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For the last 25 plus years I have spent most of my time investing in others. Whether that’s involved one on one care, helping people with relationship issues, working alongside others on outreach projects, or serving and investing in others, it is just a huge part of my life. I can honestly say that I start every day with a purpose of not only looking for the needs of others that I might encounter, but also committed to doing what I can, when given the opportunity to make a difference in a need. I also spend much of my day inspiring others to do the same thing.
Dictionary definition of the word Inspire.
Committed to Recognizing Needs
At Russell Cellular, the RC Cares mission is to make sure we are committed to recognizing the needs around us. Then doing what we can to help meet those needs, for the sole purpose of making a positive impact in someone’s life. Sometimes that involves raising financial support and sometimes it’s about raising awareness to a specific cause or need. Sometimes that has involved getting out into our communities and serving with our hands and feet. While sometimes it just involves stopping long enough to listen to team member share their current struggle. The biggest part of this all isn’t so much how we respond to the need, it’s the fact that we simply chose to respond and did what we could to help in the moment. It’s important and it matters more than we could ever know.
Person holding hands out with make a change note.
Lesson Learned
At the same time, there is something we have to be careful of when a life of serving others becomes the life we choose to live. I have learned this over the many years of this being my life, and usually, learned the hard way. This lesson is something that I also echo to not only our teams here at Russell Cellular but also to the many others I get the humble honor of leading and teaching every week. That lesson…make sure while you are taking care of others, you are also taking care of yourself. It’s easy to get so caught up in the awesomeness of investing in others that we lose sight of the fact that we can wear down in the process, losing our focus. We might still see the needs around us, but we are so tired we just don’t do anything about them.
5 Year Accomplishments
At Russell Cellular, over the past 5 years, our teams have been a part of over 1,000 outreach projects and have raised nearly one million dollars to support those projects. We have logged thousands of volunteer hours helping build and remodel homes. Served at community events like American Heart Association Heart Walks, blood drives, and school functions. We have served at homeless shelters, outreach centers, 5k runs, and even the St. Jude Marathon. We have spent time with crying team members, hurting customers, and even the random stranger that we just “happened” to run into. All this while working our normal jobs, taking care of our families, and honestly sometimes just trying to make it ourselves. As awesome as all this is, if we lose ourselves in the process, we will begin to lose the impact we are making as well.
A line of runners racing during a 5K race.
A Challenge for You
Something tells me you can relate. If you can, then this challenge is for you. Keep your heart and your eyes open for the needs around you. Do what you can to help meet those needs. Serve and give all you can for the sole purpose of making a difference in someone’s life. And in the process, never forget to invest in one of the most important people in your life…YOU! There will be times you need to rest. Times you need to disconnect, and times you just need to get away to spend a moment for YOU. Recharge, regroup, and then reconnect. You will be better because you did. I can promise you; lives will be changed in the process…one of which will be yours!
Sound harsh? This is not literal sense, although, for some, it can seem that way. We either grow in what we do and how we do it each day, or we can become stagnant and apathetic. We can feel stuck if we are not intentionally looking at ways to improve, work more efficiently, skill up, and become better at leveraging our job.
Once we establish our rhythm and routine, the risk becomes settling into a job. While being comfortable when we do what we do is not an unacceptable posture, it’s more how we can acquiesce and become complacent. We need to keep challenging our mindset and skillset. In a way, we need to infuse some disruption and discomfort to stimulate growth. Like pruning a tree to support future growth.
I have seen employees become so settled that when change comes, and change is definitely inevitable, they fight it. They wrap their arms around the comfort, dig in their heals, and miss the opportunities to grow into and through the change. They may very well lack the willingness, honesty and openness to be uncomfortable and grow forward. Resulting in not leveraging their job.
Employees need to learn to be okay with the unknown, and often, the unexpected. They need to leverage where they are by testing their boundaries, challenging the impossible, and questioning everything. They need to learn to capitalize on challenges rather than be defeated by them, and maximize the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead rather than letting the potential slip by in favor of being comfortably settled in.
Be Curious and Take Risks
Just because we have the knowledge to stay busy does not mean we shouldn’t continue to broaden what we know and learn new things. Once we have the foundation established, it’s a reasonable time to take some risks. What’s the old saying, “better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission.” Not necessarily all scenarios; ones within reason. Connect with our boss and peers, share our vision and give it go. Explore and be curious.
Seek Growth Opportunities
Maybe there is a company succession plan to follow for leveraging your job. Some type of strategic process for identifying high-potential employees with specific steps to prepare them for future positions. Could be inter-departmental, leadership or educational development opportunities. And if there isn’t a pathway, it’s on us to look for ways to develop and improve our skills. Workshops, books, videos, research, blogs, mentorship – each of these are available if we put in the time and energy. Also, check with the employer, there may be ways to encourage and subsidize these opportunities.
Relationship Building
Relationships are essential in any job, whether we’re on a team or have to work alone. As we grow into our job, the goal is about enlarging our sphere of influence through networking, collaboration and simply getting to know the people around us. Sometimes we must be wary of select relationships, and ever mindful of the extent we relate to one another. I often tell my mentees that working within a company is similar to playing chess. Calculating moves and counter moves. Be aware, pay attention, and remember, it is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than speaking and remove all doubt.
Ignite and Amplify Your Passion
Just because we may not be doing what we thought we’d be doing; doesn’t mean we can’t do what we are doing in a way that aligns with our calling. My cancer story highlights a realization of how I saw my passion and purpose become transformed. I took what I was doing, and crafted ways that purpose could work in tandem with my day-to-day. Each day, we decide…are we constrained by a job or committed to live out our passion in any and every way possible?
It’s the Little Things
This last call-out is subtle. It is challenging each of us in two ways. One, always look at the details. Take the time to pay attention to even the slightest of things that make us better…for each of us and the people we serve. People notice details. Two, it won’t necessarily be big things that help us get the most out of leveraging our job, it will be little things, done each day consistently. We leverage the most of our job when we can show the same amount of energy for the mundane than we do the extraordinary.
Let’s be real, jobs come and go. Paraphrasing from an old study, the average number of jobs a person would have in their professional life changed in each generation. For the Greatest Generation, it was 1 job. Boomers were at 2, Gen X at 6 to 7, and Millennials averaged at about 13 jobs. Accuracy of this data aside, it does show, people are presently more likely to job hop. This became a very real aspect of the business reality in the past two years with the Great Resignation.
I am finding the realization is we are now more mindful of the job we have. We want meaning and purpose in our nine-to-five, and are more intentional about how our purpose intertwines with our day-to-day. Leveraging what we do and how we do it can lead us to the difference between a job or a career. Because, me, I don’t have a job, I have a joy. Our choice.
It does not take long to realize we are right in the middle of the holiday season. Long lines at stores, crazy traffic, festive lights, decorated trees and lighter bank accounts. As chaotic as it is, it is the season and I think we’ve learned to manage it if not embrace it every year. Another thing I think a large majority of people do during this season is take for granted that everyone is happy this time of year. I mean they have to be right? Santa, reindeer, presents and parties… Who wouldn’t be happy!
Reality is that many people are facing situations and struggles that honestly leave very little to be happy about. A medical diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, an on-going battle or just simply trying to make it and wondering how in the world will they ever provide Christmas for their kids. These situations, and others like them, leave people stressed, worried and feeling helpless during a time that is supposed to be full of hope and happiness. And for everyone else, it so easy to get lost in the joy of our own holiday season and miss the opportunities in front of us to help change someone else’s.
Holiday Giving
At Russell Cellular, we are intentional with both our hearts and our message in the importance of not only seeing the needs around us but then doing what we can to help meet those needs. District Sales Manager, Taylor Belcher, and her team jumped into action when it came to holiday giving this year. They helped provide holiday meals for local families, that honestly, would not have been able to enjoy them otherwise.
Or our home office team that came together to provide Christmas presents for local foster children that found themselves in an unfamiliar and scary place this holiday season. Or maybe it’s like our Batesville, AR team that inspired their entire district to raise support for one of our own team members. Reagan, an RC team member, recently started having seizures due a mass found on her brain that also caused her to lose her unborn child. We are so proud of our RC family for rallying around Reagan during this time.
Meeting Needs Around Us
In none of these situations are we trying to fix their problems. Money can’t do that. But what we were trying to do was help someone smile that maybe didn’t think they had a reason. Help them find hope when maybe they thought hope was lost. Help them realize they weren’t battling alone, and that people genuinely cared. Hopefully, in the process we would inspire them to someday return the investment to someone else.
Fact is, and I truly believe this with all my heart, when people decide to invest in others for the sole purpose of making a positive impact in their life, not for recognition, reward or personal gain but simply because it’s the right thing to do, not only do people’s lives change…families change, communities change and ultimately, I believe our world changes.
No doubt you are busy, especially right now during this season. I’m sure you’re planning your Christmas parties, your family get togethers, wrapping the perfect gift and getting ready to experience the joy that comes with this season, and I truly hope that for you and your family, it’s the best Christmas yet! At the same time, I pray you see a need, and in that moment, you decide to do what YOU can to help meet that need. I promise that your decision to do so will change lives…one of which will be yours!
The definition of that phrase is about finding a diamond in nature, or in the rough. A raw material that requires some effort. In order to reach its full potential, it needs some attention; to be cut and polished to reveal its worth. Ultimately, it is a metaphor for a thing or person hidden in the surroundings and circumstances of the world. Virtuous and unseen… untapped value waiting to be developed. In the case of you and me, untapped talent. After almost three years of enduring the pandemic, how many of us see ourselves as that diamond? Even if we didn’t engage in the Great Resignation, or are left reeling from the Great Regret, we may still be in search of a job that develops our passion and purpose. We may still be questioning our calling and what fulfills our work life.
That being said, let’s pivot the focus of the diamond metaphor. From us to what we seek. The job. Looking for the diamond in the rough. Knowing that when we find it, it will take some work on our part to polish it. To reveal its worth.
The Job Search
In our last episode, it was about defining what we want and what we are looking for. For now, where do we start? Where are we looking? There are jobs everywhere. Which means, I can understand being picky or considering all the options before jumping into anything. My fear is we may be too picky or eliminate a “diamond” because it may take time and effort before we see the value.
When I started my professional career right after graduating university, it wasn’t in my field of study, graphic design. It was with Dillard’s department store in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I accepted a manager’s role in visual merchandising. I took it not knowing what I didn’t know. Make sense? I thought it would be a start of something. Not knowing what that something was going to be. Very shortly thereafter, I was recruited by Polo Ralph Lauren, and ending up starting my career in Men’s fashion in New York City.
What are some ways we can find our start or our next gig? Here are a couple of suggestions.
Talk to People We Know
Networking is one of easiest and most accessible of resources. And more than just a connection, go deep. Find people who may be doing something of interest or know people who are doing something interesting. Invest time in asking questions and developing contacts. Create a funnel of people who can be potential promoters and champions for your cause.
Research
As much as this has become a trite response, “google it”. Yes, do the research. Utilize resources like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Google. Investigate job possibilities. Explore what’s out there. Consider the industries and positions with potential gaps needing to be filled. What organizations are growing and looking for talent?
Find a Recruiter
If there is a need for a specialized job, involve a third-party advocate, like a recruiter, who can act on your behalf and help with the search. While this typically has an associative cost, many times that investment is covered by the employer as part of the search.
Next Steps
Once some options have come into view from your job search efforts, I suggest making the proverbial “pros and cons” list. Reflect and begin connecting the dots with the identified things we wanted in a job as well as our passion, purpose, gifts, talents, mindset and skillset to each of the possibilities. It reminds me of something Steve Jobs said about the unpredictability of life when we are planning our future.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Once we turn the possibility into an opportunity, here’s the “diamond” moment, how will we see that potential job? Maybe it’s a first job. Something new, or it’s another job in a long line of jobs. Can we see the potential beyond the first 30/60/90 days? Can we see how this might open up doors in the future for what we really want to do?
Let’s be real, when we find the job with a high degree of interest and we are contemplating the decision to accept it, it does not mean we are saying yes to an absolute or final job. It does not bind us for life. We’re not aiming for perfect. We’re making the best decision for the opportunity that lies ahead. Realize, a job doesn’t define our journey, it’s part of the journey.
Make the decision… Pick up the diamond and let’s see what happens next.
Last week we introduced you all to our philanthropic branch here at Russell Cellular called RC Cares. Community outreach and fundraising are just some of the ways RC Cares invests in our team members and our communities.
On any given day the average person will come in contact with at least one person who has a major need in their life. More times than not it will be multiple people. Regardless of the number, the fact is, there are needs all around us. The bigger question isn’t the number of needs around me, it’s asking the question ‘what can I do to help meet those needs?’ In fact, I would say most people are pretty good at identifying and even seeing those needs. The problem is that seeing a need, knowing that a need is there, that in itself doesn’t do anything to make a positive impact in that person’s life. It will always be our actions that make the biggest difference.
In the picture below, alongside wireless representative Ashlee Lemus from our Douglas, GA location, is the Faust family. They recently lost their 6-month-old baby unexpectedly to RSV. I can’t imagine the hurt and pain they have experienced from this tragedy, yet they are forced to continue on with life, both of them working two jobs in the middle of their grief to simply support their family.
Ashlee heard about their story. She saw a need. No doubt she was moved by their situation. How could someone not be right? But just knowing wasn’t enough. Knowing caused a moving, an action towards trying to do something to try and help this family. This wasn’t about trying to fix a problem because there is no fix for this type of situation. This was just an opportunity to do something for someone simply because it was the right thing to do. So, Ashlee inspired her team members as well as those from our Fitzgerald, GA location to donate $1,000 to the Faust family from money they had raised from the sale of our RC Cares Products.
These are products that are in all of our locations and are available for our customers to purchase. One hundred percent of the proceeds is donated back into our local communities to help people and organizations that have needs. You can help us on our mission to serve our community through outreach and fundraising by visiting your local Russell Cellular store.
