Sarah Strain

I’m from a super small town just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. I moved here kind of spontaneously and assumed I would hang out for a little while until I figured out where I would really want to go. But Memphis quickly got its hooks in me and I love it so much here. It’s an honest city and there are so many places that are little mom-and-pop shops and restaurants to love. The best advice I ever got was, If you love Memphis, it will love you back. And that’s so true here.   

I’ve been here for about three-and-a-half years. Recently I’ve been working with St. Jude nursing leadership to help them work through the nursing shortage and it has been an amazing opportunity to try new recruiting techniques and pivot quickly. It’s one of the things that I am most proud of lately.

But generally speaking, I’m so proud to work here. St. Jude is an amazing place and there’s just this overwhelming support network; this place believes very much in its employees and the people are wonderful and the mission is so worthwhile. There are many incredible benefits; there’s even a farmer’s market every Friday.

Everybody talks about Memphis barbecue, and it’s definitely good. But what I think Memphis does really well that people don’t give it credit for is pizza. One of my favorite things to do is try new pizza places or revisit favorites. Aldo’s is my favorite specialty pizza, Broadway Pizza on Broad is my favorite heavier style pizza and Little Italy is one of my favorites for classic-style pizza. And a newer one I love is Little Bettie’s pizza!  

ARTISTIC ROOTS

I grew up in a house filled with people who loved movies. Especially my grandmother and father, who were really into cinema—everything from Kung Fu films to classics, which influenced my path. My family was just really open to the creative world and I’m very grateful for that. Ever since the age of 6, I knew that I wanted to be in film. I got a camera that year and started creating stories that I hoped people could connect with.

AMERICA THROUGH MY LENS

My first time being on a plane was because of film. I had never traveled anywhere and had been in Memphis my whole life. But when I was 20, I got the chance to be a part of the Sundance Program and flew to Utah. And from there I’ve gone to places like San Diego and Texas to do things with film. Pretty much all over the country.

LOVING MY HOMETOWN

I grew up in Memphis. My parents were born and raised here as well. People always ask me why I stay—especially people in creative industries. But I tell them that Memphis has its own special flavor. I get a lot of inspiration just by walking around this town because there’s a story on every single corner. There are all these possibilities here and nowhere else has that same feeling. Memphis has my heart and it sparks my creativity.