We recently connected with Steve Schachtschneider and have shared our conversation below.
Steve, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
“Life is truly known only to those who suffer, lose, endure adversity, and stumble from defeat to defeat.”- Ryszard Kapuscinski. I try on a daily basis to look for beauty. It is a moment to moment thing. I am becoming more aware that what I choose to focus on is what I become. I find I relate to the world better when I focus on the goodness which is infinite and all encompassing. That is how I attempt to approach each moment. Often I am blind, unwilling, lazy, full of pity. Somehow I move and grow, however slow and painful. That’s where the resilience lies.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I operate a business I named Grandfather Medicinals Wild Foraged Mushrooms. I am located in Asheville, North Carolina. The name comes from a most beautiful, and popular mountain named Grandfather mountain. It is actually the most visited attraction in western North Carolina. I traverse these hills collecting exotic wild mushrooms for culinary and medicinal uses. Every time I am out in the woods I see, hear, feel, smell, or learn something new. The sense of wonder from childhood is still a presence in my life today! I am running a special on my website now. Check it out at grandfathermedicinals.com
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Passionate interest. I have interest in many things. Interest with passion has been critical to gaining some sense of success in my enterprise. Passion keeps me up at night thinking of new places to forage, accompanies me in the morning as I anticipate what may be around the next bend.
2. Adversity.In the foraging world we depend on rain. For example, this summer we lacked rainfall the entire month of June, which the tail end of June ushers in Chanterelle season. I cannot control the weather, but I can use resources to locate areas which may be well protected from the sun, close to a water source, and scout those areas. That approach had continued to deepen and broaden my experience as a forager. Sometimes it’s all about getting out there and putting in miles. Never give up!
3. Gratitude. Grandfathermedicinals was not even an idea in my mind until a few years ago. I only enjoyed the challenge of foraging and the gratitude friends showed when I shared bounty with them. I became grateful for being able to be of some use to others in a beneficial manner. I am full of gratitude to have passion and make a modest living providing nature’s culinary delights and providing real medicine for others. I say real medicine because pharmaceuticals, which are a little over 100 years old, are alternative to the natural medicine that has been used for thousands of years by cultures on each continent so never had contact with one another. How fortunate to be able to share this goodness with others!
Find what you love to do that helps others and follow it. See it through. There will be no regrets
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I am not very computer literate, nor do I have much marketing knowledge. So I have great, 100% wild crafted products, superior to advertisements I see for the same products, that are not getting to people that could benefit from them due to lack of exposure. Looking for help with this currently.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Grandfathermedicinals.com
- Instagram: grandfathermedicinals123@instagram
- Other: Grandfathermedicinals@gmail.com
Phone 828-390-0159
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