Volunteer THINKTANK Projects: Phase One

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This website and blog is all about my THINKTANK experimentation with tapping into my own passions, then identifying these passions and deciding ones which are worth pursuing in further detail as passion projects, side hustles, and ultimately businesses.

All of this being done through the power of digital marketing to figure out the early stages and to minimize your risk, get a better understanding of what’s possible, and to create something special in your work life.

This post is actually about your volunteer passions and which ones might be worth exploring in a larger fashion as a side hustle.

To go into a larger role on a volunteer project is to make it a side hustle, sure you aren’t making money yourself but you are contributing more time and energy to a cause you care about and ideally that cause will make money as a result of your enhanced affiliation with it.

Remember that it’s not just scalable businesses that can be turned into passion projects and side hustles.  Volunteering can too!

In phase one with the Alzheimer’s Association I had a few facts and findings that I dug up prior to choosing to dedicating more time to this cause:

  1. My wife cares greatly for the cause and works at the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio and was looking for leadership committee members.
  2. It is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and the only one in the Top 10 without a cure.
  3. I had been doing a lot of on again off again volunteering in the community but was looking for an organization to take a larger role with.
  4. My digital marketing THINKTANK research led me to see that it’s a cause that people make fun of, don’t understand, or all have a connection to.  It seemed that there was a gap that I could help support and fill.

I decided to take on the role of being on the leadership committee for my wife’s 2017 Walk to End Alzheimer’s.  Our goal is to raise ONE MILLION DOLLARS for the organization as a result of this year’s event.

THINKTANK projects don’t have to be just about making money for yourself.  It can be making money for the community.

I did have a close relationship with the cause so it was a no brainer to move into the side hustle role as being a member of their leadership team and to lead a subcommittee of volunteers on the team retention committee.

However you can use the same blueprint I have shown here in phase one to decipher if it makes sense for you to become a more involved and dedicated volunteer at a non profit.

Here is what you can consider:

  1. Do you enjoy volunteering for the cause?
  2. Is there an opportunity that would allow you to make a larger impact within the organization?
  3. What are people saying online about the cause and is there something new you can introduce to the online community to perhaps change their viewpoint or educate them more?  (At the very least the education piece and online learning can be passed on to the paid employees of this non-profit.)
  4. What do you want to get out of turning this volunteering project into a side hustle?  Why are you doing what you do there?

Phase two of this particular project will involve reviewing the dedication and steps to moving from grunt work as a day of event volunteer to running and strategizing a team that is responsible to get 346 teams from 2016 to sign back up for the 2017 Walk as quickly as possible and then nurture relationships with them!  I’ll report back in the coming weeks on how everything is going and the phase two steps!

You can follow this THINKTANK process to not only build a business but to also understand where you want to spend your valuable “off the clock” work and who you want volunteer with and for.

Passionate marketing is all about getting involved with your passions and the passions of those you love to care about and serve.  It can go beyond customers and involve who you love and care about on a personal level.

Volunteering has done more for my career growth and enjoyment of life than I could have ever imagined, hoped for, or expected.

I encourage you to consider not only volunteering but doing so in a large way with one or two organizations.  I’m sure you will get more GOOD than you could have ever thought out of it.

The THINKTANK phase one process can help you identify where to start!

Do you volunteer?  If so what type of capacity?  Email me at mike@MarketingFunWithMike.com to ask me any questions about my volunteering history, your comments and experiences, and any other ways in which I can help you build something special through this THINKTANK.  It’s here for you!

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to receive the bi monthly THINKTANK videos by signing up HERE.  I appreciate you reading this post, I’m most grateful for shares, and thanks for being a part of the MFWM crew!

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Spread Good Vibes, Demand the Best from Yourself, Carpe Diem

Mike