I love an opportunity to manage projects; naturally, I take these skills with me into the community as a volunteer.
Bringing my best self to the Greater Williamsburg area helps me connect with my Zone of Genius, my distinct talents as a professional.
There are aspects of entrepreneurship that seem daunting, debilitating, and overwhelming to the business owner. These are the aspects of the business that I thrive in as an Online Business Manager. Similarly, there are aspects to volunteering that are best suited for me as a strategic thinker.
My superpower is orchestrating and coordinating plans and programs.
Before I was a business owner, I was orchestrating and coordinating projects to support The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, the local Junior Woman’s Club, and the Junior League of Hampton Roads.
These organizations do some heavy lifting, with hundreds of volunteers in communities around the United States, and here on the Peninsula, it is no different.
For the Junior League of Hampton Roads, I managed 35 volunteers to collect ~150 donations for a casino night-themed silent auction. There was a need for someone to take the reins to ensure each donation was collected and accounted for. I knew that was my cue to step up. What a great turn out! To see 500 participants enjoy a well-crafted fundraiser made my heart sing. That night we generated $12,000 in sales for local non-profits.
My take-charge, ‘make it so’ attitude also served me well when raising money to support those living with Multiple Sclerosis. I walked 30-miles in two days, and the organizers would have been more than grateful for just that commitment. But from the get-go, I set out to do what I said I would do, and I raised over $3,000 for the 2009 Historic Williamsburg MS Challenge Walk!
That’s just me. I volunteer to promote gratitude and to practice selflessness. Getting to manage a project along the way is the icing on the cake!
How do you bring your best self to your community? Share your experience with volunteer work in the comments and stay tuned-in for more on how I continue to give back since becoming a business owner.
#BestSelf #ZoneofGenius #OBMSuperPower #Volunteer #GreaterWilliamsburg #HamptonRoads