Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tiffany Buckley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tiffany, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience stems from my experience in foster care. Being, what it felt like, abducted by the State of Missouri from my toxic family home and living in several different homes throughout high school was one of the greatest challenges of my life. I was diagnosed with dysthymic depression and PTSD at age 15. Mandatory weekly therapy sessions helped me manage my emotions and create positive coping methods.
Enduring the physical and mental trauma from my family was a large strain, but foster care in my teens – stumbling along trying to healthily develop my identity, was an equal struggle. Bouncing from home to home, school to school, was akin to achieving a new game + in a video game. Starting over my life repeatedly, strengthening my mental health, finding out who I was, all contributed to my resilience.
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?
Professionally, I focus on my photography business. I take great pride in artfully documenting peoples’ lives. An experience with a mental health crisis, homelessness, and jail are what inspired the creation of Volunteer KC, Inc. We focus on volunteering for initiatives which serve our city’s homeless individuals and families. My dream is for VKC to become the premiere recruitment and placement agency for volunteers.
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 received free weekly therapy while living in shelter. My confidence was shot. I didn’t have any direction. My therapist, I still see her to this day, helped me understand that everyone is equal. We all deserve fair and kind treatment, and we must also treat ourselves with kindness.
Life is too short not to write down goals and go after them with massive action. When you create something good, others will invest their time, skills, and/or talent to see that project grow. Be genuine and headstrong.
When things seem impossible, no problem can sustain the assault of critical and relentless thought.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I think it’s best to be well rounded. Versatility can save people from boxing themselves into either a single niche profession or from goal creep. Having to wear the hats, willingly, knowing how to perform the tasks you delegate to others… I won’t ask someone to do something that I wouldn’t do, unless it’s climbing a ladder at a Habitat for Humanity build site – no heights for me! :p
Contact Info:
- Website: volunteerkc.com
- Instagram: @volunteerkansascity
- Facebook: facebook.com/volunteerkc
Image Credits
Women’s Freedom march image credit: Andrew Mather, Drone image of Foodbox mega mobile food pantry credit: Garret Blackwell, KC Navigation Bag image credit: Pastor Gregory Parr of Neighbor2Neighbor
