Listen to my interview with Kaeyy Noella on her The Love Talk Wall podcast. I introduce her to “empathy marketing” and how I show up with Transcend Ideas. I introduce (in Part 2) how “empathy” makes up the key ingredient of People Spread Love.
How Empathy can Bridge Connection
Part 1: Empathy marketing can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to build stronger relationships with their customers and differentiate themselves from competitors. By putting the needs and emotions of customers first, small businesses can create a more loyal customer base and drive long-term growth.
“Empathy” is a key component to how I show up in many places in my life. I recognize human connection is what we all strive for in this life. When we feel heard and understood we can profoundly connect.
“The Clubhouse app helped me find my voice.” I jumped on the app with curiosity and met these strong women entrepreneurs. They encouraged me to step into Transcend Ideas. And I’m eternally grateful for their strength in their belief in me. And made me believe in myself.
Part 2: My audio cut off as I began introducing the brand. I continued the introduction of People Spread Love in Part 2. I introduce People Spread Love and my journey starting a movement in 2015. First, with becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization. The organization empowers community members to write notes of love to those facing adversity all over the country and world. This brings us back full circle to the power of empathy and how it can facilitate human connection.
Kaeyy asked me about self-love and I told her a story about how I recently fractured my knee skiing. I touched on how grateful I am, even more so after getting hurt.
Listen to Part 1 & 2 of the podcast interview and let’s connect!
I have a soft spot for non-profit organizations. I am in a unique position, both with experience working with non-profits marketing and as an Executive Director of a human services non-profit; there is much to learn and grow from sitting from both of those different perspectives.
Non-profit organizations are asked year after year: “what’s your ‘why’ and how will you show up to impact your community?” These questions are crucial because it keeps them on track and helps avoid mission creep. “Mission creep” is often used to caution against stepping too far beyond the organization’s mission statement. When non-profits remain focused, the impact can be so significant, measurable, and sustainable.
Non-profit Organizations with Heart
When I say “heart-centered,” I mean a genuine drive to connect and serve a need in the community.
Authentic non-profits with heart-centered messaging can magnetize supporters, donors, and volunteers to back their efforts. I attend workshops regularly, so I stay energized with how to connect to the community through the non-profit sector.
As a marketer, I am always curious about how to show up better and communicate the message effectively. Without the audience’s curiosity and willingness to adopt new pathways, we will most certainly miss significant opportunities. Ask yourself, “do I have a heart-centered marketing message?” Often I hear non-profits feeling that sense of stale messaging and the same old, same old, but the best way to avoid that stagnation in my mind is to have an outsider’s perspective.
Just ask your audience
Also, do not hesitate to ask your audience what they need or want. Not one person will be a key to your success, but the community as a whole can grant insight. Ask them, “how can we serve you better?” That simple question can allow the community to share in their mind what they need, and you can benefit from their feedback so your organization can continually serve and adapt to the identified need.
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
Albert Einstein
Random Acts of Kindness Week
The heart-centered work is timely, as Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb 12-18) was just a few weeks ago. I have a soft spot for kindness campaigns myself. RAOK Week reminds all of us to be kinder every day. We don’t necessarily need an annual dedicated week, day, or month to be kind to one another. This little nudging reminder is just what many of us need.
I follow closely with national projects like Random Acts of Kindness Foundation and more localized efforts like Kindness Wyoming, which prioritize kindness. This is the second year I have participated in Kindness Wyoming’s Kit, where they send you ideas on how to show compassion for others. The kits are helpful and adaptable for households, workplaces, and classrooms. Now that’s what I call: heart-centered messaging!
Ask yourself: “do I have a heart-centered marketing message.”
Bring an outsider in to help gain a new perspective
This heart-centered messaging can pull in the interest from the community because that feel good connection can make all the difference. These tips also pertain to for-profit businesses because a business with heart, that’s always a good thing!
Jackson Hole Nordic Alliance has worked with Heather for many years. Heather has helped JH Nordic develop a strategy for the website, marketing messaging, graphic design, marketing strategy, and more. JH Nordic is a non-profit organization and a community-oriented resource designed to identify, map, describe, and share all the best trail information in the region. The amount of work is staggering that goes into preparing up-to-date trail information on the extraordinary Nordic skiing opportunities around us. JH Nordic, also, provides information on fat biking and snowshoeing in the Jackson Hole/ Teton Valley/Greater Teton region of Wyoming and Idaho.
JH Nordic hosts an Annual Community Event at Turpin Meadow Ranch. This year the event is going to be extraordinary. The event has been canceled two years in a row because of the COVID pandemic. On Sunday, January 8th, 2023 the event will be on! The event is family-friendly and brings people together who love Nordic skiing, fat biking, and snowshoeing.
Community powered in a Shared Love
What makes JH Nordic so intriguing is the community that supports and feeds it with experience and enthusiasm! Our small town’s shared love and camaraderie of outdoor recreation is potent. It’s exciting to witness JH Nordic’s reach grow. The organization generates positivity and gratitude from every single patron affected by the organization’s service.
JH Nordic has been the go-to place to find trusted and accurate information on all things Nordic. This information includes details about grooming, daily trail reports, events, resources, featured profiles. The website includes profiles on the people that enrich the community, ask JH Nordic, and more.
Give them a follow on Instagram @jhnordic for a positive community of adventure and love for the outdoors.
I was in a Clubhouse room called: “Old School Marketing” and it blew me away how important going back to basics in your marketing truly is. Check out the next set of audio rooms I will be hosting on this very topic in the coming weeks. In the meantime here are some ideas to stew on..
Traditional Marketing Ideas:
In no particular order of course, but consider these ideas to implement:
“Create social proof through that localize medium!”
Heather Cox
“Tried and True” Marketing Ideas
Going back to the “tried and true” methods of marketing can be just what you needed to revitalize your connection with your audience. I am all for digital marketing, it’s predominately what I do but there is something to be said for that personal touch to make a connection. When we build relationships we are developing trust and communicating and we can’t always lean into digital technology to do that.
These marketing ideas are meant to be approached “in tandem” with digital marketing! Don’t discount the basics and ask yourself what you can you use in Q4 and what could you utilize in your marketing strategy for 2023.
Join the Traditional Marketing Ideas Conversation
Join Heather for a Clubhouse Room AND Twitter Spaces on “Old School Marketing Ideas.” All conversations will be recorded so you can listen in at a later time to learn a bit here and there. We will not be focusing on digitally marketing.
Clubhouse “Old Skool Marketing for Biz and Nonprofits” Wed, Oct 19th at 11:15 am MDT
Websites for your Business to Meet Your Unique Needs
I am a 90’s kid, so you can imagine how much technology has changed since the dial-up age. I have witnessed so much technology over the years, and one thing that has evolved is websites! We still need them, but the function has changed, the language has changed, how we utilize them has changed, and frankly behaviors have changed.
We hope with this conversation it will help you consider how to take an informed approach to websites for your business and keeping your consumers in mind. Much of what frightens business owners is that they don’t know where to start and they want to make the right choice. We hope to reassure you CAN make choices on your own and decide what’s best for YOU and your business. You don’t have it have it all figured out up front but you can phase in new versions of the site as your business grows. Think of it as Apple software updates coming, that number incrementally grows with each upgrade. Begin with 1.0 and move forward from there. We hope you will absorb some helpful tips and resources that you’ll takeaway from this conversation.
Heather DeVine and Heather Cox have 32 years combined of website experience! Eekkk..
What does community mean to you? That’s an excellent question to consider at any stage of our lives. The word has a different meaning based on our priorities and when the question is asked. You would have received two different answers if you asked the 28-year-old me versus the 38-year-old me.
Community can be explored in different lenses, here are a few to observe:
Geography (city, state, region)
Identity (how you identify yourself)
Gender
Race
Sexuality
Marital status
Parents/caregiver
Age/time in life
Health
Ability
Culture
Occupation
Business owner
Religion/spirituality
Politics
Affinity (shared interest)
Support groups
Sports/Recreation
Hobbies
Animal lover
My definition of a community is just that, ALL of them. Wherever I find that human connection, I feel like THAT is community. If you look at the word community, the latin root is the word “common” and then “unity.” So community is people coming together because they have something in common.
What makes me curious about the term community is the power of that unity. There was a video the other day of a group of strangers coming together to help flip a car that was upside down after a car accident. Fifteen people cooperated to flip the car and get the person out of the vehicle. That’s just one example of when there is a shared intent and action taken together.
The community can bring many unexpected people together for something like a movement or a belief. When we deeply identify and root ourselves in a society, we can make beautiful things happen that bring people together in a real positive way.
How can business/nonprofits stand by community?
Businesses are uniquely positioned to lean into the community. Money is an excellent way for a company to say, “hey, I care about this thing” however businesses can also:
Host a fundraiser event to house a cause they care about.
A special campaign with a certain percentage of their earnings go towards an organization.
Sponsor an events, causes, and/or organizations to show their support.
Sell swag and/or share info to build awareness of a shared interest or cause.
Nonprofit organizations already serve community and many of them team together with others to further deepen their work and their reach. It’s a natural thing to want nonprofits to link arms and make an impact together.
This rather anticipated event every September in Jackson Hole, Wyoming has now raised $208 million philanthropic dollars for nonprofit organizations. Each donation is then matched, deepening the impact of those serving the Jackson Hole community. This right here is a philanthropic event I care about with 200+ participating nonprofits that are all well deserving of gifts of support for the work they provide the community.
Figgie’s Deli & Market
When community is top of mind..
One client, Figgie’s named their Deli & Market after their beloved dog. The main logo is not the dog however. They decided to use it as their secondary logo, a portrait of Figgie (the dog) has been logged away to be used when they decide to show their outward support of animal adoption and rescue efforts. They are already looking ahead into how they want to show their support for community even prior to officially opening their doors.
However you decide to define community in your own life as a business owner or nonprofit, keep an open-mind to possibilities of that community expanding and changing as your priorities and likes change.
Barking Goat Studios offers custom illustrations hand drawn by Stacey Barker of Pocatello, Idaho. He is a nature loving trail runner, skier, artist, veteran, illustrator, printmaker, graphic designer, and owner of Barking Goat Studios. Stacey draws much of his inspiration from adventures in the mountains, deserts, and coastlines of his travels while honoring the personal taste and design needs of his clients.
Here are a few projects Transcend Ideas already completed together in 2022:
JH Nordic NoSoPatches
Jackson Hole Nordic is one of those collaborative projects we’ve worked on. Much of what Stacey is interested in focusing on with his illustrations are conservation and recreating responsibly outdoors.
JH Nordic wanted to try something new and fun for Winter 2023. This new NoSoPatch is used to patch up outdoor gear or just slap it on gear just because it’s cool.
We took a poll among JH Nordic’s audience and this variation was popular among the Nordic community in Jackson.
JH Nordic NoSoPatches
Aquatic Invasive Species Guide
Aquatic Invasive Species Guide
Teton County Weed and Pest had another pocket guide they wanted to print for the 2022 Summer season. The cover art needed a little omph and we had a feeling Stacey could help with that little something. He illustrated some different aquatic invasive species (AIS) for the front cover and a boat for the back cover.
This guide offers information on the AIS you might find in the Greater Yellowstone and best practices on how we can minimize the spread of invasive species.
“One of the most exciting things to me is being able to be creative. Having total freedom to be to expressive with my art is a great feeling.”
The People Spread Love Starter Kit just didn’t seem complete until Barking Goat Studios added a little something to the mix. This “Smile” Eagle coloring page was included among the rest of the kit that appeals to all ages that volunteer to write notes of love.
Meet Stacey Barker with Barking Goat Studios
Stacey Barker in his studio
1. Tell me something about you that’s not in your bio or resume.
My family and I bike, camp, hike and ski together as much as we can!
Trail running is one of my big loves! Several ultras have been fun to train for in the last few years. Training for a 50K in Oklahoma this fall has taken up a good amount of my time.
Live music is so important to me. I use to play in a metal band, but I’ve grown to love folk and bluegrass music!
2. What are your strengths and how do you apply them to your life?
I think one of my strength is being able to endure through a problem, whether that be an art project or something in life.
3. Tell me about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you know this path was the right move for you?
Being an entrepreneur, the one thing I’ve learned is that you never know until you ask. The worst case scenario when you approach someone or a business to work with is them saying no.
If you are okay with that, you learn to realize that a lot of people also say yes to working with you.
4. Tell me about you and your business more. What about your industry that most excites you?
One of the most exciting things to me is being able to be creative. Having total freedom to be to expressive with my art is a great feeling.
5. What are your weaknesses and how do you overcome them?
Being a creative does have some difficult moments. Sometimes it takes some time to find to proper mindset before diving into a project.
Finding balance with family, work, social media is always something that I strive to improve upon.
6. What would you say to another person considering this field?
I would say that it is the most rewarding feeling that someone wants to pay you for your art. I would also say that this is hardest job I’ve ever had and worked many long hours into the night.
7. How can people be in touch with you about your services?
That’s a tough one! I might have to say a doughnut!
– top favorite 3 songs?
This a very tough one! I love listening to punk, ska, metal and bluegrass.
Here’s 4 songs that I’ve been digging recently.
Tyler Grant- Believe
Todd Snider – Play a train song
Greensky Bluegrass – Windshield
Twiddle- Lost in the cold
– a good cry or a belly laugh?
A belly laugh!
– favorite movie right now or all-time movie? I use to love zombie movies and Star Wars. Now I love to watch ultra running and climbing documentaries!
9. Do you have any specific updates for your business that you want to highlight here?
I am getting ready to for a few art events coming up.
I’ll be set up at:
Pop up Shop at Fireweed in Driggs, Idaho on August 20th
East Idaho Art Market in Rexburg, Idaho on August 27th
Hyde Park Street Fair in Boise, Idaho on Sept 16th-18th
Stacey is currently accepting new clients for any graphic design / illustration / painting commissioned projects. Email him at stacey@barkinggoatstudios.com to inquire on his work.
Radcliff “Rad” Spencer was a man of laughter and traditions.
The definition of essential is what’s absolutely necessary, extremely important.
The question: “Are you essential?” was posed to our community group Mindfulness for Mamas here in Jackson, Wyoming. The mama group shared so many different ways in which we’ve experienced the past 2.5 years during a global pandemic as mothers, as wives, as partners, and as career-oriented women. The pandemic has brought a lot of big questions to our lives about our significance and our importance. How do we decide to spend our time? How do we want to show up in our lives? Who do we want to spend on our time on? What do we decide to pour our time and energy into?
We are all essential to someone, right? The first thing that comes to mind is if you have lived, you have mattered to someone. Our community suffered a recent loss of Radcliff “Rad” Spencer, 27 years old to the mountains. The loss felt deep and wide in the community. Rad was our real estate agent that helped us with the purchase of our very first home in October 2021. He was the youngest partner at age 24 at Neville Asbell Spencer team at Compass Real Estate. He was way more than his occupation though, he was a son, a brother, a friend, a mountaineer, a skier, a lacrosse coach, a breakfast and coffee lover, and even a hot yoga guy! Rad lived up to his name, a person and a name you could never soon forget.
Is your business essential to the community?
It’s important to ask ourselves this question to have a moment of pause and reflection. How can we be better servants to our community? What kind of impact do we want to have on our community?
Peel back businesses, there are people behind them. No matter the size, no matter the industry. People reside.
We all need to have opportunities to think and reflect on how we live our own lives. When we lose someone that was an essential part of the community we have an opportunity to take stock. Despite how many years of experience I have in serving businesses and nonprofit organizations I can still learn something new. I tell my son when I send him off to preschool, I say “You go to school. Mommy goes to ‘life school.’” When you stop learning you stop living.
How will you be essentially rad in your own way?
Rest in Peace, Rad! This is not goodbye, but see you bassoon!
I love helping nonprofit organizations with their marketing strategy and implementation. I have 15 years experience working with nonprofits and here is a peek into why I am so keen on helping them. Find unique ways to engage with non-profit donors.
Why my Heart is into Helping Non-Profits
Nonprofit organizations are unique manifestations of good ideas that serve communities. Here in the Teton County, WY/Teton County, ID area we have over 400 nonprofits serving this region. Organizations do so much to serve the community’s needs in ways that government agencies and for-profit companies can not. The important work that nonprofits provide sparks a lot of motivation in me to serve them.
Founder of People Spread Love
I founded a nonprofit, People Spread Love nearly 7 years now. The mission of People Spread Love (PSL) is to empower communities to write notes of love to those facing adversity. This act of kindness expresses empathy and revives human connection across community lines. PSL had very humbling beginnings, very grassroot style with compassionate volunteers at the helm. This 501c3 nonprofit organization is now stepping into a new phase with funding our very first People Spread Love Starter Kit program. This is an exciting time for me and my Board of Directors and for the community that has loved and supported us for many years now. As part of the Starter Kit program, I put together these clever and fun hand drawn postcards to be included in the kits and as a way to entice our donors to donate to PSL’s operational costs.
Hand Drawn Postcards for LOVE
Like many nonprofit organizations there is a need to engage with donors in unique ways. This angle is a creative one. As Galentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week is right around the February corner, I thought it wise to release these designs in late January to get a jump start on getting these into the hands of our donors. I put the postcards up as an incentive when donating a certain amount to PSL. I’ve priced the postcards as a way that was less expensive than a greeting card you would already buy from a shop/grocery store (those suckers are nearly $5-8 a pop these days – yikes!). This example of an incentive is a practical one, away to reconnect or express love to someone you care about.
Printed Products are NOT Dead & Gone
The dilemma these days is our world revolves around being online, Zooming in, and always being tethered somehow through social media. This separation from that world into the physical written word is a relief for many. This is one of many reasons that PSL is so effective and easily adopted into our volunteer’s routines. When you are marketing your nonprofit do not give up on printed products, they are still very much appreciated and effective ways to reach your audience.
Capture their attention through a unique approach like humor. Since PSL’s premise is inclusion, love, kindness and generosity, a few good puns is a complimentary vibe. The example below is a postcard mailer I helped GAP! send to donors. The postcard presented the problem and the solution, this captures the attention of the donor and gives them the call-to-action (CTA) clearly in the middle of the postcard, the QR code they can “Scan to Give.” QR codes are back and more are utilizing it in the USA.
Ways to Engage with Nonprofit Donors
Direct mailer postcard from GAP!
Here are some other ways to engage with nonprofit donors;
Monthly emails with Carefully Crafted Content with very direct call-to-actions (CTA) ie. Campaign and goal communicated directly tied to a project or program.
Give them incentive to donate ie. Pun-ny postcards, stickers, etc.
QR codes are “in” now and work effectively to expedite the donation process.
Write and mail a “Thank You Note” – seriously that goes a very long way! Tell them what their gift went to better the community.
Share your impact story – collect testimonials of people have been directly impacted by your organization. This measurable helps your donors see the impact you make on the community.
Interested in learning more about different ways to engage with non-profit donors? Let’s get coffee to chat about other ideas.
The Enneagram helps provide a framework for personalities that are quite useful in business. Small businesses and nonprofits around the world use the Enneagram as a breakthrough approach to leadership, team building, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. What’s your Enneagram?
Utilizing the Enneagram model in business trainings, onboarding, and seminars can help us quickly bridge the disconnect and misunderstandings when different personalities are working at the same table. Shining a light on the qualities that make each personality unique and how they thrive is a key tool to help unlock productivity and efficiency in workplaces. Communication barriers can shut down effective work. In contrast, finding ways to gently put barriers down help us appreciate what every worker has to offer. A win in our book!
My (Heather’s) Enneagram is a TWO.
Accessing your own personality type is helpful to understanding yourself. Being familiar with: how you work, what motivates you, and what setbacks you may challenge you is self-awareness. Self-awareness is an excellent place to begin in any avenue in life. “Making meaningful human connection” is our mantra and if we can move through the world with more self-awareness we can show up more authentically and have more profound, and productive relationships. What are your thoughts on the Enneagram model? Let’s get coffee to discuss!
Heather Rodgers is the newest member to the Transcend Ideas team! She will offer support with her design and copywriting skills. She shares a little… Read more: Meet Heather Rodgers
The internet evolves at lightning speed. ⚡️
Trends from a decade ago are long forgotten, and even last year's sensations have faded. With countless accounts competing for attention across numerous platforms, standing out in this saturated digital landscape demands a more strategic approach than ever before.
Fonts tell us a lot about a brand, and there is much to discuss about them. We like to think that fonts have their own personalities, and they make a big difference in how consumers communicate with a brand. We could go on for a while, but we’ll try not to get too nerdy. We’re font fanatics here at Transcend Ideas.
Fundraising for non-profits is exciting when the money is rolling in. More often than not, it can feel like a tireless and thankless job. We love the content that Donorbox, a fundraising platform, put together in a recent webinar to help simplify the steps for non-profit employees to bring back the joy in community work.
The most effective marketing campaign is one that builds awareness on issues. They can evoke a thought, a pause, a consideration, an emotion, an action, a changed behavior, and at times all of those things over time. Learn how you can start building awareness with marketing.
