It was a quiet Tuesday morning in my hometown on the edge of the prairie. The sun had just begun to peek over the tops of the trees. The birds were just beginning their morning serenade. Ahhhhh It was a quiet and serene morning in my little world. I had just sat down for a […]
You’re Not Done Yet
October 20, 2020 by 2 Comments
There’s a great deal to be said about the past four years. Which, of course, is why Webster’s summarized it all with one word. Their word of the year… Surreal Merriam-Webster defines “surreal” as “marked by the intense, irrational, reality of a dream.” That’s a fine definition. But it’s also kind of tricky. Like everything […]
Experiences: Safe Havens For Tribe Action
January 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment
It was an amazing evening. The Robin Hood Foundation had just raised $101,000,000. In one night. At one event. Some people looked at the result and decided the tactic was the secret. It was not The gala itself is not the story. The real story has two parts. First, it’s about all the efforts that […]
How Movements Spread
December 3, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Once there was a little girl who loved yo-yos. Nancy loved the way they twirled. She loved the tricks they did. She loved the way she could control them with just a flick of her wrist. One Monday morning Another kid brought his yo-yo to school. To him it was just another toy. It was […]
How To Build A Storytelling Culture
September 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Natalia is a 15-year-old girl who lives in a small village in Mozambique. It is amazing how much of her life revolves around water. Waiting on water Each morning, after caring for her six brothers and sisters, she walks with pails to a riverbed miles away. When she get there she stands in line, waiting […]
Oh, The Wonderful, New Places You’ll Go
June 27, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go. […]
Modern Movements, #MindTheDigits
May 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment
By Sam Stern Sam Stern is CEO of MagnifyGood, a communications consultancy that magnifies the good of social sector programs by improving the value of their communications efforts Creating change After the initial news of Harvey Weinstein’s longtime abusive practices spread across the globe, an innumerable amount of stories began piling up. For almost two months, the […]
All Together Now: Passion, Experience, Story
April 30, 2019 by Leave a Comment
The people of Pernambuco, Brazil, were up against a death or life situation. And death was winning. Each year, hundreds of members of their community were dying senselessly. Not because of poor medical care But because they couldn’t get the replacement organs they needed to survive. According to Brazilian law, it’s up to the family. […]
Want To Lead A Movement? Start With A Story
April 16, 2019 by 1 Comment
Two children were born on the same day in Uganda. Two children grew up in the same Ugandan village. One boy One of those boys dropped out of school. He never learned to read. He ended up cutting sugarcane. He eventually struggled with alcohol abuse and parented many children out of wedlock. The other boy […]
Ten Things A Movement Needs
April 2, 2019 by 4 Comments
Through the oppressive heat, and humidity, and driving rain they came. Traveling in their luxury limos, and the family sedan they came. Celebrating in their fancy, streamlined motor coaches they came. Crowded into rickety, old school buses and church vans they came. In broken down VW buses and specially scheduled trains they came. From the […]
