We were lucky to catch up with Kris De La Torre recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kris, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I would say I’m locally optimistic and globally hopeful. I have a strong sense of self-efficacy which has come from learning through doing. I believe in my ability to adapt and evolve to different situations, to practice and to improve and that by doing so, I have the power to positively impact my immediate surroundings. I know I’m good at connecting with people, finding common connections and weaving those strong networks of community care.This is a core belief and it allows me to remain optimistic about what lies ahead.
Why I differentiate between optimism and being hopeful is that I don’t want to gloss over the fact that we need major change and commitment from the largest structural powers to slow climate change and address global injustices. Hope is more akin to faith, which asks us to believe in forces beyond our immediate sphere of influence. I genuinely hope there will be a shift to value our most precious earth and all the human life that resides here.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m the Managing Director of a Chicago based non-profit organization that shares a water and energy net positive, 6 acre campus. We have 2 acres of sustainable vegetable production, beehives, a PreK-8th grade public school, a Federally certified health center, nature walking paths and a fresh foods corner market. The shared facility is powered by solar, leverages geothermal wells for heating and cooling and collects grey water for flushing toilets. I’m fortunate that I feel purposeful in my work. I believe that a sense of purpose in life can be separated and is not dependent on feeling purposeful in how you exchange your time for money. That said, given the amount of time we do spend working, it keeps me motivated when I feel my time spent at work is aligned with my values.
The 6 acre hub that I manage is informed by a Purpose Built Communities model which essentially boils down to walkable resources that support basic needs and quality of life: access to education, resources like quality housing, food and in the case of the role that I have, a commitment to environmental justice and sustainability. In my role, I spend a lot of time weaving the resources at the hub together in ways that build community.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I ask a LOT of questions. I love asking questions. I think asking questions is one of my best qualities and when that’s coupled with one of my worst qualities (impatience) I tend to end up on big adventures, doing what some people might consider “odd” jobs. Many of those transitions were spurred by a big, unanswerable question and I needed to DO something to understand the answer. Over the years I’ve worked in different parts of the food system as a cheese maker, caterer, berry picker, educator, farmer, hospitality professional, consultant, wine sales person and public school food director. Each of these experiences acted as a portal to the next professional pursuit.
Figure out how you learn best and pay attention to the process that helps you metabolize what you’ve learned and apply it to your life be it work or whatever your focus. We all have a cognitive process for learning that can be categorized, and nonetheless remains slightly unique and individual to each one of us. Try as hard as you can not to compare your process to the process of others. This can feel impossible but if everyone had the same process for getting through life, we would have lost the gifts from our greatest thinkers and creatives. Same process = redundant outcomes. I learn through doing and liken my process to a kind of Gonzo or immersion journalism. I like to get deeply involved with my projects or area of interest and it’s important for me to build authentic connections with other people in that work. I find that if I cannot connect with the humanity in the work I’m doing, I quickly lose my motivation.
The last thing I think is really important is the ability to connect and be moved by true beauty. I’m using the term “beauty” in a less subjective way than we generally use it. In this instance I’m using the word to mean what cannot be manufactured or manipulated by humans. Though, sometimes human made things and moments can spontaneously come together to produce something beautiful. I mostly find this in nature, music or art. I occasionally find it in gestures of love, humility or kindness. I think this is something we all need to be careful to protect and cultivate more than ever because it’s a thing that can only be noticed and experienced when we move slowly, when our nervous systems aren’t jacked up to 100% and our minds flitting between a million forms of distraction. We do better for one another, we feel more connected, it humbles us and we assign value in truer ways when we stay receptive to beauty.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I walk and I get real intentional about noticing. I tend to talk to myself about what I notice while I walk. I find this to be extremely grounding. I’ve also started to make small lists of the things that feel clear to me. Usually, there are plenty of things that feel clear but they’re crowded out by the sense of overwhelm. I’ve started to force myself to call a friend and let them know I’m having a hard time. It surprises me every time how gracious people can be when you come at them with vulnerability. Often I don’t need anything, which is why I usually resist calling. I worry that I’m wasting their time or it will be burdensome. What typically happens is that letting someone know you can’t see through your own fog and you just need a person to ask a few questions that will allow you to process outside yourself. It can change everything and it is one of the most effective ways to continue strengthening your web of connection to others. It’s an act of self love and strengthening your community at once.
Contact Info:
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
