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Category: Observations

7 sins of crowdfunding

My recent indiegogo campaign has elicited a flurry of emails from people looking for support and advice on projects of their own. I’ve attempted a few fundraising efforts — one that failed, one that supported inner city kids (and got me to Everest Base Camp), and another that had me running the 2011 NYC marathon (never again!). I’ve noticed a few patterns surrounding the psychology of asking and giving and hope this compilation might help you think carefully about your next crowdfunding endeavor.

ONE: APATHY. You don’t really care about your cause.

If you aren’t invested in your project, how can you ask anyone else to be? The solar project came out of something incredibly meaningful for me, and my passion is palpable through a screen. If you think your work will make a difference in someone’s life, probably it will. People will believe in you and your work, but first you must believe in yourself. It can be unnerving to put yourself out there, so focus on your goal and what you’re looking to accomplish to overcome any social anxieties. Excitement is contagious.

TWO: GLUTTONY. Stressing helps no one.

With each fundraiser I end up putting on a few pounds, ultimately telling friends “fundraising is bad for my health.” I won’t lie: fundraising is stressful. It can be an agonizing blend of deadlines, public exposure, asking for money, rejection, persistence, hard work, and time. Lots of time.

Keep in mind no one will give you an award for stressing out. Worrying only paralyzes you from accomplishing anything significant; this serves no one. If you are tired or rundown, you’re going to be an inefficient fundraiser, advocate, worker, person. Take care of yourself.

THREE: PRIDE. You’re not going to be successful by yourself; build a team.

You need supporters in your corner for the times you hit fundraising slumps (and you will). Enlist your funders to encourage and cheer you on. Basic mathematics: more people means more energy and effort directed towards your project. And more eyeballs (over 10k people visited the solar project page). You’ll need more than just financial support as you make the final push toward your goals.

FOUR: SLOTH. Fundraising is really like a marathon.

At first, your idea will sound exciting and meaningful and you can’t wait to get started.

Then reality sets in. Is crowdfunding going to work? What if this fails? (Anxious questioning is completely normal. If you’re not at least a little bit nervous, reevaluate #1.)

After you announce your campaign to the world, you will feel empowered and committed. You start telling colleagues, share your campaign on social media channels, and receive positive feedback from friends. This initial spike in enthusiasm will be followed by a slump. Don’t panic.

FIVE: WRATH. You are not getting the response you hoped for, and now you’re angry.

Don’t give up.

You have to work really freaking hard. Sometimes, all of your online efforts aren’t enough. This is when you start looking at offline options. Tell everyone you meet about your project. Plan events — events, fundraisers, silent auctions. At one point, I considered making animal balloons on the street for money. Then I started applying to every micro grant I could possibly find—THANK YOU, POLLINATION PROJECT!—for fear I wouldn’t reach my goal.

Remember #4. It’s a marathon race; pace yourself but be prepared for sudden sprints. You will regain energy and confidence as your deadline nears and you approach your goal.

SIX: IGNORANCE. You don’t know your own story.

You’ll need to get creative. Images and anecdotes create a portrait of what you’re trying to do. Show people why your cause is meaningful and what kind of impact you’re looking to make. Your shared content — photos, stories, ideas, videos, testimonials — will help you move past moments of doubt and remind you why you started this in the first place.

SEVEN: GREED. You got what you wanted.

Just because your campaign ends doesn’t mean your work is finished. Don’t be fooled — donor appreciation takes time and care. People went out of their way to support you and your cause; thank them and keep them updated on your progress and work. Follow up and be timely with updates. It makes you look responsible and reminds people they made the right choice by supporting your work.

Gratitude is everything.

Fear and two choices

Everyone has moments of panic.
If you don’t experience fear and anxiety from time to time, I’d wonder what kind of life you’re living. You’re probably not doing justice to your capabilities and talents or testing your limits. But this post isn’t about that.
I want you to pay attention to what you do AFTER those moments of panic and fear.
You have two choices:
1. Press on. 
Step on the gas and move forward (it doesn’t matter how slowly). Call it leaning in, fighting resistance, bucking up. I say you’re just going for it.
2. Ease off.
You’ve taken your foot off the pedal and/or you’ve stepped on the brake.
What do you do when you’re afraid?
Boarding my flight for Nepal, I was filled with trepidation and unease. I wish I could say I knew something amazing was waiting for me. I can’t. It wasn’t that I was afraid to travel around the world by myself; I was afraid of not knowing what the hell I was doing. There was fear and deep sense of anxiety, but I didn’t let it stop me.
I’m not unique. Many individuals have gotten on planes and found life-changing adventures — Scott, Eric, John, Tim, Hannah, Jim. Defining moments don’t have to involve travel, either. I felt this before my first dinner and my first project with Seth.
I’ve recognized panic and fear before many great learning experiences. There’s always something to lose, and your mind will come up with a million excuses why you will fail. The trick is finding a place of creative freedom and alleviating your fears just long enough to press on.
 

United by insecurity

No matter where your office is located, the ceiling can fall down. You don’t know when, but one day it will. There is even a possibility a car drives through your living room tonight while you’re sleeping.
We’ve done a great job fooling ourselves into believing we have it all figured out. We’ve worked hard to create predictable outcomes, studying to become masters of our environment. Data is plugged into spreadsheets, and dollars are spent on analyzing trends. Months are mapped out in advance. Calendars are scheduled to the minute. The year becomes a series of data points and action plans.
A soft mirage of familiarity has blanketed our world, producing a certain emotional numbness. We pick and choose what we want to feel. We pad ourselves from life with cars, TV shows, deadlines, large houses filled with things. The moment loneliness or vulnerability hits, we reach for our cell phones.
The irony is in all of this control and safety-making, we crave surprise and excitement. The tales of unpredictability are the ones we tell our friends. We sign up for marathons and Tough Mudders to feel something, to show the scrapes on our knees bearing witness of our participation. “Look at me, I’m living life!”
The moment you witness these tendencies is the moment you come alive. When you no longer cling to guarantees and you live in the challenge of each moment with nothing to hide.
This isn’t recklessness, it’s awareness. Some call it “mindful living,” the ability to observe what is happening as it happens. It’s not a need to know all of the answers but rather being in tune with the textures of your experience. It’s seeing the present for what it is, not what you wish for or as a result of what happened yesterday.
I often hear this question: “What’s next?”
I believe my flexibility in providing this answer has made my life what it is.
How wonderful it is to not know the answer.

A coffee riddle

Which costs more?

Coffee #1

Before you reach the counter, a wide grin flashes at the sight of your arrival. You’re greeted, “Hello! How are you, sister?”  and asked if you’ll have your usual order — black coffee with sugar, no milk.
As your coffee is prepared, you settle in at the table overlooking the outdoor market. There are three additional chairs surrounding the table; sometimes you’re joined by others. Today you’ve brought a newspaper along, but your eyes dart from its pages to the women buying fresh vegetables and men catching up on local gossip.
A small porcelain cup is carried on a saucer and placed in front of you. The woman asks about your day, your family, your friends. When you’re ready to leave, a friendly “See you again soon!” accompanies your change.

Coffee #2

You wait in a line of patrons nervously checking cellphones and eagerly scanning a large billboard of beverage choices. At the front of the queue, the cashier grumbles for orders. “What can I get you?”
After you hand over payment, you step aside to wait in an additional line for your black coffee. Collecting your paper cup, you advance to a separate counter to retrieve sugar packets for your brew. Though you’d like to sit, all tables are full — some occupied by lone individuals — and you decide to leave, having hardly made eye contact or uttered more than a few words.

Which coffee would you pay more for?

Successful businesses offer an experience, a connection. They provide moments that allow the customer to step away from “life” just long enough to return changed (or inspired) in some way.
Note: The coffee described in the first scenario actually costs much, much less than the second; $0.20 USD compared to $1.78 USD. Write me if you’d like to learn more.

Two kinds of people

You’re feeling dissatisfied, unsettled. You want better than what life is presenting to you. You want to provide for yourself and your family. Maybe you’d describe yourself as unhappy.
No matter where I’ve gone in the world (or who I’ve worked with: students, prisoners, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, monks), I’ve seen two typical responses to this situation.
Option A — Action Paralysis
What does this mean? Ideas aren’t in short supply, but movement is. These individuals fail to take any steps forward. Excuses and fear restrict their progress and prevent momentum.
“I don’t have the skills I need.”
“I can’t find a job that pays well.”
“It’s too hard.”
“It’s always been done this way.”
“It’s impossible.”
“Somebody else will do it.”
“If only I could get x, things would be easier.” (x = more money, a different job, the right partner, a miracle, admission, acceptance)
Option B — The Creators
Concrete decisions are made and acted upon in order to build a better life — no matter what obstacle is in the way. These individuals are so committed to the taste of their dreams and the potential of the future that nothing can stop them. They just do.
The Nepali shopkeeper who wakes at 4:00am daily to buy vegetables from whole-sellers and farmers to resell at the local market. He sets up shop with his wife and negotiates with customers. After the market closes, he heads to the tourist section of town to sell the rest of his bounty to hotels at a higher price.
A family uproots from their village and rents a two-bedroom house in the city. They turn one bedroom into a hotel and sleep all seven family members in the other.
The mother who sends her daughter to a different country to study because tuition is more affordable.
The corporate worker who sets aside his exhaustion at the end of the day to finish his screen play.
There are stories like this all over the world. Stories of sacrifice and perseverance and commitment and character and strength of vision.
You get to choose: do you want your story to be peppered with excuses or do you want to make something happen?

Traits of true leaders

From small projects to antiquated institutions, organized groups benefit greatly from strong, reliable leadership. Yet despite the undeniable need for talented management, the skills and traits of effective leaders aren’t necessarily easy to find.
I’ve watched organizations as varied as religious institutions (think monasteries and churches), start-ups, small companies, government entities, and educational programs struggle beneath the weight of inept leadership. Whether you’re starting a business, building a corporation, or strengthening your family, look for ways to foster the following traits within your team:
Leadership Trait #1: Observation
True leaders aren’t necessarily the loudest in the room, but their actions speak volumes. They are constantly observing and gathering information from their immediate environments, looking for parallels and connections with “the bigger picture.” They consult a variety of sources to collect data and remain in contact with each level of their tribe.
Leadership Trait #2: Humility
True leaders recognize the talents of those around them. Instead of feeling jealousy or insecurity, they look for ways to encourage, delegate, and provide opportunities for the growth and development of their affiliates. Prudent leaders find — and create — ways to make their contingents better.
Leadership Trait #3: Foresight
You may walk by an empty store and wonder why it closed. A leader sees the vacant lot and envisions what might be. Leaders aren’t restricted by thinking only of what is best for today; they consider the long run and what might happen ten years from now.
Leadership Trait #4: Empowerment
Leaders foster a sense of ownership and commitment from their team through trust, responsibility, and reward. By handing off significant tasks — duties in which failure has actual consequence — leaders demonstrate trust in their squad. And with the gift of responsibility comes loyalty and dedication in return. Rewarding a job “well done” establishes feedback loops that promote respect and build work ethic within teams.