Making a Difference, Together

Shortly after I finished writing my book, Working for Good: Making a Difference While Making a Living, people started asking me if I planned to write another (as if finishing one weren’t enough!) My response typically was, “If I do, I will probably call it Working for Good: Together.” Out of all of the insights I garnered and lessons I learned or reinforced through and during the process of writing the book, the power and primacy of collaboration was among, if not the, most essential.

I truly would not have been able to write the book without the support from and collaboration with Elad Levinson and Julie van Amerongen. And without Kelly Notaras’ early editing and guidance it would not have been worth publishing.

During the same time I was writing the book, as I was navigating challenging territory with the production of the 2009 Catalyzing Conscious Capitalism Summit, without the tireless presence of Phyllis Blees and the moral and creative support from Ted Robb, I don’t know if the ship would have sailed.

And as I reflected on all of the “missions accomplished” over the years, in every case there was a team of collaborators (myself included as one among a team) who made it possible.

This recognition purposefully led me to find, attract, and engage a new team to build Working for Good and to continue the work I have been doing for the past ten years under Cause Alliance Marketing. The process of catalyzing the team, (with Susan Hollingshead, Velco Farina, and Chris Robb at the core, Julie and others deeply engaged and connected to it), and laying the foundations for our conscious collaboration, is one of the most energizing and inspiring things I have ever experienced.

While the process is still unfolding, and we have many miles to go before we sleep, it is no mistake that the signature line (or tag line) for our business recently emerged as Making a Difference, Together. And, I must add, I really did not drive the process of getting there. It truly emerged as the essence of what we are about.

True to the principle of transparency, which is core to our process, I intend to document much of our process in my blog and, eventually, we are likely to do so via video.

Stay tuned, and please share your insights into the process of collaboration - the ups and downs, principles and skills, and anything else that feeds the journey.

Yours in Working for Good!

Jeff