We recently connected with Joel Hitchcock Tilton and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Joel with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My mother. My mother was a single mother for the first few years (I wasn’t yet born). My entire childhood she worked 70 hours a week. She’d wake up for 4:00AM, read four newspapers cover-to-cover, then get us ready for school. She cooked every night except Monday, because that was the day she worked late late. When she would finally get home we’d all rush outta bed to the door to give her a hug. She did the laundry, helped with our homework, gardened with us, took us to the museum, on road trips, volunteer at our schools, all while building a labor law/civil rights law firm from the ground up and being responsible for the livelihoods of 15 or so people.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I love working with my hands, Reggae music, being outside, and making people smile. That has manifested in various ways over the years, whether; coaching high school football, soccer, and track & field, starting a free Montessori-style garden school during Covid, growing vegetables, raising animals, hosting events, DJing, and producing festivals.
My two primary endeavors are: 1) Paradigm Gardens, a network of three gardens in Uptown New Orleans that provide produce to chefs, hosts weddings, corporate events, concert nights, pizza nights, reggae shows, plant sales, goat yoga, and art & craft markets, as well as functioned as the outdoor school grounds for Paradigm School from 2020-2022. My second is The Reggae Group which is a festival production company that produces the NOLA Reggae Fest, the Houston Reggae Fest, and dozens of cultural events throughout the year across the South. I do this with my business partner Timothy Hudson.
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?
1) The chorus from the song “Unemployment” by reggae group the Twinkle Brothers – “Today you drink wine like water. Tomorrow you drink gutter water…Today you live like a king sir. Tomorrow you beg like a pauper” is a line that has always stuck with me, reminding me to stay grounded, to never get too excited or boasty when things are going well, and to never get too upset or dejected when things are going poorly. To remember that success and failure is determined by striving to achieve my potential as a son, brother, partner, friend, neighbor, stranger.
2) The only tattoo I have (or anyone in my family for that matter because of a “family rule”) is Luke 12:48 which says: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked”. I have been blessed with life, health, strength, and a loving family. From these blessings extend responsibilities to my loved ones, and my community.
3) Connecting with people. There are beaucoup ways to do this, but the one that has been most impactful to me is through the power of language. Learning a language (whether fully or partially) has myriad ancillary benefits, but the most important reason is to demonstrate a deep respect for another’s culture and perspective and to connect with them on a deeper level.
Advice: Embrace discomfort. In our modern lives, we rarely encounter discomfort: if we’re hungry, we eat. If we’re cold, we turn up the thermostat. If we’re tired we take the elevator. Generally, I’ve learned that the thing I don’t want to do, is the thing I should do. This is true in relationships, personal growth, business, and day-to-day life. Embracing discomfort is a great way to train this ability.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
After being expelled from my second school, my mother drove me up north. At the time I didn’t know where we were going. The ride was complete silence. The entire time I was tensed and ready to dodge or block her blows that I just knew were coming. We arrived at a hotel, and proceeded to have an amazing weekend of chillin, board games, reading, and eating. We didn’t speak about the expulsion or me messing up my future, not even once. The message I took from it, was that even though I screwed up massively, and disappointed her and my father tremendously, she still loved me unconditionally. That type of love solidified a strong foundation in me that has allowed me to step out and embrace failure and success with equal excitement. The experience engendered in me a certain humility and grace to deal with others in a similar manner.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paradigmgardensnola.com
- Instagram: @paradigm_gardens
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