Beth Kanter

Do You Have a Virtual Coach?

July 12, 2010 by rosettathurman · 5 Comments

Young nonprofit professionals are always looking for a few good mentors. Other, more experienced leaders that can show them the ropes and help them along in their leadership journey. While I have a number of great mentors that I can call on and/or meet with in person, my virtual coaches are just as important to me.

In a recent interview with Inc. Magazine, solopreneur Mike Koenigs was asked if he’d ever had a mentor or a coach. He replied:

“I have had a lot of virtual coaches; Napoleon Hill being one of the greatest. Also Dale Carnegie and Tony Robbins have had the greatest influence on me.”

I define a virtual coach is someone who you’ve never met in person (or have met only a few times), but who continually inspires you to do better and reach higher in your life and career.

Some examples of virtual coaches for young nonprofit professionals might be authors, bloggers, longtime nonprofit leaders or even celebrities. The idea is that we don’t necessarily have to have a mentor right there live in living color for them to be able to teach us valuable lessons.

Here are some of my virtual coaches:

Oprah

Many of Oprah’s philosophies and beliefs resonate deeply with me. Not only is she at a level of success that I would love to attain one day, but the way she lives her life is a testament to the abundance of the universe. Like me, she didn’t grow up with a perfect home life, but she overcame every obstacle that was put in front of her and ultimately reached her goals. I read her daily newsletter from Oprah.com religiously, as it always gives me that needed boost of confidence in my work and life.

Seth Godin

Seth Godin Picture

I just finished Seth’s latest book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, which served as a big fat reminder to me of how important it is not to forget who you really are. In everything he writes, he demonstrates his skill as an extreme encourager. His words kick you in the ass and make you jump out of bed to go, DO your life’s work and stop whining already. I really wish there were more Seth’s in my everyday world…

Beth is a model for transparency in her life and nonprofit work. She is a ruthless innovator and generously documents her learning to share with our huge network of social change agents. Her influence is felt across sectors and I strive to model much of how I work after Beth.

Do you have a virtual coach? Tell us who! And how do they help you in your leadership journey?

Filed Under: Leadership, Personal Development · Tagged With: Beth Kanter, linchpin, Oprah, Personal Development, seth godin, virtual coach

Organizations That Use Social Media Are More Successful Than Those That Don’t

December 5, 2009 by rosettathurman · 5 Comments

They say the proof is in the pudding, and if you were on the fence about the effectiveness of social media, boy have I got some proof for you. A new study shows that organizations that use social media are more financially successful than those that are not involved. ENGAGEMENTdb: Ranking the Top 100 Global Brands, reviewed how the top 100 most valuable brands use more than 10 different social media channels, including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, wikis and discussion forums.

The verdict?

Organizations that were measured to have the greatest depth and breadth of social media engagement grew company revenues by an average of 18 percent of the past 12 months. Companies that showed little engagement or interest in social media experienced an average decrease in company revenues of six percent.

The web has created new and low-cost options to get the word out about your organization. This new study just goes to show that if you want to achieve maximum success in the work you do, social media will have to become part of your communications strategy with clients, donors and customers. If your organization is not yet engaged in social media, now is the time. Seriously. For the very best resources for how to get started, see Beth Kanter’s fabulous blog which has a ton of resources about how nonprofits can use social media.

Image credit: Francis Anderson

I’m blogging every single day this month for 31 Days of Giving to celebrate my 27th birthday on December 31 and asking all my friends to donate $27 to benefit the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Washington DC. Will you give? Your gift would really make a difference for young nonprofit leaders in DC!