Lessons From an Entrepreneur

I know I'm an expert event planner, but I didn't go to business school, so the learning curve has been interesting over the last few years. What I have learned is that business development is something I really enjoy, and that has been incredibly interesting to discover, though not surprising considering how I was raised.

Growing up, my dad was a salesman for men's outerwear, and his passion for building connections with people was always in the air. I had a "Jack and Jill" bathroom that connected his office to my bedroom. When both doors were open, I remember hearing him talk to customers about coats and uniforms. Sometimes, I’d travel with him to showrooms when in-person meetings were essential in sales. Looking back, I realize I absorbed how he related to people, built friendships and had fun along the way. I apply a lot of that to my business. 

I talk to my clients all the time about how fundraising, like sales, is all about relationships. In fact, fundraising IS sales. While marketing and social media are important, and help create legitimacy, it's been interesting to see how most of my business success has come from in-person meetings (pre-pandemic) and now virtual ones. It's all about relationship-building and building trust in a service-based business, and the same is true for nonprofits seeking donor support for their missions. While it takes more time to meet one-on-one, that’s where you can have the most impact in your business. In your donor relationships, that's where you move the needle!