Helena Dea Bala immigrated to the United States as a child.  To make ends meet during those difficult first years, she helped her mother clean houses on the weekends.  That’s when her fascination with the lives of others began.  She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University and worked hard to become a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, DC.  After her day job left her feeling disconnected and unfulfilled, she deferred her student loans, applied for a credit card, and gave herself one year—one year to just listen.  After five years as a full time listener, she published Craigslist Confessional with the blessing of her subjects.  Helena derives inspiration from the stories of the ordinary person.  After unexpectedly losing her father to metastatic cancer one year ago, she spent a lot of time thinking about what makes life worth living.  She’s currently working on her second project, (extra)ordinary, which explores the interconnected stories of ordinary people who live extraordinary lives.