Issue 004: Making Different Great
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““I can't change the direction of the wind,
but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
- Jimmy Dean
As we ride this current disruptive path, business looks different for everyone. People say pivot. How do you pivot? I’d rather think improvise because improvise can create a pivot. What can you do right now with what you have?
As co-president of National Speakers Association Pittsburgh (NSAP), my co-president and I have had to improvise—a lot. Like many, we moved live workshops to virtual ones and realized as much work goes into canceling as planning.
The hardest cancellation was the NSAP 25th Anniversary Gala on April 25th. I loved pulling in unique ideas from my event planning background, such as money trees (yes, the real name) as centerpieces to applying for a proclamation from the City of Pittsburgh to recognition from our State Representative. Can I say fun?!
What could we do to celebrate 25 years with our members? We needed to give them a positive ending. We needed to give ourselves a positive ending as our two-year term finishes May 30th. Crazy as it sounds, the idea surfaced while watching ESPN. (Think 30 for 30.)
On April 21st, NSAP 25 for 25 kicked off. For 25 days, on NSAP’s Facebook page, we’d “spotlight” our members by recognizing the achievements of one or two members, ending with our final virtual workshop on May 16th.
Our 25th celebration looks different. The good news—the feedback is amazing. Our members love sharing what they have accomplished. They love how we improvised and Bounced-Up™. More importantly, they appreciate that we found a way to celebrate. And you know what? Putting the “spotlight” on someone else gives me a smile.
Who do you know who could use a little recognition?
How can you “spotlight” someone else?
How can you improvise to create a pivot?
Until next time, make it a Bounce-Up™ day!
Mj
