaron’s previous felony, the fact that he got raided by law enforcement for the growing of marijuana as well as a girlfriend who turned him in led to 27 months of jail time.  

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Ok now we get to the part where Aaron finally rises out of the ashes of his past.  

As his time in prison was coming to a close Aaron found out about a program where he could go to school and make something of his life. So he set his mind to becoming a machinist through a program at Dunwoody Institute.  He drove hard at school, graduated with honors and began a new life. He met Lee, now his wife of 7 years. Aaron says  Lee is his best friend, his counselor, the one who’s made it possible to become the best version of himself – she’s his everything..

As Aaron continued to rise from the ashes one of the jobs that is a foundational part of his story is RMS where he is at to this day.  Troy Olson, Aaron’s manager, popped in on the interview to say how excited he was for Aaron to have me do his story. I took the opportunity to ask Troy why he gave Aaron a chance. Troy said Aaron earned everything he has done at RMS. Troy never asked Aaron about his past. He knew it was more about where Aaron is going, and his future is bright. And like Troy, Aaron now has the opportunity to lead with the heart of a servant and maybe give someone else a chance to prove themself – maybe someone with a backstory like his.

Aaron’s main photo for this story photo looks very much like a photograph I might create for a machine shop client. But this photo is more than that.  It’s a photo that shows a man with endless possibilities in front of a machine that he did all the research on to expand capacity at RMS  As he looks forward, Aaron now sees a life of promise and fulfillment – it's expressed in his precision machining work, and in the heart he has for the people on his RMS team.

Aaron’s life is full of second chances. He may well be the poster child for what second chances look like. He’s determined to be a difference maker. I encourage you to give someone a second chance. You might just be investing in the next Aaron Glanz. 

Photos and story by: Nielsen Studios 

Editing by: Scott Whitman

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American Faces #97 - A bit of teamwork!

This is the story of Tim Shore, founder of Shore Boards, but maybe it’s also a story about Caleb Gregg of Gregg Media. You see, Tim is the master craftsman known for creating paddle boards and longboards for his company called Shore Boards. Caleb is the masterful videographer who applied his amazing ability in creating video content to help tell Tim’s story. I felt blessed to be on set with these two guys creating the first edited video version of American Faces. It was a blessing to hear how a man started a business with the support of his family and to work alongside another content creator with a passion for the outdoor sports market. 

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The quality in Tim’s boards, to me, seems second-to-none.  I thoroughly enjoyed the process of working with Caleb to capture quality footage of Tim sharing a short version of his story of how Shore Boards came to be as he cleaned a newly finished  board in his Ramsey, Minnesota, shop.

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 Take a few moments and watch the video. And if you’re into water sports, give serious consideration to taking your water experience to the next level and investing in one of Tim’s custom, hand-crafted custom boards.

And check out Caleb’s work. He’s a talented guy with a great heart. 

Finally, if you are thinking about starting something new, or helping someone in some way, just do it. You won’t regret your decision!

Photos and story by: Nielsen Studios 

Editing by: Scott Whitman

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American Faces #96 - Not mine to tell

American Faces No. 96

American Faces #96 is officially the most intimidating American Faces to date for me. I think the pressure I felt was all my own doing. I wanted to make sure I told the story well. You know, the kind of story that has grit and is shot in a really cool location. But that was my idea. Katie Berquist wanted to have her photos taken in my studio. She wanted a portrait that would reflect who she is now, not who she was in her past. To Katie, the photos should represent a clean slate.  

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So the photos you see, minus the two of her before her incredible transformation, were created in a studio with a couple of lights, a simple background and her bubbly can-do attitude. But in working through the story-telling part with Katie, I realized that I was trying to drive the narrative to what I wanted, not the story she really wanted to tell. She desired to show what victory looks like, not what past addiction looks like, and her attitude moved me profoundly. Throughout my previous 95 American Faces I have strived to tell positive stories of people and encourage others in their own life’s journey. But I realize now that the desire for “my narrative” is not likely to be what most subjects want. Like Katie, I think people really don’t want to look back at what their life was, but instead would rather look forward.  

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Years into her recovery and her Christian walk, she has a sincere love for Jesus woven through every thread of her life and it has brought her to a place where relationships have been restored. She truly cherishes her time with her sons, and has a wonderfully growing relationship with family that brings a wholeness the world cannot easily understand. Katie knows where her present joy and hope for tomorrow comes from. Katie’s bubbly and confident personality will not let you walk away from an encounter with her unchanged.

American Faces #96 has taught me a couple things about storytelling, and maybe about my own view of other people. I have learned I need to be careful of the narrative I write “for” others. I know I am called to document others’ stories, but their story is not mine to tell. 

In closing, lend an ear to someone. The story you hear may just change your life. Then go be a difference maker. The world needs you!

Photos and story by: Nielsen Studios 

Editing by: Scott Whitman

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