Dear #HFVM12 you were engaging, curious and as always that energy of challenge and eagerness to do good was powerful. It is my hope that the time was of value to you - I know you inspired the hell out of me.
You ARE going to change the world. Thanks for taking me along for the ride....
A quick note on spending the whole day together...
One year, just look at the positive connections made. I hope you're proud of yourselves Stephen Thomas - you've raised the bar yet again. So great that the whole team was out and the numbers were through the roof!
A note of wisdom right before my talk from @STPres Neil Gallaiford : "know what I tell young professionals about what to do when opportunity knocks?"
"Say Yes".
Yes to your excellence Yes to the potential you know is there You're not cutting off a body part, it's scary but don't look back
Great advice Neil.
Just so folks can find the items I referenced in my talk:
It's no secret I've been a fan since day one- this time I've been given the honour of speaking for a few minutes ( no powerpoint sorry, treating this like my first TED talk ) on the topic of the world-changing power of a career in non-profit and how a YNP can get the most out of it.
No we won't be playing hipster bingo but it may be the most pure non-conference networking event for the change-hungry, the up and coming, the futurists in this sector. No damn coffee, session fatigue, no 30 second conversations this is REAL connecting, real relationship building.. There are a few tickets left, this is ALWAYS a sold out event so MAKE the time and invest in yourself, your career, our sector - professional development will never be this fun again
As always, my hat tips to the pioneers at Stephen Thomas who sacked-up and stepped out in leadership, no one invests in young people - you did.
On this one year anniversary I will NOT be singing but I'll leave the final word to our hometown boy......See you there!
But I've been arguing recently with a dozen young professionals I help, teach and serve - who are living for the future. Hanging on to it dangerously.
So I'll put this rant out there, maybe it'll strike a chord with someone.
LIFE IS A JOURNEY NOT A DESTINATION
I keep in touch with dozens of young people, in their 20's who "can't afford" to move out of their parent's lush suburban homes.
They work in Toronto, the city I admire, love ( maybe lust over ) because of it's endless ability to engage, delight, teach and BE in dialogue - BUT - they commute, for hours a day to come into and out of the city.
What are they living for? The sick dream of "owning" a shiny new 700 square foot condo - which will probably take them until their early 30's. Doesn't help that house porn like THIS and THIS and THIS is always on TV.
Now sure, many are the children of immigrants, so they have some ( weak ) excuse that it would break their parent's heart to "throw away money on something you don't own" - I believe this attitude is stunting the emotional and professional development of a generation. My little argument, sure you'll be paying down a mortgage, but I live by a code:
IF HINDSIGHT IS 20/20 - I WANT TO LIVE USING THE CLEAR VISION OF OTHER'S LEARNED WISDOM OF EXPERIENCE
And so I ask leaders in my profession and life how they did it. The same baby boomers that preach prudence backpacked across Europe, hitchhiked across Canada and now they are telling YOU to stay home. To play it safe.
But the economy was different etc.. BS I say! Change and uncertainty will always be the only constant for young people. It's about what you're willing to give up, for what you want. Yeah, cars, laundry, prepared food - these are the opiants of suburban life.
You are going to wake up one day, and the most vital dangerous time of your life - your 20's - your opportunity to test ideas, different types of you, doing dumb things, knowing that you are going to eat or go out ( and you choose drinking or art, or service to another ) for you to choose LIFE on the edge - rather than go from your parents home, to your fiancee's home.
I work in philanthropy, fundraising for over a decade. It's a profession that's 80%+ women. Talented, interesting, creative women. Who are wasting their 20's on buses, cars, transit - dreaming of condo life
Moving downtown, won't be easy Some times it won't be fun But as the economy shifts from the spoon fed to the self fed, you will find that you're better equipped to hustle, survive, succeed.
IF time was life. How would you live? If you woke up every day, with only a day's worth of time to live then work would be your only aim, getting more time would be all-important
But we don't live like that. Do we? We can CHOOSE how we live. Why ARE you alive? What makes you alive?
Don't get sold that your problems will be SOLVED by owning. Life is not a problem to be solved. It will never be "solved" if you're someone who demands excellence
That's if you're coming, and not on your 2 hour commute home. Paul
Ps. That whole hindsight thing? I did live downtown in my 20's and it's a big part of the secret of my modicum of success. But then I got swallowed the poison pill above and I owned a home for a while late in my 20's and early 30's, and yes it was kind of blissful but that mortgage eats at your soul. Phrases like "house-poor" and "cashtrated" were common in my peers. It was the unhealthiest part of my life, thousands of dollars in cash eaten up by the upkeep of this "investment" on which your life depended. Sleepless night, anxious days.
You want to see friends? Engage in life? Sorry, grass to mow, gutters to clean, work to do and maybe if you grew up in the suburbs ( I did, don't know what's wrong with me ) that's the best part of life but it was living hell for me. Don't want others to wake up to that reality unless they choose it ( which I respect, despite the rant ).
Owning = happiness is one of Toronto's dirties lies.
Busy day, leading into busy evening Rushing out to my Zipcar, I see someone has left a bag in the car, annoyed I go to move it to the back seat and realize....
It's got my name on it.
You can't spell swagger without swag! Yes I tweet and post about the amazing service I get, the dollars I save and fun I have but it's because they always over deliver - one never expects the brand to care... My wife loves water bottles My little boy loves this car I got a handwritten note that reminded me there is a level above gold - But is platinum service available to the rest of us?
You bet it is - join Zipcar! I've officially referred about a dozen people but I've helped dozens more join and enrich their lives, and keep their carbon footprint low...
When I was a University student, we never talked about job search
Things have changed! Wonderful chance to give a keynote talk at my beloved University of Toronto today to a huge group of students at "Connections 2012". A personal dream for me to speak in "the great hall" at Hart House
Those attending responded to something I've been including in all my networking talks, but never posted.
WHY you need to think about your next job, office, boss before you decide to change jobs. My example? Dating!
If you put an ad in a paper and said I'm going to read all the responses, interview five and let one of them into my life for at least a couple years...people would say you're nuts. But THAT'S how we search and hire! In fact I would say we need even MORE scrutiny on a job search than dating....Why?
When dating, evenings and weekends together amount to a couple dozen hours at best - when you get hired you're together 35 hours minimum right away!!
No one you date decides your salary, which pays for your food and shelter. When you break up with someone it may hurt but you can still pay the rent..when we get fired and may lose the ability to eat someone ironically says "it's nothing personal"
Maybe down the line you and this stranger might move in together but when you shake that hand and sign employment papers you get your gear and move in right away! This is marriage on the first date!! And my personal favourite the quirky little thinks that are cute when you first start dating are insanely annoying to a new stranger in the next cubicle and will give you both an ulcer!!
SO!!
If you know what sector you work in, think about your top three possible employers. Get out to their offices, walk in the front door and yes look around! If you're a work-life balance person, try to meet some of their staff in professional but non-office settings to discuss what life is like there!
I once literally was sitting with a peer who was staring across a huge 2000 person conference luncheon at one Executive.
"Who is that?" I asked. "I want it to be my next boss" they said. "Oh, do they know who you are?" "Uh no." "Does anyone at the company know of your passion to work there?" "Uh no"
"Have you done any homework to find out if it's a good place to work?"
Are you just staring at this person trying to hypnotize them into hiring you?! "I guess".
It was a true pleasure to meet a passionate bunch of students today But passion without action is a waste of energy and time, a dream Are you a dreamer? Or are you a do-er.
I'm sweating a bit. Nervous.Never wrote a post that the potential to outright anger so many people.
So let me start with a key disclaimer. I am a man, and I really despise it when men talk about women's issues when they are not educated or experienced in any way about them. I have never interacted with the cause of breast cancer as a fundraiser - so in some ways I offer an objective perspective on this film. BUT I won't be commenting on the 'issue' of breast cancer or the politics of the work. You could fill the state of Texas with what I don't know, so I won't weigh in on something I'm ignorant about.
My interest in making sure I got to the pre-screening of this film was as a fundraiser ( and although my current job doesn't look like traditional fundraising I've been in the sector for over a decade ). I've been waiting for a film like this for a long time.
You see this kind of documentary is both a fundraisers greatest nightmare...and kind of our secret joy.
As a profession, we're supposed to stand up for peers, cause marketing, event planning and dollars raised. As individuals often we feel disconnected from the actual way dollars are spent, research is done and for those of us not in that part of the sector ( that's me ) find mega-events and personal-ask programs distasteful ( like big firm lawyers who have to stand side by side with peers who advertise in washroom stalls - both do honourable important work but one has a crisp-easy-clean lifestyle and the other has the guts to mix it up to help honest hard working folks but is seen as unpleasant ). I was relishing the tough questions for the fundraising profession - so the film like many documentaries quickly sets about establishing the crusaders ( historians against the cure for the cure ) , the honourably outraged ( a stage four survivor focus group that drops emotional bombs throughout the movie that blow out your senses with real human questions that take you off the course, a discussion about the machine ) and the enemy ( corporate-friendly nonprofit leaders complete with anti-hero, conveniently botoxed to fuel more outrage ). My sadness is that the tone and conversation stayed there in this loop of very focused accusation towards a short list of sinners when the naughty list of "pinkwashers" is so much, much bigger.
But it was a damn good and powerful start to the dialogue.
Although it didn't have the teeth I wanted, I still think it's 100% required viewing for all career fundraisers. You may even find some peace here seeing questions asked that you've wished to raise in your organization. Maybe your donors and the community of the cause you serve will rise up and start asking questions too. The public often thinks fundraisers are bounty hunters but I suspect ( and the few blogs from more official peer sources like CharityVillage.com and Hilborn, Canada's two largest fundraising enews teams seem to agree ) that they welcome and encourage this conversation.
Don't get me wrong, when I say it has dulled edges I mean on the fundraising front - on the cause of cancer side there are some gut-wrenching scenes, discussions and discoveries. A scene with thousands participating in a run past the Egyptian pyramids really messed me up, everyone knows the pink thing has gone far but just how far will scare you. That being said, it is SO EASY to vilify corporations for flogging the cause and members of the public to get slactivated ( thanks Lee Rose ) but as the fundraisers in events/cause marketing always show me, the numbers don't lie - $ is raised, people come out - EVERYONE wants to help, to honestly express love, loss, grief, anger but no cause is so simple that you can take aim, come together and "end" it.
In the end, like most members of the public, I'm like this dog. We're covered in pink and we don't really have a choice nor do we really understand why. Question is, will this movie move you enough to bite something? Someone?
The pink-pirates are betting no.
Because that first someone is going to be your best friend whose mom has cancer - but somewhere we have to have this discussion.
I for one hope for my profession, it's a big time discussion at the major conferences we have coming up.
In the meantime, I know it won't be date night at the movies but I highly highly encourage you to get out and watch this movie. Happy Superbowl Sunday.
Want to watch it as a group with a discussion afterward? Let me know, I'll set it up.
Some people love to travel the world. I love the road. The drive.
Sure the changing colours of Canada in the fall is inspirational. But for me, there is something healing in that open road. Alone in the dark on a long drive is where I get to reconnect with me.
In a city like Toronto, being a family man, there are people around always. Light always, noise always. In the dark, focused on that white line, belting out odd but loved songs... start with, quirky , plucky, inspirational , jazzy , cheesy , soulful , ends with I can't explain why this means so much to me.
Recently I've been having trouble explaining a couple things in my networking travels ...
AS USUAL, MY NETWORK FOUND THE PERFECT ANSWERS Yet another benefit of social media.
Working in charities for the past 11 years, job search in non-profit has been my life. Through Humber and Georgian College Fundraising Programs I interact with a lot of students too. Here is one of the best posts I have ever read on preparing for a social sector ( or any ) job search!
This past couple year I have become an avid promoter of social media. For work, career, enriched life and especially job search. I have never been able to articulate this second topic that is CRITICAL in 2012 for the skilled knowledge economy leader: 7 Reasons Every Job-Seeker Needs to Blog by Mark Shaefer
Lastly, now that I'm no longer working for a charity I want to point out to readers and peers that although it may look like I'm patronizing with advice, my goal is only to provide resources to serve.
I call my network "the army of the passionate" - is this you? If it is, please engage on twitter or subscribe to this or my book blog - we could use...somebody like you!
ZipVan and went to #YNPCanada!! 
n find the items I referenced in my talk:
