From Relapse to Resilience: Becca Stevens' Blueprint for a Love Economy

In this special episode captured live, Buddy Teaster joins Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms and President of the Center for Contemplative Justice, for a deep dive into the power of mission-driven business.

Becca Stevens is no stranger to pain, purpose, or the power of perseverance. She opens up about her journey from personal trauma to global justice leadership. The founder of Thistle Farms reflects on how movements take root, why relapses don’t define us, and how her commitment to love and community transcends faith, borders, and even business models.

The Tailspin:

Becca’s story begins with brokenness. Her childhood was marked by tragedy and abuse—her father was killed by a drunk driver when she was five, and she later endured years of abuse from a member of her church. That trauma shaped her life and seeded her lifelong mission: to create spaces where survivors of violence, addiction, and incarceration can reclaim their lives.

“No one gets to the circle at Thistle Farms because things went really well,” she says. “We get there because there are places that are broken pretty radically for us.” 

The community she built grew out of that understanding. It wasn’t born from inspiration alone—it was born from necessity, tenderness, and grace. “The mercy has been, it’s turned into compassion.”

The Work:

Becca’s philosophy is anchored in what she calls the Love Economy—a reimagining of justice-driven business. 

Unlike traditional social enterprises, which are businesses with a mission, she describes justice enterprises as “missions with a business.” This subtle but profound shift means prioritizing the workforce, reducing supply chain gaps, and reinvesting directly in communities.

“We are willing to take smaller margins so that we can really pour our money into the workforce,” she shares. “That is the mission—pour our money into training and really say that is the priority. And so it changes everything.”

As Thistle Farms has grown, Becca’s role has changed too. She’s no longer making candles or body balms by hand—instead, she’s mentoring, speaking, and planting seeds for new justice enterprises across 30 countries and 80+ communities. 

But what hasn't changed is her desire to sit in circles, to be in the weeds, and to say yes.

“I try to keep a lens of love on and say ‘yes’ where it feels right,” she explains. “If you can develop relationships and slowly say yes over decades, that is what a movement is. It's not buying a t-shirt for a cause on the internet. That's sweet, but that's not a movement. It's pouring your heart out and saying yes over decades.”

The Tailwind:

For Becca, community is both the lifeboat and the wind in the sails. The women of Thistle Farms celebrate each other’s graduations, support each other through relapses, and hold one another accountable with grace.

“People long to be safe,” she says. “They don't long to be strung out on drugs and on the streets. That is a horrible reality of what addiction can do in people's lives. But that's not the longing. So if you can get to the longing, there's always hope.”

While Becca’s journey hasn’t always been easy, she reminds us that love doesn’t require constant inspiration. 

“There's this myth in justice work or faith work or volunteer work that you have to always be inspired,” she shares. “I just want to say, I don't think that's a part of it. I don't think inspiration is part of that commitment.”

Even in her lowest moments, it’s the community that brings her back. 

Becca shares a story about a graduate seeing the sky from above the clouds for the first time reminded her of why the work matters.“She had seen the underside of bridges, the inside of prison walls, the backside of anger, the short side of justice,” Becca recalls. “But she had never imagined the top side of a cloud.”

“There are people who don't know there's something beyond the gray,” she says. “If we keep loving each other, that muse will come back around and we'll feel it.”

To hear more about Rev. Becca Stevens’ inspiring journey, her unique approach to building businesses with missions, and how she balances profit with purpose, tune in to the full episode of re:Purpose with Buddy Teaster.