Thousands of my closest peers
November 9, 2013
Don’t fail to be negative
December 3, 2013
Seeing 5-year-old Miles Scott live out his dream as Batkid yesterday in San Francisco was heartwarming–a celebration of love and human triumph. The whole city celebrated this amazing little boy’s victory over leukemia. As I soaked in the good feelings the story brought, I had two very different thoughts.
The first was, “Wouldn’t it be nice if w
e could all suspend reality and cooperate more as communities to make dreams come true?” Not just those of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation or our wonderful local Dream Factory, but overcoming the mindset that good things can’t happen here or that change has to happen exactly the way I want it to. I’m talking about sharing a dream and playing cooperatively as we were taught as children. It’s a dream to work toward.
The second thought was, “Wouldn’t it be fun to get to play a hero like Miles?” I have a strong imagination, so letting it run free for an afternoon would be great. Then I had an amazing realization: In our line of work, my team members and I get to be heroes every day. We answer our clients’ calls of distress and save their days, even their bottom lines, with our knowledge, experience and tenacity.
There are many business villains out there and we communication heroes are ready to take them on. From websites threatened by hackers to corporate goals abandoned by tactics that can’t be measured, or a sense of helplessness that getting the right messages out to the right audiences is an impossible challenge. We’re not afraid to tackle a mammoth campaign to lift an organization into the prominent community position it deserves or to wrestle a crisis into submission.
We are so fortunate to get the call (usually by email or phone rather than a bat signal in the sky) to help our fellow citizens who are trying to create a better economy. It’s that sense of accomplishment, knowing we made a difference in their lives, that keeps us coming back, even in this tough and rumble business world.
Batkid, we’re with you–being a hero is great fun!
