Meet Destri Leger | Owner & Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Destri Leger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Destri, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am originally from Lafayette, Louisiana but have spent the last nine years in Sylva, North Carolina. My hometown upbringing had a tremendous impact on me in that I grew up in the heart of Cajun country with a vibrant culture of unique food, music, and language. However, I also grew up witnessing tremendous income inequality and racial segregation in areas of business, housing, and education access. This was in the 90s and 2000s but these conditions still thrive today including the current attempt to defund and ultimately close Paul Breaux Middle School, a Lafayette school steeped in Black history and culture which I was fortunate enough to have spent three years at (geaux tigers!)

Growing up and witnessing these conditions shaped my worldview in that seeing such overt inequality made it obvious that our society’s issues of scarcity were not organic but manufactured. This understanding motivated and continues to motivate the work that I do. Through my business, Grow Your Good, I now work with community-led nonprofits and organizations to increase their impact and access the resources they need to grow their good. I truly believe that positive change is possible through a radical reassessment of our conditions and systems alongside community-led initiatives.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Grow Your Good was founded to fill gaps that local nonprofits in Western North Carolina were experiencing in terms of their organizational capacity and fundraising. Since then, we have expanded our service area and found our niche in community-focused organizations that have historically had trouble accessing resources as a result of marginalization and systemic barriers. Our services include consulting, grant services ranging from readiness to reporting, and marketing to share the important work being done. We focus on keeping our prices accessible with active listening and individualized services to meet these organization’s unique needs. And because our team is made of folks who have done all levels of nonprofit work, from “boots on the ground” direct services to executive directing, we know what it takes to successfully implement strategic plans organization-wide.

In addition to supporting existing nonprofits, we also support community members in starting their own nonprofits. We provide step-by-step guidance in terms that folks can understand to help them achieve their nonprofit startup process easier and faster. Costly attorney fees and a lack of understanding prevent passionate community members from starting their dream projects and we are passionate about helping to break those barriers down.

In the past year, Grow Your Good has been able to support our local LGBTQ+ community center in increasing its capacity and accessing grant funding and were able to support a neighboring Black community center in accessing $210,000 in grant funding for their afterschool program, and helped a team of folks passionate about increasing textile sustainability achieve their 501(c)3 status in just under four months.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you’re visiting Jackson County, I’d first recommend spending some time outdoors. We’ve got a lot of great hikes and access to the Tuckasegee River. We’re also in between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Cherokee Nation. Pinnacle Point and Cullowhee Falls are some of my favorite close local hikes.

If you’re in Sylva, City Lights Cafe is a great place to grab a coffee before you walk upstairs to City Lights Bookstore. Between these two places you can find inclusive reads, arts, and some friendly folks. But if you are looking for a good ol’ fashion diner experience then The Coffee Shop is the way to go. If you’re a wine lover, Sante The Wine Bar is a real local treasure, as is their sister restaurant Ilda. But for the beer drinkers, Innovation or Lazy Hiker are the way to go.

But if you are looking to be inspired by some local good work, I would recommend Cornbread & Roses Community Counseling who are out here increasing inclusivity in our rural health resources and offering community services like a free community pantry.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to uplift all the radical women in my life, whom I have either interacted with personally or through your work, for inspiring me to change the things I cannot accept.

Website: www.growyourgood.co

Instagram: www.instagram.com/growyourgood.co

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/destrileger

Facebook: www.facebook.com/growyourgood.co