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Those of you that know me at least a little know that I think cancer sucks - A LOT! About eight years ago a few of us started to sell shirts with these very words at an American Cancer Society conference as a fundraiser, and ever since I've been seen with one of these shirts in a wild variety of places.... Skiing, speaking, and traveling to name a few.
I've made new friends because of these shirts, I've been called "the cancer sucks guy", but most importantly, I've been a small player in a global awakening to the fight against cancer (and when I say small player, I mean 1 out of over 4 million).
Skiing with Cancer Sucks shirt
If you Google the phrase 'cancer sucks', you'll see thousands of different photos, websites and blogs showcasing shirts, buttons, hats, pants, and other tchotkes with these words. You'll see thousands of volunteer and fundraisers donning this apparel as they participate in fundraisers to help eliminate cancer, and you'll see countless stories from survivors and caregivers talking about their battles with this disease. These stories, from around the world, never seize to touch me, and inspire me.
But beyond the stories, I have learned much more from this simple, yet potent phrase. This phrase has no boundaries, and as such, it brings people closer across borders.
When I arrived in Argentina with instructions to "look for a tall, skinny kid holding a sign", I anticipated that I would find a young man holding a piece of paper with my name on it. Instead, this future doctor was holding a different sign:
Through his broken English and my broken Spanish, Martin explain that he had seen pictures of me with this shirt from our mutual friend, Jesse. I couldn't help but laugh, and I couldn't help but reflect on how this simple phrase joined us together as brothers of the same planet.
I've learned something from this simple phrase, and the audacity to make it popular and acceptable.
Speak a global language | Be a part of something that anybody, from any country, can support.
Stand up for something worthwhile | Put your heart and passion behind something that will inspire other people to follow.
Be loud and audacious | It's better to turn heads than be politically correct (a.k.a. irrelevant). Another suitable phrase: It's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.
Give it away | If you came up with something that can unite people across borders, then give it away. Let other people run with it and see what amazing things they can accomplish.
It's day 5 of the American Cancer Society's International Leadership Summit. So far I've delivered a marketing strategy presentation to the leadership from other 7other countries, discussed strategy with ACS leadership in order to maintain relevance in 5,200 communities so that we can increase on the already $420+ million we raise each year, and have helped inspire a movement for a more positive culture transformation in one of its larger divisions.
This is the last day of the summit, it's early in the morning, and I've just finished a powerful discussion - my brain is close to fried. I step out into the hallway and I see a familiar face. I haven't been in the country for a long time, and I'm surrounded by familiar faces at this ACS meeting so I point and yell a hello assuming it's a fellow volunteer. The man has no idea who I am, and I realize I've never met himself, I just admire his blog and book. He's walking hastily to a meeting so I run up to him, and give him a quick thank you for his work. In fact, his book 'Start With Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action' - and the AWESOME TEDx talk about it - have empowered me to be a better leader in my role on the American Cancer Society's National Advisory Team and Leadership Training Team.
He stops, smiles, and reaches in his pocket. He hands me a token that says 'Inspire Action', and says "No, thank you for what you do." We shake hands, and I run back into some more planning - even more inspired than I already was.
The summit was a HUGE success... the training was top notch, the messages inspiring, and my friends at the ACS all ROCK! This group leads the Relay For Life movement that impacts over 3.5 million volunteers in 6,200 communities around the world who are the true global leaders in the fight against cancer - I am so honored to be a part of it... and meeting Simon Sinek was icing on the cake!
This week was all about initiating action and I was reminded of just how powerful we can be if we put our hearts and minds behind a purpose - together. It's a great topic to frequently reflect on... how can you inspire action?
I've never seen anything like it. Within a couple short hours, I drove from some of the world's most scenic beaches (Kaikura in New Zealand) to the devastation left in the wakes of the numerous Christchurch earthquakes of 2011. Streets are cracked, historic monuments leaning, and buildings lay in complete ruin. Not just bits and pieces here and there, but entire blocks are abandoned. In fact, the entire city center for 6 blocks in either direction is blocked off from everybody but excavation crews.
It's easy to take once glance at the wreckage and walk away... To just give up. There's too much damage, the infrastructure is destroyed and there is not enough money to rebuild - nor is the leadership in place to to set the vision and inspire the rebuilding. It is easy to see that Christchurch is in a very tough position.
I walked around 'ground zero' for an entire day looking at the waist. I sat down at one of the few cafe's still in operation across the street from a tumbled building and posed myself a question "If I was in charge of leading the rebuild of this city, how would I do it?"
I thought back to some of my previous learnings from this trip. The importance of setting a vision, of instilling dignity, and then giving the gift of ownership to the people that live here.
Then I drew a smiley face in response to a young man skateboarding and jumping over the cracks in the pavement. At first, the smile felt very out of place...But then I caught I myself laughing when I stumbled upon some words taped onto the sidewalk. My laughter, like my earlier smile, also felt out of place... The humor was a little too literal - at first it didn't feel right to be laughing and smiling here. But as I visited more shops and met more people, I realized that there was as much laughter here as anywhere. And as I continued walking around the city wondering what it needed to recover, I came across a sign...
The sign was clearly made by a kid and it was beautiful, hanging above the emaciated concrete. It was so simple, yet it carried enormous gravitas - "San Francisco did it... So can we Christchurch".
The Star on the right: "San Francisco did it... So Can We Christchurch!!!
What this city needs is hope. It needs smiles and joy. It needs inspiration. It needs it from the government, businesses, residents and children. It needs to find it internally, and it needs the rest of the world to share some with it. But in truth, I think they have it already - it just needs to be unleashed. And if realizing that somebody else did it to is all they need to find the hope and inspiration, then maybe that is all we need, to.
Around the globe, people are improving the world we live in every day. They are pursuing meaningful careers, are volunteering with more organizations, and are starting and supporting social enterprises.
And if they can do it, so can we.
But you can do it, to. Whatever it is, just go for it. Terry Fox did - and if you don't think this is one of the most amazing and inspiring videos ever, then please let me know what is better:
While in New Zealand, I met the most amazing company ever and learned how its innovative strategies are changing the world... As bold as this statement is, I'll be bolder and say it's not even debatable.
The ways in which this simple company is improving it's own community while impacting the world for the better is nothing short of inspiring! I learned some really valuable lessons from Wanaka Wastebusters and I hope you can, too:
First, some background. Wanaka Wastebusters (WW) is a nonprofit that was started just over 10 years ago by a group of community members. At the time, the mayor bet $100 that it wouldn't last a year.... Over a decade later it is the largest employer in the beautiful town of Wanaka, and it's initiatives are reaching all the way across New Zealand - with plenty of PR to support it. Note: I was told the now un-reelected mayor never paid up.
As the name implies, WW is a waste elimination company. This is very different than simply being a recycling company as it focuses more on the 'reduce' and 'reuse' aspects of environmental preservation than on actual recycling (though it does an amazing job of that as well). Included in 'waste elimination' is a second hand store, used-item donation collection, residential curb-side pick-up, business pick-up, waste reduction consulting, recovery of electronic components from disposed electronics, sorting and cleaning of potential recyclables, waste elimination awareness and education at schools and businesses, converting waste to bio-fuels, and the list goes on...
But WW also does more than just eliminate waste... It also employs special-needs individuals, provides valuable on the job training, conducts publicity stunts to push producers of waste to be more conscious (the Unpackit award is brilliant), and partners with local and national governments to help reduce the environmental impact of tourists. Oh, and their trucks run on biodiesel, too.
But it's the little, creative things that really make a HUGE difference at this company. Innovation is the heart and soul of the organization. Blackboards with inspirational words of wisdom are hung for impromptu brainstorming sessions, the core values can be found published around the premise, each employee - past an present - has a special homemade plaque on the wall, the offices themselves are made from thrown-out wood and materials, and the spirit of openness from budgeting all the way to key decision making gives everybody a real sense of ownership in its mission. As if its environmental impact isnt enough, it is also the best run company from a management and motivational perspective I have ever seen.
While visiting, I was invited into a planning meeting where I had the opportunity to ask a question: "What is your core competency?" to some team members. A few answers came out, but the overarching theme was this: WW is a passionate company determined to change the world with its ridiculously good innovative problem solving and behavior modification skills. They just happen to focus those skills towards eliminating waste. Not bad for a company that wasn't supposed to last one year...
There were countless leadership, business, and entrepreneurial lessons that I picked up in the 2 short days I spent with Sophie, Simon, and Sue from the WW team, but I leave you with a few quotes that, while spoken over the course of 2 days, tie together quite nicely:
"So as it turns out, most people just use business as a way to make money. But really, it's just a tool" (Sue)
"But we want to change the world" (Simon)
So you have to "do the best possible job with what - and whom - you've got" (Sophie)
"We found people with passion, set them on a direction, and let them create their own path" (Sue)
"And it has turned out to be an #epicsuccess" (Simon)
"At the end of the day, you can't get enough grants to change the world... You have to pay for your own revolution - that's why we use business as a tool... after all, how hard can it be?" (Sue)
Considering they're changing the world by playing with what other people call trash, I think they have a point!
Wanaka Wastebusters uses trash to change the world... That should give the rest of us hope and inspiration to change the world by focusing our own passions in making the world a better place... "Afterall, how hard can it be?"
New Zealand is a stunningly beautiful country. In addition to falling on love with the mountains, lakes, rivers and waterfalls that are a dime-a-dozen here, I've been incredibly impressed with with the people, as well as with certain aspects of the government. As an example, I recently learned that New Zealand provides asylum to any person escaping discrimination and persecution in their own country.
This, as you can imagine, creates a bit of tension and some heated debates. I learned a lot more about this while in Australia, which has similar issues with immigration. The term for these asylum seekers is 'boat people', and, much like illegal immigrants in the US, they meet some very strong and abusive resistance.
Also, like in the US, some segment of the population in New Zealand and Australia make public showings against these asylum sealers - many making hurtful and racist remarks. A new TV show in Australia chronicles this and is available online: Go Back To Where You Came From - it is also worth checking out the the NY Times article about it. In summary, this show takes the people ('haters') who are in strong opposition to boat people and travels them to the countries where these people escaped. As one would expect, once ignorant minds are opened to the reality of the situations in some of these countries, these haters become open and change their perspective. But this post is about more than just the importance of travel in opening up the mind.
What REALLY impressed me about the people in Australia and New Zealand is the attitude that a small segment of the population has to integrate these asylum seekers and provide them opportunities. In addition to accepting boat people, this group is using business as a tool to make lives easier and more successful for these asylum seekers. One such company is Social Studio in Melbourne.
This company is nothing short of brilliant. It provides jobs for new immigrants while leveraging their cultural differences to expand (and improve?) fashion, music, and cuisine in the area. And it also do so in a way that helps protect the environment by using cheap, recycled clothes as the raw material for the new, fashionable clothes in order to reduce it's environmental impact - AMAZING!!!
I LOVE the juxtaposition of this company against the anti-boat-people demonstrators. Both have the same to gain or lose from the arrival of asylum seekers, but they take very different approaches - only one which actually helps the situation. Maybe this goes with most things in life and many aspects of businesses: You can make yourself angry and anger others based on your perceptions, feelings, and opinions; or you can help others and help yourself. Your choice.
Doing the right thing is almost always the hard thing.
Reflecting on the past few months, some of the most rewarding experiences were the hardest. This is probably true for all of us - people, nonprofits, and businesses alike. But at the end of the day, doing hard things is hard, and sometimes demotivating. But there is a lot of merit in doing the hard thing... Hard means there is opportunity because few are brave enough to take the risk. Hard also means it's probably necessary because nothing in life worth having is free - or easy.
As citizens of this planet, we are all facing some significant challenges - some closer to home than others. Aside from global warming, yearly natural disasters cause suffering around the world; a global finical crises has put more people into dire economic conditions; a rapidly growing population means the earth is being stripped of resources; billions live without healthcare, and around one quarter the world's population lives in poverty.
While governments and NGO's are doing what they can (or at least say they are) to alleviate some of these maladies, most are not improving... In fact they are worsening. But, little by little, beacons of hope are staring up that are changing this trend. Actual businesses that exist to fix issues while they make a profit are jumping up around the world and making HUGE impacts. Here is one of many examples I have encountered on my travels:
In Queenstown, New Zealand, it's easy to start a tourism company, but it's harder and more expensive to start a company that improves the environment. Take Ziptrek - an exciting ecotorism company that is carbon neutral, adheres to Four Natural Steps, and teaches the core tenants of environmental responsibility to all customers. Ziptrek drives home key messages about environmental sustainability with positive, exhilarating experiences. It's a brilliant company, and one that gives more back to the earth than it takes from it.
Trent and me at Ziptrek HQ in Queenstown
I met with Trent Yeo, the man behind Ziptrek in New Zealand, to learn more about what it takes to start a sustainable business that is changing the world. I was expecting hard work, but I was flabbergasted to learn about some of the hurdles he had to overcome. In summary, to start an eco-friendly business, you need to go through extra layers of legislative review, get extra certifications which are pricey and time consuming, and be audited in more aspects of the businesses.
It took Trent over 5 years to overcome these hurdles and if it weren't for his unreal commitment to saving the planet, he would have walked away long ago. It was the promise of making an impact to people and the planet - not to profits - that fueled Trent, the company, and its success.
This world needs more Trent's and Ziptrek's. My belief is that we are at a point where businesses and individuals around the world need to join hands and start putting more effort into developing a sustainable planet and population. I also believe that we can sustain our own lives with fulfilling careers while doing the right thing. Businesses, like Ziptrek, can be made that make the world a better place while paying fair and competitive salaries.
It's understandable that starting a business is hard, but it is absolutely asinine that starting one good for the planets and its citizens is harder. This needs to change. Imagine if it were easier to start a business that was environmentally and socially responsible than one that wasn't? Think about how many more eco-businesses there would be if it were profitable to have a company that is better for the planet...
For those of you starting or working at an environmentally responsible company, I commend you. For the rest of us, I have one question: How can you help change the system so that environmentally responsible businesses are easier to launch and be more successful?
This will be my project in 2012, you are more than welcome to join me.
In Nepal, I met a group of awesome guys from Australia while on my trek to ski 6500m Mera Peak. The ski attempt was a huge success, but becoming friends with the Aussies was definitely the highlight!
I visited this same group of guys while in Melbourne and had a blast seeing the city from a local's perspective. While walking the streets with Phil, I asked "If you could live anywhere, where would it be?" He laughed "for me, home isn't really a place...". I kept thinking about his remark, and the second that I landed in Queenstown and saw the incredible mountains and lakes that make this area famous, I realized exactly what he meant.
For those of you that know me well, you know that "I feel at home" in the mountains. I also "feel at home" when I'm around my wonderful family or amazing friends. Even Tikot, Nepal, felt like home... And the reason that I feel at home is because it feels like home.
Like Phil said, home isn't a place... The American dream of owning a home doesn't actually have anything to do with buying something made from bricks, wood, or concrete. Rather, it's a feeling of belonging: An intimate connection between people and nature that enriches your soul and makes you a better person.
You can find this anywhere... If you remain open to opportunities.
Reflecting on the good things that have happened to me this year - and in years past - I realized that none were accomplished without facing and overcoming some significant challenges - physical, intellectual, and emotional. Seeing the most amazing sunrise ever was no different.
The adventure started at 11pm when my brother (Paul) and I, along with two guides, set out for the summit of Mt. Sundoro, a volcano located in the center of Java island in Indonesia. The "trail" starts in the middle of a small town on a rock road and then travels through fields of chile and cabbage. Like most cone volcanoes, Mt. Sundoro rises rapidly from the lowlands and climbs steadily for almost 6,000 ft. At the beginning, we noticed that one of the guides had an exceptionally heavy pack, so my brother, thinking that 6,000ft of climbing wasn't enough, traded his lighter pack for the guide's heavier pack to get a better workout.
A brilliantly bright full moon made for easy travel, and my brother led the charge with a quick pace. Soon, the fields gave way to a dense forest and before we knew it, Paul and I were alone with our headlamps, having set a pace too fast for our guides. We reached the top in 3 hours and quickly setup tent on the rim of the crater that makes up the summit of Sundoro. The meager pads and blanket was not nearly enough to keep us warm, so Paul and I had to huddle close to keep each other warm as the temperature hovered just above freezing in the humid, tropical air.
Around 5am a soft glow ignited the tent, and before we knew it, the sky, surrounding volcanoes, and ocean in the distance were all on fire. Just over 3 hours after we reached the top, the guides finally caught up to us - just in time themselves to catch the incredible views.
We spent hours reveling in the warmth of the rising sun and the amazing views. We toured around the crater rim and took in the sights as shadows played on the lowlands below as the sun climbed higher in the sky.
We returned to the car just under 12 hours after departing from it, elated at the amazing time we had, and recognizing how fortunate we were to have spent such a wonderful time together. I would give anything to be back on that volcano with my brother. At the end of the day, like any day, the sunrise wasn't amazing because of the rising sun, but rather because of the challenge of getting there, and of course, who I overcame it.
