A Career Personal Story Close to My Heart

As a career counselor, I love stories where people are called to follow their passion. This happened to Gary Crouth who was inspired to produce a CD after hearing stories from a friend over decades about growing up in Beckley, West Virginia. I got a first-hand view of how a seed of inspiration blossomed into a passion and mission since Gary is my sweetheart.

Some stories were about quirky characters, but the one that captured his heart was about the African-Americans recruited from the south to dig a three-mile tunnel to a hydro-electric plant to provide electricity to a factory. Without any protective equipment, it’s estimated that 1,000 or more of these workers died of silicosis, some within a few months. When Gary looked into the eyes of one of the workers in a photo, he felt he was being asked to tell his story, honoring all the workers who were treated as expendable commodities digging the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel.

When Gary traveled to Beckley to see the area he’s been hearing and writing about, he was inspired to make his CD a benefit for Hope in the Mountains, a nonprofit bringing hope and positive change to southern West Virginia communities.

Having produced a CD and a book myself, each one taking 7 years, I was amazed to witness what normally laid-back Gary could get done in under a year, start to finish. It reminds me about what we can accomplish when we notice and follow an inspiration.  The passion brings drive, discipline, and courage. 

What inspiration might be calling to you, whether for work, volunteering or personal? Is there a seed growing that is ready to blossom? Trust your inspiration, do the work, and move forward.

Click HERE for information about the October 24, 2026 event, A Celebration of Appalachia: CD Release and Benefit

Dinner out celebrating the arrival of the CDs!