There’s More to the Story

How often do we truly stop and think what another person’s story might be. If I saw a young mom towing two kids into a grocery store and stopping in the aisle where Lunchables were stashed, I might have noticed her struggling which flavor to choose that her children could enjoy at snack time.

It would never have dawned on me that the struggle she faced was thinking about her budget and that purchasing two Lunchables meant leaving other, vital items off the grocery list the following week, or that she might sacrifice her own next meal or that the electric bill might get missed.

I grew up in a middle class neighborhood with a blue collar father and a stay-at-home mom. My dad worked very hard, and we never struggled to put food on our table or pay the mortgage. But our parents grew up during World War II when times were tough, and they brought that mindset with them as they raised their family.

All my clothes came from Kmart or were handmade by my mom. She was a beautiful seamstress, and I loved my dresses growing up. I didn’t notice that I dressed differently until I was in junior high. Back then, the popular jean brand was Jourdache, and I was embarrassed with clothes that may have been a blue light special.

But I never experienced poverty. As an adult, I never worried about food, shelter, or the occasional shiny object. I knew about welfare and sometimes judged strangers who “took advantage of the system” without knowing the full story.

When I met Brandi Jack, I learned that she helped drive the Nashville Diaper Connection from 800,000 diapers in one county to over four million diapers in 32 counties in 2025 and targeting five million diapers in 2026. I also learned that she joined the Nashville Diaper Connection as a volunteer after her business was destroyed by the 2020 tornado only days before Covid would likely have shut down her brand new business.

What I didn’t know after that first lunch was her back story and how well it relates to the work she is doing today. She may not have worried about her electric bill, but that Lunchable story was hers. She had forgotten to pack lunch for her children one day and was forced to stretch the budget with that unexpected expense. She was working two jobs and was barely making ends meet. No one shared available resources with her, such as food pantries or diaper banks, so she made it work on her own.

Earlier this year I interviewed Quintina Waller who nearly ended her own life when she wasn’t sure she could feed her newborn baby. Instead, she realized that she wasn’t alone in needing help and resources and launched The Hope Station which helps working single moms by stretching their budgets.

Two women. Two very different stories. And in both cases, there was so much happening that the people around them probably never knew.

How many times have I looked at someone and created a story based only on what I could see?

The person who is late for work again.

The employee who seems distracted.

The friend who hasn’t returned a phone call.

The stranger who is short-tempered with the cashier.

It’s easy to fill in the blanks. Sometimes we even convince ourselves that we know exactly what those blanks contain. But we don’t.

Empathy doesn’t require us to excuse every behavior or agree with every choice. It doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t be held accountable. It simply asks us to leave room for the possibility that there is more to the story.

Brandi’s story reminded me of that.

I would have seen a mom standing in front of the Lunchables and assumed she was deciding between turkey and ham.

I wouldn’t have seen the math happening in her head. Three dollars for two Lunchables. How many peanut butter sandwiches could that make? What else would have to wait? How do I get through the rest of the week?

Maybe empathy starts there.

Not with knowing someone else’s story, but with remembering that there is one.

To listen to Brandi’s full story, check out the podcast episode: From Poverty to Purpose

---

 Enjoyed this week's blog? I share reflections on mindset, leadership, and clarity each week in my newsletter. 👉 Subscribe here to have it delivered straight to your inbox.

My podcast, DunnWise Perspectives: Stories of Resilience and Shifting Mindsets, is now live. I'd love for you to take a listen.

If you're looking for clarity in your business or career, you can reach me at doris@dunnwise.com, via DM, or at dunnwise.com.