WHAT'S NEW
Grapevine is the only platform dedicated to Giving Circles - a charitable model where people come together, pool their donations, and give back as a collective to amplify their impact. Founded by Emily Rasmussen in 2018, Grapevine now hosts over 1000 Giving Circles, with 60,000+ total members across the US, and $30M in donations to date.
Now, with chapters in every state through which Grapevine has helped provide grants to over 3500 non-profits, Grapevine is connecting people to grow the greater good and accelerating the collective giving movement that is diversifying and democratizing philanthropy.
We envision a more inclusive world where communities thrive with the support of a widespread, collective, giving movement, and where everyone can be a changemaker, together.
HERE WE ARE AT OUR LATEST “GATHER AND GRANT” EVENT!
Ann Arbor Women for Good is a giving circle where women in the area meet and build connections with other like-minded women. Through their participation, our members are able to pool their resources and have a more positive impact on the local community than any of them could individually.
We meet once every quarter for a “Gather and Grant” event to network, donate, learn about local nonprofits, and vote on which to support as a group. Although we are still quite new, we have already raised over $54,000 from our members. These funds have been designated for local nonprofit organizations, which typically have limited access to traditional capital sources. In our first quarter alone, we have already been able to donate funds to two small but very deserving nonprofits. (Please see our web page under “Impact.”)
Interested in finding out more? Becoming a sponsor? Joining the fun? Please contact us, we would love to hear from you!
Congratulations! ICF Credentials and Standards just hit a major milestone of 40,000 active credential holders worldwide. Since its launch in 1998, the ICF Credential has become the only globally recognized professional coaching certification. Today, ICF Credential-holders live and work in 140 countries and territories. Read the press release here: https://bit.ly/3w73pSp
Can you believe it’s been 18 years!!
I feel so grateful and blessed to be celebrating the 18-year anniversary of Focused Coaching, LLC! Little did I know when I founded my business in July 2006 that I would soon be challenged by a major recession, a rare cancer diagnosis, a serious and debilitating accident, and a global pandemic. Yet, we are still here, and we are still thriving.
Thank you to all who supported me, honored me by being my clients and/or entrusted me with developing your key people. This was invaluable to me and my business and today I celebrate and thank each of you!
And, here’s one additional comment:
“As someone who has been present with Focused Coaching in various forms from the very beginning, I can say that I’m extremely proud to see what it has become and I look forward to seeing how we continue to evolve and succeed as we move forward. It has been an honor to be a part of the journey so far.”
-Chris Magnuson, Administrative Lead
Lisa Pasbjerg named as one of the “Top 20 Career Coaches In Detroit“
Here’s what Influence Digest had to say:
Top Career Coaches In Detroit
The best coaches in Detroit is a tough list to compile with so many amazing coaches emerging in the city today. Our team at Influence Digest did extensive research to find the best Career Coaches in Detroit that are not only going to be your best listeners but also your best advisors.
Without any further delay, here are the Top 20 Career Coaches In Detroit in 2020 that you can contact right now:
HEIDI GRANT: HOW TO ASK FOR HELP— AND GET A “YES” | TED TALK
In this brief TED Talk by Dr. Heidi Grant, of the Neuroleadership Institute and the Motivation Science Center of Columbia University, she discusses the best ways to ask for help, both in the workplace and in everyday life, so that you can receive the kind of help you are really looking for.
This eleven-minute short film called The Adaptable Mind (Let It Ripple series) gives a hopeful, but thoughtful outlook on what it takes to truly succeed in today's world. While we are taught that there are hard skills and soft skills, this video outlines another set of five skills that prove that not only are humans still important in today's shifting work field, but that being human is also necessary.
The Explainer: Managing Multicultural Teams
When faced with the pressure of managing a multicultural team, many struggle with how to manage both the team productivity itself, as well as cultural differences that may come up. This Harvard Business Review video (2:17) gives a short, but comprehensive look into four techniques on how to handle this situation.
How to Get Better at the Things You Care About
Working hard but not improving, you’re not alone. Eduardo Briceño reveals a simple way to think about getting better at the things you do, whether that’s work, parenting or creative hobbies. In this TED Talk, Eduardo shares some useful techniques so you can keep learning and always feel like you’re moving forward.
How Replaceable Are You? With Maxim Sytch
Michigan Ross Professor Maxim Sytch walks you through a quick “Personal Power Audit” that measures just how replaceable you are on the job. And if you find yourself a little alarmed about your results, don’t worry: Sytch offers five concrete steps to take that can help improve your job security.
How do we improve in the face of complexity? Atul Gawande has studied this question with a surgeon's precision. He shares what he's found to be the key: having a good coach to provide a more accurate picture of our reality, to instill positive habits of thinking, and to break our actions down and then help us build them back up again.
TED Talk By Writer Anne Lamott - 12 Truths I Learned From Life And Writing
Just a few days before she turned 61, Anne Lamott decided to sit down and make a list of the things she knew to be true throughout her life. In this video, she shares those truths, as well as how she came to know them. In a funny, down to earth, and inspiring way, she discusses her views on everything from a parent’s place in their child’s Hero’s Journey, to the idea that sometimes even the human body just needs to be turned off and back on again.
Three Kinds of Focus Needed By Leaders
Watch this short video clip of an interview with Daniel Goleman, author of “The Focused Leader.” Here, Goleman, widely recognized as the world’s most well-known expert on Emotional Intelligence, explains very succinctly why today’s successful leaders need to cultivate three different kinds of focus or areas of awareness.
SOLD OUT! – POST COVID JOB INSECURITY IS REAL: HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO MAKE YOUR CAREER MORE RECESSION-PROOF
JULY 29 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
The pandemic and related shutdowns have triggered furloughs and reductions across many industries. Join MCACHE and Lisa Pasbjerg as Lisa discusses how to recession-proof your career. Lisa will touch on topics such as the importance of self-branding, networking, and reimagining your career so that you can make YOUR career more recession-proof!
Carol Dweck is a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, why people succeed (or don’t) and how to foster success
In this TED talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet? A great introduction to this influential field.
In July, well into the COVID crisis and the resulting lay-offs and reductions in forces I was asked by my regional chapter of ACHE (The American College of Healthcare Executives) to put together a webinar for members and prospective members about what they could be doing to better prepare themselves and their careers for what might be coming their way. Here’s what happened:
WOMEN in HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIp
I was honored to be a part of panel of experts presenting on April 1st at the annual spring forum of Women in Healthcare Leadership at the School of Public Health at U-Michigan. I, along with three other experts, presented and answered questions on the subject of leaders managing change and being a change agent, even if not in a formal position of power.
WHAT'S COMING
THE NEXT POSITIVE BUSINESS CONFERENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN’S ROSS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS TO BE HELD ON-SITE, MAY 15-16, 2025
Every time I have gone to this conference it’s always been a wonderful experience! Now held biennially at the Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, 2025 will be the 11th year since its groundbreaking inception in 2014.
Every time I have attended this conference I have come away with renewed energy, new ideas, and great contacts with like-minded people from around the country and around the world.
The annual conference is held at the beautiful Michigan Ross Building, which houses the leading center of global excellence in positive business. Faculty at the Ross pioneered positive organizational scholarship and continue to lead research that applies positive business practices across all functions, from accounting, to marketing, to supply chain management and more.
At the conference, we are able to engage with thought leaders and their extraordinary research and hear from a wide variety of leaders in companies across the spectrum modeling exciting, innovative, and often courageous examples of real-world implementation of positive business practices.
Doesn’t everyone want to work in a positive environment? What is most enlightening is that these environments, (where people are flourishing and thriving), ultimately produce higher profits and better bottom lines for the business. In positive business language, this is called a “virtuous circle.”
It's not just the nice thing to do, it's the smart thing to do!
At the conference, we learn from knowledge experts and thought leaders about their extraordinary research, and hear from executives who are courageous “intrepreneurs” within organizations and the leaders at stand-out companies both large and small.
As you may already know, there is always a full schedule of inspirational speakers from organizations that have previously included Google, Patagonia, London Business School, PwC, and the Kellogg Company to name a few. Workshops and sessions by world-class faculty provide brand-new insights on positive sustainable practices and updates on current related research.
In case you were not able to attend, here are the available recordings of many sessions: Video Archive
For more information, visit the School’s Center for Positive Organizations to learn more about the topic and to learn more details as they become available for the 2024 conference.
And, by all means, save those dates: May 9-10, 2024
See you there!
“Sometimes I’ll get asparagus,
and I’m just over the moon about it!”
“Sometimes I’ll get asparagus, and I’m just over the moon about it!” This is a quote from Paul, a formerly homeless young man helped by the Hope Clinic (another fine organization) and Food Gatherers, a wonderful non-profit organization here in Washtenaw County working to stamp out hunger, both by providing resources and addressing the causes.
Sadly, there are many stories of great hardship fueled by the high cost of food and essentials. Post COVID the price of basic needs like groceries and housing are still at historic levels. It will likely be many more months, if not years, for many to regain financial stability.
Facing a decline in federal food resources, Food Gatherers faced both an increase in need and the necessity of purchasing 40% more pounds of food in the past fiscal year to insure our neighbors continue to have access to nutritious food.
There are joyful stories as well. Active Faith Community Services shared this one:
“A young mother of two who struggled with deep depression during the challenging times of Covid has transformed her life with the support of our food pantry. Overcoming the difficulty of even leaving her bed, she now shines as a college student at Washtenaw Community College, getting all A’s. She’s on a remarkable path to becoming an outstanding social worker, turning adversity into triumph. We are so proud of her.”
In the most recent fiscal year, they provided the equivalent of 6.5 million meals through their 140 pantry partners. They also welcomed 3,399 volunteers who dedicated 48,122 hours to meet the soaring demand for services.
If you are local to Washtenaw County, please reach out and do what you can do to support this critical work. They can be reached at 734-761-2796, www.foodgatherers.org, or info@foodgatherers.org
If not, please find out where you can help in your community. (No one should go hungry in this country we love!)
Are you often over-run in the summer with zucchinis and tomatoes? Other fresh produce? Here is a quote from one of the organization’s newsletters:
“As it approaches peak harvest time, remember that you can always donate fresh garden produce to Food Gatherers. More than 60% of the food we distribute is produce or protein items. Fresh and perishable foods can be dropped off at Food Gatherers Warehouse, 1 Carrot Way, Ann Arbor.”
I read this and thought, ‘I didn’t know that!’ All the food drives I have been involved in have only accepted non-perishable foods, but of course, the ideal would be to provide as much fresh and healthy food as possible.
Even if you are not blessed with an over-abundance of produce, do consider supporting them in some way financially. I have continued to do so for years because I so believe in the work they are doing.
