Tuesday Thoughts | 29 October 2024 | Disconnect to Reconnect

Call me old fashioned, but some days I’m still in awe of the fact that we all walk around with access to the entirety of human knowledge in our pockets; as a member of one of the last generations to remember the world before the internet was widely accessible, sometimes I’m left kind of gobsmacked by what is possible.

When I moved into University residence in the fall of 2000, I had to plug my computer into the phone jack to access my email, and some rudimentary search functionality; now I hardwire my computer into the router in my home office, but its largely unnecessary to do so – its practically a belts and suspenders situation, but for people who tend to be a bit anxious by nature – can you hear me now?

When I was in high school, the big flex was having a fax machine at home so that you could collaborate on group projects without having to coordinate your schedules – yes, friends I am fax-machine years old.

Did you know I can’t spell? Actually, that’s not 100% accurate, I can spell reasonably well now, but I was well into my adult life before I got to the point where I could go more than a sentence or two before a typo that ‘technically’ wasn’t a typo. I wrote about it in some detail in May of 2023 in the aptly named issue of this Newsletter – How Spellcheck Saved My Life.

I’ll let you in on a secret, to this day, I sometimes have so little idea how a word might be spelled that I have to google it, because Word is not picking up what I’m putting down. Although, its usually a really long word, that is not spelled at all like it sounds.

My lack of spelling prowess aside, perhaps one of my largest reliances (not a word by the way) on the internet is the one that is true of most of us (especially in the ‘developed’ world) over the last few years; its to help me stay connected, especially when I can’t be in the same physical space as someone else.

Heck, I even lead an entirely remote team; my actual job is to stay at home sitting in front of my computer, the majority of weekdays. Leading remote teams is an entirely different kettle of fish, one I’m happy to explore in another edition of this newsletter – but not one I have the space to tackle today.

Sometime in the fall of 2001 or 2002, I ran into my friend (fellow Markham kid, and fellow Golden Hawk) Jason Shim , in front of the Paul Martin Centre (IYKYK) on the Laurier Campus, he was headed to attend a virtual (Second Life?) wedding; it was the craziest thing I had ever heard. I remember just shaking me head when he invited me to ‘sit in’.

Jason has always been a bit ahead of me on the curve – he actually still is – when I needed to upgrade the tech-stack for the Association I run, he was my first phone call (actually teams chat); he explained Bit Coin/Crypto to me (more than once), well before it became ubiquitous.

In many ways, while we met in the most low-tech possible setting – a Youth Toastmasters Group – in our aforementioned shared hometown; and we likely stayed connected based on our shared Alma Mater; like many other connections in my extended network, we haven’t actually seen each other IRL in many years.

So back to that wedding, which at the time seemed like the craziest thing I had ever heard. Who could have predicted that two decades later I would be sitting next to my mother in our Suburban Toronto Kitchen, in the midst of a COVID resurgence, watching my grandmother’s funeral, through the eyes of an ‘owl’ on Zoom? Jason, probably; but certainly not me.

I don’t know about you, but staying connected in the digital age is fraught with opportunities for miscommunication; do you send the text, is it ok to DM someone (or is that still very taboo)? I ‘teams’ video call my staff sometimes, but there are very few reasons I would video call anyone else without an appointment.

A number of years ago I was watching a YouTube video that featured the creator’s sister; and the sister said something along the lines of “I feel like I see you every week, because I watch your videos”. While my own YouTube channel was short-lived; this newsletter publishes weekly, I even make it a weekly habit to forward it on to a family member who isn’t on LinkedIn post-retirement. And honestly, some weeks, I feel like maybe there are folks who feel like we’re in touch all the time, but who I notice I miss because I’m not getting that weekly feedback loop.

Look, it takes two to tango, if I miss you, its just as much my responsibility to reach out to you, as it is your responsibility to keep in touch with me; but I think its one of the realities of having some sort of regular online content publishing schedule, that people just don’t talk about. You shout into the ether (or at least it can feel like it), while your audience (which can overlap in some sort of Venn diagram of your life, with friends and family) feel like they’ve heard from you this week.

As an Introvert, the first few weeks of Lockdown were like a detox for my over stimulated brain, but then I really started to notice that I missed people. I think working remotely – especially in the winter – can really feel isolating; however, and I think we’ve all tricked ourselves into believing that zoom, and teams, and email, and facetime, and (even) social media can replace that human connection to some extent.

Today is world Internet Day, when I first started to think about what I wanted to say, I was pretty bullish in my perspective; but the more I sat with it – ironically, alone in my home office – the more I realized that despite all I have gained from it, it’s the losses that weigh most heavily, especially when I don’t consciously stare them in the face, and call them by their name.

The call to action this week? Make the next connection you make with another human online, be an invitation to connect IRL, or on the phone, or at the very least not asynchronously.

Shameless plug: if you are in the Markham Ontario area on January 19, 2025, I’m hosting an IRL launch of book three in ‘The Tuesday Thoughts Companion’ series at my childhood library – the place where I discovered my love of the written word – I hope you’ll join me and other members of the #TuesdayThoughts Community. RSVP today.

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

???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 into 2025 to continue to make an impact. Details of my offerings are on my website daniellerussell.ca.

?? What to Read: There Is Nothing Uncomplicated about Being a Black Woman Leader from Nonprofit Quarterly h/t Alexandra Fernandes

? What to Do: Participate in a HER Seat at the Table 'Pop In' Session

?? What to Watch: This short clip from Brian Miller author of Three New People that seems incredibly appropriate to today's theme: Love this idea that what people will think of you, is that they will think you're kind!

????♀?Cool Jobs (Paid and Volunteer): Toy Loving Content Creators @ ChizSix Marketing & Media h/t Harold Chizick

?? Take Note: National Estate Planning Week (NEPAW) should be on the radar of Fundraisers and the Boards of Qualified Donee Orgs. h/t Perry Radford

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. 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;

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