Celebrate Change

Brandon Stanton grew up outside of Atlanta and majored in history at University of Georgia. His first career was in finance, working as a bond trader in Chicago. But even then, he was taking pictures around town on the weekends. Then in 2010, he was fired from his firm - and decided to deal with change in a rather unusual way. Instead of diving back into finding a new finance job, he embarked on a rather unusual photography project.

This significant change did not entirely toss his bond trading skills aside. Stanton recounts:

“My two biggest lessons learned as a trader are take risks and get comfortable with taking losses and setbacks to help move you forward. Instead of updating my resume and looking for a similar job, I decided to forget about money and have a go at something I truly enjoyed,

Lest you think this “follow your bliss” model was all sunshine and unicorns, Stanton found his way to New York city where he was barely surviving on unemployment checks and support from friends and family.

“The early days of HONY were lonely as hell,” he’s said—but eventually, his unique photos and stories began to catch a following on Facebook - and then - a best selling book - Humans of New York.

Today, Stanton now has 17 million Facebook followers and has raised over $20 million for various causes and charities around the world.


“There are so many people that use 'following your dreams' as an excuse to not work. When in reality, following your dreams, successfully, is nothing but work.”
― Brandon Stanton

The need for work is clear - but HOW to work in the face of immense change and uncertainty? Let’s look at some specific steps that Stanton used to leverage change in his favor.

Based on Brandon Stanton's approach to dealing with change, and creating "Humans of New York" (HONY), here are "7 Powerful Prompts for Celebrating Change" designed to help you adapt to change in a transformative way:

1. Identify Your Passion Amidst Change: Reflect on what truly excites and inspires you, even in small ways, as Stanton did with photography while working in finance.

2. Embrace Risks and Setbacks as Stepping Stones: Consider a recent change or setback in your life. How can you view it as an opportunity to try something new or take a risk?

3. Innovate and Adapt Your Approach: Think about a goal or project you're working on. How can you innovate or adapt your approach to make it more engaging or fulfilling? Brandon Stanton did this when he shifted his focus from mapping photos to creating daily content.

4. Connect and Learn from Others: Who are the people around you that you can learn from or connect with in a deeper way? How can you engage with them to enrich your understanding, similar to how Stanton started having deeper conversations with his photography subjects?

5. Focus on the Process, Not Just the Outcome: Reflect on a current endeavor. Are you focusing too much on the end goal or feedback? How can you shift your focus to enjoy and learn from the process itself, as Stanton did with HONY?

6. Discover and Utilize Your Unique Strengths: What unique skills or qualities do you possess that can be applied in new or different ways in your current situation or challenges?

7. Celebrate Small Successes and Feedback: Think of a recent small success or positive feedback you received. How did it make you feel, and what did it teach you about your path or approach?

These prompts encourage a mindset shift towards embracing change, leveraging personal strengths, and focusing on the journey, not just the destination, mirroring Stanton's transformative approach to his career and creative endeavors.