Build then Bless

I’ve always been perplexed by people who say that they will be generous and giving and philanthropic at some future time in their life. One wealthy man I knew told me he wanted to be philanthropic “once he hit his number.” Meaning, he would begin looking to give to others once he made 5 million dollars. Until then, he would be shrewd and stingy with everyone he encountered along the way. But the problem with that mentality is that you spend the bulk of your life chasing a number and living inwardly or selfishly. You miss out on decades of small acts you could have performed while in pursuit of a big pot. In addition, that number you were chasing usually has to increase because you end up spending more money on bigger houses, nicer cars, and lots of sushi. All of the sudden your “number” goes from 5 million to 10 million because your mortgage and your leveraged assets won’t allow you to think of anyone but yourself. I don’t think a successful career is defined by a big exit or a jet or 14 extra homes. I don’t think it’s defined by awards or by retirement into a life of idleness. I believe that the key to this life is to be a “giver” all along the way. At any stage in your life, at any income, at any age… you can find ways to give, and if you do, you’ll find joy in any journey. So today, I want to shine a light on Robert Ferrell. He is one of those people who has spent his life being a giver. Rob has joined our advisory board as an ambassador for Build then Bless to help companies around the world inspire more of their people to “do good along the way.” Thanks to Rob and the Lemonade Stand Studios video team for telling such a compelling story.?

Are you the “make a new best friend with the person next to you in the grocery store line” kind of person? Or the “get in and get out” shopper? I’ve taken it a step further and am the “haven’t shopped in-store in two years because I use grocery delivery” kind of person. Instacart has my heart ?? But, once in a blue moon, there’s something that requires me to do a little shopping around and in this case, it was my work Halloween costume. I missed the Amazon delivery time and trust me, I tried to find fake mustaches for my Charlie Swan costume (the real ones will know) that someone would deliver to my house but came up empty. So, on October 30th, I made my way over to Target to see what I could find. Long story short on the fake mustache: I did not find anything and I had to draw it on with eyebrow pencil makeup. But I did leave Target with my favorite drink and an unforgettable Build then Bless experience. Every month, the company I work for (Lemonade Stand) gives every employee $50 to spend on other people. I’ve used it for sick neighbors, to give someone an extra big tip, to send gifts to a coworker who's having a hard time. Basically any good thing you can think of that will help someone else, you can use this money on! It’s pretty amazing. The $50 expires on the last day of every month and doesn’t roll over, which encourages us to use it consistently. I decided to give up on the mustache search but as I dug through my wallet to buy my soda, I saw my Build Then Bless debit card and realized my $50 was going to expire the next day. Seeing as I don’t put myself in the “strike up a conversation with people at the grocery store” category, I was going to buy some gift cards and slip them into baby formula and diaper boxes. But as I went to grab the gift cards, I felt like I wanted to have a real, one-on-one conversation with someone. I knew it would push me out of my comfort zone to ask a complete stranger if I could pay for their groceries but it felt like the right thing to do. Target probably thought I was casing the place as I walked through the aisles, trying to find the right people to talk to. I turned the corner and almost bumped into this young couple with the cutest little baby. I tried my best not to act like an MLM recruiter while asking if I could pay for whatever it was they were buying, and although they were a little confused, they met me at the checkout and we got in line together. Story continued in the comments!! And picture is from a recent Build Then Bless and Lasagna Love drop-off <3