Sing that song...

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them." ~ Henry David Thoreau

How often have you had the thought of something you wanted to share with the world and then life got in the way. You get busy. Kids. Pets. Work. Laundry. Then the thought flits aways like a bird. Now you see it. Now you don't.

What was that thought again?

I'm trying to cull all those thoughts back together. Years of ideas centering around the concept of doing well and doing good.

Doing well, in my experience, includes marketing to help your company grow, to position your products, to develop your brand. And then leveraging your success to do good -- help your community, bonding with a cause, a charity or an initiative. As the two compound, it creates even greater opportunity for both. (I will do another post on "compounding" in the near future. This is a new concept I've recently discovered and it is powerful!)

It doesn't matter if you are a solopreneur or a major corporation, effective cause marketing and cause branding can lead to growth -- product awareness and sales as well as personal growth and expanding awareness for the cause close to your heart or your business. The key is ensuring alignment between the two.

In today's world, where authenticity is fact checked in real time, it's essential that the bonds between you and the organization or initiative are organic and transparent. For some, that cause is naturally connected. Like oral health issues for a dental insurance company. For some, it comes from the heart. Like an organization dedicated to helping youth through mentoring relationships for someone who owes their career to mentors who believed in them.

I enjoy being a connector. Helping bring people and organizations together. Matching passions and interests with charities for meaningful impact. In 1 Peter 4:10, and I'm paraphrasing, it is suggested that we use our gifts to serve others. I believe those gifts include our time, talent and treasure and as we succeed, we should share that with others. It's our responsibility to be good stewards of our resources.

That service can be financial support of a meaningful cause or using your talents to help an organization's leadership, such as serving on a board or a committee, or helping advance the cause through volunteering and getting involved. We all have the ability to help in some ways, and often the smallest ways can be the most meaningful.

Is there an organization that is meaningful to you? If you are not familiar with non-profits in your community, is there a cause that is important to you? Children? Hunger? Helping young college students connect professionally?

Now back to those fleeting thoughts... I'm trying to capture (and re-capture!) them to help others learn how they can serve in a way that is meaningful for them and impactful for their communities.

I invite you to share your thoughts and questions to help me build this compilation into a body of work that can help individuals and organizations be better stewards of our communities.