San Diego Business Journal’s Post

At TOPDOG, it is important to our leadership, employees, and company culture that we are a business that helps the community. Learn more about our efforts here. #topdoglegalmarketing #tdoglegal #communityinvolvement #legalcommunity 

Such an important discussion to be had! Take 2 minutes to read and consider.

Black leadership is essential for building an economy that works for all. To help advance the impact of the visionary Black leaders building new systems of opportunity, we announced alongside Ballmer Group and Echoing Green, $40M to support Black-led organizations. Read more in Giving Compass: https://bit.ly/3XQ5yzA

In anticipation of #Juneteenth next week, we encourage organizations in #philanthropy and grantmaking to consider how you can increase ongoing support for nonprofits that are Black-led or serve Black communities. 🤲 ➡️ Get started by watching this webinar recording on how to scale up capital investment and leadership for Black-led nonprofits and promote economic mobility! https://lnkd.in/e9-cjf3g Eshauna Smith, Ballmer Group; Cheryl Dorsey, Echoing Green #CapacityBuilding #RacialEquity

This article is perfect to get my mind right for 2024! Such an inspiring story.🙌🏾🎉🩷

Twenty-five years ago, my boss sent me to a conference that I would never forget. I was working for the Volunteer Center of Maricopa County and completing my studies at ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation (American Humanics), led by Dr. Robert Ashcraft. I brought a notebook and a pen and my idealism and I was ready to change the world. I listened to some incredibly inspiring speakers and took pages and pages of notes about how to work with #volunteers and #boards and #donors, and I have used all of that very valuable information over the years. However, there was one quote that I scribbled down in my notebook that day which I would come to treasure more than all the rest. The keynote speaker quoted Arthur Ashe, who was the first (and remains the only) Black male tennis player to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles titles. He was also the first Black man to earn the No. 1 ranking in the world and the first to earn induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Arthur Ashe was also an incredible educator, humanitarian and activist. The wisdom from this amazingly accomplished man, shared that day with a crowd of young people wondering how to move mountains, was so shockingly simple: "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." As soon as I got back from the conference, I copied Arthur Ashe’s quote onto a blue index card and framed it, and I have kept it with me through many moves over many years. I wonder if my boss had any idea that this little blue index card would stare back at me two decades later, after my partner Josh received his terminal diagnosis in the midst of the pandemic, when I needed to know how I would keep going. I wonder if Arthur Ashe had any idea that his words would save me time and time again as I navigated life's challenges. We have so much more power than we realize, so much power to help ourselves and each other in any moment, especially in the smallest first step. So if ever you feel overwhelmed, remember that the way forward is always the same: Just start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. #motivation #productivity #mindset #innovation #peopleandculture

Today, we pause to celebrate, commemorate, and honor the life, legacy, and IMPACT of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There is much to LEARN and RElearn from Dr. King’s life. As we contemplate this, 3 lessons come to mind: 🌟 One person can create CHANGE. ✨ It’s never just one person. It’s a COMMUNITY. ⚡ Action is REQUIRED. If you haven’t already done so, PAUSE. 🫴 What are you learning or relearning today? 🫴 How are YOU creating change? 🫴 How is your work AMPLIFIED by your COMMUNITY? 🫴 What are you DOING? ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ 👋 We are Planning School. We’re reimagining strategic planning for the purpose-driven businesses, nonprofits, and public servants who are creating a sustainable + interconnected future. FOLLOW for lessons in #leadership, #strategy, and #being. ❤️ You don’t have to struggle to do good in this world. ❤️ #strategicplanning #holisticleadership #leadershipdevelopment #changemakers #climateaction #socialjustice #gotoplanningschool

Remember masks? This photo was taken in September 2020, seven months after I moved over 500 miles from Maryland to South Carolina to lead a nonprofit arts organization. The pressure to successfully integrate into a new community with half of my face covered or via Zoom was one of many "weights" I felt as a leader during that time. Eventually, the weight I put on myself became so heavy that I knew I needed to make a change. I realized that, for more than two years, I felt the responsibility to "save" my organization—when what I really needed to save was myself. Now as a consultant, I see other nonprofit executives putting the weight of responsibility on themselves, too. My latest blog post on How to Lighten the Weight of Leadership has struck a nerve for many, so I thought I would share it again. I hope this perspective can help you sustain your resilience as a leader, while shedding some of the pressure of the load 🙌 https://conta.cc/3xXNU4j #mindfulleadership #resilience #createspace #weightofleadership #leadershipdevelopment #executivepresence #wellbeing #burnoutprevention

As small business owners, you know how important it is to give back to the community you serve. No one embodies this better than AASP/MA Member David Gallerani, who was recently honored for his public service and community leadership. Read more on page 14 of New England Automotive Report. https://lnkd.in/e-evU-ES #communityservice #givingback #homelessness

Remember masks? This photo was taken in September 2020, seven months after I moved over 500 miles from Maryland to South Carolina to lead a nonprofit arts organization. The pressure to successfully integrate into a new community with half of my face covered or via Zoom was one of many "weights" I felt as a leader during that time. Eventually, the weight I put on myself became so heavy that I knew I needed to make a change. I realized that, for more than two years, I felt the responsibility to "save" my organization—when what I really needed to save was myself. Now as a consultant, I see other nonprofit executives putting the weight of responsibility on themselves, too. My latest blog post on How to Lighten the Weight of Leadership has struck a nerve for many, so I thought I would share it again. I hope this perspective can help you sustain your resilience as a leader, while shedding some of the pressure of the load 🙌 https://conta.cc/3xXNU4j #mindfulleadership #resilience #createspace #weightofleadership #leadershipdevelopment #executivepresence #wellbeing #burnoutprevention