When I was 27, I moved to Vermont with a Rottweiler, a python, a black cat, a southern accent, a history degree and no local references.

I’m 53 now and things have worked out pretty well - though it has been kind of a wild ride.  At one point, I even found myself in the national spotlight. For me, it always come back to connecting with people, no matter what I happen to be doing.

My first job was as an event photographer at Auburn University, where I was a student. I shot everything from football games to parties, and I loved it. Carrying around a big camera gets you VIP treatment in a lot of places.

I had family in Vermont, which is how I eventually landed here. I stopped in Montpelier one August day, and with a 50-cent newspaper I found both a job and a place to live.

A connection at the local school led me to become a caregiver for special-needs adults — a role I had for almost 20 years, mostly in my home. It was a rewarding job, and it gave me a chance to be a hands-on dad. I’m proud and grateful to be the parent of three happy and healthy kids.

I also started a T-shirt printing business.

I never thought of myself an artist – more of a doodler. But things took off when I came up with a simple design: Three words, “Eat More Kale.”

It wasn’t my favorite design, but it changed everything. It started a trademark battle with Chick-fil-A, the fast-food giant behind “Eat Mor Chikin.” I eventually won, but not before landing on CNN, in the New York Times and in countless other media outlets. The local support was incredible – even Vermont’s governor got involved.

It was a moment when everything clicked: Farmers’ markets were booming, co-ops were catching on and people were just learning what ‘localvore’ meant.

I hand-printed more shirts than I ever imagined and gave away 15,000 “Eat More Kale” bumper stickers a year. I didn’t get rich, and you can only do that kind of thing for so long – but there’s no question it changed my life. For one thing, I had to know what kale was – and eat some – so my diet and lifestyle improved.

These days, I’m connecting with people in a different way. I walk about 20,000 steps a day around the hospital, where my wife, Nicole, is a nurse. I’m never in one place for more than five minutes. And if I find a joke that works, I get to tell it 60 times.

“Eat More Kale” changed my life – but more than that, it showed me what can happen when you follow your gut. That’s what I’ve done most of my life. If you have an idea and it feels right, run with it.

Bo Moore is a transport tech at Central Vermont Medical Center, where he started work in May 2025.