You can’t control the weather. So, you’ve been planning an event in five locations across three states for a month? It might rain, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

You can’t control politics either. So, you planned your press conference to not fall on an election results day? The top candidates, who’s run has been fraught with scandal, might end up in a run-off election.

(Both of those things happened to me in my first few months on the job).

The media won’t always care about your event or news as much as you do. You can’t make them show up.

Don’t beat yourself up about.

We should probably learn to let go and realize we can’t control anything in our lives ever–and work is no different. If you don’t, you’ll stress yourself about things beyond your ability to control and you’ll get discouraged.

Thoughts from your experiences on this issue?

Here’s a first look at the social media campaign my small group girls are doing to raise awareness for sex-trafficking and child sex slavery. Movement makes waves. Details to come.

How well can you tell your story?

How about the story of how you met your spouse? The story of your beliefs? The story of your passions? The story of your business, your mission or cause?

Do you tell the story well?

Are you telling the right story to reach the people you’re trying to reach?

Just because you tell the story well doesn’t mean it will resonate with anyone.

A well told story, told with the right climax, told to the right people, is impactful.

Actually, few things are more impactful.

Sometimes you have to tell the story completely differently to maximize its reach.

Tailoring the story isn’t pandering–tailoring the story means not wasting people’s time with details that don’t relate, inspire or matter to them.

When you’re telling your story, what are you assuming people know?

What are you assuming they don’t know?

What are you trying to evoke when people hear, read or see story?

Your story is your brand.

If you had to start over tomorrow–make a new product, pursue a new mission, change your focus–your story is still happening.

It’s still growing.

Even if nothing is turning out like you thought it would, your story is still moving along. Your story is still being shaped.

How you tell it matters.

Grandpa’s gun made him notorious. On his way home from work one payday, he got off the bus and began walking across the bridge. In what turned out to be a very bad idea, a group of my cousins, his grandsons and great-nephews, had decided to wait for him where they knew he’d get off. They knew it was pay day and planned to jump up behind him and pretend to rob him. According to plan, one yelled, “Hey you!” from behind, and without even glancing over his shoulder, Grandpa whirled around shooting that pistol towards every one of them! They all ducked for cover, astonished that he’d shot at them. When Grandpa stopped and realized it was them, he looked them in the eyes and said, “You never jump a man on payday.”

What’s your story?

10 Things to Think About When Telling Your Story, coming next.

I don’t know about you–though I have a gut feeling you’re with me on this–all those birthday wishes are spoiled by this simple thing: Facebook told them all it was your birthday. They didn’t remember; they didn’t even have to think about it. It took them precisely four seconds to see your birthday on the upcoming events widget AND type a tres court message on your wall. The convenience of it all steals the excitement.

One handwritten happy birthday with a Sharpie on construction paper means more.

I think there’s an important truth to be noted here:

Convenience is often the enemy of impact.

Think about the last time someone mailed you a note (thank you notes don’t count, since everyone expects those to be handwritten and mailed). I’m not trying to be passe; I’m a blogging, email and Twitter-addict like the rest. Here’s my point: The simple time it took to write a note, buy a gift, make a call… the inconvenience you are willing go through to make a certain gesture…still means something to people.

Now obviously there are times when convenience reigns. But inconveniencing yourself enough to honestly THINK about what would impact someone is the only thing that really will impact them.

Take some time to think about your clients or the people you serve; ask yourself what they expect from you. If you’ll spend some time dreaming up ways to go beyond those expectations, you might just change some relationships for the better.

• Think of your mission as art work: What would a painting of your mission look like?  Imagine the story, the colors, and style. Fill the frame.
• Katya says “Fill that frame with a hero that demonstrates the best of your work.  Who is that person?  What are they doing?”
• From the visual in your mind, describe your organization, your brand.
• Here’s the hardest part: Express the complete story of your organization in less than six words.

Great tips, Katya! I believe thinking like this can help you move from analytical messaging to evocative messaging, which can make all the difference when you’re trying to compel people to care, to give and to volunteer!

Guardian ad Litem is a state-run program that matches a volunteer up with each child or teen that has been taken from their parents due to abuse or neglect. The program really helps to provide stability for the kids through the difficult times, which can often include court appearances and moving between homes. Spencer said the program was started in the 80s.

I was two when the 80s ended, therefore, I never heard of it’s conception… And many people my age didn’t either.

So ultimately what Spencer and I discussed was how to get the word out about this program now. Guardian ad Litem has a lot of great senior-aged volunteers, but in order to expand and perpetuate the program successfully, it has to start reaching the next generation. Volunteers have to be at least 21, which makes targeting college juniors and seniors seem relevant.

The cause is worthy and the need is critical (Spencer referenced that there seems to be a correlation between the worse economy and more incidents of child abuse and neglect).

We tossed around some ideas, which I might share later, but I’d like to know what you think. If you’re under the age of 30, have you ever heard of Guardian ad Litem? What do you think what compel the heart your friends to get involved with a program like this?

I learned so much throughout this semester. I was essentially the leader of our group, and I had amazing partners to work with. I learned a lot about motivating people, keeping organized, and responsibility. I feel like I also learned a lot about the value of keeping the vision in front of you. When it came down to editing the final cut, we had so much we could have said. Making the decision to cut it down to the best clips that expressed the message we wanted to help the Upstate Homeless Coalition get out was tough–and incredibly valuable.

The people’s stories we heard were altering, and I wish we could have included them all. Then viewers would have better understood the way this project changed us. Below is the finished project; may it cause you to think, see, and listen.

After an internal investigation, four officers resigned and two have pled guilty to the federal charge of deprivation of civil rights. WYFF 4 reported about the sentencing of one of the officers, quoting police chief Terri Wilfong’s statement:

“As chief, I want to reassure the members of this community that the men and women that comprise this agency are dedicated to treating everyone with respect, dignity and equality and integrity with this agency is not negotiable.”

It’s good to know that the leadership of our police force won’t tolerate homeless people being treated as second-class citizens. I’m glad that the people charged with seeking justice won’t get away with injustice.

The police haven’t released the name of the homeless man who was injured by the officers, but I hope he finds out that what happened to him was important enough to be addressed and righted.

Henry said some things that really got me thinking but might not end up in the film we’re making. He addressed the need for a place to take a night-time shower in Greenville. He said there are many places to take an early morning shower, but if you’ve found some work, you can’t get to the shower and to the job on time. He said homeless people can’t go to night school or to a job interview without a shower, but they also can’t eat without working or going to free meals that are all on very specific schedules. I thought his point was valid.

Henry also brought up this: Living on the street makes people forget what “normal” life is like. He recounted a story of a man he knows picking him up, taking him to a buffet dinner, and then taking him to movie. He said the whole experience reassured him that someone cared and reminded him what life in society is like. Henry encouraged people to get involved directly with helping a homeless person, rather than indirectly giving to them by donating clothes or food to other organizations. He said the homeless get used to getting free clothes and meals, and it stops meaning so much to them. But, a person who stops, see them, asks them to dinner, and treats them with respect could change their life forever.

That day, Henry was on his way to get his teeth fixed (His front two were knocked out one evening he spent in jail by a young man who wanted his sandwich. The police didn’t get him any medical attention for the gaping hole in his mouth, and eventually developed a staph infection on his head that lasted for years). The dentist was going to pull a few, clean the rest, and start preparing to replace his missing ones. Huge day for Henry. I was privilege to be a part of it.