Tuesday Thoughts | 24 September 2024 | Honey, I’m Coming Home – Homecoming 2024

If you happen to see me IRL this Saturday, you’ll find me wearing a purple t-shirt with the words ‘Once A Hawk, Always A Hawk’ written in large golden letters across the front; if its chilly out, you’ll also see me wearing a nearly quarter-century-old grey sweatshirt embroidered with the word ‘LAURIER’ in purple and gold as well.

I have an entire bin of Golden Hawk gear collected over the last 24 years since I first moved into residence in Conrad Hall in the fall of 2000; from cowbells to pompoms with a built-in clicker on one of the handles, and ball caps, socks, buttons, and even a towel(?), homecoming presents an opportunity to dig out some purple and gold and gear up.

This year is special on a couple of accounts; first, this year is my 20th class reunion year, as a proud member of the class of 2004 you’ll find me in the alumni endzone throughout the game; and second, this is my first Homecoming as a member of the Board of Directors of the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA).

In fact, much of this week is filled with Alumni related activities; from tomorrow night’s Virtual WLUAA AGM; to the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Thursday night – congratulations to my friend and fellow Hawk Eric Davis on being named the Community Impact Award winner for 2024, and to all the other deserving honourees; and of course, Saturday’s big game against the Ottawa GeeGees.

If you ask my mom, who is often wiser than perhaps I give her credit for – at least when it comes to really SEEING me, deep down below the surface – she’ll tell you that I am the sort of person who jumps in with both feet and shows an incredible amount of loyalty to my communities.

Before I was a Laurier Golden Hawk, I was a Brother Andre Cardinal – yes, I also still have a few pieces of Cardinals gear, some dating back to my first year of high school. When I dig in, I really dig in; if you wander my office, you’ll find little nods to many of the organizations I’ve worked for and/or been a part of over my lifetime.

Its been my experience that learning to care about institutions, and not just the points at which we intersect with them, makes it much easier to get and stay motivated; anyone who has successfully navigated a degree will tell you that not every day was fun, but when I look back, I remember those moments with far less clarity than the first time I sat in the stands at a Football Game, or went running across campus dressed all in Blue (my colour team for O-week in first year).

When you talk to people who went to university at institutions notorious for treating their students as only a number, they might be proud of the crest on their degree or have fond memories of the friendships they formed; but the place itself holds little fondness.

Conversely, many of my fellow Golden Hawks still know their student numbers and can rattle them off by heart when asked; my working theory is that when your number is functional – how you pay for things, or identify yourself when writing a test – instead of how you are seen day-in-and-day-out, it becomes a detail your brain isn’t working hard to disassociate from.

I’ve just finished reading Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal; and spoiler: the answer to how to do more of what matters to you, is to find ways to enjoy your work.

As a very busy person; I have a full time job as the Executive Director of a National Professional Association, I’m on a couple of boards, and just joined the Advisory Board of a rapidly growing Not-for-Profit, I’m in the final months of Chairing a Municipal Advisory Committee, I’m a speaker and consultant, and, of course, I write this newsletter each week, and am finishing up Book Three in The Tuesday Thoughts Companion Trilogy – for which I just announced an IRL Launch Event on January 19, 2025; I know that getting and staying motivated is critical to meeting my obligations and commitments.

We are social creatures, and so for me, a big part of getting me to stay engaged and active – especially when my introvert brain is not down to see anyone, even through a webcam – is to feel a part of something bigger than myself.

This weekend, I’m heading home, to KW (which I recently discovered I need to tell you stands for Kitchener-Waterloo), to spend time among my fellow Laurier Alumni; something I know fills my personal cup.

This week’s call to action is to find, build and maintain communities that inspire us towards engagement and impact.

New and Noteworthy is a collection of things readers of #TuesdayThoughts might find interesting, important, or informative;

??Other Stuff I Did This Week (shameless self promotion): I joined the Women's Nonprofit Network as a Member of the Board of Advisors | I announced the upcoming live launch event for book three in The Tuesday Thoughts Companion Triology, I hope to see you in beautiful and historic Unionville on January 19, 2025.

???Hold These Dates: January 19, 2025 - Launch Event for the final book in the Tuesday Thoughts Companion Trilogy (Unionville, ON) - RSVP Today | January 20, 2025 - Official Launch Day for The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact: Volume 3 | I'm looking for a handful of Speaking and Consulting Engagements through late 2024 and into 2025 to continue to make an impact. Details of my offerings are on my website daniellerussell.ca.

?? What to Read: Ontario Nonprofit Network 's 2023-2024 Annual Report | What does the Qualitative State of Burnout Sound Like in Nonprofit.... from Tasha Van Vlack | What All New EDs Should Know from CharityVillage

?? What to Watch: A hot take on the state of DEI from Michelle Grocholsky | Highlight video from Quest for Awareness 2024 h/t Connie Cay-Santos

?? What to Do: Book 15 Minutes at IMEX with Janice Cardinale VEMM to be part of a Event Minds Matter Empowered by Club Ichi backed Documentary | Sign up to compete at Speaker Slam in 2025 h/t Dan Shaikh - Publicist for Inspirational Changemakers

????♀?Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer): Senior Advisor, Policy and Government Affairs @ FP Canada h/t Craig MacLennan | Manager, Marketing and Communications @ CSAE h/t Jacqui d'Eon

?? Take Note: This post from Brian Miller about the Coach/Speaker/Consultant Ponzi Scheme, I see this ALL.THE.TIME and it gives me the icks - Brian is spot on and I hope people are listening before 'investing' their hard earned money in people and ideas with no hope of showing you ROI.

CALL FOR CONTENT: I crowd source 99% of what appears in New and Noteworthy, but I would love the help of the Tuesday Thoughts Community to identify content about you and for you. Got a cool new project? A Job Posting to Fill? Or just something you found interesting? DM me with a link.

I am a Certified Association Executive with over a dozen years of experience in leadership positions across Canada’s Not-for-Profit Sector, with deep ties in the Meetings and Events Industry. I use the art of storytelling in speech and writing to explain ideas, and to inform audiences and readers on a variety of topics. Learn more about how we can collaborate;

?? Consulting Services: I offer a suite of consulting services for Associations and Charities, and am interested in working with likeminded organizations on projects that contribute to better governance, leadership and the overall growth and health of Canada’s Association and Not-for-Profit Industries.

??? Speaker/Facilitator: I have spoken to standing room only crowds in the Association and Events sectors, connecting ideas and people; topics include, The Introvert Experience, Imposter Syndrome and Mentorship, EDI: Lived Experience as a BIPOC Woman in Leadership, Minimalism and Essentialism, Finding Your Voice and Building Your Unique Brand, Making and Impact, and the #TuesdayThoughtsFormula. NEW: Speaker Onesheet (ratesheet available on request)

??? Contributing Writer: I have written for Industry Publications and Blogs with a focus on the role of Associations, Volunteerism, and the Intersection of Not-for-Profit Management and many current social and economic trends. My inclination towards storytelling lends itself well to the style of Creative Non-Fiction.

?? The Tuesday Thoughts Formula: I am on a mission to inspire actions that amplify my impact, each week I follow the #TuesdayThoughtsForumla to deliver a call to action inspired by relevant stories; new this year, I’m bringing live demonstrations of the formula to the stage to help conference, event and meeting attendees tell their own stories that amplify their ROI of in-person attendance.

?? Check out my website daniellerussell.ca or email me: [email protected]

?? I’m on a Mission to?Change The World, By Inspiring Actions That Amplify My Impact! Despite my Introverted tendencies, if I have any hope of success this cannot be a solo affair. Join my community where I Connect People and Ideas;

?? Tuesday Thoughts: Join the #TuesdayThoughts community, subscribe to the Newsletter and get your copy of the #TuesdayThoughtsBook, The Tuesday Thoughts Companion: A Year of Small Actions for Big Impact. Like, Comment and Share to keep the conversation going, and amplify the thoughts that inspire you to action.

?? Let’s Be Friends: LinkedIn: Danielle S. Russell, CAE (she/her) | Instagram: @danielle.s.russell