The image that inspired this company.

Do you have any margin in your life to do the things that matter to you? Or is your schedule so filled with priorities and responsibilities that when something important is displayed right in front of your eyes, you’re unable to act? These children forced me to ask that of myself in a squatter community near Hermosillo, Mexico.

I’ve seen squatter communities throughout the globe. It’s an area where families temporarily take up living because they have no permanent home. Like this one, many are built on trash dumps where there is little to no access to water and hygiene.

I was photographing and talking to families in the community when a man with his three little girls and puppies asked me “Can you take their photo, it would be worth more than gold.”

It was an honor and I loved being able to talk with them and see a little glimpse into their lives but I remember hearing that they hadn’t had a water delivery in over two weeks. I thought, dang what a bummer, but did nothing. After all, I had to hop on a flight and get back to my next assignment and all my responsibilities at home.

On the plane, I continued reading a book that had been fascinating me the last week called “Love Does” by Bob Goff. In it Goff talks about how we fill our schedules with things to feel busy and can effectively leave no room to hear the voice of God amidst our shouting over him. We overbook for the sake of self-worth and miss many opportunities that we feel we don’t have time for.

I realized my life was full of a lot of “good things” but not things that were “good for me.” At that moment I decided to leave my full time job and start a company that would allow for flexibility to adjust to causes I found Worthy, and have the time to do something about them. That was the moment “Worthy Portrait” was found.