CFC Blog #194: Stress is Not the Problem: Dr. Mo Pickens on Taking Real Breaks

Almost two weeks ago now, we released a podcast with our friend Dr. Mo Pickens on 5 practices for leadership during a time of crisis. Today we’re releasing a podcast he made with Brynne for Coburn Ventures on taking “real” breaks - in other words, checking your email does not always count as a break! I think many of us have the tendency to think that taking a break is inherently unproductive or a sign of weakness…but Mo questions this assumption. Thank you, Mo - these are such good reminders during a time where I am sure we have all at some point felt like we are living in some version of Groundhog Day :) The podcast link is down below!

- Lauren

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Morris PickensComment
CFC Blog #190: Leadership During Crisis: 5 Specific Practices

Dr. Morris Pickens is a member of the Community for Change and also is a “wildcard” for some of our Coburn Ventures work. He wrote this piece highlighting 5 practices for leadership during a time of crisis, like the moment we currently find ourselves in, that we shared with our Coburn Ventures audience. We also wanted to share it with all of you. Mo’s piece is attached as a PDF, and there is also a link below for a podcast interview he did with Brynne on this same topic.

Thank you, Mo, for your endless wisdom and giving us guidance during this difficult time.

- Lauren

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Morris PickensComment
CFC Blog #183: Too Small to Fail

I am highlighting April Tam Smith’s note below on PS Kitchen…

For context…

I remember back in 2009 as some extremely large companies were bailed out the phrase “too big to fail” became popularized… and quickly demonized. People HATE that phrase.

I think NOW we are quickly understanding too small to fail.

I have no idea what the actual numbers are, but everyone I know knows people who will have no work and people whose small businesses may face real survival issues.

I am highlighting this note from our dear friend April.

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April Tam SmithComment
CFC Blog #176: Tithing Time

Hi, this is Pip. It is Sunday morning in Saratoga!

When our kids were about 8 years old and we started at Coburn Ventures to generate large mix-ins of folks in New York every six weeks or so at Na Thai on Houston Street, I took the advice from Keith Ferrazi who wrote an AWESOME book about connecting/community called “Never Eat Alone”. In it ONE wonderful idea is to actively include your family in your work so – BAM! – I would include Tucker and Eamon and I recall my excitement about the two of them having time over Pad Thai to talk to a world class Bell Labs physicist. But Steve is way way way more than that. He inspires people with his heart and active wide goodwill and care for seemingly everything in every moment and especially people. He has such deep compassion matched with ever expanding curiosity.

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Steve CrandallComment
CFC Blog #160: Primary and Secondary Purpose

We live in a world that measures the value of person or a company by asking ‘how much money can you generate for me?’ The default is to measure with a financial meter stick. While I think we are starting to see pushback against this in the corporate sector with ESG investing and the NGO sector with holistic measurement tools like the Human Development Index, Candice’s writing is an important reminder that too often what we think is an end with itself (e.g. income) is really just the means to an end (e.g. dignity and connection). And this is such an important reminder when thinking about the future of our world.


Originally from the Starfire Blog: https://www.starfirecincy.org/cincibility/2019/9/13/primary-and-secondary-purpose

- Lauren

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Candice Jones PeelmanComment
CFC Blog #159: Moving Boulders

I’ve recently spent some time in India exploring what change looks like for the nonprofit sector. Before going, I spent some time thinking about what beliefs I held about India as a country, the definition of community and if it is universal, and other things. I tried to loosen my grip on those beliefs and have my assumptions challenged…and they most certainly were. I think my trip would have looked really different if I didn’t intentionally loosen that grip beforehand. As Tim writes, we really can’t afford to have strong-held beliefs when it comes to other people – these separate us from one another and prevent connection. To put aside assumptions to see someone as fully human.

Originally from the Starfire Blog: https://www.starfirecincy.org/cincibility/moving-boulders

- Lauren

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Tim VogtComment
CFC Blog #157: The Road of Being Right

This past week I think I might have learned the key to the success of my marriage, and to any relationship for that matter. And I’m not overstating that. Maybe for those of you who have been married for a long time, what I’m about to say might occur as somewhat obvious to you, but I’ve been married for about a year. So let’s just say, for me, this was nothing short of a huge revelation. I also felt that by acknowledging this lesson in a blog, I would be more likely to hold myself accountable to utilizing this lesson in the future.

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Danielle PosaComment
CFC Blog #138: Picture Books

Though I love the idea of being a minimalist, I always have trouble throwing out things when I sort through old stuff found in my closet, or on my shelves, or in my garage. This is probably because, although I don't think material things can bring significant long-term joy, I also tie things right back to the memories and wonderful times using them. My sister Christina's metaphoric writing reminds me of the many emotions connected to objects from our childhood that our dad brought into our life during simpler times, and left us with to smile back on after he passed. Just like my sister, I was also working in my dad's shed the other day, but I think Christina was able to put these surging feelings into words in a truly beautiful way.

- Amanda

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Christina PosaComment
CFC Blog #131: When Easy Tries You

About 15 years ago, Kelly came home from a weekend yoga retreat for teachers with a new phrase offered by the instructor: try easy

Almost instantly it registered. I have some back story about the nobleness of trying hard. It could be blamed on Midwest work ethic or who knows. And to be clear, I am a huge fan of grit. But there have been many, many times where 'try hard' generates far far far worse results for me than try easy. From my dear friend Lisa below...

Pip

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Lisa BairdComment
CFC Blog #125: For Those Who Have Grieved

I am very excited to share a piece from yet another sister of mine (I have three) ... turns out we all have a passion for writing. Originally, Christina's writing below was simply shared through a caption on her Instagram. But I thought it was so moving, as did many other responders, so I figured I should share with you all too :)

Last week, we had to put our beloved 16-year old family dog to sleep. I hadn't cried the way I did that night (and the next two days) in years.. perhaps because I think that a relationship with a pet is different than the bond formed with humans - it's a silent bond, but also so communicative in its own unique way. And it sure is incredibly difficult to let go of in the physical sense. I think Christina's piece did a wonderful job of encapsulating that idea. She also wanted her piece to shed light on the fact that everyone experiences and handles loss in their own way. Thank you for the heartwarming words, Christina.

- Amanda

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Christina PosaComment
CFC Blog #114: Forgiveness

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with Brynne that the name of the manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Tarrytown who treated me and Melissa so well, surprising to me as I expect to be treated terribly when renting a car, was a combination of two of my great teachers: Jullien Thompson (a combo of Jullien Gordon and Brynne Thompson). Brynne humbly, and with her great quick wit, replied that the next person I meet might be named Rudy Kula! (a combo of Rudy Karsan and Irwin Kula!! So true!!)

I have learned so much from Rudy. One of those lessons is about leaning into life in an open way from which so much more might be revealed… and the cost of the courage required to break through can be multiples of that seeming cost of courage. I read today, “Cozy is the opposite of courageous.” Rudy doesn’t seem to feel a need to be ‘cozy’. I sense you will see this below.

- PIP

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Rudy KarsanComment
CFC Blog #103: My Fear of Blogging

I love below how Marcelle talks of her fear of writing this very blog and -- implicitly -- all the blogs she hasn’t written along the way for a lot of very very reasonable reasons. She asks, “Am I the only one here?”

Thank you so much, Marcelle, for your courage… and, yes, likely opening the space for others. I think many of my own fears have subsided across the past 10-20 years as I took one little step and nothing bad happened… and maybe some good things happened… and then someone here or there encouraged me… so I took another step… and so on… one step at a time until more and more I came to “know” that I wasn’t the only one and my contribution might be in part to create space for others to take a small step as they might wish…and then to realize that if I was “the only one”, well, that was OK too…

…in the next few weeks, I will offer up the core design ideas and ethos we have intentionally built into the writing that has been happening during the past 16 months and then invite more to join in with gems you might wish to share…

-- Pip

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Marcelle MettesComment
CFC Blog #93: In Time of The Breaking of Nations

I want to share Niko’s writing with you today - I don’t know if it came out intentionally on Election Day in the US or I was reading from that lens, but of all the “get out to vote” messages I’ve enjoyed today, this one has planted a deeper seed that I am already grateful for: our individual “slow actions” and seemingly value-less quotidian living form the basis for it all and, stunningly, regularly rise above it all. Our actions matter. We matter. On this day and always.

- Brynne

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Niko CannerComment
CFC Blog #70: Leading from the Middle

I have only read two of James' pieces so far.. yet his writing is so memorable and capturing to me due to a certain specific attribute. In my opinion, it's the unpredictability of it. Each coming sentence takes me to a place or to an awareness or to a message that I never expect. I love that.

Thank you, James. I am so looking forward to reading more of your pieces.
-Amanda

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James OthmerComment
CFC Blog #60: Generosity

Lan is a dear friend of Pip's from India, and a part of road makers as well !

Lan, I love this insight you recognize and share. I firmly believe that I can find many answers through nature, which reminds me of the term biomimicry. Biomimicry is a new science that looks at nature's time-tested strategies, processes, and designs in order to gain insight into how to improve the challenges humans face... which I think is super cool to look into! Thank you for sharing, Lan !

- Amanda

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Lan LakshminarayanaComment
CFC INSIGHTS: Community
CFC INSIGHTS: Community

Community:

Community: it is a process, a practice and everyone's job (where I work)

When it is siloed, when it is trapped in marketing or only in product or only interns, it does not go well

Opinion: community can be a book club where 10 people get together once a month to discuss a book, or a kung fu class that meets 2x a week or an open source project with 10k contributors (firefox).

Each is different, each serves a different need, none of those examples is more valuable than the others.

What matters is the impact it has on the participants, which drives growth or makes it sustainable

Fact: community is a critical need for open source projects which are dependent on code contributions, bug reports, participation

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Sean BohanComment
CFC Blog #55: Two Years

So I happen to have another sister who also has a love for writing :) I have three older sisters, and Danielle is the oldest! She's 32 and pregnant, and ironically TODAY she finds out if she's having a baby boy or a baby girl. Can't wait.

The writing below is actually the caption she wrote for a picture she posted on Instagram for the anniversary of our dad passing away. It was not intended to be a blog...but it really touched my heart.

And now I'll have to reach out to my third sister, Christina, to also write a piece I can send out. I'm pretty proud to have such creative and passionate role models in my life... even if they do steal my shoes and clothes sometimes. :)

- Amanda

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Danielle PosaComment
CFC Blog #50: Affectionate Anarchy

I had such a great week last week. AND one of the reasons was that I had the joy of time by video with such a dear friend Polly Labarre who I met, egads, eighteen years at a think tank in San Diego. I have learned so much from her. She was a creator of Fast Company which was one of the CRITICAL forces that encouraged me to think business could be such a powerful positive force in our world. Imagine THAT idea/message penetrating a hard-nosed sharp-elbowed Wall Street investor like me!! She also wrote Mavericks — core training for being in business into the future.

I have been so lucky to be included into so many gatherings Polly has so gracefully created such as the one where “leadership” was taught by participants (like me) sitting scattered amidst a 60-piece orchestra. Mind blowing. I also met Keith Yamashita through Polly as she featured Keith and I was like “HOLY COW!! Polly can I meet that guy!??” Mind blowing.

What Polly taught me more than anything may be that when people gather it is important to design that space so everyone participates. That “little” point alters energy so so massively. Polly created the first couple Sundance gatherings with me — I am so thankful for that Polly. How fun.

“You are the program."

Mainly though, it was just so nice to have the time to spend and hang with you Polly.

It is always a joy.

AND… she has a note here about the Muppets and community… way neat.

pip

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Polly LaBarreComment
CFC Blog #46: Happiness

FROM PIP: Wow. I have no words (yet) that describe what Muayyad share below though I suspect I may read it ten more times in the next ten mornings to provide a guide to richly study and contemplate.

This week one of the Road Makers groups we bring together met in Park City, Utah. On my way home I thought of a few songs:

“Human” — a cry to be treated kindly

“Under Pressure” — my favorite song of all time because of its amazing bringing together of immense intense fear giving way to immense intense pleading for love

and “Walk On” by U2… an respect, seeing and encouragement for all Road Makers…

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Muayyad Al-ChalabiComment