I’ve been asked to make revisions to my last post by organizers of the “#hohoto event.  I’m against cencorship but I am in favor of making wrongs right, living harmonously and looking for solutions.

What happened in December of 2008 was an outpouring of love and charity by hundreds of people.  Special recognition needs to be given to those that created the vision.  The organizers who put it all together and worked to make it happen; they contacted everyone who could help bring about results that were so much larger than what  individuals could have accomplished on their own and the result was awe inspiring.  I thought I had shone the spotlight on who had done the orginal work and the vision, but obviously I didn’t. 

 

I’ve set up the  tag of #dbfb that is open to anyone that contributes to Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank through individual and/or business donations and events anytime of the year.  No ownership rights to this tag.  All are welcome to use it in any tweets when sharing about raising funds for Toronto’s DBFB anytime.  

I’d like to make it clear that I never stated that I was associated with #hohoto.  In fact what I did say was a group of people planned an amazing social event.  And it was.  

My event has been planned since last fall (late September-Early October.)  I secured the speaker and paid him half up front and paid deposits on other assoicated costs.  Brochures, marketing, ads in newspapers, etc have already been in place. This event is an INSPIRE-ites! event, and is not associated with any hohoto event.   

The association of wanting to use my event, already planned, to add to the great work done by hototo seems to have stirred up some very strong opinions (negative by the organizers; supportive by others not with the organizing group) about a non-profit branding being assoicated with a for profit organization.  When did it become popular to hate anything that was for profit?

INSPIRE-ites! is a for profit company.  I have no shame in that.  I like to earn money.  I like to eat well.  I like to live comfortably.   I give 100% dedication to a service that I fully believe in and money is the compensation for my time, energy, creativity.  INSPIRE-ites! serves many charities and is involved in numerous fundraising activities.  I wanted to add the Daily Bread Food Bank to that list. 

I can’t help but wonder if hototo organizers had such outrage when many press and others used the tag to highlight and give free publicity to their event; I doubt it.  I used the #hohoto tag so the Daily Bread would continue to receive more money.  That was my ulterior motive.  

I used it “out there” in “twitterworld” to attract those that were attracted to hohoto’s outpouring of “help your fellow man”.  A small gesture of kindness and charity.  Nothing lofty or sinister.  I didn’t use it to “steal” anything away from anybody else.  It was an addition; a small add-on that any business could do with any event they were planning to keep the giving ongoing.  (I will use and encourage others to use the #dbfb tag from now on.)  Nothing was meant to be ”shameful” of, as one person from hohoto has repeatedly described my actions. 

I  have had to use the Daily Bread when my paychecks haven’t covered my expenses.  I have cooked for and helped to serve food to Toronto’s homeless on Christmas Day for over 25 years.  Our family has volunteered at our local foodbanks since 2001.  Our friends have volunteered at the Daily Bread Food Bank, stacking and sorting food coming in, on a weekly basis for over 10 years. 

Giving of ourselves is not a new concept that has come into my life in order to further my business.  The opposite is true; the business came about as a means to increase the giving in my personal life in a more substantial way.  

INSPIRE-ites! speaking events are not large, flashy events that attract hundreds of people.  (Wouldn’t it be awesome if they did, though?!)  They are small, intimate offerings of sharing the best of others with others so that many lives can be improved. 

INSPIRE-ites! was founded on the vision of helping others through uplifting others by sharing messages of hope, good will and the message that we are larger than ourselves.  It’s not about self-help gurus and life coaching events, although that makes a part of the whole, because when we help ourselves and improve our life tools we become stronger to help others.   If anyone from hohoto had taken the time to visit INSPIRE-ites! website they would have seen that charity is integral to INSPIRE-ites! vision.  INSPIRE-ites! is about giving and sharing to all.  This has been ongoing since the beginning of the company.

Any increase in attendance equals an increase in what the Daily Bread Foodbank will receive.  If referencing a tag would bring in an additional 50 or so people that would be $500 more for the Daily Bread.  The February 5th event will cost what it will cost regardless of how many show up.  Expenses are expenses.  I work with a very small profit margin because money on others growth is not a priority for me; helping out and being of service is.  I only allow for a 25% profit margin on speaker events (otherwise the events would be in the $99 range as most other speaker events of this kind are) and I am giving away that 25% profit margin to the Daily Bread Food Bank.  The first 50 registrants cover the costs of putting on the event.  Anyone over and above that equals money directly going to the Daily Bread. 

As long as there is a “versus” mentality in anything in life there will always be a limiting result.  Change the versus to “and”; it accomplishes so much more.  Non-profits need for-profits and for-profits need non-profits.  It’s a symbiotic relationship of give and give, not give and take.

The goal is for more money for the Daily Bread Food Bank.  I welcome other companies and individuals to reference the #dbfb tag and set up donation systems of your own to keep the spirit of giving to the DBFB alive.   Great ideas grow because they are allowed to spread into areas unforseen in an original concept, not by keeping an idea to oneself, ”protecting our baby”.   Babies grow up to achieve and leave ”home”; so do ideas. 

Money is money.  Food is food.  The donation process should be open and fluid, not controlled and limited.  Use the #dbfb to share what you are doing.

Last Thanksgiving INSPIRE-ites! was a part of the Anthony Robbins Thanksgiving Basket Brigade.  In the Mississauga/Malton area 89 people were given a Thanksgiving they could smile about and be thankful for.  A couple of hundred volunteers gathered food, sorted and packed Thanksgiving boxes full of Turkey, veggies, pumpkin pies and other items and then we delivered them face to face to the people that needed them, at their homes.  It was an amazing experience and one that changed my view of how to be of service on Thanksgiving Day.  It was coordinated my Joanne Chrobot and done under the Anthony Robbins Foundation name.  Similar drives happened throughout Canada and the U.S. at the same time. 

No-one from that Foundation said don’t carry the message of love and service because the message is ours.  No-one asked or made it a criteria that if you were a company that made a profit you couldn’t help out or join in to bring happiness and food to those that need it.  In fact they did the opposite.  They welcomed everyone with open arms and requested that more people and corporations know of their foundation, and the good work they do.  Their vision is in including and expanding not excluding and dividing.  And as such, the Foundation has become known worldwide and the good works is was created to do has multiplied.  Lets follow this example.  

Michael Bungay Stanier is a wonderful man who does a lot of work and gives a lot of his time freely to help others.  He has resources that he shares with others to improve lives .  He doesn’t deserve to be ridiculed or mocked.  Nor do I.  

This is my business.  It’s not a party I am planning; it’s my livelihood.  It’s my passion and my calling.  If you want to hear a great speaker, get new tools to help grow yourself and others and give to the Daily Bread Food Bank then register for the event.