I never know who I am going to meet on any given project. This is what I love so much about what I do…everyone has a story to tell. When I was a journalist, I never knew on any given day where I was going to be, who I was going to meet, what story was I going to capture and tell. It brings me joy that this daily epiphany has translated into my business routine.
Laura Beach is one of those stories that is so wonderful and pure, one that restores my faith for the next wave of clergy leadership in rural North Carolina.
Way out in the middle of the country, I found my way through the windy roads where Longtown United Methodist Church was perched on a hill. Laura is the new pastor, fresh out of Duke Divinity School.
“Laura didn’t always know she wanted to be a pastor, but she has always loved life in a rural setting. She grew up in Ferrum, Va., in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the slower pace and strong sense of community became part of her.”
Longtown UMC is her first appointment for the United Methodist Church.
“I remember turning onto Longtown Road and thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to fit in here. This is going to be home,’” she says.
The congregation embraces her youth and her passion. They shared their desires to be a part of the maturation process for young ministers. Their commitment to this ministry can be felt throughout the congregation…one that makes me think is the under current of the Thriving Rural Communities initiative.
I enjoyed meeting Laura and hearing more about her story. if you would like to read more about Laura, you go go The Duke Endowment’s website to learn more.
I was thinking about Thanksgiving and the numerous things that I am thankful for…I started to think about Pearl. As I think of the things I am thankful for, I begin to think of the people I think are heros. People that I have crossed paths with…ones that have inspired me to look at life in a different way.
I challenged my MBA class to write about their hero this past week. Many of the students jumped right into the assignment, but others began to question who to write about. Riley Csernica has me thinking.
I met Pearl Johnson last year in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The moment I met her, I knew I had another mother in my life. It was 5:30am and it was time to get ready for the day. As I made my way through the mountains, I pulled into this little parking lot…and walked into the side door of the kitchen.
Normally I have to spend some time with people I am working with…to train them to get used to the camera following them everywhere, recording every sound from the microphone hidden under their collar. She did not miss a beat and let me say…she did not stop talking. Yes, I was pulling away in my car late that day and she was still talking.
She told me her story, her passion, her mission…to feed those seniors who do not have access to a warm meal. She feels everyone deserves a warm meal. This is such a simple idea, concept, and passion. But, she has converted her passion to action.
I would be willing to bet she will be traveling the mountains this Thanksgiving, making sure those seniors have a warm meal and a side of her warm conversation. Pearl is just one of the many individuals that the Duke Endowment supports…and I am thankful to listen, capture, and share her story.
This is a project I have enjoyed working on this past summer. This year, The Duke Endowment released their annual report using storytelling as the main communication initiative. I worked with them to find and tell stories inside each of the grants they support, exposing the audience to true core of this initiative.
I love how they used an integrated communications approach on so many facets:
1) They use artwork to paint the picture of the initiatives. As you look through the report, everything appears to be painted on a canvas.
2) The report has an online version inside their website with video as a major component. Each video is a story from inside the grant The Duke Endowment supports. I love this approach, because it paints a visual picture how the grant truly impacts individuals. This done by allowing the person to tell their story using their own personal narrative.
3) Love the printed report that is colorful and integrates QR codes linking the audience from the printed story to the video.
4) Finally, they distributed through their network using an email blast along with making the videos unlisted on their YouTube account. This is done so they can effectively track the analytics. They know that the views on the videos will be coming directly from the email blast via the annual report online.
5) I love commitment to video specifically the use short documentary storytelling. I work closely with their communications team to find, create, and produce the video content. They were very committed to telling rich stories, allowing each video to maintain their voice using the subject’s own personal narrative.
Quick Links to learn more:
1) The Duke Endowment’s Online Annual Report – CLICK HERE
2) The Duke Endowment’s Printed Annual Report – CLICK HERE
3) The Duke Endowment’s YouTube Account – CLICK HERE
There are not too many times you get to tell a story that not only gives you hope for a brighter future…but inspire you to create change. I met David Liu this past summer while working with The Duke Endowment on a project call Profiles of Service.
Jeri Krentz of The Duke Endowment writes:
“In his classes at Duke University, David Liu tackles problems in multivariable calculus. He studies circuit analysis. He builds robots.
But this summer, as a teacher with Freedom School Partners in Charlotte, he learned from 10 year olds. As David helped his scholars sharpen their reading skills, they taught him a few things about patience, and what it means to be an adult.
The experience was thanks to DukeEngage, a program that supports Duke students in volunteer service around the world. Since it was launched in 2007 with $30 million of support from The Duke Endowment and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, DukeEngage has enriched the undergraduate program for more than 2,000 participants.
In Charlotte this summer, three DukeEngage students worked as Servant Leader Interns for Freedom School Partners, along with undergraduates from other colleges across the Southeast.”
If you want to read the whole story…CLICK HERE. I hope you enjoy the story and I hope you venture on to read more about David Liu and his journey from China to Duke University…ultimately finding his summer passion, to help children learn how to read.
Have you sat back and thought about what has truly defined you both personally and professionally? Can you think about one point in time that has truly changed who you are and how you approach life and your career? There is not a better time to do so than at the end of calendar year…a time of reflection. I have numerous moments in time that have defined me, and a few have pop-up in my mind.
1) Defining moment in 2011 as a person.
It was January 1, 2011 and we were driving back from the Christmas cabin in Georgia. We had just finished enjoying a week of vacation in the Georgia mountains and it was time to make the treck back to civilization. As we were coming through Atlanta, Sarah asked me if we could stop to get a drink. I was sitting in the car waiting for her and she opened the door and hopped back in with tears rolling down her face.
I began to think of the many reasons why a female would come back from a restaurant crying. She looked at me and said…”I am pregnant and I am scared!” The past three years we experienced three miscarriages, not making it past 10 weeks. She was happy that once again she was pregnant, but upset and scared she would loose another pregnancy to miscarriage.
What I did not realize is that Sarah had been carrying pregnancy tests around with her for the last six months…testing on a regular basis. For those of you that do not realize…those pregnancy tests are expensive and she was carrying around a bunch. I would be willing to bet she had a half dozen in her pocketbook…we invested in a lot of those little things.
We immediately called our reproductive endocrinologist (RE)…we had made an appointment to talk about what were the next steps in getting pregnant again. We left a message that we were pregnant and we were wondering if we could reschedule the appointment. They immediately called back and wanted us in the office to run tests ASAP. January 1, 2011 was the day that we began thinking about Rose Frances…that little miracle was born on September 6, 2011. What a way to start 2011.
2) Defining moment in 2011 as a professional.
Have you ever had that one project that defined you as a person and professional. That one project that made you think harder and deeper…pushed you to work harder and see life through a different lens. Well, that happened to me in 2011. I received a phone call in January about a project The Duke Endowment was pulling together, one that was still on the drawing board.
They had the vision of telling stories surrounding individuals who are making a tremendous impact in their communities. These individuals are special people who lead organizations/initiatives that are supported by grants from The Duke Endowment. This project is called Profiles of Service…one that would allow me to practice all my journalistic skills of documentary storytelling. Over the next 8 months, I was able to work alongside The Duke Endowment, capturing stories of four individuals in both North and South Carolina. People that were and still are making a tremendous impact in their communities, leading initiatives that bring change.
Each story was located in a different part of North and South Carolina, allowing me to travel from the mountains of Western North Carolina to the low-country of South Carolina. Four individuals, four stories of dedication and service, and hours of interviews captured and shaped into a final product for people to enjoy.
3) What I am looking forward to in 2012.
I am really excited about 2012…two projects that I am working on for this upcoming year. The first is a project with Greenville Hospital System, telling stories from inside the walls of this healthcare organization. There will be more to come over the next year…but I am really excite about this project!
I am also excited to be partnering with Safe Harbor in Greenville, SC. Six months ago, they came to me in the hopes to produce one video as a multi-purpose tool from fundraising to sharing their story online. After spending a few days with them, I realized that one video is just not enough to really share their story. Over the course of 2012, we will be sharing some amazing stories, from those who been impacted by domestic violence to those who are trying to create change in the community. We have already been working together for the last 6 months and we are looking forward to sharing some amazing perspectives.
It is my belief to look back and reflect and to look forward to something amazing! I am excited to be embarking in my third year of business!
