Remember how your parents once told you not to talk to strangers? Forget that — do the contrary! I strike up conversations everywhere — dentist waiting rooms, on the B train to work, in the cereal aisle at supermarkets, on airplanes. And twice already, these random encounters have led to great connections for my internship at She’s the First. Try my tactic out yourself. Chances are you’ll be able to successfully spread She’s the First by simple worth of mouth!
Michael Trainer at work. His mission? Create compelling media to support the work of innovative social change agents.
STF RANDOM CONNECTION #1: Michael Trainer.
How We Met: Last summer when my beloved Blackberry suffered a minor injury (never answer the phone in the shower…), I took it to my local Verizon store praying for a miracle. The man standing behind me had found his Blackberry in disrepair as well and before I knew it we were chatting about the ongoing Berries vs. iPhone battle and everything in between.
What We Talked About: I discovered that he’d damaged his phone on a trip to Kogelo, Kenya, President Obama’s ancestral village home. Michael surveyed villagers’ perspectives on the democracy and change that an African in the White House would bring and got a chance to examine the village’s shift from Africa’s largest slum to a place where Obama’s familial roots lie, while celebrating Obama’s electoral win there with them.
How This Was Special: An honest stranger was recounting to me, another honest stranger, one of the most life-changing events in his life. He was telling me the blueprints of what he wanted to change in the world, how he wanted to do it, and I was listening. All in a Verizon Wireless Store.
The End Result: We casually exchanged information and didn’t talk until long after that. When we happened to find each other on Facebook and LinkedIn, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that Michael is currently the strategic media consultant to the Columbia University Center for International Conflict Resolution and now also director of his own new non-profit, See Change Global, whose mission is “to use innovative media for education and social change; to be a bridge-builder connecting individuals and communities committed to innovative solutions to some of our greatest global challenges.” (Sound familiar? Just like She’s The First!) I email introduced him to our founder Tammy, and we’ll be connecting when he returns from a trip to Africa in mid-July.
STF RANDOM CONNECTION #2: Vera Sullivan.
How We Met: While walking home from work June 10, Vera stumbled upon our red carpet outside of Santos Party House for GIRLS WHO ROCK, and as I was the one holding an official She’s the First clipboard, she waved me down to inquire about our organization.
What We Talked About: As PR intern for our GIRLS WHO ROCK benefit concert, I assisted in backstage production, helped out in the Green Room, and even managed to snag a hug and pictures with lovely performers Kat DeLuna, Shontelle, and Vita Chambers. While these few behind-the-scenes moments made me feel glamorous, it was Vera who made me feel like a rock star! As I told her more and more about our nonprofit, her praise and fascination in an organization she had literally found on the side of the street were heartwarming to say the least.
The End Result: Vera and I scheduled a phone call, and I learned about more about her lifelong commitment to the diversity community. She was the first to do outplacement counseling and diversity placement for the legal profession as President of DiversityForce LLC, a company dedicated to the career advancement of diversity professionals.Vera and I are having lunch together next week!
Who’s the last person you told about She’s the First’s call to action to sponsor girls’ educations? Tell us below!
This is such a great post, Sydney! It sounds like you made some really valuable connections!
I recently interviewed a local (Buffalo, NY) rock band as part of my internship, and when they expressed an interest in giving back not only on a local level, but also on an international level, I told them about She’s the First. Even though they’re a group of guys, they were intrigued by the mission of educating and empowering girls, and I hope to get them involved in STF projects in the future. It reiterates the message of this blog post: connections can be found where/when you least expect them!
Wow, that’s awesome, Chelsea! More and more guys joining the cause — this has never been seen before!!! Great story.