Holistic Vocation
How a simple idea took flight
Holistic Vocation
There was a time when people contributed simply through who they were—what they were drawn to, what they were good at, what they naturally offered. Somewhere along the way, that wholeness fractured. Identity became confused with occupation.
Again and again, I heard the same concern: people felt they had no purpose. That realization changed the way I understood the problem. We forgot something basic: we are born with purpose. A vocation, in its truest sense, isn’t a job or a religious label. It’s a life lived in service through who you are, not what you do.
The phrase holistic vocation surfaced during that time—not all at once, not fully formed, but persistent enough that it stayed with me. What followed was frustration. I wrote it out again and again—different fonts, styles, sizes. Nothing worked. That’s when I understood this wasn’t something to perfect. It needed to grow. Before it could be born, it had to be lived, shaped, and tested by hands other than my own. The best ideas don’t belong to one person. They move through many. I wasn’t the creator—I was part of the process.
And this is where the idea met people.
The search for form led all the way to England, to Sam, from Set Sail. His contribution was giving the idea its first visible shape. Sam doesn’t just design fonts—he creates language you can see. His work turns words into form, meaning into something people can feel and connect to. Distance didn’t matter; he understood the intention immediately. The font didn’t feel chosen—it felt uncovered. Sam lives his vocation through art that helps others clarify and communicate what matters.
Once the idea had a visual language, it needed structure. That came through Shane, founder of Fat Labs. What began as a simple tech issue became something more because Shane made space to listen. He understands nonprofits, systems, and the human realities behind both. His contribution was helping translate vision into something workable—without stripping it of heart. He lives his vocation by building structures that support purpose.
With form and structure in place, creation moved into practice. We met Penni, from Sandi Paws Candles, while creating side by side. What she contributed wasn’t just inspiration—it was process. From hand-drawn sketches to scanning, graphic design, editing software, and AI, Penni shared how ideas actually move from imagination into form. She didn’t guard her skills; she passed them on. She lives her vocation by turning creativity into connection and generosity into practice.
As the idea became tangible, the question of sustainability surfaced. Encouragement arrived through Trish, from Life is Good. At a moment when we were trying to figure out how to fund the work without losing the mission, she listened, trusted her gut, and offered belief. Her contribution wasn’t transactional—it was human. Trish lives her vocation by remembering that business is still about people, and that encouragement can move an idea forward.
And grounding it all—for me—was Becky, from The Herbary & Apothecary at Running Brook Farm. Becky is my friend, and she is the quintessential model of a holistic vocation—at least for me, and where this idea truly began to make sense. Long before there was language for it, she was living it. She grows, crafts, and offers her work for the community, not above it. No performance. No inflation. Just care, access, and consistency. She showed me what it looks like when vocation is lived, not labeled.
This is where Holistic Vocation moved from concept into practice.
Not through perfect plans, but through people saying yes—sharing skills, offering belief, and showing up as themselves.
I printed one shirt just to see. Within hours, a local yoga studio placed an order—happy to do so because they believed in the mission and wanted to support the nonprofit. We took that money and three days later ran a workshop with it. That was the lightbulb moment. What if the mission could support the mission? A self-sustaining nonprofit. Why not? If it worked once, it could work again. And that changed everything.
That’s how Holistic Vocation became practice. And how the Holistic Hero collection began—not as merchandise, but as a mission-driven way to honor people already living the thing we’re trying to remember.
I don’t know how long this project will last, or where it will lead, or who it will reach next. What I do know is this: I’ve seen a lot of smiling faces along the way. I’ve watched people light up while creating, sharing, and working together. I’ve seen joy show up where it wasn’t forced or manufactured. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe the work doesn’t need to know where it’s going—as long as it’s making life a little more connected, a little more meaningful, and a little more whole.
That feels pretty holistic to me.
Eileen Parent - Access Navigation
The Founding Five - The good humans behind the story.
Sam — https://setsailstudios.com/
Shane - https://fatlabwebsupport.com/
Penni - https://sandypawscandles.com/
Trish - https://lifeisgood.com/
Becky - https://www.theherbaryapothecary.com/
https://www.ACCESSNAVIGATION.ORG