Enjoy the journey: focusing on the end result is one thing, but you don’t want to get there and look back on your journey as a blur.
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Irad Eicher of ‘Circles’ Is Helping To Change Our World
-
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Ryan Manion of the ‘Travis Manion Foundation’ On…
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Ryan Manion of the ‘Travis Manion Foundation’ On The 5 Things That Each Of Us Can Do To Help Unite Our Polarized Society
Unplug to reconnect: Social media has become the main outlet and focal point for so many people, yet it’s anything but social. For millions of Americans, their community has been taken away from them and replaced with something inherently isolating, keeping them tethered to a screen. Social media and partisan media have a vested interest in maintaining a divide. Add to that the onslaught of misinformation and algorithms designed to feed us a one-sided narrative, and we find a landscape designed to trigger discourse and reaction. This has led us to becoming more accustomed to speaking at each other, rather than with one another. It’s the responsibility of each of us to pick our heads up from the screen, and talk to our neighbors and community that surround us. And not through online forums…I’m talking about real world interactions. These relationships are critical to our own mental health and well-being, as well as taking a step towards healing as a collective nation.
As part of our series about 5 Things That Each Of Us Can Do To Help Unite Our Polarized Society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Manion of Travis Manion Foundation.
Ryan Manion has dedicated her life to supporting our nation’s military, veterans, and families of fallen heroes. She is inspired by the character, leadership, and sacrifice of her brother 1st Lt Travis Manion, USMC, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Al Anbar province of Iraq while drawing fire away from his wounded comrades on April 29th, 2007.
Serving as the President of Travis Manion Foundation since 2012, Ryan leads a national movement focused on assisting veterans and families of the fallen to take the next step in their personal journeys, and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Ryan is the co-author of The Knock at the Door, in which she shares her personal story of grief, and how she moved forward to be the best version of herself. She is also the host of The Resilient Life podcast, where her guests discuss their experiences with resilience and how they have turned their challenges into opportunities of growth.
As a highly regarded advocate for the military community, Ryan has been invited to address national audiences on numerous occasions — including Good Morning America, CBS this Morning, CNN, The Today Show, The View, Fox News and many more.
Carrying on the legacy of her brother Travis, Ryan continues to lead a life of service to others. This was most notably recognized in 2015 when she was selected to receive the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service. Ryan served on the Advisory Committee at Arlington National Cemetery and remains committed to their mission. As a leader in the Veteran Non-Profit sector, Ryan serves on the Advisory Boards of the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation and With Honor.
Ryan began with Travis Manion Foundation as a board member, but as national recognition increased, her calling was to become even more involved. Ryan left a position in government to dedicate herself full-time to TMF. She would go on to eventually follow in the footsteps of her late mother who started the Foundation, where Ryan remains to this day as the leader of the “If Not Me, Then Who…” movement.
Ryan resides in Doylestown, PA with her husband and three children, Maggie Rose, Honor and Travis Brendan. Ryan continues to serve her local community by serving as a Township Supervisor since elected in 2011. While responsibilities of this position are focused on deciding issues of public safety, growth management, environment, etc., Ryan most appreciates the personal connection with those within the community she is able to directly serve.
https://medium.com/media/e129ab1b57b8257845372141185276c5/hrefThank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up in a military family with a Marine Corps father, a strong mother and a competitive brother who was one year younger than me. We moved a few times which was always tough to leave friends but I liked getting to experience different parts of the country. Because of having to constantly make new friends, my one constant was my brother so he and I were best friends. I played every sport growing up including lacrosse all the way through college. We spent as much time as we could with our extended family and I would describe us as a very close family.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
My brother, 1stLt Travis Manion, USMC, is my inspiration. On April 29, 2007, he was killed by an enemy sniper fire while rescuing his injured teammates after they were ambushed. My brother was a great leader that truly lived to serve others. Before leaving for his final deployment, he responded “If Not Me, Then Who…” when asked why he had to go back. These five words have become my ethos and my daily reminder to be a person for others.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
After losing my brother, I was asked to speak at his high school. Instead of speaking solely about him for an hour, I used him as one example of a person of character among other examples. Following that talk, I began going around to high schools throughout Philadelphia delivering this presentation which I named “Character Does Matter”. In the 10 years that followed, we’ve trained 2,000 veterans and family members of fallen heroes throughout the country to deliver this presentation as well as a more in-depth course on character and leadership impacting almost 400,000 young adults. This past summer, I also launched a podcast called The Resilient Life, where I have the honor of having authentic conversations with people who have dealt with real life struggle — death, illness, career and financial hardship — and come out stronger on the other side.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
My mom was a fiercely strong woman. Following the loss of her only son, she started Travis Manion Foundation to support veterans and other families of the fallen. She was determined to use her grief to do something good and ensure that Travis’ mission continued. And you would have thought starting a small family foundation in the suburbs of Philadelphia would have been enough but my mother was never satisfied. She had a dream of Travis Manion Foundation becoming one of the top national non-profit organizations serving veterans and families of the fallen. After my mom was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2012, I took over her vision and today the Travis Manion Foundation has over 130,000 members across the country continuing my brother and my mom’s legacy of service.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
A few years ago, we were approached by someone with a very impressive resume that told us how he helped other non-profits connect with some of the most well-known philanthropists that would take our organization to the next level. We worked with him for about a year and were amazed by his rolodex of who’s who in America’s corporate leaders. After a couple of questionable interactions, we decided to do a little research and discovered that he was not who he claimed to be. Fortunately for us, we broke ties before his plot unfolded and no one was hurt. But my lesson through that experience was that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Success is the result of hard work and there are no shortcuts.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I am a big fan of the book Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. This book is all about personal accountability, which is something that is too many of us overlook. Nothing will be handed to you in this life.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
I’d have to go back to my brother’s five words “If Not Me, Then Who…” that he spoke before his final deployment. At the time, my husband had asked him why he would have to go back to Iraq for a second deployment, and that was Travis’s response. Those words really drive my decisions in life because they remind me that if I want to see change in myself, my community, or the world, I need to be the one to step forward and serve. While I more than realize the significance of these 5 words today, I was a different person before my brother was killed. My biggest regret is that it was only after Travis was killed that I became the woman I wanted to be.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is inspiring others to accomplish the mission. A good leader focuses on developing herself and her team in order to have the biggest impact serving others. The best example of leadership was my brother. He worked hard his entire life developing himself to be the best leader of Marines and he was prepared on his final day when his team needed him the most. He ensured that every other member of his team survived.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The polarization in our country has become so extreme that families have been torn apart. Erstwhile close friends have not spoken to each other because of strong partisan differences. This is likely a huge topic, but briefly, can you share your view on how this evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?
I think that people have lost important connections and the ability to effectively communicate as our lives have become increasingly more digital over the past couple of decades. While technology has improved many things and made us more efficient in many ways, it’s eliminated many of the old ways that we used to connect and communicate. Text messages and social media have a use but they don’t replace in-person experiences which help to build trust and improve relationships. Add to that a divisive media, a polarizing presidential election and a global pandemic, and it’s like you’ve added gasoline to the fire which is the current situation where we find ourselves.
I have no pretensions about bridging the divide between politicians, or between partisan media outlets. But I’d love to discuss the divide that is occurring between families, co workers, and friends. Do you feel comfortable sharing a story from your experience about how family or friends have become a bit alienated because of the partisan atmosphere?
One of the big surprises last year was how people’s reaction to the pandemic became political. Each of us is in a different situation and have different risk tolerances which should dictate our reaction; however, instead it became about political ideology and which news source you watch. For my family, we’ve tried to stay in the middle of the risk spectrum. My children go to school in-person, I continue to go into an office or meet with people for work, and my family traveled over the holiday. We wear masks and follow social distancing and other CDC guidelines. However, I have other extended family members that refuse to leave their house and therefore get left out. If someone is vulnerable due to a health condition, I understand. But, unfortunately, in most cases it’s due to the partisan media, misinformation and politics.
In your opinion, what can be done to bridge the divide that has occurred in families? Can you please share a story or example?
I think divides that have occurred in families will be bridged over time as we start to spend more time together, as the vaccine rolls out, and as our country moves forward from the pandemic. Genuine relationships, along with having a sense of purpose, are the most important factors that determine well-being. With the lack of social interaction and increase in subsequent mental health problems, small problems have become big problems. We need to get back our in-person connections in order to bridge the divides that have become exasperated over the past year.
How about the workplace, what can be done to bridge the partisan divide that has fractured relationships there? Can you please share a story or example?
First, professionals should not feel the need to share every thought over social media. At Travis Manion Foundation, one of our organizational values is “Out of many, One” which speaks to respecting others and leveraging our differences to make us better. But publicly stating every thought or opinion over social media is not productive and is often divisive. I encourage our team to sit down in-person and truly listen to each other if they want to have a discussion about a difficult topic. But trying to communicate complex issues in 140 characters will lead to fractured relationships. While working from home has been necessary at certain times this past year, we need to get back to safely working together in-person collaboratively to improve relationships and build trust.
I think one of the causes of our divide comes from the fact that many of us see a political affiliation as the primary way to self identify. But of course there are many other ways to self identify. What do you think can be done to address this?
At Travis Manion Foundation, we’ve invested hours of training into topics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which help people understand the different ways that we identify ourselves and see each other. I think this type of training should become commonplace in order to overcome some of the political and social divides that we are experiencing. People will find that we have much more in common than may appear at first glance. And what unites us is so much stronger than what divides us.
Much ink has been spilled about how social media companies and partisan media companies continue to make money off creating a split in our society. Sadly the cat is out of the bag and at least in the near term there is no turning back. Social media and partisan media have a vested interest in maintaining the divide, but as individuals none of us benefit by continuing this conflict. What can we do moving forward to not let social media divide us?
Social media is a great tool, but too many have begun to use social media to create a community, where in reality it is a forum. Nothing will take the place of real community through genuine interaction. It is not a great way to try to communicate complex topics. I think people need to rethink how they use social media and which topics deserve more intimate communication channels such as face-to-face. These relationships are critical to our own mental health and well-being, as well as taking a step towards healing as a collective nation.
What can we do moving forward to not let partisan media pundits divide us?
In my house, we purposely try to get multiple perspectives on an issue by watching or reading about it on different networks or outlets. You can’t rely on any single source to get the full story. While the idea of discussing issues like race or politics has become uncomfortable, especially among family members, the trick is to not go into a conversation trying to win or change their mind. Instead we need to listen to all sides before coming to an informed conclusion.
Sadly we have reached a fevered pitch where it seems that the greatest existential catastrophe that can happen to our country is that “the other side” seizes power. We tend to lose sight of the fact that as a society and as a planet we face more immediate dangers. What can we do to lower the ante a bit and not make every small election cycle a battle for the “very existence of our country”?
I think it starts by educating ourselves on the systems that our country has in place to protect us from ourselves. Our government was created with checks and balances that purposely make it difficult for any single person to achieve their agenda without the support of elected officials that represent a diverse population. Within all government agencies, we have career professionals dedicated to the American people without regard to politics. We should have faith in our great country and understand that the only threat to our existence is our own divisiveness.
Ok wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share your “5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country”. Kindly share a story or example for each.
- Unplug to reconnect: Social media has become the main outlet and focal point for so many people, yet it’s anything but social. For millions of Americans, their community has been taken away from them and replaced with something inherently isolating, keeping them tethered to a screen. Social media and partisan media have a vested interest in maintaining a divide. Add to that the onslaught of misinformation and algorithms designed to feed us a one-sided narrative, and we find a landscape designed to trigger discourse and reaction. This has led us to becoming more accustomed to speaking at each other, rather than with one another. It’s the responsibility of each of us to pick our heads up from the screen, and talk to our neighbors and community that surround us. And not through online forums…I’m talking about real world interactions. These relationships are critical to our own mental health and well-being, as well as taking a step towards healing as a collective nation.
- Commit to your community: At Travis Manion Foundation, we’re actively building a community that is made up of more than 130,000 veterans, families of the fallen, and inspired civilians who all have something in common — they all exemplify character by being part of something bigger than themselves. These individuals come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, races, religions, and cultures — every sense of the word diversity, and we’ve pulled them together to accomplish a common mission of BEING the good in our own communities. Everything that we do, whether its volunteering at a soup kitchen, cleaning up a neighborhood park, organizing a food drive, or even just holding the door for someone, are actions we take to honor the service and sacrifice of our fallen military members. They are the inspirational backdrop to everything we do. By carrying on their legacies of service and character in our own communities, we’re not just doing good, but we’re also setting an example for our next generation of leaders.
- Have constructive conversations with those who think differently: Many of us are less practiced with having conversations with those who have different beliefs than us which has made us resistant to seeing other perspectives. While the idea of discussing issues like race or politics has become uncomfortable, especially among family members, the trick is to not go into a conversation trying to win or change their mind. Instead we need to listen to all sides before coming to an informed conclusion. Even if there continues to be a difference of opinion, when we have conversations with those who may have different beliefs, we can’t go into it assuming that person is out to get us. Right now there is a real fear that the other side is strictly out to slander the opposition. We’ve gotten away from the idea that we’re all Americans looking to solve a problem, and instead see it that anyone with a different mindset is out to get us. Yes, there are actors on both sides of the divide who are maliciously leaning into this narrative, and that makes it even more important that we look to our neighbors, friends, and family members who we’ve built trusting relationships with already, to bridge that divide. At the end of the day, everyone is striving for a better life for ourselves and our family, security, and equal opportunity, which is the common ground where we can start these conversations.
- Don’t stand on the sidelines: We’re often looking to a small portion of the population, being our politicians and local leaders, to fix the problems that afflict our country. Clearly that’s not working. We need to have real life conversations at home and with our friends first, because that is where we have the strongest connections. We cannot allow relationships to be torn apart simply over political disagreements. Just because someone supports a different political candidate, it doesn’t make them your enemy. We will all have varying beliefs about an infinite amount of topics, but to allow political affiliation to fracture our bonds with those we care for can only lead us down a dangerous and lonely path. Embrace all that life has to offer beyond politics, and even if someone has different beliefs, it’s vital that we maintain those connections. But to do that, it’s up to each of us to take the first step
- Don’t wait to change: Through all these ideas of how we can all help unite our country, I urge you to take action today. Don’t put off finding the best version of yourself. I lost my best friend and only brother, Marine 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion on April 29th, 2007, when he was killed by an enemy sniper in Iraq while pulling his wounded teammates to safety. In the years following Travis’ death, I channeled my grief through countless actions I had never imagined I could do, like running a marathon, building homes in underserved communities, and now leading one of the nation’s leading veteran nonprofits, which bears his name. There are so many things I wish Travis and I could have done together, because I am definitely not the same woman he knew when he was alive. I’m better. I’m stronger. I’m more purpose driven. But I wish I didn’t wait for him to disappear before I became the woman I wanted to be. Every day I set out to be a positive force, because that’s what Travis and all our fallen military members sacrificed their lives doing. So to carry on their legacies, I challenge you to be the change today that takes another step towards uniting this country which they loved enough to give their lives for.
Simply put, is there anything else we can do to ‘just be nicer to each other’?
Start with one action. Say a kind word to someone or perform an act of kindness. If you live in the northeast (or Texas), go shovel your elderly neighbor’s driveway. Hold the door open for a stranger. Smile and greet people as you walk by. Be big in the small things and they will add up to big change.
We are going through a rough period now. Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain?
I’m an eternal optimist. Of course this issue can be resolved but it relies on each of us being the change that we seek. Don’t wait for others to do it for us. Political leaders won’t fix our problems. Before my brother left for his final deployment to Iraq, he stated “If Not, Me Then Who…” when asked why he had to return for a dangerous deployment. Each of us has the opportunity to have an “If Not Me, Then Who…” moment every day. If we each adopt this ethos, we will be fine.
If you could tell young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our society, like you, what would you tell them?
When I speak with young adults, I share the stories of this generation of fallen heroes who stepped up when our country needed them and bravely sacrificed their lives for us. Now it’s our turn to pay it forward and serve others.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
I would love to have a private lunch with Reese Witherspoon. She is such an incredible role model for young females. Many may see her as just an actress, where in reality she has changed the landscape for what it means to be a female in business. From her book club to her media company, she elevates stories of women across the globe. I also love how in the face of all the divide in our country she has managed to maintain a balance of sharing her thoughts and opinions, but not alienating others that may think differently than her.
How can our readers follow you online?
Travis Manion Foundation’s social media handles are @travismanionfoundation on Instagram and Facebook, and @TMFoundation on Twitter. You can also find more information on our website, www.travismanion.org. My personal social media handles are @rmanion on Instagram and Twitter and @rmanionTMF on Facebook. My website is ryanmanion.com, and I also host a podcast called “The Resilient Life” that can be found on all streaming platforms.
This was very meaningful, and thank you so much for the time you spent on this interview. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Ryan Manion of the ‘Travis Manion Foundation’ On… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Author Karen Tibbals On The 5 Things That Each Of…
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Author Karen Tibbals On The 5 Things That Each Of Us Can Do To Help Unite Our Polarized Society
Prepare: If you are stressed, go into an encounter by doing whatever you can to de-stress. Get enough sleep, eat nutritious foods, meditate, or pray or whatever you do to help calm down. And prepare by learning what you can about the person you are disagreeing with. Don’t read the news obsessively, it will make you more stressed. Do read about what makes people different, read about potential solutions. You’ll need that information later.
As part of our series about 5 Things That Each Of Us Can Do To Help Unite Our Polarized Society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Tibbals.
Karen is an author and public speaker whose mission is to help other people bridge the cultural and political divide. She developed an expertise is human behavior during her long-time career in marketing. Karen left that career to go to seminary, intending to start an organization to support businesspeople in her faith community. After she discovered that wasn’t a good fit for her, she decided to help people in a different way — by taking her understanding of human motivation to a broader audience. Her most recent book, Persuade, Don’t Preach: Restoring Civility Across the Political Divide, teaches people how to apply the latest social science research in their own lives so that they can understand each other better and talk to the other side more productively. She is also writing a newsletter which accesses information from a variety of experts on how we can mend our fractured relationships.
https://medium.com/media/c021d228e600bc29a90c75cbbee597a4/hrefThank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I was a shy, self-conscious child, the oldest of three girls. My dad loved all kids but especially loved his kids and encouraged us to stretch. He pushed me to talk to people even though I was shy. I remember him making me get out of the car and ask for directions, even though I resisted it strongly. Even though he was born early in the 20th century, he still supported the idea that women could do great things. My youngest sister and I were the first women in our extended family to go to college and we both went on to masters’ degree level programs, because of his encouragement.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
Well, I have had several careers. My shift to a career in the pharmaceutical industry was inspired by the thought that I could really help people. I interviewed for a job that supported a cancer product and I had visions of saving people’s lives. It turns out even though I got a job with the company, I didn’t work on a cancer product until a long time later. But I like to feel that I have had a positive impact on society through the work that I did.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I am working on a newsletter that summarizes what various experts say about how to help people come together. I draw from experts in various different fields, not just psychiatry and psychology, but also hostage negotiators, historians, political scientists, religious leaders, conflict resolution specialists, anthropologists and so on. I call the newsletter Mending Fractured Relationships.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve had a number of really good bosses in my career who encouraged me in many ways. People don’t realize that many people in corporate America are kind caring people who do a lot to help develop employees’ skills. But a more recent story that most comes to mind is when I was in seminary, my thesis advisor called me a “philosopher”. I never realized that was what I was doing, but that is what I do. I work hard to understand why things happen and then explain them to people.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
In one of my assignments in corporate America, I was working with a colleague who consistently behaved badly towards a person from another company. It started to create problems for the alliance between the two companies. I knew I needed to do something, but, because I don’t like confrontation, I delayed for a long time. I spent a lot of time asking people’s advice. I wanted someone else to solve the problem for me. I asked both my boss and her boss to talk to the person who had created the problem, but they all told me I had to do it myself. Finally, I made an appointment with her, told her what I had observed and the problems it was causing. It was like magic! She said she didn’t realize the problem and said she would apologize! The lessons I learned were don’t put off confronting conflict, it doesn’t get any easier, and don’t expect others to solve your problems for you. This is a crucial lesson because the problems in our society aren’t going to go away if we don’t confront them. We each need to take a part, one conversation at a time.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature had a significant impact on me. I loved how he summarized what has happened to violence over the centuries and identified the factors that contributed to that. That method matches the way I use evidence to come to conclusions. I also loved that it was contrary to common wisdom and that it was based on data, not just opinion. Moreover, it was there I discovered Moral Foundations Theory, which set me on the path that I am on.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
A quote that I use often is: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all,” by Helen Keller. I have a tendency to hide and be very private. Becoming public feels risky to me because I am afraid of conflict and I know people are going to disagree with me. This quote is one of the tools I used to get over the fears, to remind myself that unless I take the risk I won’t be able to achieve my goal. My life has certainly gotten a lot more interesting since I started on this path.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
A leader does and says what is right for his organization and for his followers, not what is right for him. I’ve known several leaders who have recommended actions that stripped themselves of power or influence because they believed it was the right thing to do. But leaders also need to pay attention to the needs of their followers. The really difficult situations where true leadership is needed are when there is a conflict between the organization’s needs and the followers’ needs. In that case, leaders need to do what they can for all parties. However, if they can’t do what is best for their followers, at the very least, the leader needs to take the followers’ needs into account and talk to them in a way that takes into account their concerns and their values.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The polarization in our country has become so extreme that families have been torn apart. Erstwhile close friends have not spoken to each other because of strong partisan differences. This is likely a huge topic, but briefly, can you share your view on how this evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?
I would say that there are two underlying societal factors that have contributed to it, which created a powder keg just waiting burn. The powder key was lit by a match from Donald Trump.
The two social factors creating this powder keg are social sorting and social media. By social sorting, I mean that people used to routinely encounter people who weren’t like them. The stereotypes of the boss marrying the secretary and the boss living next to the factory in the small town and sending their kids to the town school were not wrong. Back then people got to know people who weren’t like themselves and had to get along with them. But now, the factories have been bought up by major corporations and the big boss is no longer the owner, and the headquarters is based in a big city. People are more likely to marry people they went to college with, not the secretary. People are freer to move to live near people just like themselves now. And people who don’t want to move, don’t. One key indicator of how liberal or conservative a person is how far they live from where they were born. Those who live within 50 miles of their birth are more likely to be conservative. Conversely, the cities have become very liberal, as liberals move there to be with people like themselves.
The second factor, social media, has also made it so that we don’t need to talk to our neighbors, we can talk to people just like us online, so we are less likely to encounter someone who has attitudes that are different than ours.
This situation was ready for a match, like one provided by President Trump, to ignite it and make it explode. Because we already had the factors of social sorting and social media, we had lost the skills of how to get along with others who weren’t like us and were more likely to buy into what he said. When Trump called people with different ideas the enemy, that triggered the explosion.
I have no pretensions about bridging the divide between politicians, or between partisan media outlets. But I’d love to discuss the divide that is occurring between families, co workers, and friends. Do you feel comfortable sharing a story from your experience about how family or friends have become a bit alienated because of the partisan atmosphere?
Our homeowner’s association has had a long-standing policy of restricting signs including political signs. One homeowner was so enthusiastically partisan that he put up a banner promoting his candidate that violated those rules. This promoted a long-drawn-out discussion at our association meeting, where it was finally decided to pay a lawyer to revise the by-laws to loosen the rules to allow political signs but put limits on it. Luckily, the person complied. People were fed up at the end.
In your opinion, what can be done to bridge the divide that has occurred in families? Can you please share a story or example?
On my last ever visit to my elderly aunt, I called her rude, and walked out. She had gone into a rant against immigrants, even though her immigrant caregiver was sitting in the same room with us. I never spoke to her again. I didn’t call her and she didn’t call me. She died eighteen months later. I wish I had had the tools in my book, because then I would have been able to talk to her in a such a way that she might have been able to listen to me differently. Instead of focusing on what was offensive to me, I wish I had recognized that underneath her rant was a love of her country. If I had seen that I could have named it and agreed with it. After all, I love our country too. Then, once we agreed, I could have used the tool of reframing to communicate some of my views but use her values to make it easier for her to agree with. For example, I could have asked her if immigrants like her caregiver who work hard should be allowed to come into our country. I think she probably would have agreed with that. But even if she didn’t, I wouldn’t have stormed out and would have been able to continue the conversation. By being in relationship with each other, we have an opportunity to change each other. When we cut off contact, we lose that opportunity.
How about the workplace, what can be done to bridge the partisan divide that has fractured relationships there? Can you please share a story or example?
My sister got into a heated discussion with an employee of hers who had a different political view. They had had a good relationship before that. My sister “solved” it by setting a boundary that their conversations would only be about old movies in the future. She can do that, she’s the boss. But what I suggested when I wrote about this situation in my newsletter is to use an episode like this as an opportunity to start a conversation about media literacy. Especially if the person is a knowledge worker, employees need to know how to evaluate the information they take in, and media is just one source. Then you can apply my five-step model of preparation, asking questions, listening, affirming and reframing that I talk about in my newsletter, by making the questions about media literacy.
I think one of the causes of our divide comes from the fact that many of us see a political affiliation as the primary way to self identify. But of course there are many other ways to self identify. What do you think can be done to address this? We need to get to know other people so we can recognize that people are multifaceted and not one-dimensional. Look for the other parts in people’s lives especially people you disagree with. I have had political discussions with one particular neighbor, but I also know her husband has cancer, she has a disabled daughter, and she has worked with me on a project. I see how afraid she is of change. She is real person. The more you can get to know a variety of people in real life, the less we will be tempted to see them as one-dimensional.
Much ink has been spilled about how social media companies and partisan media companies continue to make money off creating a split in our society. Sadly the cat is out of the bag and at least in the near term there is no turning back. Social media and partisan media have a vested interest in maintaining the divide, but as individuals none of us benefit by continuing this conflict. What can we do moving forward to not let social media divide us? We need to rebuild our relationships in real life so that social media doesn’t dominate what we know about people. We need to stop seeing the “other side” as the enemy. They are all Americans. Most of them are warm, caring people who contribute to world. Look for the good in everyone. Participate in community efforts to make the neighborhood or town or city you live in a better place. Get to know your neighbors and contribute yourself.
What can we do moving forward to not let partisan media pundits divide us?
Volunteer in your community to help make your little piece of the world a better place. Use this as an opportunity to get to know a variety of people, especially ones you might disagree with. Talk to them about their lives and try to understand what events shaped them.
Sadly we have reached a fevered pitch where it seems that the greatest existential catastrophe that can happen to our country is that “the other side” seizes power. We tend to lose sight of the fact that as a society and as a planet we face more immediate dangers. What can we do to lower the ante a bit and not make every small election cycle a battle for the “very existence of our country”?
I found a suggestion for healing our nation that came from two different sources, anthropologist Joseph Henrich, and historian/author Anne Applebaum. They both have separately identified working towards a common objective is a way to bind a society together after conflict. Henrich has cited examples of how it worked in indigenous societies and Anne Applebaum has identified it as recommended by peace advocates and seen in her experience in Eastern Europe. I’ve also seen the effect of that in my personal life. I know the discussion I got into with a neighbor right after the election was less heated because I had already worked with her on a joint project. We already had had a shared experience. Henrich further suggests that a ritual with shared movements and music is particularly powerful. The choreographed dance of the witches that a few of my neighbors did for Halloween 2019 probably helped bind them together.
Ok wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share your “5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country”. Kindly share a story or example for each.
- Prepare: If you are stressed, go into an encounter by doing whatever you can to de-stress. Get enough sleep, eat nutritious foods, meditate, or pray or whatever you do to help calm down. And prepare by learning what you can about the person you are disagreeing with. Don’t read the news obsessively, it will make you more stressed. Do read about what makes people different, read about potential solutions. You’ll need that information later.
- Ask questions: Too often, we make assumptions about what is driving the other side. But often those assumptions aren’t true. Or if they contain a grain of truth, they are exaggerated. After all, the news focuses on the extreme examples, because most people aren’t news. The saying about assuming — that it makes an “ass” out of you and me — has some truth to it. When you ask the right kind of questions, you are opening up the conversations on a very different note. There are many types of questions you can ask that can help, but an all-purpose good opening question is: “I really want to understand what you think. Can you explain your ideas to me?”
- Listen: It doesn’t help to ask questions if you don’t listen. Too often we aren’t actually listening, but instead preparing our arguments. Listening is hard. It isn’t about a technique; it is about being truly willing to slow down. Hemingway had it right when he said: “When people talk, listen completely.” The retired British hostage negotiator, Richard Mullender, says that a good listener needs to look for facts, emotions, and values. But unless you have done your preparation, you may not recognize the values.
- Affirm: We are so used to trying to poke holes in people’s arguments and defending our own, that it is hard for us to step back and figure what we agree with people on. But if you can affirm at least something about what the person said, you will change the conversation. The other person will relax and they become more able to hear what you have to say. But more than that, you might also change yourself.
- Reframe: Here we come to the key step where you apply the preparation in the first step. Once you understand the values that the person holds from listening and from doing your preparation, then you can put that into action. You need to use a value that is important to the other person and tie to the issue you care about. Research shows that using this technique will make it more likely that people will listen and pay attention and, at least sometimes, change their mind. On the other hand, using our own values instead, like we usually do, makes it more likely that they will resist.
Simply put, is there anything else we can do to ‘just be nicer to each other’? I know it sounds too simple to say apply the Golden Rule but it’s true. There’s a reason why just about every religion has some version of the Golden Rule, which is: “Do unto others as you would wish they would do unto you.” What’s even harder is the newly named Platinum Rule: “Do unto others as they would wish it to be done.” You may not want to do it because it sounds like you lose when you do that. What actually happens is that it helps you in the long run. The concept of karma encapsulates this, that helping others actually pays off in the long run for the helper. This has been validated in academic research, which Adam Grant talks about in his book, Givers and Takers.
We are going through a rough period now. Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain?
I have hope that we can learn to talk to each other in a new way that can help us to solve our issues. As I have been giving virtual talks around the country, I keep running into people who are hungry to learn how to bridge the divide and who want to find a way to make it happen. And I run into others who have similar missions, so there are a lot of people who have a lot of ideas on how we can solve this. Plus, your project to bring attention to these types of efforts gives me hope.
If you could tell young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our society, like you, what would you tell them?
They can make the world a better place, one community at a time. That’s where their power is. We all need to belong and belonging in person is more powerful than online. Substituting online interaction for in person contact has led to poorer mental health and an increase in suicide. But no community will be perfect, we have to be willing to work at it, be open to differences, to work through conflicts and be forgiving.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-) :-)
I would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with Melinda Gates. I love the work the Gates Foundation is doing but I think they could garner a lot more support or that work if they learned more about how to talk across the cultural divide. One example is the COVID-19 vaccines. People in the US on the right are less likely to be concerned about the disease and less likely to get the vaccine. But if you applied the techniques in my book and my newsletter, I think you could convince some of the vaccine resistors.
How can our readers follow you online?
My website www.persuadedontpreach.com, my newsletter: https://fracturedrelationships.substack.com/ and you can follow me on Linked in or Twitter or the Facebook group, Persuade, Don’t Preach.
This was very meaningful, and thank you so much for the time you spent on this interview. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Author Karen Tibbals On The 5 Things That Each Of… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Ardell Broadbent On The 5 Things That Each Of Us…
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Ardell Broadbent On The 5 Things That Each Of Us Can Do To Help Unite Our Polarized Society
If you haven’t been, be kinder to yourself. That doesn’t mean indulgence. That means if you’ve been taught to be harsh and unforgiving of your mistakes or shortfalls, you’re going to subconsciously have similar judgements of others. Try to extend some compassion to both yourself and others.
As part of our series about 5 Things That Each Of Us Can Do To Help Unite Our Polarized Society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ardell Broadbent.
Ardell Broadbent has a Master’s Degree in Psychology. She is currently marketing and expanding on a game-based politics curriculum. The intent is to provide a platform for lighthearted discussion and understanding of the strengths and contribution of the four largest parties, with the intent of transcending the entrenched divisiveness of public media messages. She served seven years as a board member and one year as president of La Vereda, a community-centered non-profit in Del Norte, Colorado. She is a court-rostered mediator.
https://medium.com/media/19a188f7d4bb0c57774bbb49431097a1/hrefThank you so much for joining us in this interview series! I have no pretensions about bridging the divide between politicians, or between partisan media outlets. But I’d love to discuss the divide that is occurring between families, co workers, and friends. Do you feel comfortable sharing a story from your experience about how family or friends have become a bit alienated because of the partisan atmosphere?
Yes. I have a sister and brother who don’t talk to each other anymore. There are a lot of similarities between them. They are only two years apart in age, both have four kids, belong to the same church, and make their kids take music lessons. My sister’s family is in some ways a typical liberal city-dwelling family, drives a hybrid, eats vegan, and posted Bernie signs. My daughter and I lived with them eight months in their mother-in-law apartment, so we know their beliefs pretty well. Prior to the pandemic, they refused to visit the family home for gatherings because of my brother who lives there with his family. It’s rural. Although my brother and sister-in-law both work other jobs, they keep a small hobby farm and have a few horses. She processes chickens herself. I lived in the separate unit of the house for two summers, and there wasn’t any soundproofing. I pretty much know their business, and I consider them responsible parents. But the issue for my sister was that they let their children own and handle guns, and reportedly one wasn’t put away at a time that my sister visited. The gun issue is just a symbol of a rift that seems political, to the point that they couldn’t talk to work out an agreement. The family helped work out an agreement about guns put away at family gatherings, but there wasn’t trust that it would be adhered to.
Before we go further into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Yes. It’s actually relevant to the topic. I’ve lived in a variety of locations or communities that epitomize the four largest political parties of the U.S.
- I was raised in semi-rural staunchly conservative and religious community, in Utah, which for nearly six decades has voted Republican.
- In college I fell in with a crowd who supported every conservationist cause. The value of frugality and long-term planning fit with my pioneer heritage. This immersed me in Green party ideologies. During and after the college roommate communes, many of us continued these ecologically conscious ideals including permaculture gardens, green architecture, minimalism, and beekeeping.
- Next I became conscious of Democrat ideals. A couple of years prior to and during my graduate studies I lived in large cities where I grew to appreciate public transit, worked for government social services, and benefited from federal school loans. I married a public school teacher who became a professor of multicultural education, and I had a minor in multicultural and women’s issues from my undergraduate degree as well. I lived in Los Angeles for 5 years, the epitome of ethnic and cultural diversity, working closely with clients of a variety of nationalities.
- Then back to Green. I wanted to raise my daughter in a location that offered more connection to nature and a sense of community. Her earliest schooling was in the small town of Crestone Colorado, a unique place that grew out of a land grant donation to any certifiable major religion. An ashram, zen center, native American ceremonial group, and monastery, brought a variety of experiences to the community. Tie dye, music festivals, new age spiritual beliefs, UFO sightings, government conspiracy theory like chem trails, and abundant cannabis use were all part of the culture.
- I’ve also had a solid Libertarian training. At one point I lived in a small mountain town that to me represents this outlook. My cousin in LA tells me I just am not acquainted with the urban libertarian type, and she’s right, but anyway, I’m thinking of a friend describing a road trip during which they saw Hillary signs in every city and only Trump signs in between. The insistence on self-sufficiency, in addition to some lack of economic opportunity, created a specific look characterized by a lot of rusted metal and weathered wood. The look of the town was wild west, with garages or yards of hoarded clutter subject to neighborly sharing. There and in nearby communities I had friends with family-owned ranches, small farms, cottage industries such as cheese-making, the type of artisan work that big business continues to push out of the market. They value their independent livelihoods and tend to be fiscally conservative, but they can’t compete with the low prices offered by government-subsidized big agribusiness. This worldview ties back into my childhood. My dad was a prepper and John Bircher, intent on raising a family without negative cultural influences such as TV and popular music. I grew up hearing about the illuminati, the mark of the beast, and the new world order.
So I’ve been in more than one bubble.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I developed a set of games to help give a platform for families, friends, classrooms, or any small group to have a more lighthearted way to discuss politics. These are role-playing games. You can take a stance and explore ideas without wondering if others will think you are deluded or evil, because you’re just playing. The website is fractioNation.US. For the most part, it’s not presenting you with prepackaged ideas but inviting you to respectfully debate, to share examples and experiences, or figure out a compromise.
What or who inspired you to pursue this interest?
It was my daughter. She was 11 in 2015, and I was trying to figure out how to help her understand the issues she was hearing about, in a way that didn’t dumb it down but also wasn’t so complicated. I found it was really fun to work on game-based learning, and it just took on a life of its own even though I didn’t really have time for another project.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
As far as the games project, there was a local game-maker’s guild that would get together weekly to playtest each other’s games, and they had a lot of good feedback and encouragement.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
Can’t think of anything relevant.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Lemme mention one relevant to this topic. The title is We Must Not Be Enemies, by Micheal Austin. The title is from a quote by Abraham Lincoln. You can get a good overview on the Amazon description of the book. Among his main points are that we need to learn how to be better friends with people we disagree with. I’ve tried to do that. It has been maddening sometimes. Also, he says we should argue for things and not just against things. Be part of a solution, rather than opposing others’ solutions.
Another is Cultivating Peace by James O’Dea, who was the Washington DC director of Amnesty International. That book influenced me to go thru training to become a court-rostered mediator.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
There’s one framework that has been important for me while working on this project. It’s Carol Sanford’s idea of four levels of operating an organization. The lowest level is extracting value: You try to get as much out as you can while putting in as little as necessary. It’s a self-serving strategy, and it is often a short-term strategy. An example in the energy business would be continuing to extract and burn coal to convert to electric. The next level is arrest disorder. You try to stop some of the damaging effects while you’re extracting value. You provide housing and reparation to those whose family members died from black lung, and use better smokestack filters to stop externalizing costs. Better than that is a commitment to do good. Here you try to adopt best practices in the business. You might build some solar farms or windmills and try to phase out fossil fuels. You may even reverse some of the damage by planting trees. But solar and wind tech have their own extractive impact. The top level is regenerative, meaning to use systems thinking to consider how the various parts work, and how to heal. In this case, we would look at the regulation of insulative values for buildings, include rooftop solar costs in the mortgage to avoid power loss thru transmission lines, use glass brick windows for lighting and passive solar heating, and in general use structural design to maximize comfort and minimize the need for external energy.
So applying this principle to politics, we wouldn’t be trying to drain the swamp. We would look at how the political system incentivizes behaviors that are exploitative, on both sides. We would look at how the economic system interacts with the political system, on both sides. On the “do good” level we could work on election reform to enable third party candidates or examine the strengths of other nations that are functioning as social democracies, to adopt best practices. On the regenerative level, we notice that fundamentally it is the doctrine that “greed is good,” “might makes right,” and “winner takes all” that has permitted a culture of exploitation to become accepted, which has damaged trust in business interactions, replaced it with reliance on lawyers, and obliterated the social contract. Then we can start the slow work of rebuilding culture at the level of values.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
The organizational leadership literature has an important distinction between position power, which is more a manager role, and leadership, which is more an influencer role that doesn’t necessarily rely on position power. Obviously, you can be both at the same time, but everyone with position power I believe should strive to not exert coercive power but to instead influence by example and persuasion. When you think about the people who have made an important positive impact on your life, it’s more likely to be a family member, a school teacher, or a mentor rather than someone famous. I love Brene Brown’s books on leadership, including Braving the Wilderness, which talks a lot about not allowing yourself to be pigeonholed into one side or the other. There’s a lot about being truthful and respectful, which is both daring and vulnerable.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. The polarization in our country has become so extreme that families have been torn apart. Erstwhile close friends have not spoken to each other because of strong partisan differences. This is likely a huge topic, but briefly, can you share your view on how this evolved to the boiling point that it’s at now?
Collectively we’ve been living beyond our means, and we could argue whether it’s because of peak oil or the growing wealth disparity, but as the easy credit dried up, many are getting uncomfortable if they’re not already at the point of barely scraping by. At the same time, we see so many on social media living enviable lives, and a lot of people feel the economic opportunities are unfairly distributed. However, few have the time to really dig into the historical trends of economics and social changes that got us here, so instead we play a blame game. It’s easier to pass along phrases that are partly true and that jive with our views than to take a balanced perspective.
In your opinion, what can be done to bridge the divide that has occurred in families? Can you please share a story or example?
Well, this is where I can put in another plug for those educational games. With my politically diverse family, there was one time we assigned everyone to play the political role pretty much the opposite of what we knew them to be. It was fun, and I came away from it realizing that those whose views are most different from mine knew more about my favored positions than I thought they did. I also played many times with my mom, because who else would have enough patience and love to playtest games over and over? We both learned a lot. She has never voted the same as me, but we began to see that we had a lot more areas of agreement than we had differences.
How about the workplace, what can be done to bridge the partisan divide that has fractured relationships there? Can you please share a story or example?
One of my sisters deleted her Facebook account because she was using up too much time arguing on social media and just couldn’t quit the habit. Even if you make a snappy comeback and feel some satisfaction from it, it isn’t helping you or them if it’s antagonistic. You just make people more defensive and dug in. That adage from educators applies: “They don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care.”
I think one of the causes of our divide comes from the fact that many of us see a political affiliation as the primary way to self identify. But of course there are many other ways to self identify. What do you think can be done to address this?
Focus on something we can all agree on. Everybody from every party can agree that human trafficking is wrong, and it’s a lot more pervasive than most are aware. Let’s unite to work on something we agree on and table the other discussions until we fix that.
Much ink has been spilled about how social media companies and partisan media companies continue to make money off creating a split in our society. Sadly the cat is out of the bag and at least in the near term there is no turning back. Social media and partisan media have a vested interest in maintaining the divide, but as individuals none of us benefit by continuing this conflict. What can we do moving forward to not let social media divide us?
There are some great movies that are entertaining and also show nuances of social and political stances, and people’s interactions around them. Crash is a brilliant example, super relevant to the current conversations. Beware of Children is a more recent one.
What can we do moving forward to not let partisan media pundits divide us?
We can try to find the most unbiased news sources possible using monitors such as allsides.com. Don’t support other news outlets.
Sadly we have reached a fevered pitch where it seems that the greatest existential catastrophe that can happen to our country is that “the other side” seizes power. We tend to lose sight of the fact that as a society and as a planet we face more immediate dangers. What can we do to lower the ante a bit and not make every small election cycle a battle for the “very existence of our country”?
This is not going to be the answer you want to hear. The problem isn’t out there. It’s inside each of us. I don’t think there’s any way to lower the ante beside becoming more mature ourselves, and getting our own anxiety under control. If we’re less reactive and less antagonistic, then those we talk to won’t be as threatened. Also we won’t be bothered as much by the idea of deluded people who need to be persuaded or stopped. We don’t want to be stressed out by something we have almost no control over. We can work toward our own version of a solution without convincing the opposition. I also wonder if it’s not as bad as it sounds from the media. Those with extreme positions get a lot of press, but they don’t represent the majority.
Ok wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Can you please share your “5 Steps That Each Of Us Can Take To Proactively Help Heal Our Country”. Kindly share a story or example for each.
First, if you haven’t been, be kinder to yourself. That doesn’t mean indulgence. That means if you’ve been taught to be harsh and unforgiving of your mistakes or shortfalls, you’re going to subconsciously have similar judgements of others. Try to extend some compassion to both yourself and others.
Second, set boundaries. Boundaries show self respect. I love how Brene Brown insists that “clear is kind.” Don’t make others guess. This can reduce the potential for hurt feelings and conflict. Without making others wrong for their views, you can say “that doesn’t work for me” or “that’s not a topic I’m open to discussing.” Get some support if some aren’t respecting your boundaries.
Third, see if you can get some mediation or therapy to work through whatever rifts you have between members of your family. This may seem harder than fixing the national political divide, but it’s where unity starts. There’s no guarantee, but you can at least know you gave it a chance. Again I love Brene Brown’s reminder that family isn’t replaceable. It’s not your political allies who are going to help watch your sick kid or join in to help pay for a family member’s rehab.
Fourth, once your own backyard is tidied up, you might be ready to expand your influence. Find how you can contribute your talent and interests to make your neighborhood better, maybe thru clubs, church groups, activist groups that are non-violent, or just a volunteer effort that your workplace or social group might take on. For example, as a way to unite in an important goal that isn’t politically charged, on the website fractioNation.US there’s a free download of a role-playing game that helps talk thru emergency preparedness by setting up potential disaster scenarios that you have to navigate with limited supplies.
If you manage to do the first four, then it might be time to get even more involved locally in your community. You might attend local government meetings. You might hire a local mediator to guide a discussion between two groups that have been at odds about a local issue. This is where it counts, where you can actually make a difference. Trading insults on social media is not how you can make an impact in changing anyone’s mind. This is where it becomes obvious the need to speak respectfully face to face. James O’Dea, an author mentioned earlier, said that when faced with another’s rage, an important question to diffuse the situation is, “What do you need me to understand?”
Simply put, is there anything else we can do to ‘just be nicer to each other’?
Every major religion has some version of the perennial philosophy, to treat others as you would want to be treated, which means offering respect even if and when we need to set boundaries.
We are going through a rough period now. Are you optimistic that this issue can eventually be resolved? Can you explain?
I am optimistic. I think it might get worse before it gets better, but I am confident in the overall trajectory of cultural evolution. It might be that climate change, wealth disparity, loneliness, and the mental health epidemic all becomes so challenging that we quit focusing on trivialities and pull together.
If you could tell young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our society, like you, what would you tell them?
There’s an organization called Cultures of Dignity that’s created resources especially for young people, to help them emotionally deal with tough cultural issues, including politics. I would point them to resources they can access online.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
What a helpful question! I’d say Jo Jorgensen who was the Libertarian party’s presidential nominee AND Ralf Nader, who of course was the Green party presidential candidate a while back. I’d want to get them at the same table to see where they could agree and possibly unify the anti-establishment. That could provide us with a qualified candidate who stands a chance of challenging the duopoly.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’ve got a lot of projects going, but relevant to this topic, check out fractioNation.US, or Google-search my name.
Putting The United Back Into The United States: Ardell Broadbent On The 5 Things That Each Of Us… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Kendra Davenport of Operation Smile: How We Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our…
Kendra Davenport of Operation Smile: How We Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness
Commit to leading with gratitude — that is, consciously commit to looking for the positive in things and striving to look on the bright side and be grateful, rather than the opposite — lamenting the challenges that crop up and overfocusing on the negative. Adopting a positive mindset is an important step toward reaping the benefits of gratitude and restoring our mental wellness. Gratitude improves peoples’ well-being because it helps reduces negative emotions like envy and resentment.
As we all know, times are tough right now. In addition to the acute medical crisis caused by the Pandemic, in our post COVID world, we are also experiencing what some have called a “mental health pandemic”.
What can each of us do to get out of this “Pandemic Induced Mental and Emotional Funk”?
One tool that each of us has access to is the simple power of daily gratitude. As a part of our series about the “How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kendra Davenport.
Kendra Davenport, CFRE, is the Chief Development Officer for Operation Smile, a global surgical nonprofit that brings families renewed hope through cleft surgery and comprehensive care. She previously served as president of the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and vice president of institutional advancement and external affairs at Africare. Kendra has supported development at Project HOPE, the Population Reference Bureau, and other organizations. Recently, she earned an Executive Master of Policy Leadership from Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about you and about what brought you to your specific career path?
In my senior year of college, I attended a career forum hosted by my school and listened to a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer speak about her career path. I was completely enamored with her from the confident, engaging way she spoke, to her manicured nails, perfectly coiffed hair, right down to her black patten leather Ferragamo pumps. I wanted to be like her and thought it would be terrific to learn from her and watch her in action. So, I wrote her a letter (you have to remember this was 1988, and there were no cell phones or Internet) asking if she would consider letting me serve as an unpaid intern for her. She enthusiastically agreed and a few months later, I was taking the train from Chestnut Hill to downtown Philadelphia, where I worked alongside Caroline Stewart, Business Buzz columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, for several wonderful months. At least a few days a week, she would take me to business lunches with her and she always very graciously introduced me to whomever she was meeting, as her “incredible intern.” Most people would politely ask what my plans were after graduation and on more than one occasion, people very generously offered to arrange interviews for me with their company. I interviewed with a shipping company, a hedge fund, the Chamber of Commerce, a major insurance company, a big eight accounting firm and a children’s museum. Caroline was intent on helping me identify a first job that would be educational at a minimum and fulfilling at best.
I didn’t realize how lucky I was at the time to have in Caroline such a wonderful mentor, but three decades later, I strive to be the same to young people who cross my path.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I graduated from a small then women’s college and immediately entered the working world as an associate in the development (fundraising department) of the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. It was one of the nation’s first tactile, participatory museums designed exclusively for children. I honestly had no idea what development was, but I was grateful for the job and quickly found that I enjoyed helping the museum advance its mission and goals through fundraising and brand raising. Thirty-two years later I am still working in nonprofit development. One of my mentors says I am either a masochist or an eternal optimist. I think I am probably a little of both.
Since that first job, I have been immensely fortunate to have worked for many amazing national and international nonprofits. I think the reason I never veered from the nonprofit sector to the for-profit arena is that I find nonprofit work challenging but exceptionally fulfilling because it has purpose. I believe helping people is a terrifically compelling and rewarding way to spend a career.
There have been many things I have had the good fortune of doing throughout my career, and I have been truly blessed to have worked alongside many incredibly impressive people whose experience and expertise I have taken to heart and emulated. Choosing a particular story that I think would be interesting to others is tricky because I feel so close to my work — it’s personal for me and it always has been. I think that’s why I have been able to forge a pretty nice career for myself … because I am devoted to what I do. I have found that whatever I give of myself to my job tends to come back to me tenfold, time and time again.
Several years ago, when I was working for Africare, I was deep in rural Liberia, touring maternal waiting homes that my D.C.-based development team and I had worked hard to raise the money to construct. I was with a gentleman who now works for Operation Smile, Ernest Gaie. At the time, Ernest was Africare’s Country Director for Liberia. We had been driving literally all day and had participated in several meetings with village officials along the way to a maternal hospital on the Guinean border. I was exhausted, and I can still remember hoping to myself as we approached the very remote hospital that our stop would be brief because I was tired, sweaty, hungry, and longing for a hot shower, and I knew we still had a very long drive to make back to Monrovia.
As we got closer, Ernest telephoned the hospital to let them know we were almost there. When we arrived, we were greeted by a throng of women dressed in white. They broke out into song as soon as we exited the vehicle, welcoming us as a show of appreciation and hospitality. They were so genuine and kind, I was deeply moved. I quickly learned, they were traditional midwives, trained by Africare to safely deliver healthy babies and help ensure mothers were healthy as well. To this day, maternal mortality rates in West Africa are the highest in the world. When I went into the hospital, mothers-to-be were equally happy to see us and welcoming. Many of them had just had their babies and offered to let me hold them. They were also very willing to take pictures with me, which I was just blown away by. I felt very guilty for initially hoping the visit would be quick. I enjoyed talking with them, listening to their stories and seeing their newborn babies so much. The memory is indelibly etched on my mind as one of the most powerfully moving professional experiences I have ever had.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why do you think that resonates with you? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
“Success is never final, and failure is never fatal.” To be successful in development, you need to put yourself out there. You need to try new things and not be afraid of rejection. The same I think is true in life. If you want to achieve your personal and professional goals, you need to take some risks. If you don’t, you’re not apt to advance in any measurable way. I also think it’s important to constantly reassess and reset those goals — both personal and professional. How else do you stay fulfilled? This line of thought does not resonate with everyone, but I am an ambitious person and once I have attained a goal I established for myself, I move on to another and then another. I think my career is illustrative of the drive and energy I devote to my work. Ambitious women often find that what is applauded in their male counterparts is frowned upon in women. I believe things are getting better and that opportunities to lead in the private and nonprofit sectors are opening up for women, but the working world is still largely dominated by men.
At this stage in my career, I feel obligated to encourage young female professionals to aim higher and to push forward, especially after suffering a setback. I think the best thing female leaders can do is to help pave the way for younger women professionals to overcome barriers to success, while encouraging them to constantly set new goals for themselves. I have been fortunate to have had so many pivotal people throughout my career believe in me, take chances on me, and help create opportunities for me. I am grateful to this day, for the many opportunities other people facilitated for me. Gratitude and my acknowledgement that I would not be where I am today without the help of many others motivates me to pay it forward.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story about why that resonated with you?
I love to read and have read all my life. When I was younger, I read a great deal for pleasure, but as the pace of my life and my career picked up, I found it more difficult to find the time to read for fun. Now that my children are grown and I have more time to devote to my work, I find myself reading more for work than for pleasure, but I admit to stealing time to enjoy a work of fiction every now and then. I am always looking for ways to inspire the team of amazing people I manage, to be more effective in some area of my professional life, or to address something I feel I need help tackling. Most recently, my team and I have been reading Atomic Habits, by James Clear. It’s about the aggregation of marginal gains — how over time, small changes that become habits can add up to big impacts. We have an informal book club that anyone on our team can participate in and the discussions this book has spawned have been remarkable. My original intent in selecting Atomic Habits for my team to focus on and read, was to encourage them to work on the things during the pandemic that they could tangibly influence. Together, we have learned about the benefits and control we could realize if we focused on making small but impactful changes that over time would amount to significant achievements.
Holding book club discussions with members of my team is also a nice way of convening them and inspiring fun, relaxed, participatory discussions that inevitably get people laughing. Facilitating good team communication has taken on greater significance since we began working entirely remotely and laughter in midst of the pandemic has become a soothing tonic that everyone can benefit from and use.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
The nature of our work — fundraising, brand, marketing, and communications makes — for an assortment of simultaneous projects that are exciting. For example, we are having early planning discussions about launching a capital campaign through which we will raise at least $40 million in the next two years. The campaign will be a very large, global project that will engage almost everyone on our team of 50. In addition to helping Operation Smile raise its brand awareness and tens of millions of dollars, the campaign will provide most everyone on our team great experience and opportunities to work on new things and to do things that we excel at, in new ways. Projects like this keep our team motivated and enthused about our work, which is critical because development is like the nonprofit version of sales — only it’s much harder and much more subtle.
Another project we are launching, is called the VUCA Workshop series. VUCA, stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. The intent of the workshop series is to facilitate meaningful discussions about everything people are going through as a result of COVID-19. Because I am very concerned about the mental strain and stress the pandemic is having on my team, I thought we could all benefit from working with experts who through a series of discussions and hands-on exercises will give people some mechanisms and tools to better cope with all that life is throwing at them right now. I truly believe in planning and implementing this series, we are proactively addressing the things that are on everyone’s minds and which are potentially creating mental anguish and anxiety for people that inevitably spills over into their work life. If we can equip them with some helpful ideas and tools to better handle the stress and uncertainty and fear they may be experiencing, we can improve their outlook and possibly their well-being, which is very important to me. I think it’s incumbent on employers to do as much as they can to help employees cope in this crazy time we’re all living in and the VUCA Workshop series is one small initiative aimed at doing just that.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Fortunately, I have many mentors whose guidance and support has helped me throughout my life. My father has served as a guiding star and is a major influence in my life. My husband of 32 years is also a source of near constant guidance and advice, especially regarding management. I believe both he and my father are two of the best managers I know. I frequently seek their advice and while I don’t always abide by it, I sincerely value it.
As I think I said earlier, I have been blessed to work for some wonderful mentors/bosses. One in particular, Judith Jacobson, was my supervisor for nearly 10 years when I worked for the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance. Like many nonprofits, shortly after I began working the Alliance, it experienced a very austere period during which all travel was halted, a hiring freeze was instituted, and money to operate was scarce. Judy took over as CEO during this trying period after the former CEO was let go. She had a very difficult job, and yet, she infused humor into the most challenging of circumstances and was throughout the two-year period incredibly positive and resourceful. I was in awe of her fortitude and mental and emotional strength throughout that time, but it was not until years later that I learned she didn’t pay herself in order to be able to pay me and my colleagues without bankrupting the organization. To make that kind of self-imposed, long term sacrifice for the benefit of her employees and the organization is something that to this day, inspires me to be a better person.
Judy remains one of my most trusted confidants and advisors. I have incredible respect for her.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now that we are on the topic of gratitude, let’s move to the main focus of our interview. As you know, the collective mental health of our country is facing extreme pressure. We would like to explore together how every one of us can use gratitude to improve our mental wellness. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms. How do you define the concept of Gratitude? Can you explain what you mean?
I believe gratitude is more a state of mind than an act and to live a life of gratitude, to me, is more about paying it forward, sharing your gifts and time with others. It is a consciousness of the many ways in which you are fortunate and an active commitment to renew that awareness by sharing your bounty and your gifts
It is also about maintaining a positive attitude. Leading with gratitude is empowering. When you consciously acknowledge how fortunate and blessed you are, it’s easier to shrug off the things you cannot control, to ignore little hurts or aggressions we all experience every day — from someone cutting us off in the car, to being left off an email chain you feel you should have been included on.
I frequently remind my team to embody and espouse an attitude of gratitude and to avoid assuming malintent whenever they might feel slighted. Actively striving to live a life of gratitude helps promote a happy, grateful, mindful culture that people enjoy working in.
Why do you think so many people do not feel gratitude? How would you articulate why a simple emotion can be so elusive?
I like to believe that there is good in everyone and that we all just experience life in different ways. For some, gratitude is an emotion that is present in everything they experience, in all they do, and in everything they believe. I think people can learn to put gratitude at the forefront of their lives, but I think it comes more naturally when we are raised to be grateful for all that we have, for the gifts we have been given, and for everything good that comes our way.
If it is truly elusive and I am not altogether sure it is, I think that has a lot to do with the environment in which people exist, the influencers they tap into and surround themselves with. I have worked in some of the poorest countries in the world, but felt while there, an omnipresent sense of gratitude in everyone I met. Again, I think it’s about perspective. The India Arie song, “There’s Hope,” illustrates perfectly what I experienced — perspective and taking nothing for granted.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be constructive to help spell it out. Can you share with us a few ways that increased gratitude can benefit and enhance our life?
Expressions of gratitude come in all shapes and forms. When I encourage my team, for example, to put gratitude first, I don’t mean that they should all break out their good stationery and stamps and send people thank you notes — though I don’t think that is ever a bad idea. Gratitude can be expressed in countless ways including giving someone your time when you don’t necessarily have it to spare, putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own because you know or sense they need something more than you do, acknowledging everyone who worked on a project you led, even if their collective contributions do not equal what you alone may have devoted to the effort. These are the small acts and gestures that convey gratitude and promote a culture of kindness, trust and empathy.
Let’s talk about mental wellness in particular. Can you share with us a few examples of how gratitude can help improve mental wellness?
I believe mental wellness is a critical, but all too often overlooked component of health — not just here in the U.S. but all over the world. I think attitudes about mental health and how important it is to just about everything are changing for the better, but there is a long way to go before, as a society, we assertively champion mental health as a means or barrier to well-being. Stigmas around mental health prevent many employers from openly addressing issues such as depression or anxiety.
If the past year has taught me anything with respect to work and my team, the primary lesson has been about the importance of helping people create a culture at work that enables and encourages mental wellness.
When people feel appreciated, it boosts their spirits, so being mindful about recognizing when people have done something special or achieved a goal can change their mood for the better. I know of no one who does not like their efforts recognized, and recognizing people publicly is even more effective. Infusing gratitude is a game changer because if done frequently enough in meaningful ways, it inspires a lightness and happiness. It helps create a culture of kindness. Wouldn’t everyone want to work in an environment where the guiding principles are gratitude, kindness and empathy? By virtue of inculcating gratitude as a highly desirable quality and trait that is valued, respect for one another is facilitated, which is the foundation on which a caring atmosphere is established.
Ok wonderful. Now here is the main question of our discussion. From your experience or research, what are “Five Ways That Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness”. Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Commit to leading with gratitude — that is, consciously commit to looking for the positive in things and striving to look on the bright side and be grateful, rather than the opposite — lamenting the challenges that crop up and overfocusing on the negative. Adopting a positive mindset is an important step toward reaping the benefits of gratitude and restoring our mental wellness. Gratitude improves peoples’ well-being because it helps reduces negative emotions like envy and resentment.
- By proactively and deliberately striving to thank people for the small and the not so small ways they might help you, you can completely alter the way you are perceived for the better. Acknowledgement is a powerful tool that can touch even the hardest person to get along with. Gratitude is a relationship builder. My husband and my father were active-duty, career officers in the Coast Guard and Navy. I moved frequently as a child and my nomadic lifestyle continued after I married. Many times, shortly after we moved to a new place, thoughtful neighbors would bring baked goods or plants to welcome us to the neighborhood. Their thoughtfulness always touched me and helped me envision my life in our new surroundings. I would always return the gesture within a few weeks and make a point of acknowledging how much their kindness meant to me and my family. Everywhere we have lived, we forged strong and enduring relationships with people who reached out to us almost as soon as the moving truck departed — or sooner! To this day, we remain friends with several of these thoughtful souls and I marvel at the fact that our relationships, now decades old in many cases, began with a simple but kind gesture of gratitude.
- Sometimes, a small gesture of appreciation can yield unexpected dividends. This is surely true at work but almost everywhere in life as well. Recently, my husband and I helped our middle child move into her first post-college apartment. Because she had not yet applied to the city for a parking permit, she had to park her car in a lot near her apartment. The parking lot attendant was an older gentleman and when my daughter went to pay him, he struck up a conversation with her. They talked for about 10 minutes and at the end of their conversation, he told her he would keep an eye on her car, gave her a “family discount” on the parking fee, and thanked her profusely for taking the time to talk. He told her he got lonely and bored sitting alone all day and that her bright smile and willingness to chat had made his day. By simply treating the older man with respect and kindness, my daughter developed a friend, who in just a few minutes, helped her make the transition to her new independence and home a little easier.
- I am a practicing Catholic and my faith is integral to every aspect and fiber of my life. I think of it as the greatest gift my parents have ever given me, because Catholicism is predicated on gratitude — we thank God for everything He has given us — from the basic and most banal everyday things to the more amorphous things that are harder to quantify but mean so much to us and define and shape who we are — our intellect, our talents, our health, and our creativity to name a few. I learned at a very young age from Sister Leilia, an Irish Sister of St. Joseph of Cluny, that regardless of how badly I thought my day might have been going, the most important thing I could do to turn it around was to thank God for giving it to me. At the time, I truly struggled with her logic, but as I matured and moved up to Sister Rachel’s fifth grade class, I began to understand how much I really had to be grateful for and that understanding became a guiding principle that remains salient to me today as I approach my 55th year on the planet. I attribute the fact that I am not an envious person to my gratitude for who I am, who God made me, and for the many gifts He has given me. It might sound simple and I suppose it is, but I believe gratitude might just be my north star.
- My mother drilled into me and my siblings the importance of writing and mailing thank you notes. It often felt as though no sooner than we had blown out our birthday candles than we were required to sit at the kitchen table, write a draft on scratch paper and then pen a formal note of appreciation to everyone who had given us a gift. Today, my dear mom is nearing 80 and our family jokes about writing her a thank you note before we get whatever she has mailed us from the mailbox to the house. We all write thank you notes that sometimes seem superfluous, but more often than not, become treasured, sometimes humorous or sentimental mementos. The act of putting your feelings on paper is powerful and tangible expression of gratitude that means a lot to people. As soon as Operation Smile began working entirely remotely last March, I became concerned about how I was going to help my team stay connected, feel supported, and maintain the elusive esprit de corps we enjoyed. I began writing and sending each of them cards once or twice a month and I have tried to maintain that written, fun, very personal communication. I often include favorite quotes in the cards I send that might be references to things we’re experiencing as a group. The responses I have received have been very positive. While written communication is not nearly the same as speaking with someone in person, I think sometimes it’s more meaningful. I try to express how grateful I am for each member of my team and to provide a little encouragement as well.
Is there a particular practice that can be used during a time when one is feeling really down, really vulnerable, or really sensitive
I think it can be helpful to write about feelings, especially feelings of sadness, frustration or hurt. Journaling is proven to be a cathartic activity that can help people process their feelings and reflect on past experiences, which can be very elucidative. One of the things I started doing a few months ago, was writing in a gratitude journal I originally purchased to give to one of my children for Christmas. Upon reading some of its contents, I decided I needed it much more than my daughter and I gifted it to myself. One of the suggested ways of practicing gratitude I found in the journal is writing a gratitude list. The simple act of making a written list of all I am grateful for helps me recalibrate when I am feeling stressed or anxious or angry. It’s a practice I now do regularly — sometimes very deliberately and other times more absentmindedly.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that you would recommend to our readers to help them to live with gratitude?
Instagram:
Touker Suleyman’s Instagram Feed
Dr. Elvis Francois’s Instagram Feed
Stay.Positive.In.Life Feed
LinkedIn:
Gratitude Company LinkedIn profile
Books:
Ambition, Leading with Gratitude, Seth Buechley
The Practice of Finding, Holly Whitcomb
Gratitude Journal, by Chronicle Books
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would amplify the notion that kindness in the workplace is essential to making vulnerability acceptable. I believe demonstrating real vulnerability is not reflective of weakness. I believe it demonstrates strength of character. If more people felt they could truly share the way they feel at work without repercussions or judgement, I think people would be healthier mentally and physically, and that work would become less of a necessary evil and more of an avocation for more people. I am not suggesting we make work a substitute for therapy. I just think there is a lot more room for the workplace to be a kinder, more empathic place for everyone.
What is the best way our readers can further follow your work online?
LinkedIn.com/in/kendradavenport
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Kendra Davenport of Operation Smile: How We Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How JP McNeill of Ando Is Helping To Change Our…
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How JP McNeill of Ando Is Helping To Change Our World
It takes a village. Grow your village as fast as you can because your business will depend upon it. Our village consists of our team members, investors, partners and customers.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing JP McNeill of Ando.
With more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership roles at early-stage and high-growth companies, JP is skilled at combining vision and pragmatism to transform concepts into thriving businesses focused on reversing climate change.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit how you grew up?
I was born in Mexico City to a Mexican mother and an American father and moved to the United States (Ohio) when I was four. My family and I frequently traveled back and forth to Mexico to visit family and friends; to this day I feel so grateful to have grown up with influences from both of these cultures, as I feel it truly shaped me to be who I am today.
My parents started and ran a Mexican restaurant for 35 years, treating their employees and community with kindness, respect and courage — and also great food and margaritas! I began working there when I was 14 years old and was able to learn so much about hard work and cultivating a positive work environment. Much of what I learned working under my parents has shaped the way I run my own business and interact with my peers and colleagues.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Our goal is simple: we want to empower everyone, everywhere to combat climate change. We do this by making everyday banking a force for good that benefits people and the planet.
Banking works under a simple principle: for every $1 in a checking account, savings account, CD or other bank account, a bank is able to invest and make $1 worth of loans. Unfortunately, of the $1 trillion in total loans issued each year by banks in the U.S., less than 2% support green initiatives. Most loans fund companies and assets which create more emissions and further harm the environment. This problem exists not only in the U.S., but throughout the world. Our money has been utilized, and continues to be utilized, to fund trillions of dollars in loans which harm our environment.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way. What we need is a method in which our money solely gets utilized to fund green investments which will create a thriving sustainable economy. Ando introduces two new principles which have the power to transform the banking industry on a global scale.
1.) Loans should be green, not brown. 100% of customer bank balances in a checking and savings account should be green. Green loans exist across every major economic sector. For example, in the energy industry, banks can provide loans for renewable energy investments. In the building industry, banks offer residential and commercial green mortgages. In the transportation sector, banks offer loans for electric cars, hybrids, busses and trains. In the agriculture and forestry sectors, loans exist for sustainable agriculture and forestry. In sustainable industry, banks make loans to reduce waste, increase recycling, increase sustainable materials.
2.) Banks should provide 100% transparency on what they finance. When you buy food, they tell you exactly what’s in it and provide the nutritional facts. Transparency is important so consumers know exactly what they’re buying into. The same should be true of banking. Banks should be transparent about what they do with customer deposits. If I have $2,000 in my checking account, I would like to know how my $2,000 is being utilized by the bank. Is 1% of it going to finance green loans, 5% or 100% of it? This level of transparency helps inform customers on what happens when they hand over their paycheck to the bank.
When enough people join Ando (and other banks who follow these additional two principles), we hopefully will create a social tipping dynamic, whereby other banks will need to incorporate these principles so that they don’t lose their customer deposits. This transformation will shift trillions of dollars away from funding brown loans to funding green loans thereby stopping global warming, improving our environment and creating a sustainable global economy.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
In August 2000, my wife and I heard Bill McDunough speak at a conference in Palm Desert, CA. He described that our economy was broken; it creates significant waste that harms our well-being and all life on the planet. He went on to describe how through better design we could create an economy modeled after nature, where there is no waste and a tremendous amount of abundance. After hearing him speak, I was forever changed. I realized my purpose in life was to work on solutions which promote sustainability and improve life for everyone on this planet.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
In the fall of 2019, I had a conversation with my 13-year-old son who is very concerned about the environment, global warming, and the implications of both on his future. I explained to him how banks operate, how much money they hold, and that people actually hold the power by choosing whom they bank with. When I was done, he looked at me and sighed and said, “Dad, I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” I knew that if a 13-year-old boy understood Ando, we were going to connect with enough people for Ando to be successful.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
I reached out to people who have been extremely successful, many of whom I have worked with in the past, to ask for advice, guidance and insight. I presented the concept to them, invited them to join and gave every person an equity stake in Ando. Admitting that you don’t always have the answers and learning from people who have been successful in their respective endeavors is what has helped me get to where I am today.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
It takes a village to do almost anything. Our purpose and opportunities enable us to connect with people who I never thought possible of reaching, mostly because of the team of people I have behind me. When you start something new it may feel like you are climbing Mt. Everest alone. I am in constant awe and extremely grateful for those who have joined the Ando team and continue to play a critical role in its development and success.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
I had a key team member once say that they maybe were not the right fit for the role because my ideas were too “out there” or too heavy. I didn’t know how to control and express my passions effectively, leaving him overwhelmed by my ideas. At the time, I didn’t think it was funny, but we look back on it now and laugh. For me, the lesson was and is now to lead with curiosity and seek first to understand and to apologize when and if you’ve made a mistake.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I am fortunate to have a number of people who have mentored and advised me along the way. First my spouse and children, both of whom inspire me and support me on my journey each and every day. Second, my co-founders and the entire Ando team who are experts in what they do and keep the machine running. They each influence and shape the company, and myself for that matter, on a daily basis.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
The community and society can do two very important things to help address the root of the climate crisis. First, raise awareness of the connection between banking and the environment and the role we each play. We enable banks to either harm the environment or heal it by simply giving them our money. Second, to encourage people to take action. With awareness comes responsibility, but many people don’t follow through on this or don’t know where to start. It’s important we each support each other and encourage one another to be a participant of change rather than a spectator.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
Today more people care about sustainability and the environment than they ever have before. As such, I think the biggest impact sustainability and environmental care have on a company’s bottom line is their role in defining a company’s culture. As Peter Drucker said, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In the last company I started and grew to 650 people, we had an intern program for MBA students. In our first year, we had 300 people apply for only nine spots. By the end of the program, the nine participants had offers from some of the top firms nationwide. Each intern we extended an offer to stayed in the industry because of our mission.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Love what you do. Challenges occur regularly. When you love what you do, it makes it much easier to work through them.
- It’s not what happens, but how you relate to it that matters. I wanted to launch our services in the summer, but this was not realistic. I could have been angry or disappointed, instead I reevaluated my expectations and moved forward.
- Trust in your community to spread awareness. Ando is now a community of people who I have never met and are joining in the conversation and contributing in ways I had never imagined.
- Fail quickly and fail often. There have been a lot of trial-and-error periods while launching Ando. For example, we came up with many different names for the company. It was important to “fail” quickly and realize what names worked vs. what didn’t as to not waste time and money building supporting assets for a name that didn’t stick.
- It takes a village. Grow your village as fast as you can because your business will depend upon it. Our village consists of our team members, investors, partners and customers.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Fantastic! The world needs lots of people to participate in making a positive impact. Your participation will propel others to do the same!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
As mentioned above, “It’s not what happens, but how you relate to it that matters.” For me, this life lesson comes into play almost every day. There are so many things that happen in life, and how we relate to them makes all the difference. I wish I would have learned this life lesson early on in my life.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Billie Eilish and Greta Thunberg. Two young passionate climate change agents.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jp-mcneill/
https://twitter.com/jpmcneill_ando
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How JP McNeill of Ando Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
ABOUT US
Social Impact Heroes is a media company that celebrates the accomplishments of great people who are using their gifts to help impact society and the planet. SIH is affiliated with Medium's Authority Magazine
Contact us: editor@authoritymag.co
FOLLOW US
© Social Impact Heroes, Al Rights Reserved
