Daily Inspiration: Meet Hannah Ray

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Ray.

Hi Hannah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
High Point Discovered was launched in 2015 by our founder, Christi Barbour. As a lifelong High Point resident, business owner, and designer in the city, Christi found herself frustrated by the community’s lack of pride and investment in the city. Her frustration fueled a positive shift in how the entire city and surrounding cities view High Point. This shift started simply enough: Christi and her kids spent a summer driving through the city, discovering all there is to love and asking followers on an anonymous Instagram account, “Did you know?”

Did you know High Point has a gourmet cupcake shop? What about a boutique yoga studio? An independent bookstore? A paper goods supplier? A craft brewery?

With each “Did you know?” the interest in High Point Discovered – and the city of High Point itself – grew. By 2020, High Point Discovered had amassed thousands of followers on social media and grown its platforms to include an online blog, videos, and more. The High Point Discovered founders decided that the organization’s purpose was to communicate the stories of High Point’s small business and the non-profit community to encourage investment and action in the community. And they decided that service must happen at no cost to its readers and story subjects. Giving back to the community of High Point through this kind of elevated, beautiful storytelling, with no agenda or motive beyond sparking a love for High Point, was the focus. In 2020, High Point Discovered became a 501(c)3 non-profit.

Today, High Point Discovered has a full-time staff of three, including our Executive Director, Amber Williamson, our Creative Director, Hannah Ray, and our Administrative Assistant, Caroline Miller. We reach thousands in the North Carolina community with the good news of High Point, NC, and encourage locals to find their voice and take pride in the city they call home!

Personally (Hannah), I grew up in High Point, NC, and except for a few years spent living elsewhere in college and post-grad, High Point has always been home. When I returned from college with a degree in English and a love for the written word and storytelling, I wondered how to carve a career path involving these elements. After working in marketing and copywriting for a stint, I was delighted to build my connection with Christi Barbour, founder of High Point Discovered, and start my time with HPD writing freelance blog articles for the organization and meeting individuals in the High Point community who had incredible stories – historians, leaders, educators, designers, baristas, artists, craftsmen, chefs, hairdressers, and more! – continued to convince me that every person has a story to tell. And every story is valuable to a city’s growth, sustainability, and beauty. I was overjoyed when High Point Discovered became a 501(c)3, and the founding Board of Directors invited me back to become a full-time Content Strategist. After three years working in High Point at High Point Discovered, I have seen the growth of our city, this organization, and myself. Today, as Creative Director, I manage our contract team of eight photographers and four copywriters who capture and tell the incredible stories of the men and women in High Point. I see people who have lived here all their lives and those who have just moved here discover the wonder of getting to know your neighbor’s story. The stories we tell today are spread across a variety of platforms, including our print magazine, and it is truly an honor to hear firsthand the stories of our city and find creative ways to package them so that they resonate with our readers to elevate pride of place and brand perceptions of High Point, NC.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the challenges of this career path and the work I have been privileged to do at High Point Discovered is that, by nature, it is all new! Discovering the good in our city through this unique, rose-colored perspective is refreshing but unchartered territory. Additionally, the unique challenges associated with civic engagement, non-profit management, and more – presented a tremendous learning curve for me. Thankfully, I am surrounded by a phenomenal, supportive Board of Directors at High Point Discovered, and a strong Executive Director in Amber Williamson. While my background in marketing, copywriting, and branding served me well in the content production of High Point Discovered, understanding the intricacies of being a civic-minded non-profit has not been without challenges. However, amid these challenges, I have been amazed by the generosity of spirit in High Point, NC. The city’s momentum is strong, and change-makers across entities (business, non-profit, education, civic, and more) deeply desire to see “all ships rise with the tide” of High Point’s growth. Discovering how we as an organization can be a mouthpiece and catalyst for the organizations already doing incredible, elevating work in our city has been a wonderful opportunity.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My background and first career paths were primarily in copywriting, which I have done in a marketing capacity, freelance/consultant capacity, and then as an employee at High Point Discovered. But my heart has always been for how imagery, graphics, video, words, and audio interact and combine to tell the full story of a person, place, or moment. I am fortunate to be part of the creative process, start to finish, of telling just a small fraction of these stories in High Point. I work with our copywriters to conduct interviews and draft stories for blog articles or our magazine. I also work with our videographers and photographers to storyboard and capture videos and images that tell these stories. And soon, we want to add the audio medium to these interviews to allow one more way for our readers to access our content.

In the initial stages of my career, I was allowed to work with a feature writer at a local newspaper: an opportunity that demonstrated my passion and natural talent for storytelling. I have used that talent for question-asking and information synthesis to empower subjects to share their stories. Often, individuals have never been allowed to reflect on the fact that they have a story – conflict, action, excitement, and hope – that is worth telling the world about. The story connects us as a society and often breaks down the barriers we have erected in our minds based on other dividing lines of politics, religion, socioeconomic background, gender, or upbringing. But I believe each person was created with a story to tell and a part to play in improving this world.

I am most proud of the fact that these stories don’t just connect with readers who then make decisions to meet their neighbors, support local businesses, and give to local causes – I am honored that the individual subjects of these stories walk away seeing and believing how powerful their own story is. They walk away, encouraged to continue contributing and inspired to bring a new generation alongside them in bettering our community together.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
As creatives, we have incredible power and, therefore, responsibility to generously use our talents and time to create good in the world – through our jobs, hobbies, and volunteerism. I hope each person will discover what talent they bring to the table to join forces with other creatives, leaders, and entrepreneurs in discovering what is so special about their community!

Contact Info:

• Website: highpointdiscovered.org
• Instagram: @highpointdiscovered
• Facebook: @highpointdiscovered
• Linkedin: @highpointdiscovered

Image Credits
First image (of Hannah): High Point Discovered and Madalyn Yates Image of three people looking at table: High Point Discovered and Madalyn Yates Image of magazine open: High Point Discovered and Zander Betterton Image of Videography: High Point Discovered and Maria West Image of Hannah Interviewing: High Point Discovered and Madalyn Yates