My First Broken Heart

Remember your first broken heart? I do…vividly. I was 7 years old and in Mrs. Leckron’s first grade classroom at Westview Elementary. Ironically, my sister-in-law is the principal of Westview currently. She walks the halls daily where I had my first broken heart. This is how the story unfolded.

I swear I followed the directions. I've always been that kind of student. I folded and traced just like she had taught us, or so I thought. But as I cut the penciled line, I ended up with a perfectly symmetrical broken heart. After a few ‘neener-neeners’ from my fellow classmates, I tried again. This time with determination. This time with feeling. This time with the fold on the correct side of my cut. Success…my very first paper heart. It was like time stood still, and for a moment, all was right with the world. I can’t say for sure how many Valentines I sent out that year, but I know every one of them was adorned with a perfectly symmetrical red heart.But something happens along the way. There are just things we did as kids that we stop doing as adults…and I’m not sure why. When did we stop climbing, jumping in puddles, and always (yes, always) telling the truth? Kids daydream, let go of grudges, and test their limits…a lot. Yet, at some point we started laughing, reading, and sleeping less. Playing games, being creative, and playing outside are still part of our lives, but now mostly memories.

But you can change that with some left brain marketing methods and some right brain marketing moxie.

Left Brain Marketing Methods with a dash of Right Brain Marketing Moxie:  While I love the concepts of coincidence, serendipity, and happenstance in theory, you can’t count on them. Both you and your donors deserve better. Let me outline 3 things you can do now!

But those three things on your list aren’t without a bit of Right Brain Marketing Moxie included--not separate but integrated. What are some things you think you should never have stopped doing once you started adulting? It’s not to late to reintegrate some of those things back into your life and even your workplace. It’s left brain methods with flair!

Let’s do this!

Left Brain Marketing Methods:  In 2004 when Yahoo’s Chief Solutions Officer, Tim Sanders, came to Grant County to speak at our first Synergy conference he reminded me of one of those things we stop doing…being a lovecat. Tim’s first book Love is the Killer App had just been published and, thus, the term lovecat was born.

Sanders describes a lovecat as someone who seeks to make a difference as their way of being successful. Little did he know at the time, but he was presenting to a group of people from Grant County, Indiana…the home county of Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield—the world’s official lovecat!

To be a lovecat, Sanders challenges you to do these three very important things: (1) share your knowledge, (2) share your network of friends and colleagues, and (3) share your compassion with everyone you meet. In a world where the economy is cliff-worthy and getting a great job is a competitive sport, being a lovecat can truly help you to stand out. After all, anyone can do things right; that’s skill. It takes a lovecat to do the right things; that’s character. And character trumps skill every day of the week and twice on Tuesdays. But theory is so…theoretical. And practice makes habits. So, let’s build a lovecat habit with a left brain action strategy I’ve written about before and always use when I learn something new:  The 3-2-1. It’s like a logical, left brain checklist that can remind you why you entered this profession in the first place.

In February, vow to share some of your knowledge with 3 people. Teach someone to use Excel, explain the Hedgehog Concept, demonstrate how to calculate your BMI, or share a recipe. Ask yourself what you know that others would benefit from learning...then share it. Sure, this could be within the realm of your job description, but it doesn’t have to be. Whenever you teach someone something, you share value with them. And not only do they learn something, but more importantly, they discover that they also have value that they can share. Reminding others that they, too, have value, is a game-changer and a self-esteem-builder.

Then, share your network. You must know 2 people that need to know each other, but don’t…yet. That’s where you come in. Introduce 2 friends and/or colleagues to each other. They might share an interest that should be cultivated, maybe one has great ideas and the other has financing, or maybe they would complement each other in a way that would bring great synergy to your community. Schedule a lunch. Introduce them. Then sit back and see what happens. Or better yet, walk away and let them enjoy getting to know each other without you. My favorite moxiful method is to buy a gift card to a coffee shop, send it to them electronically, and e-introduce them. I absolutely love hearing the stories after they’ve met. Some made lifelong friends, some made new hires, and some made babies. All were totally worth the sharing of my network.

Finally, 1. One thing to do immediately. What could you do that would show your compassion for someone else? Don’t let the word scare you. Com simply means “with” and passion means “love”. What can you do to show someone love? Fill their gas tank, do the dishes, bring them coffee, donate to their favorite cause in their honor…really anything. Just do it. Immediately.

I think what you’ll rediscover is that giving makes you feel good. Maybe you need that little reminder. When you give and someone’s life is changed for the better because of it, you get that hit of dopamine in your brain that makes you feel oh-so-good. And, right then, you’ll remember how amazing it is that you can help your donors do this same thing. You’ll never ask them for a transactional dollar again. Instead, you’ll ask them to join you in transforming someone or something for the better. Ah, it’s good stuff! 

As you might know from past Frideas, to show a little compassion to all our donors, we often harken back to something we did as kids, but just don’t do much anymore…sending Valentines. It’s not just for spouses anymore! Do you love your donors? Tell them? Be light-hearted, funny even. Get creative! The world is a harsh place at times. Jobs are stressful, the market is low, and you already flubbed up on your New Year’s Resolutions. But happiness in your mailbox—everyone loves that!

I know we’ve always been told that people share their time, talent, and treasure. But I believe people also share their knowledge, their networks, and their compassion. So, be a role model and start sharing those as well. You can always start by sending a few Valentines this year. And do me a favor, embellish each one with a perfectly symmetrical heart. Because there's something ever-so-special about symmetry. Kind of reminds me of Newton's Third Law:  Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Wonder what your equal and opposite reaction might be if you execute the Law of the Lovecat with your donors? I can't wait to find out.

 All My Best,

Dawn
[email protected]
dawn brown creative, llc.