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Meet Sarah Lesyinski

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Lesyinski.

Sarah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been with One Good Turn in a few different capacities for almost nine years. I moved to Colorado from California after finishing school. I started searching for a teaching job and stumbled upon a job at CAFE 180 in what I thought was going to be the interim – here I am, nine years later! I moved from CAFE 180 manager to One Good Turn Executive Director around year three. One Good Turn has been a dream job and it has been an honor and privilege to be a part of its growth and success.

I believe in the way that One Good Turn operates under the belief that every human, no matter circumstance, has something to offer. So many times in this world we see charity as a top-down model and at One Good Turn, we are striving to get people to see that in a different light. All people have worth if you allow creative ways for them to showcase that worth. When this happens, it builds a community and a bond that is unbreakable. That is why I love what I do every day.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have been smooth months and not so smooth months, just like anything. Starting new businesses is always a risk and sometimes taking that leap is hard and we have learned so many lessons along the way. Most of the struggles lie in finding the balance between running a business and serving our community at the same time. These lessons have made us stronger, smarter and more able to do our work well, but sometimes it can be painful. But this I know, One Good Turn has a team that is unmatched. Our staff makes those struggles along the way so possible.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
One Good Turn started with a pay-what-you-can restaurant in Englewood in 2010 called CAFE 180. CAFE 180 exists so that all people can eat regardless of their ability to pay. We offer different payment models to make this possible: pay what you can, pay it forward or work for an hour in exchange for your meal. After the cafe’s success, in 2013 we decided to venture out to other programs. We knew there was a lot of need in many different areas and wanted to find creative ways to help fill those gaps.

In 2014 we opened a bicycle shop called Good Turn Cycles in Littleton. Good Turn Cycles is also a social enterprise where we sell, service and rent bikes as well as run a job training program for any youth with a barrier to employment, such as homelessness, refugee status and a variety of disabilities. Our newest venture is called SHYFT at Mile High and is located near downtown Denver. At SHYFT, we believe anyone can rediscover the wonder of life by practicing mindfulness.

Our nonprofit social enterprise provides people from all walks of life with practices that are shown to help people heal from trauma, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and ultimately experience more joy in daily living. We’d like to “shift” how and who in our community have access to practices such as yoga, guided meditations, and more. We accomplish this in two ways: 1) We work with nonprofits to bring their clients into our space; and 2) We offer a unique donation-based pricing structure, which allows those who can pay to “pay it forward” for those who are unable to pay our drop-in rate. Anyone wishing to practice with us is welcome, regardless of ability to pay.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
We have realized how important collaboration is as we grow and expand. We can only accomplish so much with a small staff, but with our nonprofit partners and other like-minded organizations, we expand our reach significantly. We would have done more collaboration and conversation from the beginning. We are now also very aware of the importance of listening to the people we are trying to help, we want to involve them in our decision-making as much as possible. Their input is invaluable as you work to craft solutions that will truly make an impact.

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