Tenacity, Gratuity and Henry Winkler
Photos by Emily Hess | Byers Station Dental Ribbon Cutting | (right to left) Dr. Jeff Grove, Dr. Rachel Moon, Ryan Jones
Tenacity, Gratuity and Henry Winkler.
Yes, you read that correctly.
When I was a college student, still trying to figure out that to do with my life I spent a lot of my time at Comic Cons. No, these things were not directly related in my mind either, but I promise it comes together.
I was a young, literally starving artist, who did not know what to do with my seemingly unrelated skills and interests and I was much more concerned about where my next meal was coming from than I was about making big career moves. I was living in a small apartment with no hot water, no air conditioning and no internet, stealing it from a local Dunkin’ Donuts when freelance work came my way. I found my way into comic cons by showing up in business casual clothing, hair slicked back and my one possession of value (my canon digital rebel) slung around my neck, offering to photograph the event professionally, and for free, to get my way in.
At a con in Philadelphia, I found myself at a Q&A with Henry Winkler, "The Fonz" and I was over the moon. A lifelong Happy Days fan, I photographed my way next to the stage. While he spoke I stood there transfixed, as if he were speaking to me; a young, poor, driven and confused artist with no roadmap. To this day I swear he looked directly at me as he said the following words, “You have to live your life by two simple rules, tenacity and gratuity. Some people may have more than you, and some people may have started long before you, but if you meet the opportunities in your life with tenacity and gratuity, you can and will succeed.”
His words echoed in my mind, still chilled from my morning shower, I shook my head “I can do that!” I thought. “It can’t be that simple." And the truth is that just because it’s short advice, it doesn’t mean it’s easy advice. From that moment on I adopted those words as my mantra, holding it with me through each career move and each project. I continued to photograph my way into events, classes and seminars learning as much as I could about the industry I was about to graduate into. I took each freelance job with gratitude and applied for positions over and over and over again. I went from a freelance artist, to an administrative assistant, to a print operator, to an illustrator, a graphic designer, an augmented reality specialist, a data analyst, workflow manager, marketing manager, wedding photographer, marketing specialist (and a mother and wife to boot!) all with tenacity and gratuity as my guide.
Today, I look back at Emily in that freezing apartment, boiling water to wash my clothing in the bathtub before an interview, with such gratitude. Because of those steps I made (what feels like a lifetime ago) I could stand, photographing the ribbon cutting of a dental practice I got to build the branding for, in freshly pressed clothing and a full heart, all thanks to tenacity, gratuity and Henry Winkler.
