Giving Back: It's Personal and Starts With Your Heart

by Skip Cohen

A conversation with a photographer recently set the stage for this morning's post. He's struggling to get involved in a non-profit in his community. In overthinking which one to join, he's procrastinated his way into not doing anything.

While I've written a lot over the years about the importance of giving back to your community to build brand awareness, it all starts with what's in your heart and has nothing to do with your business. You have to find that cause that pulls at your own heartstrings first.

For example, we moved to Florida to help my Dad through my mother's fight with Alzheimer's. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all died of this horrible disease. Being involved in the fight against Alzheimer's is my way of paying tribute to my family; keeping my Mom's spirit alive and has nothing to do with my business. 

I've always believed everything happens for a reason. Whether it's true or just how our mind rationalizes our choices in life, my favorite quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "I am a part of all that I have met," couldn't be more accurate. Everything that happens in our life, everybody we meet, and every challenge, victory, and defeat contribute to our journey. My mother's fight with Alzheimer's took me to the Senior Friendship Center in 2011. It started with my Dad and me joining the Caregiver Support Group, which led to me helping them build a blog, then a podcast series, and almost six years on their Board.  Last week, I joined the Memory Care Alliance, expanding my involvement in the fight against Alzheimer's.

The Memory Care Alliance is the vision of one of Sarasota's most respected neurologists. It's a community-based network of compassionate and experienced providers dedicated to providing the highest standard of care for patients and families dealing with Alzheimer's. The members are neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, geriatric care managers, home health care agencies, adult day care, support groups, respite care, and legal counseling.

It's Marketing Monday, but in all honesty, however you choose to be more involved in your community starts with having nothing to do with marketing or building your brand. It's about expanding your heart, and the theme of today's post is, "Together we make a difference."

Take some time to think about the challenges you and your family have experienced. Just about every challenge any of us have ever faced has a cause-related non-profit organization associated with support for people experiencing the same difficulty. Listen to your heart first, get involved, and then you can build brand awareness around your giving back.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” 
Winston Churchill