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Chris Schembra has few memories of his childhood. Growing up on Hilton Head Island, SC, he was diagnosed at 5 with ADHD, always had a lot to say, and many thoughts that he wasn’t allowed to express. While in college Chris sought a new identity, taking on leadership roles, philanthropic activities, and at the same time, abusing drugs and alcohol. That led to crashing cars, fights with police, going to jail a few times, and failed stays in rehab.
After his last stay in rehab, Chris was medicine free for the first time in years. He moved home to Hilton Head and fell in love with nature. In the next two years, he worked as a kayak tour guide, a stand-up paddleboard instructor, and earned his boat captain’s license. He then went to Patagonia to learn wilderness leadership skills and returned home to work for a year with a therapeutic outdoor program for adolescents. But wait, folks… that’s not all!
Next stage: Chris and two friends started a marketing company on Hilton Head, providing a variety of services to businesses all over the island. The entrepreneurial bug had captured Chris’s soul. Around that time, he was visiting with a woman who was like a grandmother to him. She told him he had outgrown the island and that he should move to New York City. She had never told him what to do before and he took her words to heart. Chris moved to New York City and after a week, he called his Dad and said, “I think I want to be an actor.” And he did!
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn much more about Chris’s journey:
Learn more and connect with Chris here:
Stay Connected:
By Tammy Gooler Loeb4.9
9292 ratings
Chris Schembra has few memories of his childhood. Growing up on Hilton Head Island, SC, he was diagnosed at 5 with ADHD, always had a lot to say, and many thoughts that he wasn’t allowed to express. While in college Chris sought a new identity, taking on leadership roles, philanthropic activities, and at the same time, abusing drugs and alcohol. That led to crashing cars, fights with police, going to jail a few times, and failed stays in rehab.
After his last stay in rehab, Chris was medicine free for the first time in years. He moved home to Hilton Head and fell in love with nature. In the next two years, he worked as a kayak tour guide, a stand-up paddleboard instructor, and earned his boat captain’s license. He then went to Patagonia to learn wilderness leadership skills and returned home to work for a year with a therapeutic outdoor program for adolescents. But wait, folks… that’s not all!
Next stage: Chris and two friends started a marketing company on Hilton Head, providing a variety of services to businesses all over the island. The entrepreneurial bug had captured Chris’s soul. Around that time, he was visiting with a woman who was like a grandmother to him. She told him he had outgrown the island and that he should move to New York City. She had never told him what to do before and he took her words to heart. Chris moved to New York City and after a week, he called his Dad and said, “I think I want to be an actor.” And he did!
In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn much more about Chris’s journey:
Learn more and connect with Chris here:
Stay Connected: