Sprinkling Your Professional Magic Into Your Community

Ever wondered what would happen if you took your business superpowers and unleashed them on your local community? I'm here to tell you it's a wild ride that'll make the typical 9-to-5 look like a walk in the park!

Picture this: During the day, I'm juggling spreadsheets, KPIs, and operational efficiencies and by night, I'm running our town's longest-standing festival. Talk about shifting gears! ??

I’ve grown up with a heart for community service and volunteerism and it turns out, my professional toolkit is handier than a Swiss Army knife on a camping trip. Who knew? Let’s unpack this treasure trove of corporate superpowers and show you how they've transformed into community game-changers:

?? Ringmaster Extraordinaire: My operations experience? It's like being the ringmaster of a three-ring circus, but instead of lions and acrobats, I'm coordinating volunteers, vendors, local bands, and a parade that requires the closing of a state highway (NO easy achievement) that would make the biggest event production organization jealous of the seeming ease with which this all occurs. Juggling supply chains has nothing on managing a fleet of porta-potties, a troupe of face painters and a collection of hair metal, country, post punk and yacht rock bands!

?? Crystal Ball Skills: My change management expertise? It's like having a crystal ball to guide a 77-year-old tradition into the 21st century, where the "But we've always done it this way!" meets "Here's an exciting new approach!" It's like teaching your grandpa to use TikTok, but way more fun.

?? Fundraising Finesse: Remember those sales targets that keep you up at night? Child's play compared to raising funds for a community festival! Because if the target isn’t met, something gets cut and I have to explain to a few thousand people why that is; it's like being a magician, but instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, you're engaging sponsors through nurtured relationships!

??♀? Juggling Act: Remember that "challenging" colleague who always found a flaw in your presentation? Well, multiply that by a community full of passionate opinions, and you've got yourself a master class in diplomacy. It's like herding cats, if the cats all had megaphones and strong feelings about parades, entertainment and the timing of everything.

And since becoming involved, I’ve had the chance to sprinkle in a little extra pizzazz by looking at the entire experience through the lens of inclusion. Because let's face it, a party isn't a party unless everyone's invited! ????

One of the wise owls of the community sent me this text through his son about his experience at this year’s event, “Dad wants me to tell you that you just put on the best Labor Days he has ever seen in Black Diamond. The rest of us feel the same.”

The whole experience of volunteering and leading this community event has been like adding glitter to my professional toolkit. Not only do I get to flex my executive muscles in a new arena, but I also got to see my community light up brighter than a PowerPoint presentation on a Monday morning.

So, here's my challenge to you, my fellow workplace superheroes: What's your secret professional power, and how can you use it to jazz up your community? With volunteerism continuing to decline there are more opportunities for you to step in.

We all have ?skills that make us rock stars at work. But imagine taking those same skills and using them to make your neighborhood a bit brighter. It doesn't have to be running a festival (though let me tell you, it's a blast). Maybe you're a whiz with numbers who could help a local charity sort out their books. Or a social media guru who could boost a community group's online presence.

The point is, our day jobs give us superpowers that can do a world of good outside the office. So, what's your secret weapon? And how might you use it to leave your mark on your community? Leave a comment and let's swap ideas. Who knows? You might just inspire someone else to step up and make a difference.