| I have a confession. Although you've been involved with Make-A-Wish for decades and toldme countless wish stories, I've never been moved to tears. Until this weekend. |
| Why? Itis not like you were at Tommy Austin's 80th birthday celebration onSaturday. Almost none of the speakerscould get through their comments without crying. As you know, there would be no Make-A-Wish without Tommy, asit all started back in 1980 with him wanting to do something special for ChrisGreicius, a 7-year-old boy who was battling leukemia and wanted to be a policeofficer. |
| Those are the facts, yes. But when you invited Sawyer to join you, andemailed us the link to the storythat inspired Make-A-Wish video, it sat in my inbox until Saturdayafternoon. I was clearing emails andfound it, and thought it was a good time to watch it, especially since I knew youwere at the party. And that's when thefacts of Make-A-Wish became something so much more. |
| You may have been watching it at the same timewe were, as they used it to open the tribute to Tommy. I have known him for decades, so am veryfamiliar with the story, but it is a powerful reminder of how people cametogether to grant a young boy his wish, and how that single wish touched somany lives. |
| Yes, the ripple effect it created was truly amazing,as it led to the creation of The Make-A-Wish Foundation. But what brought me to tears, and made me gothrough more tissues than I'd care to admit, were the words of Chris's mother, "Thiswas something I was totally helpless to do" but that Tom was able to pull itoff with help from others. |
| I cannot imagine the helplessness a parent mustfeel when their child has a serious illness. |
| Trust me, hearing those words made my heart hurt. But I smiled when one of the other foundersexplained that after Chris had passed, with his wish having been fulfilledbeyond his wildest dreams, that everyone involved looked at each other and said,"There are more children out there; let's go find them" and how it snowballedfrom there. It made me want to cheer andshout, "Yes!" |
| "Snowballed" is an understatement. Now, 41 years later, Make-A-Wish has made such a huge difference …granting more than 500,000 wishes, with chapters around the world … and bringinghope and joy to the wish kids and their families. |
| I can't begin to imagine how proud Tommy Austinmust be to know that his simple desire to make one boy a little happier wouldlead to so much more. |
| The word I would use is "humble," as Tommy believes he ismerely the messenger and refuses to take any credit, explaining he was onlytrying to make Chris' life better. But,there was a room full of people who saw it differently, and told heartwarmingstories about Tommy. |
| It sounds like it was the best 80th birthdayparty ever, and he certainly deserved it. |
| It was so much more. And, we surprised him by announcing that inhonor of his 80th birthday, The Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast & Louisiana had created a"Circle of 80" to kick-off the Tommy Austin Wish Fund. |
| That's so perfect. Although I've never met him, from watchingthe video I think that the best gift one could give Tommy would be to help grant the wish of a Make-A-Wish child. For that matter, itmay be one of the greatest gifts any one of us could give … |
Whether it's becoming involved with a local Make-A-Wish chapter or simply by making a donation … never underestimate the power of a wish!
Second Chance Month may almost be over, but giving someone a second chance, especially for those who’ve been on the wrong side of the law, shouldn’t end when April does. Because we’ve all made mistakes, and a second chance is a gift that can make all the difference, as Red dramatically learned below …
| I had no idea that April was “Second Chance Month” until you sent me the official proclamation. I find it interesting that in the midst of juggling our usual million and one Red & Black things, your interest in criminal justice, which I know you consider a “passion project”, is as strong as ever, maybe even stronger. |
| It is not intentional, sometimes “passion projects” find you. And, when you least expect it. |
| Or where you least expect it! Only you would take a “field trip” to a men’s prison. |
| I will not get on my soapbox about how our education system contributes to the criminal justice problem. I will never forget a friend of mine who was formerly incarcerated telling me, “Rehabilitating people makes the assumption they were habilitated in the first place.” |
| When you stop and think about that statement, it’s pretty powerful! But I have to smile as once upon a time you, and I, used words like “offenders” and “prisoners” until we learned how our choice of words could be dehumanizing. |
| Says the woman who once believed in the idea of “lock ’em up and throw away the key”. |
red headassets.rebelmouse.io
Blackassets.rebelmouse.io
Blackassets.rebelmouse.io | That was before! I know you told me that just because someone made a bad decision, it didn’t make them a bad person, but it sounded like a cliche. Now, my opinion is based on our experience and the impact we’ve seen. The feedback has been eye-opening. Unfortunately, life doesn’t come with “do-overs.” |
| Exactly. None of us are perfect. We have all made bad decisions. Second chances are about opportunities to show we have learned from our mistakes. |
| Well, I know I have. Obviously, not anything illegal. But it made me determined to teach my daughters what I had learned. Probably one of the most heartwarming parts of the feedback we’ve received is that so many people on the inside want better – not only for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren. |
| Yes, which is why having a second chance is so critical. And, helping set people up for success, not failure, because it is about more than changing the lives of the formerly incarcerated -- it can change the lives of their families and, in turn, our communities and our country. |
| A ripple effect that could mean more people may get it right the first time and not need a second chance. |
| True. Maybe we should look at it as giving society a second chance … |
| Did you know that April's Autism Awareness Month? I wasn't aware (pun intended) of it until I read our local homeowner's monthly newsletter and it caught my eye. |
| Actually, last month the founding organization, the Autism Society, changed "Awareness "to "Acceptance" to foster inclusivity, as knowing about something is very different from accepting it. But I am guessing that is not the point of this call. |
| Although it isn't autism, it reminded me of years ago when we found out that Natasha has learning disabilities. |
| I think you mean DIFF-abilities. |
| Of course, that's another thing I remember. I was focused on the negative aspects of her diagnosis until you asked me, point-blank, "Why are they called disabilities?" And proceeded to explain that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. |
| Exactly! Imagine the world if everyone excelled at math, but flunked English. Or, a world of lawyers, but no musicians. Some people are better at social skills, while others excel at handling technical data. Why not just say that people who have different skillsets and abilities have DIFF-abilities versus making them feel like they have shortcomings? |
| I know that you completely changed my way of thinking, not only about Natasha but about the concept of "disabilities" full stop. It opened my eyes – and my brain – about how just because someone has challenges or limited abilities in some areas, that doesn't mean they don't have different gifts and strengths in other areas. |
| Exactly. Although autism is a "spectrum condition" meaning it affects people differently and to varying degrees, it is a complex developmental disorder that can affect a person's social skills, and ability to communicate and interact with others. However, autistic people usually possess some extremely valuable traits that are rare in non-autistic people. |
| Which is why it frustrates me that so many people feel like those with disabilities, excuse me DIFF-abilities, are "lesser" people. When Natasha was diagnosed, she was in her teens and already had a very strong personality (no doubt inherited from you) and, luckily, seemed to have an innate understanding that she was just different, not better, not worse, than others. I guess one of the biggest challenges is to get others to see things with the same mindset. |
| We are a story-telling society, and there are countless stories of people with DIFF-abilities, including those with autism, that are eye-opening and more powerful than anything we could ever say. |
| Funny you say that, as I was curious to learn more about autism and found some inspiring quotes (including a wonderful Tom Hanks clip) that not only gave me great insight but made me smile. One of my favorites was how Paul Collins, an author and parent of an autistic child, said, "Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you're destroying the peg." That's such a great way to describe not only those with autism but any disability. |
| Well, technically, it will fit, but it requires that the diameter of the circle be larger than the diagonal of the square. Basic geometry. But, I understand Paul Collin's point. |
| Talk about DIFF-abilities! Couldn't you just agree with me? |
| The thought never crossed my mind. |
What do you get when you combine Black's corporate, consulting, and entrepreneurial background (not to mention expertise in business development and strategic planning) with Red's perspective as a mom and self-proclaimed "mere mortal"?
Combining our extremely different backgrounds with our experience as consumers (at significantly different price points) and ability to target varied audiences provides interesting and, hopefully, valuable insight — whether you're a small company, a nonprofit, a major corporation, or somewhere in between.
Interested In Working With Red & Black?
Maybe you're intrigued by our business story and detours (intended as a sitcom, our bestselling book, "What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!", was launched by Neiman Marcus and then detoured into the world of education and then criminal justice). Or, maybe, you just want to use Black's racing stories and analogies (she was the first woman to race the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway).
But how to use us?
- Do you need content and associated products?
- Could we be a good fit as part of your marketing and social media strategy?
- Are you looking for creative and effective personal and professional development programming for your employees (covering soft skills, silo-busting, and personal finance)?
We don't believe in one-size-fits-all, so instead of a long "menu of ideas" ... we prefer to work with you, understanding your needs and objectives, so we can provide real-world content tailored specifically for you.
BOTTOM LINE: Whether you're interested in creative content, licensing, speaking engagements, bulk book purchases, custom programs, or something you haven't quite defined yet — we're open to ideas and brainstorming. And if it makes sense for all of us ... we'll find a way to make it happen.
For more information, please contact Black at Business@RedandBlack email.
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