1000 Cranes Blog

Finding Undiscovered Talents

In reflecting upon last year, I found that I've been very blessed to be a part of Toastmasters International.  Not only have I learned about my leadership skills as a club leader, my speaking skills have grown by leaps and bounds.  After serving for the last four years in a variety of leadership roles, I never had the opportunity to compete in a speech competition.  I promised my club, the Power NAAAPsters, that the first opportunity that I qualified, I would compete on behalf of the club. 

I originally had planned to compete in the Evaluation competition, but another person in the club wanted to do that.  I decided then that I'd go ahead and try the Humorous Speech Competition...little did I know what was in store for me! 

My first speech was simple.  I only had a beginning and an end, and my goal was just to stay within 5-7 minutes.  It became a rant on Star Wars and Star Trek fans.  Honestly, I hadn't taken it seriously.  I thought I could make a few jokes about how fanatic these people are and then compete in the area competition since I had no one to compete against in my club.

Needless to say, my club put my feet to the fire and said I needed to redo my speech.  They wouldn't take mediocrity for an answer, and most importantly, they told me my topic would just not work.  You see, if I have one judge in the audience who is a Star Wars or Star Trek fan, I would immediately lose points since that judge wouldn't like my speech.   They said, "why don't you consider, talking about Harry Potter? You can still talk about fanatics with a topic that's a bit more obscure." 

I took on the challenge, but I couldn't talk for 5-7 minutes on just Harry Potter, so I ended up talking about the three things that start with the letter "H" that drive me crazy.  These were Health Nuts, Harry Potter Fans, and Hippies.  This now made the speech into a set of characters.  All of a sudden now, I had three characters for my speech which had voices and stories. 

I gave that speech at the Area level contest, and honestly, I was surprised I won.  I had forgotten my lines on stage and ended up improvising my speech until I recovered.  In this case, I was just the best of the worst, and I was just lucky.  I vowed to improve, so I went back to the drawing board.

I kept the three characters, but this time I decided to create a character for myself as a counterpoint.  I now became a sarcastic smoker who doesn't like her neighbors.  I gave the characters names and tightened up the dialog.  I gave my speech to a number of clubs to practice and watched myself on video several times to make sure I came across effectively.  I was ready for the Division competition! 

At the Division competition, I was shaking in my boots.  This was the championship where I was competing against the Area level champions in the Durham area.  If I won this competition, I would move onto the State competition!  I ended up pulling the slot for the last speaker of the evening, and it wracked my nerves!  I was dead last to present, and every time I heard a speaker, I started thinking, "Gosh, I'm not going to be able to beat them!"    I was lucky...the third presenter right before me, went over time.  I knew that I wouldn't finish last, so I got up my confidence and delivered my speech.   Low and behold, when they called the winners...I was thrilled that I won! 

What started off as a whim to appease my club to compete in a speech contest, ended up as a wonderful opportunity to compete with 7 other finalists in the State competition in Asheville!   We were considered the 8 funniest people in the State!  I did my best at the competition, and although I didn't place, I found a greater gift.  I discovered that I can be funny, and I can deliver an entertaining speech to delight an audience and make them laugh.  I had people coming up to me later telling me that they had no idea I could be so funny.  Honestly, I didn't realize it either until I was challenged.  Sometimes finding your undiscovered talents starts with just trying something new.  Give it a try, you may be surprised! 

Have you thought about doing something completely different?

What is stopping you from starting?

Do you have a support group to help you discover your talents? 

Using More Fair Trade Vendors for Your Events

One of the things I took away from the Social Enterprise World Forum was to spend funds whenever possible and support fair trade vendors.

This conference was unique in many ways.  Instead of bottled water bottles, water was served from pitchers.  Food provided for several of the events include fair trade wines, fruit, and chocolate.  So the conference itself not only supported these fine establishments but also raised awareness to the attendees of the variety of social enterprises that are available and encouraged delegates to seek these vendors out whenever they host such an event.

In addition, one of the featured booths at the conference, Determined to Succeed, showcased a local high school that was recognized for its educational programs in social enterprise.  I purchased a Shared Earth jute bag from the booth which benefited the organization.  Scottish high school students had raised 1000 pounds over the two and 1/2 day event which will help educate 200 students for an entire year in Africa. 

I'm now looking at other ways I can include social enterprises into 1000 Cranes business practices.  I will keep you posted in the weeks and months to come! 

How can you integrate fair trade and social enterprise vendors into your business practices? 

What can you do to educate your customers about fair trade organizations? 

What can you do to influence your conference planners to consider using these vendors? 

Laila Iskander and the Role of Egyptian Recycling at the Social Enterprise World Forum

As I was reflecting upon the speeches I heard this week at the Social Enterprise World Forum, I had mentioned to another delegate at the conference that the worldwide nature and cultural differences regarding social enterprise really sank in when we heard Laila Iskander speak on Wednesday afternoon.  Social Enterprise for the Egyptians is a way of life and is a matter of survival for several families. 

Unfortunately, my delegate friend had missed the event because of an illness, and as I was recounting to her the event, it was one of those situations where recounting it is certainly not as powerful as experiencing and witnessing the speech itself.

Fortunately, I did find a synopsis on Social Enterprise Magazine where Jon Molyneux truly captured the moment as closely as possible, but honestly folks, you really had to be there. 

One of the things that Laila had mentioned is that many multinational companies consider solving the problem of "waste" by creating a big landfill and dumping it there.  In her country, she mentioned that there is no such word as "waste" but rather these are "materials."   

With the families that literally survive on sorting the plastic that appears everyday, they can harvest enough plastic and valuable "materials" to provide a good standard of living for their families. 

Laila had recounted that in Cairo there is a black market of sundry goods that exchange hands when an empty consumer product is refilled with a similar product.  In the case of shampoo, for example, people will look for Proctor and Gamble name brand shampoos and then refill them with inferior substitutes and try to sell it as if it were new. 

This is where the idea of working closely with the P&Gs of the world to remove the plastic from the black market through these social entrepreneurs.  They can separate out the plastic by sight, touch and smell and then shred the plastic so it cannot be used in the black market.  The large company can then reuse the shredded plastic for future products and the social entrepreneur can be paid for his/her services.

Albeit, there are some problems with this solution as many times families are exposed to hazardous chemicals, and children are often involved in the business.  However, if they didn't participate in this entrepreneurial effort, many would be facing hunger and poverty.  It's truly a matter of survival in Egypt rather than just a new revenue stream. 

What is your view of Social Enterprise in your country and how does it compare to Egypt?

Does this give you a new view of what you throw away on a regular basis?

If you were to replace the word "waste" with "materials", how would you view what you throw out day-to-day?

Be Audacious and Passionate Everyday!

As you saw and heard from my last video, I met Robert Egger at Edinburgh Castle. 

He was the last speaker today and gave the audience a rousing speech to encourage us all to do the most we can in this movement.  He gave the attendees a great boost and challenge to become fully engaged in their communities and support social enterprise.

He also used a metaphor that was very compelling in his speech.  He recounted his trip to Peru where he started his hiking journey ahead of everyone else.  At the back of the pack, he mentioned that an older woman or "little old lady" was taking up the rear of the hiking team.  At one point in the journey, he became dehydrated and fell behind.  As more and more people passed him up, it was the "little old lady" that led him to complete his journey. 

The leaders can become followers, and the followers can become leaders.  Corporations and government may see social enterprises as that "little old lady" at the back of the pack.  Yet if they looked closely, they'd see that social enterprises will be leading the pack instead. 

He was very gracious to appear on camera for the 1000 Cranes Videolog, and here is call to action is to be audacious and passionate about what we do.  For some countries, it's a matter of survival and a true way to become independent from poverty. 

What are you doing to be audacious and passionate everyday?

Where do you see social enterprise making the most impact in the world?

What can we do collectively to grow this social enterprise movement? 

Eye Opening Day at the Social Enterprise World Forum

This is the first overseas International conference I have attended since 1000 Cranes started almost five years ago, and what an eye opening experience it has been.  Most conferences I've attended have been in Canada or the States which tend to be very North American centric.  In this case, it's been refreshing to see examples of Social Enterprises from around the world. 

Today, I had an opportunity hear inspiring keynote speeches about organizations in Scotland, Australia, Egypt, Ghana, Denmark regarding:

• The Role of Government in Supporting  Social Enterprise
• Funding Social Enterprise
• Tackling Poverty through Social Enterprise
• Changing Societies through Innovative Social Enterprise

There was also plenty of time to network with a variety of people from Brazil, Wales, England, and of course, those from North America in Canada and the United States. 

I was particularly inspired by the distinct differences between what is allowed in various countries.  Some were farther along than others even though they may share borders. 

It was also poignant to see how much personal investment was done by individuals.  What I love about the work I do in the nonprofit organization (NPO) and nongovernmental (NGO) sectors is that these organizations are so driven by their respective missions. 

Whether it's improving the lives of families in Egypt through waste management contracts or providing autistic people with a way to earn a living in Denmark or providing Ghana farmers through Kuapa Kokoo a 45% share of a chocolate social enterprise, all of these organizations thrive because they are vehemently passionate about the mission of the organizations they support. 

What could you do to become vehemently passionate about what you do?

What social enterprises embody your country and promote a better life for its citizens?

Where do you see the next wave of growth occuring in this space?

 

Opening Day of the Social Enterprise World Forum

This is the inauguration of the Social Enterprise World Forum, and it was very special to be a delegate representing Canada at this event. 

The delegates were treated to exclusive access to the Edinburgh Castle this evening.  The castle had special torches lit at the entrance welcoming the delegates who were then led to Jacobite Hall where we enjoyed some beverages and canapes. 

The evening started with an opening and welcome addresses given by:

• John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth,
• Councillor Tom Buchanan,
• Jim McFarlane, MD Operations of Scottish Enterprise Strengthening Communiies Group and
• John Watt, Director Highlands & Islands Enterprise

We were then treated to an exclusive viewing of the Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and the Sword of State.  I was fortunate enough that Big Rory, a literal giant figure, came to be on camera with me. 

The delegation was later led out of the castle to a traditional Scottish beat retreat from the castle as the evening wound down.   It was an exciting evening seeing all of the delegates representing 24 countries from around the world.  Also, fortuitously, I met Robert Egger of the DC Central Kitchen who wrote the great Social Enterprise book, "Begging for Change".   He's agreed to be featured in a segment for the 1000 videolog, so stay tuned! 

Benefit Charities While You Eat

After sitting on the tarmac for two hours and fifty minutes due to thunderstorms, it was a relief to finally pull away from the gate and head to London.  Getting to London was a fairly routine plane trip, although instead of arriving at the originally scheduled arrival time of 6:30am, the flight landed at 9:00am right during the London Heathrow rush.   I highly recommend flying business class for International flights like these.  Despite the delays, it made traveling much more bearable.   

After some much needed rest at the Hilton Hotel at Euston, I headed to the Kings Cross Station to make a reservation for the train ride to Edinburgh tomorrow.  Whenever I’m in Britain, one of my favorite places to stop is the Upper Crust Sandwich shop which you can always find at the train stations.   They always have a wide variety of freshly made sandwiches that are always excellent.  I had the Wiltshire Ham and Mozzarella, and I have my eye on the Brie, Tomato and Cucumber one for tomorrow! 

My evening meal was at Pizza Express which although the name doesn’t sound all that appealing was a very nice sit down restaurant.  It was fortuitous that we chose to eat here, as the restaurant is a very socially conscious one. Their pizzas and entrees are made with organic vegetables and free-range eggs, and several dishes also give you an option where 25p will go to a charity.  The two that I saw on the menu included Venice in Peril and Bliss, a charity that benefits special care babies.   

Tomorrow will be a a five hour trip North to Edinburgh on the British National Rail in order to make it in time for the Social Enterprise World Forum hosted by Community Enterprise in Strathclyde which starts on Tuesday evening.

How do you feel when you know a portion of your meal expenses will go to help a charity and do you think this helps drive more business?

Do you actively seek socially responsible businesses when you travel?

1000 Cranes to Represent Canada at the Social Enterprise World Forum!

I am thrilled that I will be attending the Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh, Scotland this year.  This event is the first inaugural event bringing together practitioners in this space from around the world.   

150 delegates will represent Scotland; 150 will represent Great Britain countries, and 150 will represent countries from around the world. 

I leave for London tomorrow and travel up to Edinburgh, Scotland in time for the opening ceremonies the evening of September 2nd at Edinburgh Castle. 

Two full days of sessions follow which include a Master Class with Jerr Boschee that I'm scheduled to attend on Wednesday.  This is a wonderful training opportunity, and I'm looking forward to representing Canada as a delegate of the convention.   As many of you know, 1000 Cranes opened an office in Toronto in April this year, and we're thrilled to be a part of this convention! 

The conference will also use Crystal Interactive Technologies to encourage participation from the delegates, so it will be highly interactive.  This is the first time for me to use the technology, so I'll keep you posted when I get to experience it first hand. 

Due to the time difference and the packed schedule, I will not have an opportunity to return emails and phone calls reliably.  I will work to update this blog, daily, so stay tuned with more updates on my travels abroad, and I will get back in touch when I return to North America.

Cheers! 

 

Awesome Dawson

One of the benefits of going to conferences is the opportunity to meet some famous people.  During the last few days at the National Association of Asian American Professionals Conference, I met actors Tamlyn Tomita (Waverly Jong from "The Joy Luck Club", James Kyson Lee (Ando from "Heroes") and UN Ambassador, Sichan Siv. 

One of the nicest people I met was Toby Dawson, the 2006 Bronze Olympic Medalist in the Men's Freestyle Moguls competition.  He was gracious enough to let me hold his medal and wear it around my neck.  Here is my interview with him that I recently posted on YouTube:

His story also has an interesting twist since his fame from the Olympics reunited him with his father in South Korea.  Toby was lost in a marketplace when he was three years old and was taken to an orphanage where he was later adopted by his parents, Deborah and Mike Dawson, of Vail, Colorado.  Their encouragement, training and his hard work paid off with his historic win in Torino in 2006. 

Toby was an inspiration to many Asian Americans along with Kristy Yamaguchi and Apolo Anton Ohno who have worked hard to represent the United States and have competed well.  It is wonderful to be a part of a diverse country with so many talented people! 

One of the things that Toby had mentioned in his speech was that one of his favorite times in the Olympics was the opening ceremony when all the athletes from around the world walked into the stadium.  He mentioned that it was a great sign of fellowship where everyone came into the arena on an equal ground before the competition.  It was a moment he treasures and his Olympic medal is a symbol of what he had accomplished from all his hard work.   

Toby was so gracious to share his medal with others and to encourage others to follow their dreams.  He is a true inspiration to all Americans! 

What goals do you have and how hard are you willing to work toward them?

Have you thought how your actions and deed may be scruitinized closely by the public and potentially by people around the world? 

How do you share your glory with others? 

Touching People Through Your Words

I just finished the last part of my speeches for the National Association of Asian American Professionals Conference here in Los Angeles.  It has been an amazing several days of inspiration, training and fellowship.  It's nice to have a chance to wind down after several long days. 

This was the first time we ran the NAAAP Leadership Institute, and I was very surprised when several people came up to me and asked for a picture and mentioned I had inspired them about keeping ethics in the their lives and to also look at becoming a speaker. 

I was taken aback at first as I normally have a few people who will ask me to answer several questions after a speech. This is the first time people wanted me to pose with them for a picture!  That was fun, but I was most moved by the people who felt they had been moved by my speech to take action. 

People often criticize people who are good speakers, but I think if you look back over time at the people who are able to say words that resonate with many, it's a powerful tool for change.  People are willing to help you achieve your goals if you also inspire them with words of hope.  This is something we should celebrate!   

Who inspires you when you hear them speak?

What do you expect to learn and/or feel when you hear a speaker?   

How can the power of speech help you inspire your team?