Inspired by the hummingbird.
It felt so great to officially launch Nectar for Good into the world!
When you visit my website you quickly see that I draw inspiration from the hummingbird. “Why the hummingbird?” you may ask.
My whole life I’ve had a plan and a clear path. I was getting dopamine hits with every new business win and rung climbed on the corporate ladder. I’m a structured being; that’s where I felt safe. That’s just how I rolled!
And then, suddenly, I had no plan. The corporate ladder didn’t feel good anymore. Who was I pleasing? Climbing the ladder for what purpose?
While my agency life was dreamy in many ways, I was also feeling an incredible surge of energy to give back to the community.
As I dug deep to understand this uneasiness and started to explore what a career pivot would look like, I ran across this beautiful quote about a hummingbird.
"Hummingbirds move from tree to tree, from flower to flower, from field to field, trying this, trying that," Gilbert says. "Two things happen: They create incredibly rich, complex lives for themselves, and they also end up cross-pollinating the world." – Elizabeth Gilbert
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, for example, weighs little more than a penny, but it can make the 500-mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico in less than a day!
This was my path. This is the inspiration for Nectar for Good.
Over the next many months, I began to network. My dear friend Dottie Smith connected me to so many people in the non-profit community. I also started reaching out to past colleagues, neighbors and classmates whose current work or stories inspired me.
Virtually each introduction (or reconnection) led to a coffee or zoom call to talk more. Early in this exploration, I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I wanted to lean on my brand advertising roots, non-profit marketing experience, and what felt like a “calling” to make a greater impact on the world.
I am so grateful for these individuals - for sharing their time, for opening up about their own experiences, and for making more connections in the moment. Those zoom calls and coffees led to many more, and more. My zig-zag hummingbird path was happening naturally. Every conversation brought me joy and positive energy, so I knew I was heading in the right direction.
In January 2023, I was ready to take flight – to take a risk, to bet on myself. I resigned from my job with honesty and grace, and while scared, I was filled with hope and excitement for what was to come.
Here I am now, founder of Nectar for Good. I plan to take my twenty plus years in advertising and marketing – brand, data, digital and tech – and apply that to causes and projects I care deeply about. Whether mission-driven individuals or organizations big or small, my goal is to partner and to cross-pollinate ideas, to connect people, and to accelerate change for the good.
A big shout out to Elizabeth Rosenberg and Irene Ortiz-Glass, two strong, wise women and business leaders who have inspired this chapter of my life. Thank you for seeing ME, coaching me, guiding me, and helping me get here and to what’s next. ✨
#socialimpact #nonprofitmarketing #leadwithlove #solopreneur #fractionalleadership #leadership #marketing
—Posted on LinkedIn September 27, 2023
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