I’ve been waking at 5 a.m. since I was twelve—farm life doesn’t wait. While classmates Snapchatted lattes, I was shoveling feed. They called me “Hay Girl” or “Bessie’s Bestie.” Once, I saved a calf and still got mocked for the smell. By graduation, I’d gotten no invites—just chores and grit.
Ten years later, I got the reunion email. I almost deleted it, but I went. I walked in wearing boots, denim, and my confidence. That’s when Rustin—former golden boy—saw me. “You’re CallieCountry, right? I follow you on TikTok!” I blinked. Didn’t think anyone from high school even noticed.
Turns out, they’d all seen me. My farm tutorials, butter-making videos—everything. The same kids who teased me now wanted advice on goats and honey. Later, Rustin admitted, “We were trying to be cool. But you? You actually did something.”
That stuck with me.
Two weeks later, I hosted my first “Farm Day” for local kids. It went viral. Now, I run a growing business that’s rooted in everything they once laughed at.
So if you feel different, don’t shrink. Your weird little world might be the exact thing the world needs.
They used to mock me for milking cows. Now they pay me to teach them how.