Rockout Sessions

When I moved to Chicago almost 5 years ago, I came to the city without a car.  I knew it would be an adjustment but thankfully college had started training me to not rely on my car as my main form of transportation.   In college, I walked almost everywhere and only drove my car when I had errands to run or was going to a friends house or on a trip.   College really grew my love for walking and having the alone time with my thoughts and music as I would go to and from classes listening to music.  It was my favorite "me" time and was when I spent my time reflecting.

High School was a different story.  When you turn 16 and you have a car, you want to drive as much as humanly possible.  I remember getting in my car sometimes and having no destination in mind, all I wanted to do was to drive around and listen to music.  The freedom of being able to drive was a thrill and I have so many memories of me driving with friends or by myself during my teenage years listening to music and rocking out or even crying out my feelings (you know when I am talking about- crying about heartbreaks, etc).

So now being an urbanite without a car, whenever I have the chance to drive a friends car or my boyfriends car by myself, I take full advantage of the alone time and I have some serious rock-out sessions.  I listen to songs that are fitting to what I am feeling and I just belt the words out like nobody is watching or listening.   I even add some dance moves in my seat depending on the song that is playing on the radio or my itunes.  Embarrassing as I may say, I will even go as far as using the steering wheel as my drum set or bust out an air guitar from time to time.

For me, driving a car is rare because I ride the Chicago public transportation everyday to and from work, and of course I can't bust out singing on a bus that is packed with more people than a can of sardines.  If I did do that, people would look at my like I am looney or yell at me for being loud.  Also CTA has a rule saying no one is allowed to play music loud enough to distract other passengers (yes it is a rule).   The other times I am listening to music is either while I am at work at my desk, working out, or getting ready.   Even then, I don't feel like I can sing as loudly and as obnoxiously as I would if I was in a car by myself.   If I  am home alone and my neighbors aren't home either, then you can bet your bottom dollar I am having an awesome rock-out session by myself.  Everyone deserves to let loose and have them from time to time.

Since I embrace my rock-out sessions, I believe other people should as well.  When I am in a car, bus, or a taxi and I happen to pull up alongside a car that has a group of people or an individual singing their heart out at the wheel, instead of judging or laughing at them, I say to myself "good for you!"  They may be feeling the same freedom I feel whenever I get the chance to drive a car by myself and I say more power to you!  Embrace that time to sing your heart out to whatever songs you want and feel free to do some seating dancing as well.  

Music enriches our lives and we need to enjoy music, embrace it and rock-out whenever the moment allows us to do so.   Music was made to move us and touch our hearts and souls.  Dancing and rock-out sessions are the best ways to seize them fully and I say more power to you!

When and where do you have rockout sessions?  Any songs you particularly enjoy rocking out to the most?

What Encourages You???

As most of you know, I recently became the manager of my company's Employee Volunteer Program, which is a year-round volunteer program, that empowers our employees to donate their time and skills to make an impact in the communities we serve.  Over the course of a year and a half, I have built the program from the ground up and it is now an official program.  But this is only the beginning.  I am excited for what this program and our employees will do in the coming year.  My hope for this program is to motivate, inspire, and empower employees to make a positive change in their community and/or in the lives of others.  Our employees have so much to offer and the sky is the limit for what we can all do to give back.

I came across this video and within minutes of watching it, I was inspired.  I was inspired by the words this little boy was saying and it made me ask myself, what encourages me?  What encourages me the amazing company I work for and the amazingly-talented employees we have there.  Our employees have big hearts, time, and talents that are going to change the world.  We work to change local commerce, and we live to change the world. 

I am also encouraged by the new people I meet.  I recently met some truly inspiring individuals from The Impact Engine at Demo Day.  (Founders of Azadi and the Founder of Collaborative Group).   These are individuals who are working hard to change the lives of young girls and artisans, and they are just a few people who are changing the world and lives.   I love meeting people that are inspiring, innovative and energized.  I think it is important to expose yourself to people like this, because if we didn't, we would stay static and complacent.  I don't ever want to be complacent or uninspired. 

It's time to DO something.  So my question to you readers.  What encourages you?  What will you create to make the world awesome?  This is our time and we can make everyday better together. 

Today, I Am Thankful

Today I am thankful.  I am thankful for all the wonderful people in my life amongst many other things.    Everyday I wake up and am thankful to have another day.  Another day to spend with people I love, doing activities I love, and doing a job that I love.   Sometimes it is easy to forget how truly lucky you are when the daily tasks can cloud our hearts and mind, but today, today I am thankful.   Thankful for all the wonderful things God has given me and continues to give me with each passing day. 

Today I am spending my Thanksgiving with my family and eating food that is meaningful to us.   Holidays are a time where we get to remember loved ones that have enriched our lives, create new memories with loved ones and help carry on family traditions.  One of my favorite family tradition is our big family euchre tournament.  Cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents participate and our tournaments are known to go into the late hours.   

No matter what comes our way, life is all about the people we love most in this world and cherishing the time we have with them.    My life would not be complete if it wasn't for my family, friends and my boyfriend.  They make me a better person and fill my life with joy.  

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy this special day with loved ones.

What are you thankful for today?   What are some of your families traditions? 

Eye Opening Documentary- Half the Sky

In the past year, I have become a documentary and TedTalks nerd-aholic (if there is such a word).  As I continue to explore, learn and watch thought provoking documentaries (thanks to my Netflix account).

I recently watched this amazing documentary called Half the Sky when it was aired for the first time on PBS.  The documentary showcases what life is like for women across the world and how women are overcoming oppression.

The film is based off the widely acclaimed book by two renowned journalists who also happen to be husband and wife, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.   Through these stories within the book and film, Kristof and WuDunn help you see that the key to economic progress and change lies in the unleashing of every women's potential.   This film highlights how many people have helped do just that, even to the extent of risking their own lives, and conveying how we can each do our own part in helping women across the world be released from oppression.

I will admit that some scenes of this documentary were almost too hard for me to watch and I felt every emotion.  There were moments when I felt angry, sad, horror, fear, and completely disgusted.  Then there were moments when I felt motivated, empowered, and excitement for the progress women are making around the world against issues that are having an impact on their wellbeing.

One of the key takeaways I took from this film was how fortunate I am for the life I am living.  Sometimes it is easy for us to want to turn and look the other way or want to "ignore" what is really happening in the world we live in.  This film opened my eyes and has made me grow as not only as an individual but as a woman.

Learn about how you can help the Half the Sky Movement by visiting http://www.halftheskymovement.org/.  You can volunteer or donate to any of the wonderful nonprofit organizations that are helping women overcome oppression.

Stop Being a People-Pleaser

Today I received this article from a colleague in a gchat.  At first I was caught off guard as I was in deep thought in an email I was currently writing but I was also surprised by the title. "Stop Being a People-Pleaser."   When I finally read the gchat message from the colleague, which said "this is SO you," I was immediately curious to read this article and figure out why this particular article made them think this was SO me.

After reading it, I realized, this is me.  100 and 10%.  The advise in this article is exactly what I needed.   I have been battling with myself on time management, quality of work, and always being accessible to others, regardless of what priorities are on my plate at the current time.

This part of the article, struck a chord with me the most.  (I am guilty of this, more than I even realized, so thank you Elizabeth Saunders for giving me this wake up call)

"The "Yes!" Man or Woman Scenario:  
If you're an energetic, service-oriented person, your tendency is to always respond to any request by saying, "Sure, I can do that." Or when you're sitting in a meeting and someone asks for volunteers to help, you always raise your hand. Or even when no one asks for help — but you know they need it — you offer to assist. In and of itself, a strong desire to take action isn't bad. But if this attitude means that you're completely overloaded with work and unfocused on your top priorities, you are failing to keep the commitments that truly should fall under your ownership.  In many instances, there are other people who can step up. If you can't resist the urge to jump in, disconnect yourself when you're off hours so that you're not even aware of every crisis.  Even if it seems like a can't-miss opportunity, remember that there will always be other chances. There will always be more events, more conferences, more articles, even more crises to solve — more of everything. If you don't make time for what's an enduring priority for you, such as sleep, rest, or time with important people, you'll miss out on what truly matters."

Yup. That is me.  To the T.  Now all I need to do is take Elizabeth's advise to heart and to use. ASAP.

My role at work requires individuals to be contacting me via email, gchat or by the phone throughout the day, everyday.  Sometimes I have 15 gchat conversations going on at work with folks who need answers from me or have a question, while emails pile up in my inbox and my phone may have a few voicemails.  At meetings when people ask for volunteers or help, I always offer to participate.  When someone refers to me as being someone that would "know" or be good to help (I almost always say yes, without fully considering my band with first)

May be this is how a people-pleaser thinks.  Try to answer everyone and anyone's immediate needs as fast and graciously as you can and trying to fulfill every request thrown my way.  Even with my emails, I answer emails for people I know need my answers/responses the fastest, but I also don't like writing terse emails, because the last thing I want to do is come off wrong or that I am "too busy"to care.  However, spending too much time on an email is not proper use of time so can you see how this can be a little overwhelming for a "people-pleaser?"

According to this article, I need to start slotting time on my calendar where I am "not" available so I can do top priority work undisturbed.  I need to learn when to say "I am sorry I cannot help at this time" and how to protect my time and energy.  This sounds like a much better plan than me doing work after normal work hours for high priority tasks.  These tasks should be done during normal work hours.  Right?

I don't know about you, but my weekends and evenings typically consist of me working for some amount of time with my laptop on my lap, some nights more than others, because let's face it, it is my quiet time and undisturbed focus time.   Weekends are usually my time to catch up on work and unanswered emails.  I should be able to find this sort of time during regular work hours, but for the past few months, that has been almost impossible.  Now I know why.  I've been a Yes Woman for way too many requests lately and it's finally caught up and bite me in the butt.

I also recently read this article by Fast Company called "What Successful Night Owls Get Done Before Bed" and this article made me realize that may be I am just wired to be a late night worker.   My mind is focused at night and I get a second wind usually around 8/9pm and it lasts until 11:00pm/Midnight (hence why this blog post was posted so late in the evening).   Is this normal? (sure).  Is it healthy? (may be, may be not).   Does this schedule have a negative impact on the people in my life and my job? (a little).   So what do I do about it?  I can't be an "all-the-time" worker because that is definitely not healthy, but I need to make some changes so I can be a great manager and worker.

All in all, I want to have as much of a balanced workload and life as I possibly can.  I do not want email overload or work anxiety.  I want to leave work at the end of each day feeling like I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish instead of feeling like I am chasing after a car that is rolling down a hill with no hope of me ever catching up to it.

Hopefully these two articles can help me find my balance and new best practices so I can achieve my goals and surpass them.  If I can make even a few small changes, then I know I will be on the right path to continue taking myself and my career forward.

Have you ever struggled finding ways to balance your workload all the while be a people-pleaser at work?

Can you relate to either one of these articles? If so how?

A Daily Reminder

I received an email from a past community partner the other day.  I did a campaign with the Arthritis Foundation in Pittsburgh to raise money for heat therapy bears for children with juvenile arthritis.   The campaign was intended to raise awareness that children are being diagnosed with arthritis and that isn't just an "old person" disease.   In the email I received from my community partner, was a link to a blog post from a mother whose child recently received one of the SAK packages. 

The email from the community partner and the blog post are a great reminder for why my job is important.   Sometimes it can be hard to have a tangible connection to the campaign projects I am running, but this blog post is a great reminder to why me and my team continue to do what we do and that we are helping organizations receive funding for items, projects, and initiatives that don't really have a way to otherwise.  Our platform enables organizations to offer individuals a chance to make a meaningful and tangible contribution to them. 

This Mom's story is a daily reminder that I am making an impact and in the lives of others; even if it is as small as providing a heat therapy teddy bear to a little boy. 

How do you remind yourself that you are making a difference?  What keeps you motivated to keep working hard?

Summer Where Are You?

This summer has been a busy summer for me.  Between attending weddings, my three jobs, planning the Young Associates Board: Run for Gus 5k, social networking groups, softball league, and personal life; I have had a very busy summer.

Learning how to manage my stress and work load is a fight I tend to lose at more than I would like to and even admit.  The reason why I lose this battle with myself is because I struggle in figuring out what I should give up and keep in my day-to-day life.  I want to be a super woman that can manage and balance her life as easy as baking a cake.  When I read about women who claim they can balance it all, are they really telling the truth?   It seems the media is saying more and more that women may be can't have it all.  What does that say to aspiring young women who are desperately looking for a role models.  Ramona from RHNY claims she can balance it all as does Kelly Rippa.   When I hear about these things, I always have to stop and check myself, because I know deep down that they aren't balancing everything all on their own.  They have a support team helping them.

After reflecting on my summer and how insanely busy I have been, I realized that I have not had much of a summer at all.  Has it been really worth it?  Is taking on so much at my age really the best thing for me at this time of my life?

As I looked back at my summer,  I realized that I have been to a pool twice, laid out in the sun 6 times, attended one city festival, one movie in the park, and have yet to go to the beach.  That is sad when you think about it.  There have been days where I can't even find 30 minutes for me to treat myself to a workout.  Why have I passed up going to the free concerts at the Pritzker Pavilion to stay late at the office or jam pack my schedule with networking events and activities after work?  Has it been worth it?  Yes and no.

Although they may not have been the best choices, I clearly made them for a reason and a good reason.  I love the work the YAB does for children with pediatric brain tumors, I want to be a successful business woman, and I am always eager to volunteer whenever possible.   Can you blame someone for wanting to do these things?  No, but should these things consume my every free moment outside of work?  Most people would say no.  I should be staying out late on a work night with friends because we went to a concert or a movie.  Or I went wine tasting after work with my boyfriend just because I can!  Instead I worry about checking my email at night, trying to get ahead with work, and making to-do's for the next day.  I sound like a PTA/Soccer mom and I am only 26.

I am a young business professional who does not have commitments waiting for me after work and I should be living life up everyday, because in actuality, time is of the essence.   Years from now I will have commitments that will prevent me from having this freedom.  Commitments being a dog or family, and parenting duties.   These are the years for me to enjoy having a flexible and carefree schedule, and I am letting these precious years slip away one by one.   Why has it taken me years to finally have this realization sink in?

As you can tell, this has definitely been a wake up call and a great life lesson.  Even though I enjoy my jobs, being on boards, volunteering, and attending networking events; I need to better balance my time, energy and attention to doing things that involve my friends, family, and most importantly, myself.   Time is running out and I know I will miss having a flexible schedule.   To ensure this happens, I am going to need to start minimizing some things out, especially the activities that prevent me from living a more carefree lifestyle and I know it is going to be tough for me to let some things go.  For now at least.

Any advice on how I can train myself to live a more carefree life?

For the Love of the Game & Charitable Organizations

Sports have been a big part of my life ever since I was little.  Throughout my life I have played a number of sports and on a number of sports teams.  Sports include: soccer, gymnastics, diving, swimming, golf, tennis, basketball, softball, indoor volleyball, and beach volleyball.   Even now in my adulthood, my passion for sports still exists and I continue to play in a sports league each summer.  Chicago is an amazing city for so many reasons and I especially love how active this city is with club sports and sports leagues.

When you are an athlete,  whether you played in grade school, high school, or a collegiate sport,  your love for sports stays with you and nestles inside your heart.  I know this to be true, and I have always had the love for sports whether I am playing or watching sports, but my love for playing sports was taken to a whole new level after I met Mark Biery, co-founder of LTS (Live to Support) Chicago.

LTS (Live to Support) Chicago was founded on the notion that young professionals are the key platform to raise awareness to support to Chicago charities. LTS forms sports leagues so people can participate in active sporting and social events which, in turn, help Chicago charities through donations and awareness.

After learning about LTS, I reached out to Mark about getting some teams formed and playing in a summer softball league.  It didn't take long for me to form a team and decide on a charity that we would represent.

Since July 10th, my team: Team Knockdown, has been venturing out to Stanton Park to play against fellow Groupon employees and other 600 West Chicago companies in a 16 inch softball league on Tuesday night's through Live to Support Chicago.  Companies that participated include: ConAgra Foods, Wrigley, InnerWorkings, and of course, Groupon.

My team played for the Chicago Lights Urban Farm, an urban farm I have grown to hold near and dear to my heart and have become an advocate for the great work they do in the Chicagoland community.  Chicago Lights has taught me how to farm, the importance of composting, and that farming is an education tool in the sense that it is a way to teach life skills to low-income children and families.

One thing I love about LTS's program is that before the start of each game, competing teams circle around home plate to give a brief speech on what charity they are playing for and a little background about their work.   This also allows you to be educated about different charitable organizations that are doing great work in your community.  We all know sports are competitive and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the emotions and competitive edge sports can bring out in you.  LTS gives athletes a reason to direct their energy of the game to play for selfless reasons, a charity.  When you play for a charitable organization, your love for the game changes.  You aren't playing for you anymore, you are playing for the mission-driven work that the charity does each and every day.   Losing a game even feels different, because you know that the team you lost to is playing for a charity that is making a difference and could really use the funding.  However losing makes you more determined to win the next game, so you can be one step closer to being in the championship round.

Before the start of each season, LTS automatically awards each participating team $100 to give to the charity they are representing.  I love this because even if your specific team doesn't win the championship, you still played to raise awareness about the charity you are representing and the organization gets $100, and a $100 can make an impact for any charitable organization.

So you may be wondering, how did my team, Team Knockdown finish their season?  In short, last night, my team played in the championship and won.  We came back in the 6th inning when we were down 5 runs, to tie up the game.  We could not believe it.  The 7th inning was the final inning and with the score tied, we managed to hold the competing team at 8 runs and we managed to bring in a 9th run to win the game!  It was a remarkable moment.  Seeing my team of fellow colleagues, not only make such an amazing come back but to see the excitement on each of their faces because they knew our victory meant that the Chicago Lights Urban Farm would be receiving a check for $1,000.

It was a priceless moment and a moment I will treasure forever.  My love of the game has been completely changed because of my experience playing with Live to Support and I cannot wait to play for a charity again.

A big congratulations to Groupon's very own Team Knockdown for beating InnerWorking's: Here Comes the Runs team in Live to Support's Softball Championship.

Be sure to check out photos from the season and a highlight video of the league.  You can see the schedule, team rankings, and what charity each team played for here.

It was inspiring to see passionate individuals who have love for the game of softball but also it was even more inspiring to see individuals who are passionate about the charity their team was representing and played every play for them.

What do you play for?  What charity would you want to represent in a sports league & why?

One Nation. Underfed.

One of the cool parts about my job at Groupon Grassroots is that I am inspired on a daily basis.  Inspired by the people I talk to, the success each Grassroots campaign has on our site, and the issues individuals are addressing and how their work is making an impact everyday.    

Before I came to Groupon, I felt like I knew about the major issues that our country and world faces, but I have found that I was naive in thinking that.

Everyday I find my eyes being opened a little bit wider by the knowledge I am absorbing.   There is a lot of great work being done by individuals in our country and the world to help make an impact in the issues and challenges happening here.

Today was one of those eye opening experiences.   My team had the unique opportunity to see a sneak peak of a documentary called "Finding North."  This documentary is about the hunger issue children, families, and individuals face across the United States.   The film shows you what hunger really looks like today in our country.   They also talk about the stereotypes we as a society have formed on what hunger really looks like and how child obesity is linked to food insecurity.

Finding North, showcases three individuals: a 5th graders named Rosie, a single-working mom with two children named Barbie, and a 2nd grader named Tremonica who is obese.  In addition to their stories the film focuses on the challenges they each face in the issue of hunger. (Learn more about their stories at http://www.takepart.com/findingnorth)

The music throughout the film is by the renowned musicians, The Civil Wars', Joy Williams and John Paul White, who are big advocates on the fight against hunger in the U.S.

Amongst the many influential spokespeople throughout the film, Jeff Bridges (actor and founder of End Hunger Network) and Tom Colicchio from Top Chef are two of the key spokespeople and public eye figures who are helping raise awareness of this issue and taking a stand in the fight for those who don't have a voice.

The statistics shared throughout the film was what shocking and almost hard to digest.  I found myself constantly shaking my head side to side in disbelief.   I don't want to give them all away but here are a few that really caught my attention.

Did you know that there are 49 million people in the U.S. and that 1 in 4 children, don't know where their next meal is coming from?  This is called food insecurity, which is when you don't know where your next meal is coming from and when you will have it. (this is something I cannot even begin to fathom and that thousands of people experience this everyday).

The U.S. has food deserts throughout the U.S. and amongst these food deserts, 80% of them are in urban areas.  80%.   Food Deserts: can be described as any area where residents' access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent. (i.e. absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance)

Did you know that the cost of fresh produce has gone up 40% since 1980 and the cost of processed food has gone down 40% since 1980?  Commodity crops, like soy, wheat, and corn are highest food crops produced, and only 1% of our crops are fruits and vegetables.  Hence why fruits and vegetables costs are so high.

Or that in the year 2000, there were only 200 foodbanks in the U.S., and today there are now over 40,000 foodbanks across the country?

You can learn more about current food insecurity data and what the local face of hunger looks like at Feeding America.

After watching this film, my eyes and heart have grown wider and bigger.  The three featured stories have touched my heart and completely changed my view on hunger in America.   I am angry, disturbed, shocked, but motivated and inspired.   Motivated and inspired to want to help any way I can in helping raise awareness about this issue and empower the charities out there that are helping feed the hunger in the U.S.

My challenge to you readers is to help take part in educating yourself not only about the real hunger issue our country faces but how you as an individual can help make an impact.

Here are a few ways you can help:

1.  Volunteer at a local foodbank or food pantry in your community (Foodbank locator: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx and food pantry locator: http://www.pantrynet.org/)
2.  Help be a voice and help advocate. Learn more at http://frac.org/
3.  Donate to charities like Feeding America and Share Our Strength, that help provide food to the hungry.
4.  Spread the word and talk about the issue of hunger in the U.S.


"Public charities, foodbanks and church pantries are doing more than ever before, but they can't keep up with the need. We can never end hunger only through the wonderful work of local charities. Like other Western democracies, we must end our national problem of hunger through national and political leadership. Charity is nice for some things, but not as a way to feed a nation. We don't protect our national security through charity, and we shouldn't protect our families and children that way either."  -- Jeff Bridges

Email Vacation

Today I leave for Playa del Carmen, Mexico for a destination wedding.  My best friend Sarah will be marrying her best friend, companion and love of her life this weekend.  This is my first vacation in years out of the country and I could not be more excited.  It is not everyday that one of your best friends gets married and I can't wait to be there standing next to her at the alter as she enters married life.

When I land into Cancun, Mexico (in t-minus 10 hours), I am going to do the unthinkable..... unplug myself from email (personal and work) and my cell phone for 5 days!

I am nervous, anxious, and uncertain of how I am going to "handle" this break from email and technology.  What if there is an emergency?  Will my colleagues be able to "survive" without me?  Can projects continue to move forward even with my absence? 

These questions were answered to me last week when I was watching, CBS News This Morning the other week when they had a health watch about less email, less stress.   The timing of this could not be more perfect and I thought, why not try this.  If less email will help me be healthier and a better worker, then I am on board.  

I have taken a number of vacations since I graduated college but I have always done work on vacation.  Some times it was unavoidable, other trips, the pressure to not unplug from email completely was my own influence.  I always feel that "maintaining" email while you are away will make your first few days back at work less stressful, right?

Unfortunately I haven never found this to be true.  Instead I found myself two days back into my work routine, more stressed out than I was before I left for vacation and secretly wishing to have another vacation soon.  The reason being my mind and body never felt like I had rewarded it with a vacation, because my thumbs and mind were working overtime, when they were suppose to be relaxing and even months later, I regret doing work during my vacations.

I think we are all guilty of this.  Worrying about removing ourselves from society via email.  What is it that is so scary or nerve racking?  I am hoping my hiatus from email and my phone for 5 days will help shed some light on this.   I am hoping that me completely diving into vacation mode head first leaving
 
So here I go not only on vacation, but on an email/phone vacation. Although this may be scary, it is completely necessary.  I am signing off and turning off.  Until next week that is.

Have you ever taken an email vacation?? How did you feel when you returned from taking a long break?

Ideation Conference 2012 - Be Human

The 2012 Ideation Conference on May 7-9 in Chicago, IL will focus on creative social good in our world, especially as it relates to human care.  The conference entails some of the most innovative thinkers in this area that are bringing tangible change for millions around the world.

This conference is designed as a conference to assist current professionals in businesses and organizations who work towards human good as well as those desiring to enter the field.  Charles Lee, the founder of Ideation Consultancy, Inc. and author of "Good Idea. Now What?" is the mastermind behind this invigorating conference. 


Groupon is fortunate to be leading one of the track's at Ideation.  Patty Huber, manager of Groupon Grassroots is one of the moderators for our track.  Our topic is "The Art of Collaboration and Finding Unexpected Partnerships."  Our track is filled with some of Chicago's most influential and innovative individuals, all of whom have succeeded by forming partnerships and collaboration.   I am very excited to hear their insights and success stories of the work they have done for this city.


Other topics at this conference include, "Leveraging Social Media for Social Good" (with Claire Diaz Ortiz of Twitter, Paull Young of charity: water, and Mark Horvath of InvisiblePeople.tv – Sponsored by the W Hotels of Chicago) and "The Courtship of Fundraising: The Core Functionality & Importance of Relationships in Raising Funds" (with Keith Kall of World Vision). 


The speakers list in general for this conference is truly inspiring and energizing.  I think it is truly remarkable that people from different backgrounds, experiences, and careers come together for events like Ideation.  I already cannot wait to meet everyone and learn from them.   You all know how much of a nonprofit, go-getter do-gooder gal I am, and this conference is like my mecca.   There is nothing more inspiring and motivating than meeting some of the biggest game-changers in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector.


If you live in Chicago, are planning on coming to Chicago, or need an excuse to come to Chicago, then I highly recommend you come to Ideation.  I promise you will not leave disappointed. 

Simple Ways You Can Give Back

Sometimes, it might seem like giving back takes too much work or that your help wouldn’t make an impact. Fortunately, both of those assumptions are incorrect. Here are some simple ways you can give back to your local and global communities:

Volunteer at a Food Bank:  Feeding America combats hunger throughout the country. Click here to locate a food bank near you.

Recycle Clothing:  Check your city for Goodwill, Second Time Around, or other second-hand stores. Take in clean, gently used clothes for donation or consignment.  Here's a fine example of what's possible when you recycle clothes, Good Karma Clothing for Kids.

Aid Your Environment:  Click here for beach cleanups, park restorations, youth outreach events, and other eco-friendly efforts you can join.

Join Zealous Good:  Zealous Good—a Chicago-based social enterprise—connects those with excess goods to local charities, matching donations to specific needs and reducing the cost and effort of charitable giving.

Upcycle Prom Dresses:  DonateMyDress.org encourages girls across the country to donate gently used prom and special occasion dresses for those who cannot afford to buy their own.

Declutter Your Life:  Donate old cell phones to soldiers or great organizations like the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Recycling for Charities. Electronics, books, and more can also be given to charities in your community.

Buy local:  Find a farmer’s market and support local producers.

Nurture Mother Nature:  Recycle, start a garden, or plant something beautiful in your backyard.

Give Greenly:  On holidays and special occasions, try to give gifts that benefit the environment.

Educate Your Co-Workers:  Put up an Earth Day bulletin board at work to offer energy-saving tips, such as:

1. Use Blackle for Internet searches.
2. Turn off your computer and monitor before you leave work.
3. Bring lunch in a reusable bag or Tupperware. Plastic shopping bags can take anywhere from 15 to 1000 years to decompose.
4. Go paperless as much as possible and print double-sided when necessary. Currently, each American uses more than 700 pounds of paper per year on average.

These are just a few simple tips to get you started. Everything each of us does makes a difference—even if it’s a small one. If we all pitch in and make a few easy changes, they’ll add up to amazing results we couldn’t have accomplished alone.

Groupon Honors Earth Day with Launch of Groupon Grassroots

So many exciting things have been happening for me and my company.   Unfortunately the exciting things have caused me to go very very M.I.A. from blogging, spending time with friends, and doing things for me.

Now that the hard work is over, I am finally able to take the time to celebrate the hard work myself and my colleagues have been doing for the past two months.   Enter, Groupon Grassroots.

Groupon Grassroots is the latest step in the evolution of Groupon's social giving, inhabiting the charitable exoskeleton once worn by The Point and, more recently, G-Team—which saw more than 100,000 people raise more than $3 million for 500+ projects.  Groupon Grassroots is a new way to discover local causes, rally together, and lend a helping hand.

To commemorate Earth Day and the program’s rebranding, Groupon Grassroots will host 50 environmental campaigns and kick off each project with a $1,000 grant—a total of $50,000 of support.  (be sure to check out my video about LAND Studio and their really cool campaign about Park(ing) Day.  PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event designed to spark conversation about public spaces in urban environments and how they can best be used.  Organizers of the event pay for metered parking spaces, and then transform them into miniature parks, complete with grass, benches, plants, and trees for passersby to enjoy for a few hours.)

For Earth Day, we’re also partnering with Edward Norton’s Crowdrise (the Crowdrise site is a unique blend of online fundraising, crowdsourcing, social networking, contests, and other nice stuff) to empower individual activism through the Groupon Challenge. The campaign that raises the most money will receive an additional $25,000 from Groupon, with the second- and third-highest fundraising drives taking home $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.  So be sure to check out ALL the amazing campaigns being featured on both sites this week!  You can help make a difference in this amazing planet we live on and see what organizations are doing to help protect, restore, and improve our environment and planet.

My team has been AMAZING in building this new site and scheduling Earth Day themed campaigns to run in our opening week.   One thing that I have learned from working so hard and diligently on building a microsite with my team is the importance of focusing on one task at a time.   When we first got started on preparing for our relaunch, seeing our "to-do" list and all the steps we needed to do, it would have been so easy to get overwhelmed by it all if we keep focusing on the big picture instead of each aspect of the big picture.   It was a lot of late nights, galloons of espresso and diet cokes and the collective effort of employees from a variety of Groupon departments to make our relaunch possible.   It has been a great experience seeing something from "thought" to visualization.

So check out the campaigns, our new microsite and help spread the seed of your city's philanthropy!  Let me know what you think!

Book #1 for Lent- Blink

With Lent in full force, I have started reading my first of two books that I must finish before Lent is over.  So to kick off my reading I chose Blink because it has been a book that I have been planning on reading for over a year. 


Blink was written by Malcolm Gladwell and I am already enjoying this book.   It's a book about rapid cognition, about the kind of sub-conscious thinking that happens (literally) in a blink of an eye.   The decision/impression we make when you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying/renting, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions.

After reading a few chapters in this book, I am amazed that we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant and don't necessarily mean they are simple decisions.   I can't wait to see how differently I will look at the world I live in once I am finish reading this book.  

Have you ever read blink?   If so what did you think about it?  What did you like about it or agree with Malcolm on?

Bad Habits & Lent

Today is "Ash Wednesday" which is also the first official day of Lent.    Every year since I was little, I would try to "give" up a few things and some years I would be successful whereas other years I would "cheat" here and there.    This year I am taking Lent with a different approach.  Rather than giving up things on a temporary basis, I am approaching this holiday as a way to cleanse myself of some bad habits that need a good kick in the butt.

Jessica and bad habits?  Yes it is true, I have some very bad habits that I need to break/fix.  I thought by me blogging about them and sharing them with my readers will empower me to A. not cheat and B. take this seriously.  So here they are.

1.  Chocolate.  I am giving up chocolate for Lent.  All types of chocolate.  White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and Nutella (yes it deserves it's own category).  

The reasons I am giving up chocolate are:

• I happen to have a huge sweet tooth.  Dessert is my favorite food group and it is nearly impossible for me to every pass up anything with chocolate, ever. Just ask my brother and father.  Anytime a dessert is ordered at a restaurant, I am immediately consulted on what to order (since I am almost always the only one that wants dessert all the time and rarely pass up opportunities to have it), but whenever I do eat dessert, I scarf it down leaving not a spot of evidence dessert was even served.  My mom and my sister also love dessert and usually help eat whatever I ordered.   I also grew up in a household that had sweets in it all the time since we wanted to "fatten up" my brother any way we could. (he had the fastest metabolism and could eat anything and everything without gaining a pound!) 
• My dad does not have much of a sweet tooth and rarely eats desserts or candies.  So my bad habit is partly due to my mom, since she has a sweet tooth herself and inherently passed her sweet tooth to her daughters (thanks mom!).   
• I eat chocolate almost every day.  I love Nutella and toast for breakfast.  I constantly have peanut butter M&M's at my desk and my pantry at home always has some sort of cookies in it.  The thing is, I think I am addicted to sweets, especially chocolate and it's time I tame this sweet tooth.   

2.  iPhone.  My cell phone is my life and I know for a fact that I am addicted to it.  Between Twitter, Facebook Alerts, Foursquare, Words with Friends, Pinterest, email accounts, and text messaging- I have a lot of distractions and things on my phone that keep my phone busy.

Lately, I have realized that my phone also exhausts me.  Exhausts me in the sense that I am always juggling the things happening on my phone and what is going on right in front of me.  Whether I am in a board meeting, having drinks/dinner with friends, or sitting at home with my boyfriend, I have the "urge" and almost "guilty" feeling to check my phone.  I shouldn't have these feelings nor guilt.   I need to be in the moment and not distracted or "addicted" to my phone.  I need to learn how to not be "so accessible" every waking minute.    Bethenny Frankel is my role model in this actually.  She recently relaunched her Bethenny Ever After Show on Bravo on Monday and in her opening episode she talked about her phone and her new habit of not having her phone out when she is with others.  She feels the exact same way I do and gets anxiety that she might be missing something or someone might be trying to get a hold of me that could be urgent.   I know something urgent is unlikely to happen but I take comfort knowing that my phone is right next to me at all times in case I do miss an important call or something.   

So starting now, I am going to have my phone in my purse when I am out with friends or others.  My phone will not be on the kitchen table when I am eating dinner with my boyfriend.   I will not be on my phone after 11pm, because I should be winding down or asleep not on Twitter or Words with Friends!  I am going to be in the moment and not feel like I have to constantly check my phone or feel like I have to respond to a tweet or text as soon as it is received.  It will be there when I check my phone and it is okay to take a few hours to respond.   

3.  Read Two Books.  Unfortunately this is not a joke.  My goal is to read two books start to finish by the time lent is over.  The books are yet to be determined but as soon as I pick them, I will definitely let you know.  Over the past year, I have purchased at least 5 books and have yet to pick any one of them up! This is one of my bad habits and a habit I need to fix.

The reason for this is because I love to read, but making time for myself to sit down and read a book NEVER happens.  Remember when I blogged months and months ago about Eat Pray Love?  Well I am still reading that book.  I think I am finally half-way done with it.  How sad is that?  The time I try to read is at the very end of a day and I usually get through one to three pages before I am literally falling asleep while reading.   This causes a problem in itself because I usually didn't comprehend what I read and have to re-read those three pages the next time I pick up the book (which could be days later).   During the times I could read a book, I choose to do other things instead, like go on social media or watch something on TV.  Not anymore because I have two books that I must start and finish by the time Lent is over.  Let the reading begin!


As I start off on day #1 of Lent, I already know this is going to be tough for me.  I know I am going to be tempted by delicious deserts at events I attend and I will try to rationalize with myself like ("Jess you may never get to try this particular dessert ever again or it's a special occasion and it would be "rude" to not eat the birthday dessert") when I know I cannot cheat.  Reading is going to be especially challenging because I will be tempted to want to watch something on Netflix or TV or even on my phone instead of sitting down and reading.   But I will not give in and I will not cheat.   I want to be tempted and have these be challenges for myself since that is a big part of Lent.   I also know that these are bad habits that I need to break and work on and I could not think of a better time to start.

So wish me luck and I will definitely keep you posted on my progress!

What are some of your bad habits?  Have you tried every breaking any of them?  Are you giving anything up for Lent? I would love to hear from you.

Do you Pinterest?

This may not come as a surprise to most of you since I am obsessed with anything social media, but this "fab" new social media platform is sky-rocketing in popularity.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where you can organize and share images and videos you discover on the web.  Pinterest is basically a place where you can "pin" web-links in one single place and place them on certain virtual "bulletin boards."   You can "pin" your own images or you can re-pin images/videos that other Pinterest users post!  Think of it as social network of visuals – where you can find images from other people with the same interest or use it to create your own visions.

One I first joined back in June, the site attracted people interested in using it for non-work interests, such as wedding planning, interior/exterior decorating, scrapbooking, entertaining, cooking, fashion and D.I.Y. how-to's.  But now brands, businesses and nonprofit professionals are also using it to curate information related to professional and organizational topics or items in a visually exciting way.

To add to nonprofits who are starting to use Pinterest, my team at Groupon has created a Pinterest account so we can display all of our philanthropic campaigns we have featured since our beginning back in August of 2008.  Take a look here.    Here is a great article on the 11 Must-Follow Nonprofits on Pinterest.

Brands are joining as well.  More and more seem to be popping up every day!  Check out this article about 14 Brands that are on Pinterest.  Do any of these surprise you?  Who would you like to see on Pinterest that isn't yet?

So whether you want to look for the hottest new fashion trends or your thinking about re-decorating your bedroom, Pinterest is the place to put your "ideas" all in one place!   I promise you, you will learn from being on this social media platform and you may even get "addicted."   This platform is revolutionizing the way we use virtual space and organize ideas and interests.  Say good bye to manila folders and email folders, Pinterest is the place.

If you are on Pinterest or when you do join, be sure to follow me!   I love seeing what other people are "pinning" and how they organize their vision boards!

What do you love about this social media platform?? What boards do you have?

Blogs I Love to Follow

One of my favorite past times whenever I have some down time is to read blogs.   Whether they are fashion blogs, foodie blogs, wedding blogs, or blogs about anything and everything; I love reading them and look forward to catching up on posts I have missed.

If you enjoy fashion, food recipes, weddings or fun personalities, I highly recommend you check out these blogs.

If you love fashion.  Fashion trends, tips, must-haves, you will LOVE this blog.  Cupcakes and Cashmere- even the name of her blog is creative.

Because I'm Addicted- is truly an addicting blog to follow and check in on.  She is wacky, creative, and posts about fashion, eating, DIY, and living.

Anything Wedding, I would read none other than my fabulous bosses blog, Sweetchic Events.  Charlene is truly talented and puts on the most breath-taking weddings and has a real eye for the art of wedding planning.  She blogs about how-to's, tips, and much much more.

FashionToast- her boyfriend is a gorgeous photographer and he takes photos of his girlfriend to show off fashion trends and styles.  It is like a photography/fashion blog and I love seeing what photos she has posted.

When I become a Chicagoan mom, I want to be as cool, hip, fun, goofy like Emily.  Emphasis Added is a blog I "stumbled upon" on stumbled upon- no joke.  I wish I could get the nerve to ask her to meet for coffee so I can tell her how much I dig her humor and writing.  Emily writes about everything and anything- it's her personality that makes her blog so fun.

I recently was introduced to Sea of Shoes.  I already can tell I am going to like this blog.  I don't know how to explain what the theme of her blog is.  I think the word "eclectic" suites her blog well.

Founder/blogger/photographer Scott Schuman began The Sartorialist with the idea of creating a two-way dialogue about the world of fashion and its relationship to daily life.  I was also introduced to this blog.  I will let it speak for itself.  


Lastly, Travels in Heels.   Love the look of her blog and she writes about fashion, travel, decorating, you name it.  I would love to have her as a friend. 


What blogs do you religiously follow?  Happy reading!


xoxo

In-Kind Donating Made Easy in a Big City

There is a hot new charity in town and it is zealously good!   ZealousGood.com makes it easier, faster, and more meaningful to donate items to local charities. 

I became a fan of Zealous Good upon discovering the organization via Twitter.   After starting my job at Groupon as a G-Team Coordinator, I received a tweet from the Founder, Brittany Graunke saying how big of a fan she was of the G-Team.  (This is why I love Twitter so much.  Twitter is the gateway to engaging and meeting some of the most influential, creative and ambitious leaders throughout the world).    Having a fan like Brittany of the work the G-Team does, really inspired me and I was eager to get to know more about Brittany and her organization.  

Brittany Graunke

After a few months of getting to know Brittany through Twitter, I wanted to meet her in person to learn more about Zealous Good and see how Groupon and her organization could potentially partner together.  Brittany was the exact same way in person as she is on the web.  Kind, sweet, brilliant, ambitious- the whole package.   Her ideas inspired me and I already cannot wait to help her in any way I can to make Zealous Good unstoppable.

So what is Zealous Good?   In short, Zealous Good connects people with excess goods to local charities in need.  By matching specific donations to specific needs, Zealous Good reduces the cost and effort of getting goods to charities.

Zealous Good is a Chicago based social enterprise.  They make the donation process so easy and meaningful by helping people who want to donate goods and/or services and match them with specific charities in need of their donations.   It is ingenious and fantastic!   Zealous Good's strategy is to harness the power of the internet to change the way people donate in-kind goods for the better.   Since it's founding in March of 2011, Zealous Good has matched over $100,000 of goods and services to over 35 local Chicago charities.

I know a lot of individuals have items that they aren't sure where to donate them.   When you move is a perfect example of when you discover items that you A. no longer use or B. won't have a place for at your next place.  

Prior to moving into my new apartment this Fall, I no longer needed my sofa and wanted to donate it to charity.   The only place I knew of at the time was the White Elephant Resale Shop in Lincoln Park, that resells donated in-kind items and all the proceeds of sales directly benefit Children's Memorial Hospital.   Nothing beats the feeling of doing something good for others.   On top of the great feeling donating gives you, White Elephant will even send a pick-up truck to your home to pick up your donated item(s).    Donating in-kind items could not be easier than that.   You also can get a tax receipt every time you donate.

Another resale shop in Chicago is The Brown Elephant Resale Shop.   Except all proceeds from sold items go to the Howard Brown Health Center.

We all have items that we hold onto but really don't have a need for.   Instead of holding onto those items, give them another life by donating them to charity.   Zealous Good and the Elephant Resale stores have taken in-kind donating to a whole new level.

Chicago is not the only city out there that is doing this.  I challenge you to look for organizations that offer services like these.    Almost every charity out there has a "wish list" of items they need and getting funding to purchase these items can be extremely tough.  That is why Zealous Good has helped be the matchmaker for local charities here in Chicago.   My dream for Zealous Good is that they will be able to expand to other cities throughout the U.S. so they can help be the matchmaker for charities everywhere!

After doing a quick research, I found a number of organizations in the U.S. that are doing this.

Children's Hospital Oakland- Oakland CA 
San Francisco- SPCA
American Red Cross Boston
United Way of Buffalo NY- lists organizations throughout the area of items each charity needs
Caritas of Austin- Austin Texas


So I challenge you to find local charities in your community that are in need of household items and clothing.   Even if you don't have any items right now, to have that knowledge will allow you to tell others who do have items they aren't sure what to do with.    I try to tell people about Zealous Good and the Elephant resale shops every chance I get because I know that there will always be a need for in-kind donations.


" Philanthropy is giving something of yourself to others in need."  - Belinda Alston

Cooking Made Easy- Just Wok It!

One of the best cooking items I have ever bought myself was a Wok.   It is easy, fun, and fast.   I was on the hunt for a really good Wok and saw Crate & Barrel had Calphalon Wok's (which is a really great brand for pots & pans FYI).   The price was outrageous and instead of paying $249 for the Calphalon Wok, I decided to go to my most favorite home appliances store, Home Goods to see if they had it.  Sure enough I not only found the exact same one I saw at Crate & Barrel, but the Wok was priced $49.99!  Talk about being a max-a-nista!   On a side note, if you have a Home Goods or a TJ Max in your city, I highly recommend you check out this store.  I find the best deals on amazing brand name cookware and entertaining pieces there!

To go with my Wok, I decided to purchase some reusable chop sticks.   What fun is eating stir-fry if you don't have chopsticks?  Plus I am trying to be more "green" these days and throwing away chopsticks is a waste, especially when I can buy plastic reusable chopsticks for $4 per pack of 6 at World Market.

A Wok was a great gift to myself, but a Wok is a great bridal shower gift, holiday gift and a housewarming gift!  Calphalon makes beautiful cookware and this is the exact Wok that I have.  It is fabulous and is super easy to clean!  (Note- Calphalon cookware is not dishwasher friendly, you must hand wash them.)

There are a lot of great Wok brands and they can come in some really fun colors!  Le Creuset has Wok's without handles and in a bunch of fun colors like red, orange, green and blue!  Bodum Chambord has fun colors too!  Target has a great selection too!

If you are like me and have little time during the week to dedicate to cooking, getting a Wok is an excellent solution.  The meals I make are are incredibly healthy and take little time to make! 

A Wok isn't good just for making Stir-Fry, it is also great for making other dishes like stew, rice dishes, and cooking meats for lettuce wraps.   My boyfriend and I cannot get enough of our Wok.  We use it probably 2-3 times a week.  For some inspiration, the Food Network has some fantastic Wok recipes. 

Some meals we have made our chicken, scrambled eggs and vegetables with teriyaki sauce, shrimp stir-fry with soy sauce over whole wheat noodles, and pork chops with mixed vegetables over rice. A Wok is a perfect way to use all the remaining foods you have in your refrigerator.   There really isn't a food that you cannot make in a Wok.

Shrimp Stir-Fry (Photo by Ready Set Eat)

Chinese Chicken Stir-Fry

Being a woman in my mid-twenties, learning how to cook is an important skill to have especially if you want to be an entertainer as well.   Cooking is a trial and error and so far, I have yet to make a bad meal with my Wok!   Also my boyfriend LOVES cooking with it too and trying new food combinations. 

Have I made you hungry yet??  I promise you, cooking can be made easy if you just Wok it.  I challenge you to go out and buy a Wok and try it out.  I think you will find yourself enjoying cooking a lot more!
 

Do you have a Wok? If so, I would love any recipe ideas!! 

The Meaning of Gratitude in Our World

The word gratitude.   What does it really mean?   It isn't a word you hear too often and when you do it is usually in a signature (with gratitude) or in a book/story.   In place of the word gratitude, we tend to hear words that are similar to this word, like thankful, appreciation, thanks, and grateful.   

When I watched a clip about gratitude today, the meaning behind this word gained a whole knew meaning to me.  If you are human like me, you may forget how much each day is a gift and a blessing.   I know I do.   

Today I was literally awestruck after I watched a TedX Talk by Louie Schwartzberg.   Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career spans more than three decades providing breathtaking imagery for feature films, television shows, documentaries and commercials.    His work is truly beautiful and in a sense mesmerizing.   He has a gift of capturing the beautiful things and natural occurrences in our world through cinematography.   You can see some of his work in action and how he fell in love with this form of art called, time-lapse photography.   The images he captures are indescribable.  Watch his full TedX Talk here. 

Louie's TedX Talk is about gratitude and appreciation.  Louie discusses his work and asks why aren't we grateful for our brains that can take electric impulses that come from light energy to create images in order for us to explore our world? Nature's beauty (that we rarely stop to take in) is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude. (so powerful and true).   

He also showcases a documentary project he is working on called a "Happiness Revealed."  "Happiness Revealed" gives a glimpse into this perspective from the point of view of a child and an elderly man in our world.   The little girl's thoughts of imagination and the gentleman's rich and powerful words will move you.  

I highly recommend you take a moment, stop whatever it is you are doing and watch this talk.

Will you look at the sky more?   Will you really open your heart to the gifts we see each and everyday?   Will you wake up tomorrow with more gratitude to have another day here?   Will you look at each day as if it is your first day or last day here in this beautiful place? 

I hope this opens your heart, mind and eyes like it did mine.  I am inspired everyday by the people I meet and interact with and I am going to work harder at slowing down my life so I don't miss the precious moments every day has.