Friday, May 28, 2010

Chicago Green Festival



I had the privilege of speaking at the Chicago Green Festival this past weekend. A joint project of Green America and Global Exchange, the event attracted thousands of people from all over the Midwest and speakers and exhibitors from all over the country. Here is a video with excerpts from my presentation. I'll be speaking at the Seattle Green Festival next Saturday, June 5th at 3pm, and I hope to see many of you there!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Party with a Purpose!

When I started writing Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties, the chapter “Ways to Party with a Purpose” was one of the first ones I came up with. After all, it is how we spend a lot of our twenties – celebrating, networking, meeting new people, and gathering information about the issues that matter most to us. It seems like an easy leap to transform some of this time spent socializing into time spent making the world a better place. Parties and fundraisers are also a great way to meet like-minded people, who might have a lead for that perfect world-changing job.


I've been involved with planning a Party with a Purpose in Seattle. Since Seattle is a nexus for global health research and innovation, we decided to put our focus there. We have raised all of the money for the glamorous cocktail bash, and therefore all of the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly towards combating rotavirus, a leading killer of children under the age of five.
It’s so inspiring to see Party with a Purpose come to life, and it wouldn’t have happened without all of the incredible members of the planning committee, who have devoted themselves to making this party one of the best Seattle has ever seen replete with an amazing band, a great locale, sweet swag bags, and awesome raffle items. I’ve only lived here for a short time, and I’m amazed by how many energetic innovators call Seattle home.

No matter where you live or what your budget is, you can plan your own Party with a Purpose. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
  • Gather a few like-minded folks who are also interested in the idea of throwing a party with a purpose.
  • Decide on a cause and a charity that will receive the proceeds. Once you have chosen a few options, contact each organization to see how the potential donation would be used and what the organization would be willing to do to help promote and plan the party.
  • Choose a venue and calculate your budget. If this will be a bigger bash, create a list of possible sponsors. Even if you're doing something smaller at your favorite neighborhood bar, for example, ask potential sponsors to consider donating space, food, drink, helping to recruit a local band, etc.
  • Send out invitations via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and ask that everyone pass on the information about the party to their various networks. If you're selling tickets, you may also be able to get marketing assistance from your ticket vendor.
  • Accept help from guests. You will probably need additional volunteers beyond the members of your planning crew, so let guests pitch in as well. Offer different levels of involvement, so that everyone can be involved with the growing community of world changers!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Turning Your Passion Into Promise

Many of us are passionate about one thing, or more often, a whole lot of things, but the next step is the tricky one: how to take that excitement and translate it into a job? I’m a big advocate of figuring out what you love by volunteering, traveling, and dabbling in all sorts of ventures before deciding on where to place your most valuable resources, your time and energy.

The final chapter of Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties focuses on how to land your dream job with suggestions throughout about resources and organizations for job seekers, as well as success stories of people who navigated their way to the perfect fit.

Every chapter has a “Ways Guide” that is applicable to the focus of the chapter. Here is an updated excerpt from the Chapter 10 guide:

Ways Guide to Finding the Perfect World-Changing Job for You (or at Least One to Try Out for a While)

Read all about it. Learn as much as you can about the job market and the trends of potential employers. For the green job hunter, some excellent resources include websites like the New York Times’ Green Blog, Green America, Treehugger, Grist, and Earth911. Also, check out the internship opportunities on the Green Collar Earth website to learn more about the many shades of green jobs available.

Build a platform on the web. It should come as no surprise that one of the best ways to network these days is by using Web 2.0 tools. Set up a LinkedIn account and invite key people you’ve worked for or with to write a recommendation. Also, ask friends for recommendations of colleagues you should connect with. Add professional information to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and consider setting up a website or blog with samples of your work and testimonials (when appropriate) about your expertise.

Become a member. Once you find a few organizations or businesses that might be good potential employers, visit their websites often and sign up for email action alerts and updates. If you can afford it, consider becoming a donor. Doing so not only guarantees that you will stay informed, but your membership will show a tangible commitment to their cause when a job becomes available.

Network, network, network. Put the word out to anyone who asks (and even those who don’t) about the kind of work that you would like to do. Check in with friends, acquaintances, former bowling league buddies, and basically anyone who might know someone at the type of organization or business that you would like to be involved with. Attend mixers like the Green Drinks parties, and don’t be shy about asking for help. Many people find their job through someone they know, and it only takes one good connection to turn you on to that perfect job!

Get in the door with informational interviews. Even if you can’t immediately find an organization that has a job opening to match your skill set (expert hacky sacker, soap opera trivia genius, nap master), many will be more than willing to sit down with you for an informational interview. These types of conversations are an excellent way to learn more about an organization, express your interest when something does open up, and make a good first impression on someone influential within the company. Treat these discussions like real interviews and schedule as many as you can. For more tips to help you prepare, check out the SkillsBuilder section on the Green Collar Earth website.