Giving Back Podcast

Welcome to the 31st episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Celebrating and next steps which inspire us to take action. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed our 3-part Giving Back Insights series on stories from our guests that have stirred our hearts.

We started with a superhero. As Spiderman, Ricky Mena’s story about a young man named Ivan is nothing short of a miracle. www.heartofahero.org

Robert Clancy back in the studio shared an incredible moment of magic during a Special Olympics fundraiser and the spirit of giving back that he sees all around him. http://robertclancy.us/

A highlight from my conversation with Krista Gawronski about a girl named Lilly and the Universe working its magic.

Fourth of July was our birthday, our 1 year anniversary. Happy birthday to us, and thanks for being here! Today’s cover has the cover of “Will It Fly” by Pat Flynn. It’s kind of the theme of this show.

There are a bunch of fun little-animated images, and they’re all a little crazy. If you asked me the theme, I think celebration would be top of mind. Celebration vs. Being entertained or amused: see what Jon Vroman from The Front Row Foundation, www.FrontRowFoundation.org, has to say about that in his book  The Front Row Factor - Transform your life with the art of moment making

So much has happened in a year. Just a few recent highlights: Rob and Reece Scheer on “Ellen” talking about their family and Comfort Cases, www.NoMoreTrashBags.org NEA grant for www.29Pieces.org Karen Blessen

Opened the Parade magazine in Sunday’s paper and see Jen Hansard, www.simplegreensmoothies.com

All of our guests continue doing wonderful things to help others, to take care of other people.

Reflect on the journey You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. -Jim Rohn

Building our community is key, giving & receiving wonderful support. Like these folks lifting me up: Ron Klabunde, www.GenerosityFeeds.org Krista Gawronski, www.TheFabulousWomen.com

Jeff Kostermans: go big or go home. Dare others to not participate.

Joe Musselman, The Honor Foundation, www.Honor.org

What’s going on? Writing a book, Surrounded By Greatness is our working title Co-hosting a leadership summit, Conscious Leadership: Harnessing Community Engagement For Personal & Professional Growth Invited to join two boards

Thanks for joining us on today’s show. Until the next time, love and gratitude. And remember: don’t be stingy with your love - ALWAYS err on the side of love and kindness.

Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Heartofahero.org

Spidey 4 Kids by Heart of a Hero on GoFundMe

Heart of a Hero on Facebook

The Petaluma Fabulous Women

The Fabulous Women

The Front Row Foundation

Karen Blessen

Parade magazine 

Ron Klabunde on GBP

Krista Gawronski on GBP 1

Krista Gawronski on GBP 2

The Honor Foundation

Jeff Kostermans

Mark Sears is the Founder and CEO of CloudFactory, a company dedicated to creating work for 1 million people. As Mark says, “Talent is distributed throughout the world, but opportunity is not.” CloudFactory is just a way to bridge that gap by outsourcing in a meaningful and impactful way. Mark himself is located in North Carolina, but he has offices in Nepal and Kenya. Find out more about Mark’s mission and what ‘impactful sourcing’ really means. 

Key Takeaways:

[3:25] Talent is distributed throughout the world, but opportunity is not.

[6:05] What is Mark’s background and why did he start CloudFactory? 

[11:15] How does Mark determine who he should bring into the company, and how does he train the talent?

[17:45] Nation economies were originally built from factory work. Now it’s time to bring a digital aspect into this. 

[20:15] It’s not just about bringing a paycheck to poorer countries. It’s about creating something sustainable and meaningful in the country that everyone can benefit from. 

[20:40] Nepal has an unemployment rate between 40-60%. Despite these high numbers, people still want meaningful work. 

[25:45] CloudFactory has overseen 4,800 community-service projects, and their staff was the one to first bring the concept to mind.

[31:15] Mark has come to realize that good intentions simply aren’t enough when it comes to providing effective change.

[38:15] How does Mark make profit, or what are some of the key drivers that keep his company in the black?

[44:35] This kind of work has to be something you’d do when no one is looking. There is so much that goes into helping others and making it sustainable. 

[50:15] What would it look like if everyone could stay at home, be with their family, and do meaningful work? What would that mean for their family, for their community?  

[51:05] What kind of impact has CloudFactory had on the people they help? Mark shares some inspiring stories.

[56:40] How does Mark make the community-service projects possible? How does he encourage that kind of mindset in his team? 

[1:07:10] Millennials are much more conscious than any other generation about picking an employer that is working towards an important cause. This doesn’t just apply to American millennials; it’s worldwide. 

[1:09:10] What are 3 words that Mark would use to describe his commitment to giving back? 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

CloudFactory

CloudFactory Community

The World Is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman

Welcome to the 30th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Giving back stories! volume 3 of a series of stories which inspire us to take action. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

Stories inspire us to take action.  They have the power to lift us up, to fuel our hope, to shed light in the darkness. Stories strengthen our commitment and confirm our beliefs.  

Each of our guests does amazing things to help others.  By taking action, they make a difference in the lives of those they serve and inspire others.  Some of the stories our guests have shared reflecting the impact of giving back are absolutely mind-blowing and we’re featuring a few of them over this 3-part series on Giving Back Insights.

We started with a superhero in volume one.  As Spiderman, Ricky Mena has brought laughter and joy to over 7,000 sick kids throughout the US.  His story about a young man named Ivan is nothing short of a miracle.

In volume 2, we featured Robert Clancy back in the studio.  In addition to almost 30 years volunteering for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership organization, Robert is an active volunteer with a wide variety of local, national, and international charities.  He joined me to talk about an incredible moment of magic during a Special Olympics fundraiser and the spirit of giving back that he sees all around him.

For today’s show, volume 3, I picked a highlight from my conversation with Krista Gawronski, co-founder and executive director of The Fabulous Women of Petaluma.  Krista, the Fabulous Women, and their supporters & volunteers have made such an incredible impact on the Petaluma community.  They have seen the power of people coming together to help each other, including wondrous serendipity.  I hope you enjoy this story of a girl named Lilly and the Universe working its magic.

Love & Gratitude,

Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Krista Gawronski on GBP 1

Krista Gawronski on GBP 2

The Petaluma Fabulous Women

Soulpurposecouragetofly.com

The Fabulous Women

Robert Clancy on GBP

Ricky Mena’s show on GBP

Heather Pressley is the Senior Vice President of Mission Advancement for Girls on the Run. Heather has over 18 years of experience in education and has worked as a teacher, administrator, professor, consultant, and academic director. On today’s episode, we find out how Girls on the Run helps young girls with lifelong skills that teaches them how to be confident and happy throughout their life. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:55] Girls on the Run impacts roughly around 200,000 girls a year.

[4:55] What is Girls on the Run about? 

[9:45] What are some of the core values and skills the organization helps teach girls? 

[11:05] It’s Girls on the Run’s goal to help young girls make conscious decisions. 

[15:45] Although the organization focuses strictly on girls, what would Heather and her team have to change in their curriculum to specifically help young boys’ futures? 

[20:25] Girls on the Run teaches the girls a lot about inner and outer beauty and sometimes the girls themselves get push back on those topics from outside relatives and family members. 

[22:25] What kind of tools do these young girls use to help them cope with the pushback and some of the negativity they face? 

[29:40] Heather shares an impactful story about a young homeless teenager she encountered. 

[33:45] What is agency in this context and how does the organization teach young girls this key trait? 

[37:45] What kind of feedback and responses has the organization received from the girls they’ve helped?

[43:10] It’s important to keep in mind that some of these skills and habits Girls on the Run teaches aren’t quantitative, at least not right away. They’re important life lessons that the children will take with them forever. 

[50:10] How can you get involved with Girls on the Run? Heather discusses how! 

[52:25] What’s on the horizon for Girls on the Run? 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Girlsontherun.org

Welcome to the 29th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing Giving back stories! volume 2 of a series of stories which inspire us to take action. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

Stories inspire us to take action. They have the power to lift us up, to fuel our hope, to shed light in the darkness. Stories strengthen our commitment and confirm our beliefs.

Each of our guests does amazing things to help others. By taking action, they make a difference in the lives of those they serve and inspire others. Some of the stories our guests have shared reflecting the impact of giving back are absolutely mind-blowing and we’re featuring a few of them over this 3-part series on Giving Back Insights.

We started with a superhero in volume one. As Spiderman, Ricky Mena has brought laughter and joy to over 7,000 sick kids throughout the US. His story about a young man named Ivan is nothing short of a miracle.

In volume 2, today’s show, we have Robert Clancy back in the studio. In addition to almost 30 years volunteering for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership organization, Robert is an active volunteer with a wide variety of local, national, and international organizations that serve others. He joined me to talk about an incredible moment of magic during a Special Olympics fundraiser and the spirit of giving back that he sees all around him.

Fashion show divas doing a twirl

Connecting on a different level

The power of working as a team to help others

Thanks for joining us on today’s show. And remember: don’t be stingy with your love - ALWAYS err on the side of love and kindness.

Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Robert Clancy on GBP

Hoby.org

Guidetothesoul.com

Ricky Mena’s show on GBP

Bob Simmons is the Executive Director of the Council for Children's Rights. For 32 years, Bob was a commercial real estate lawyer, but would often advocate for children's rights on the side. Bob advocates for the wellbeing of children in court and helps them have a voice in tough situations. He has been a volunteer for children's rights since 1987, and joined the Council for Children's Rights in 2002. On today's show, Bob discusses some of the challenges our youth face and what the Council for Children's Rights does to help foster children. 

Key Takeaways:

[3:15] Foster children need an environment to heal. They've all come from a place of hurt.

[4:15] Remember, 1.3 million out of 1.6 million incarcerated people in the United States have spent some time in the foster care system.

[5:55] These kinds aren't naturally bad kids. Due to their trauma, they end up in a circle of distress that they rarely break free from.

[6:25] What kind of 'cycles' do foster children go through?

[9:45] What does the Council for Children's Rights do?

[19:15] Rob is often shocked that the state of California tries 16-17 year olds as adults.

[27:10] One of the biggest ways to care for foster children is advocating for them in court. So many children lose court cases because they have no voice.

[32:35] What's Bob's background in law?

[36:55] People often think that it's great that Bob has found a 'retirement' job, but the kicker is that he is working at least 50% harder than he ever has. 

[39:30] People have asked Bob about leadership, but that topic makes him uncomfortable. Bob believes he’s more a lieutenant than a general. 

[45:25] Emotionally, how does Bob handle some of these tough court cases involving children? 

[51:10] Bob discusses some of the success stories he’s overseen. 

[1:03:40] We can break the cycle of trauma, especially cycles that have been passed on from generation to generation. 

[1:05:40] What are the three words that perfectly describe Bob’s commitment to these children?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Council for Children’s Rights

Welcome to the 28th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m introducing Giving back stories! volume 1 of a series of stories which inspire us to take action. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

Stories inspire us to take action. They have the power to lift us up, to fuel our hope, to shed light in the darkness. Stories strengthen our commitment and confirm our beliefs.

I believe in the power of giving back. I believe serving those in need is our purpose. I believe that we create magic by helping others.

Each of our guests does amazing things to help others. By taking action, they make a difference in the lives of those they serve and inspire others. Some of the stories our guests have shared reflecting the impact of giving back are absolutely mind-blowing and we’re going to feature a few of them over the next three weeks on Giving Back Insights.

We’ll start with a superhero. As Spiderman, Ricky Mena has brought laughter and joy to over 7,000 sick kids throughout the US. His story about a young man named Ivan is a miracle.

Don’t be stingy with your love. Always err on the side of love and kindness.

Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Ricky Mena's show on GBP

Rickymena.com

Heartofahero.org

Spidey 4 Kids by Heart of a Hero on GoFundMe

Heart of a Hero on Facebook

Capes4heroes.com

Karen Blessen is an award-winning freelance artist and writer based in Dallas, Texas. She is the first, and still the only, graphic artist to be named as a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. In 2013, Karen led the Dallas Love Project, a city-wide art exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. 10,000 pieces of art, which highlighted themes of universal peace, were installed and exhibited throughout Dallas.  On this week’s episode, Karen discusses where her inspiration for her art comes from,  how art helps children in more ways than one, and some of her upcoming art projects. 

Key Takeaways:

[3:10] Karen is the only artist who has received a Pulitzer Prize for her work. 

[3:45] How did this art project first get started?

[4:50] Karen provides safe spaces for kids where they can create art without judgement. 

[6:55] The children can choose from different mediums to express themselves. How does Karen know which kid will do better with sculptures or paintings? 

[9:15] What kind of lessons can children learn through art?

[12:40] If you were a great peacemaker, what would you do? 

[17:05] Three years ago, the Dallas Love Project taught children the various different meanings of love. It gathered over 20,000 participants. 

[18:55] This year’s project is in response to the negative tone the election had. It will focus on how everyone has the capacity for influence, respect, and compassion. 

[27:10] There’s no question about it that even for an adult, this world can be very overwhelming. 

[35:00] After a young man died outside of Karen’s apartment, Karen created 29 pieces of art to help work through the pain and the unfairness of the world. 

[39:45] What is it that breaks your heart? 

[46:40] You must have passion for what you’re doing. Every project will have its ups and downs.

[50:25] Karen is a big supporter of meditation. It has helped her greatly with her work. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Karen Blessen

29 Pieces

Dallas Love Project

Welcome to the 27th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m talking about the impact of Father's day in my life! Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

Happy Father’s Day! Look at my beautiful kids!

Parting words for new parents: “There are things your little boy is going to do and say that you’ll think, ‘no other baby has ever done that before! He’s so special and unique!’ And you know what?” “What?” “You’re totally right, and don’t let anybody tell you different”

A few days ago I received an amazing gift from my family. I lashed out one day in anger and frustration, reflecting me at my worst. They forgave me. How I acted wasn’t normal, it wasn’t who I am. It was a mistake, and they treated it as a mistake. Learn from it, and move on.

What an awesome gift of love they gave me. Happy Father’s Day to me, I am so freaking blessed. I love my family with all my heart and here’s the letter that I would write to myself to be a better father.

********* Dear Rob,

This is what I wish I’d known the first time I stared into my newborn’s eyes:

Always err on the side of love and kindness.

Life will feel hard sometimes. Many things will happen in life that is out of your control, and they can be real sources of stress. What you CAN control is how you respond to these situations, your behavior, and communication. Remember that no matter what happens, your kids love you.

If everything you say and do reflects the love you felt the first time you looked into each of their eyes, you’ll be a much better father. Every time you’re with them, talk to them, or they think of you, you want them to know that your love is unconditional, without limit or reserve.

This doesn’t mean they aren’t responsible for what they do or say. You’ll be much more effective father if they know you’re coming from a place of love. Whether it’s nagging, reprimanding, or simply having a conversation, they will listen with a more open heart and mind when they know your words are based on love.

Rob, don't be stingy with your love. Love them with all your heart, all the time. Love them like there’s no tomorrow.

So figure out how to show them with your words and actions that you love them. Do that ALL THE TIME. That will make a difference, I promise. p.s. remember to smile more when you’re talking to them. Sometimes it’s hard for kids (and everyone else, by the way) to know the difference between your look of anger and fierce concentration. Don’t be stingy with your love. Always err on the side of love and kindness.

Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Mike Skrypnek is a Philanthropic Legacy Planner and the author of three books, with his most recent being Big Impact Giving. Mike helps high net worth families and entrepreneurs plan for their financial future while also giving a portion of their wealth to charities they care about. Under Mike’s guidance, his clients have re-directed over $10 million to charitable causes.  Find out on this week’s episode what a philanthropic legacy planner does and how one can help you. 

Key Takeaways:

[3:15] Who is Mike? 

[10:05] If you want to create a legacy, you have to start today.

[15:10] How does Mike help his clients find the right charities for them? 

[26:40] Many of Mike’s clients want updates about what’s happening at the charity, but at the same time, they also want to be anonymous. 

[28:05] Mike explains why he wishes more people weren’t anonymous with their giving. People need to know! 

[31:50] Mike shares some of the unique ways his clients have given back. 

[38:00] The charities you support are often an extension of yourself. 

[41:55] When employers support a charity they care about, employee turnover decreases. 

[44:05] Sometimes people psych themselves out of giving because they think they’re not ‘good’ enough. You don’t need to have ‘good qualities’ to do good things.  

[50:15] Your dollars still have to be matched up behind value. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Mike Skrypnek

Big Growth Big Impact Summit

Email Mike: [email protected]