The Little Words Mean the Most

It is bizarre, semi-post-Sim One....

 

... to not have, at my elbow, for instant reference: her solid opinion, her different point of view, her attitude, her clear, sharp understanding of right and not-so-right ... after 37 years.

Yeah, she's embedded in my software.

But talking these things through ... and always accepting her version as the truly higher ground? That was the good part.

 

Today's advice to a capital-campaigning client, as the team prepares to launch ~ passed down from Jerry Panas

 

One of my earliest (and most important) mentors was Jerry Panas, one of America's most influential capital campaign consultants. He taught me to write cases, basically.

 

And Jerry had an approach that worked miracles during solicitations. He said this:

 

"When you ask for money, you get advice. When you ask for advice, you get money."

 

When you ask for advice >>> "This is the case we have right now. Give us your honest opinion. Be brutal. We can take it. And we'll be updating it later this year, thanks to comments like yours ... as this campaign gathers momentum" <<<

 

... THEN they will read the case CLOSELY, looking for things to comment on and help with ... and ABSORB it at the same time ... and (because they're now INSIDERS) ... will maybe start telling their friends about this cool, new project nobody else really knows about yet.

 

So, the money won't necessarily arrive right away ... but you WILL get your word-of-mouth started ... and that's an important thing in campaigns:

 

BUZZ!!!!!!

 

Just saying. Might be helpful???

 

~ tom

 

Toxic Positivity

 

Posted by Cynthia Ries on Facebook ~ April 14, 2022

 

From Ashley, lunar advice (a.k.a, Ash, Smash [kick-boxing] ...)

Known as the Pink Moon, this full moon can bring up deep dark aspects connected with your past and with anything that is out of balance in your life. Ask yourself, "What is out of balance and what is showing up for me in my life that is shedding light on what is out of balance?”

 

 

As tonight we experience a PINK Moon in the Eastern (US) time zone...

 

We have a lot to work on ... and with ... during this full moon time.

 

Any addiction to suffering needs to be addressed and released.

 

If you find yourself in a dark place, allow the light at the end of the tunnel to guide you forward. Focus on the feminine aspects of beauty, forgiveness, compassion and healing rather than getting stuck in the illusion of despair.

 

As you witness conflict and strife out in the world, acknowledge where you might carry that energy within and seek to move it towards positive transformation.

 

This is an intense time giving us the opportunity to work with power in a positive way.

 

The key is paying close attention, being present and not letting yourself go down the path of negativity. The discipline is to control the mind and the thoughts that are not of the highest vibration.

 

This full moon may be difficult for many so stay in your own lane and don't take anything personally. Do your own work, look for more balance in your life and allow the blessings and support you have around you always to fill you up and guide you forward.

 

[tom here: thank you friends; recent counselors; career-long mentors; enemies, too ... truly, you all help]

 

 

In response to Toby F., long-time colleague, about career turbulence in elder years...

 

It sounds absolutely perfect, Toby.

Coincidentally: Had lunch today with a terrific photographer who had the same thing happen to his career, sort of. He had great clients (mostly corporate) ... but all his primary contacts within those companies little by little retired >>> and now, at age 74, he has to rebuild his network ... very slowly.

He's the real deal, a great visual storyteller, well worth whatever ... but millennials coming into the trade don't necessarily trust nor want to hire their grandparents.

As he and I started sharing our various mentors, it became somewhat obvious that if you wanted great results ... you might consider WANTING the most experienced, well-trained person available.

I learned half of what I think I kinda know about marketing from a man 25 years older, when I was in my 40s.

And when I meet up for drinks with other proven copywriters ... of any age! ... turns out we've all read the same foundational how-to books; including one of the most important, John Caples' Tested Advertising Methods, authored by an old NYC workhorse and published (in its 5th edition) in 1974.

Fundraising communications is on the threshold of a Golden Age ... because we know so much more from neuroscience and hard-core researchers like the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy (UK). Plus we have new disciplines to play with like Dr. Jen Shang's "identity-based" fundraising, ... which have been field-tested for a decade or more ... and can lead to enormous gains in giving, quickly, when adequately executed (great is not necessary; "adequate" execution gets results, too).

 

BUT we're also maybe entering a much-needed back-to-basics age: because training in what "the ancients" knew (the top DM-response performers from at least 1900 on) are unsuspected and little taught.

 

Around 2009, the first charity I know of cracked Facebook fundraising.

They had a good, well-grounded-in-the-basics agency helping them.

And soon enough they were dragging down $350,000 MONTHLY (not a misprint) in donations for a small (now big!!!) animal welfare charity in Bangkok, Thailand ...

... not so much from country residents: mostly from women 45 and older, animal lovers, in English-speaking countries around the world (all the Facebook promos were in English).

What was a clear takeaway, from their success, IMHO?

They tested a lot of messages and approaches. And ... surprise, surprise ... what worked best on Facebook (this new medium/channel) were ads that could have been written by any competent direct mail copywriter in the 1950s. I flew to Australia to study their methods ... and this is what they told me.

Most of the basics behind good response have been discovered --- and they don't change much.

In my own practice, I almost daily use the proto-psychological insights of Seneca, an ancient Roman. This is not to fake erudition: my grief counselor put me on to Seneca. FYI: This old Roman was more popular than the emperor of the moment, a psychopath named Nero. Nero ordered Seneca to kill himself. Seneca did. Beware psychopathic emperors, right? Nero was remembered for being a murderous jerk. Seneca helped countless people through the ages (including me) with his humane wisdom.

 

Enjoy your life ... hard. I lost my amazing partner/mentor/wife, Simone Joyaux, suddenly last year ... massive stroke.

 

We WERE quite huggy.

 

Now I wish I'd never let go. ~ tom

 

 

What Patti Saunders wrote and why she gave...

 

Just thought I'd let you know I was inspired by your paragraph [in my how-to e-newsletter] to give to Haven Box.

You kinda sorta had me on "new DV charity" ... but the idea of sending a survivor home in scrubs just tore my heart to shreds.

Of course, this is the best the hospital could do (budgets!), and I honor/respect them for collecting the evidence, but it's just not good enough. Not ~ human ~ enough.

And I felt so silly for not realizing this gap in aftercare is huge for a survivor, but so easily remedied by . . . a box. A box that shows survivors that someone out there knows she/he is a person, a unique individual, a human being. Just. A. Box. But so much more.

Thanks for sharing Haven Box with us, your faithful readers. I trust you. You haven't steered me wrong yet, and sometimes you blow me away. Today was one of those days.

 

This is what Haven Box, a RI-based charity, founded during the pandemic has to say about its mission: "Across the United States, countless individuals experience sexual violence resulting in hospitalization.  And after so many hours of being subjected to an intrusive sexual assault examination, victims are often discharged from the hospital wearing uniform scrubs or hospital gowns due to their clothing being collected for evidence.​"

 

 

I did not want this turd anywhere on my lawn ... but this was so irresistibly true .....

 

Highlights reel for a new show, especially for development committees on boards; runs 30 min, then Q&A

Julie and Brett Cooper made this monstrosity ... for a heart-warming reason

 

I commonly ... often ... pretty much all the time ... respectfully, with deep and honest gratitude, and a surge of HUGE JOY!!! ... mention that I've had at least 1,000 mentors.

The donor-comms, "how to raise lots more money," advice popcorn jammed into my head came from far and wide, globally. There are (I've counted) more than 500 how-to-fundraise books on my office shelves. And that's just the books.

Julie and Brett, my new (astonishingly good!) webinar producers, after we had a rousing success together first time out, in March 2022, wanted me to remember: "You're a mentor, too, tom! Like this other famous Hollywood screen star...." Point taken. Aw shucks. SO cool and thoughtful: Julie/Brett. And I've already given your framed montage away, which saves me a yard sale.