“Strategy & Communication: More Than Words” with Danny Markstein

Part 4: A Trusted Advisor
Volunteer Spotlight with Danny Markstein

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): In a few sentences, please touch on the importance of your industry to the broader economy.

Danny Markstein (DM): Markstein Consulting is a corporate strategy and communication firm. We serve as advisors to our clients. We help them find the focus required to accomplish the key tasks that require their – and their organization’s – attention. Too often leaders can find themselves spending their days putting out fires rather than engaging in activities that will help their team or grow their organization. On the communications side, we assist clients who are having trouble articulating their value. We help them craft meaningful messaging, chart that clear path, address issues, and execute communications activities with their key audiences.

Clients usually come to us when they need objective perspectives and solutions to specific issues, and they lack the expertise or time (not necessarily in that order) to do it themselves. Our industry is important because good providers offer that objective perspective help clients address looming questions that can become extremely difficult to answer when you are so intertwined in the issues. We help put the next steps on paper and enable leaders and their teams to hold themselves accountable to specific activities and goals.

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This concludes our series of posts with advice from Danny – we hope that you enjoyed learning about Danny, and what he finds valuable about volunteer leadership.

Let’s recap our series featuring Danny Markstein:
Part 1: A Trusted Advisor
Consider Before Committing
Knowing When to Reach Out

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we have been releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate. This is our final post from Danny, but watch for more to drop from other volunteer leaders in the near future. Make sure to subscribe to the blog today!

“Knowing When To Reach Out” with Danny Markstein

Part 3: A Trusted Advisor
Volunteer Spotlight with Danny Markstein

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): How do volunteer leaders and key executives know when they need outside help to develop a new strategic direction? What advice do you have to prepare them to take the next steps?

Danny Markstein (DM): One of the first signs that will tip off a volunteer leader or executive that they need to seek outside help to develop their strategic direction is when they feel or know that their organization has become diluted. Typically, they are engaged in a variety of activities, but the masters of none. Other common signs we see are when an organization’s message is unclear, and the community does not know what it does, or even that it exists. We are at a tipping point in our community at which we must reduce and eventually eradicate the duplication of services. All of these issues result in a leadership group questioning its organization’s relevance and strategic direction.

It can be hard to find focus when you come to the realization that your organization may be lost and possibly is not fulfilling its original mission. The advice I give is for the leader to step back and find a true understanding of what the organization was created to do; reevaluate your mission and vision and recommit. Say no – something that can be incredibly challenging for nonprofits – to things that do not help you serve your mission and constituents. It is very important at this time to clearly chart your next steps, focus on those steps, and hold yourself and your organization accountable.

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Want to learn more about Danny’s background? Go back to Part 1 of the interview to learn more about how volunteer leadership has helped him develop and why continuing to volunteer is so important to him; in Part 2 of our interview, Danny covers the advice he would give to someone thinking about joining their first board of directors.

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we have been releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate.

We have one final post with advice from Danny – subscribe to the blog and watch for it to drop next week. His final comments will touch on the importance of his industry – strategic planning and communications – to the broader economy.

“Hard as Hell” written by Ed Fields

Volunteer leadership isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it is downright heartbreaking, thankless and hard as hell.

I grew up in a blue collar family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My dad started working at Wisconsin Electric, where he is still employed, when he found out he was having a son at the tender young age of 19.

I had a delightful childhood – strong family, Midwestern values, plenty of love and fun. I was a naturally shy kid and began to connect with the world beyond my family as I entered my pre-teen years.

When I was in middle school my Dad told me that the “power company,” as we affectionately referred to his place of employment, was going to launch a Boy Scout Troop. Now, I am not sure what made me agree to participate in this program, but I can still remember him dropping me off at the interest meeting.

The person in charge, Cid Duncan, was a portly man that, at the time, seemed to be old to be doing this type of work. I suppose everyone looks old when you are 12 years old.

Cid worked at the power company with my Dad. Except, he wasn’t a lineman (pole climber) like Dad; he was an Electrical Engineer. One of those characters playing a role in my young teenage life in which there was no concept of what an electrical engineer was.

There was no workforce development program that could replace the access that I had to the way his mind worked, touching his professional drafting desk and seeing real blueprints – just like the ones I saw in the movies. “Oh, that’s what an Electrical Engineer does,” I thought.

Anyway, Cid served as the founding scoutmaster of Troop 250 based out of the North Division location of Wisconsin Electric – also known as “the hood.” Cid recruited his pal, Johnny Fields (no relation), to serve as assistant scoutmaster and placed his two sons in the troop as well.

Cid was a chain smoker. He was overweight, but moved quickly and was strong as an ox. He had to be. The boys in his troop were different from other Boy Scouts. Only a few of us were connected to Cid and Johnny through the power company because of our mothers and, rarely, our fathers. Most of the boys in the troop were neighborhood kids. All of them without fathers. Some of them with legal issues. Many of them were much older and bigger than me. Several of us younger kids were intimidated by these kids; which is precisely why my father encouraged me to be in the troop, among other reasons. He wanted to make sure his shy son could swim with sharks. And how!

Cid spent every other Saturday with us for the better part of 8 years. Without fail, he was there picking us up in his rusty 1980 model Surburban truck. He was always teaching us lessons. Making up his own mysteries called “Sherlock Nolmes,” his spoof of classic tales designed to encourage critical, real-world, impromptu problem solving. He liked to starve and scare us. This man would drop 15 hungry teenage boys off at McDonald’s and give us $10 to feed everyone. Or, another favorite: he would take us camping and lead the requisite “Midnight Hike” under the crisp, pitch black Wisconsin night with no flashlight; we couldn’t even see our hands in front of us. Those hikes were always preceded by campfire horror stories about John Wayne Gacy’s exploits of cannibalism and escape from a nearby prison, allegedly hiding in the very campground we were in.

I remember physical altercations that Cid had to get in the middle of to keep all of us in line. I saw him cry. I saw his joy. I saw in his eyes the passion and constant search for that one golden, teachable moment that a teacher looks for in a student.

Of course, all of this time, energy and effort wasn’t just about the kids. Like any volunteer leader – the best of them – there was something in it for him, too. Cid and his wife Debra didn’t have children, so they proactively invested their parental energies into children that needed help the most.

In addition to Cid’s work with the troop, he and Debra would take care of special needs babies. Really hard cases. From time to time he would let the boys visit his home in the suburbs and see the room with a baby in a plastic tent hooked up to monitors beeping and clicking. I can remember at least two of these infants dying. Why would they knowingly adopt children that were more likely to die than they were to live?

Why would Cid invest time, money and energy into us knowing that most of us would end up in jail or dead? And, don’t you know? That is exactly what happened. Two of us committed suicide. Four of us went to jail for a very, very long time. One of us became a male prostitute (not me!). Many of us ended up where society says young black boys should have, statistically speaking.

I still scratch my head about it sometimes. There is one thing I know for sure – at least one of us made it through those years with an optimistic future, a deeper sense of civic duty and a profound understanding of personal sacrifice thanks to Cid Duncan and his wife.

*****

I am incredibly thankful to my father, Cid Duncan, Wisconsin Electric, the Boy Scouts of America and my boys from Troop 250 here and gone. My life has been littered with good works and purposeful service efforts, in large part, because of you.

Consider Before Committing

Part 2: A Trusted Advisor
Volunteer Spotlight with Danny Markstein

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): What advice would you give to someone that will be serving on their first board of directors in the next few months?

Danny Markstein (DM): These words came out of my mouth just this morning: do not commit to volunteer service unless you are passionate and willing to dig in to do whatever it takes to get the job done. The reality is that there are so many needs in this community, it sometimes can be difficult to prioritize the various volunteer opportunities in front of you.

Today’s nonprofits have reached a critical phase of existence; faced with fewer resources with which to work with and smaller staffs, nonprofits are stretched and need volunteer leaders who fully are supportive. Do not commit unless you are dedicated. Our service-oriented community groups are strong, but they need soldiers. The perfect opportunity for you to give back is out there – you just have to find it and get involved.

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Want to learn more about Danny’s background? Go back to Part 1 of the interview to learn more about how volunteer leadership has helped him develop and why continuing to volunteer is so important to him.

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we will be releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate. We are really looking forward to this showcase and hope that you will enjoy learning more about Danny Markstein.

There’s still more to come with Danny. In our next piece, Danny opens up to tell us the common signs that tip volunteer leaders and key executives off that they may need to consider outside help – and, he’ll also offer some free advice for what to do after you have this realization. Thankfully, it’s not “panic.”

Part 1: A Trusted Advisor

Leading up to Projects Unlimited’s 5th Anniversary on April 30th, we will be releasing a series of posts from a recent interview with Danny Markstein, a committed professional and Birmingham advocate. We are really looking forward to this showcase and hope that you will enjoy learning more about Danny Markstein.

Volunteer Spotlight: Danny Markstein

Daniel H. Markstein, IV

Key Volunteer Role: Chairman, Magic Moments

Background: Danny and his wife, Eileen, founded Markstein Consulting, LLC, a corporate strategy and communications consulting firm in 2003. Danny specializes in strategic business planning, corporate strategy development, internal and external corporate communications, organizational dynamics and business process optimization.

Danny is best known for his integrated approach to strategic planning and a commitment to linking strategy to action. He is a trusted advisor to clients faced with organizational challenges and helps to mobilize strategic initiatives.

As a volunteer leader, Danny is involved with multiple civic and nonprofit organizations around Birmingham, including Magic Moments. We think know that Danny is wise beyond his years and appreciate the time he took to be a part of this volunteer spotlight.

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Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): We see that you are involved with multiple community oriented groups around Birmingham – so, what has been the most fulfilling part of your volunteer service?
Danny Markstein (DM): The best thing about being involved as a volunteer in civic and nonprofit organizations is the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact that we can have locally. Birmingham is a unique community. I have lived in cities in which outlets for getting involved with the local community simply did not exist. I am so grateful that it’s almost expected that members of this community become involved as a volunteers in the capacity in which they can.

Birmingham has no shortage of challenges – it is important to find ways to push our community forward. Volunteer service is a meaningful and impactful way to affect change quickly, and is something that I have found extremely rewarding by participating as a volunteer.

PUI: How essential has volunteer leadership been for your own professional development?
DM: Incredibly essential. Volunteer leadership provides opportunities to learn and grow in many capacities, depending on the type of volunteer work in which you are engaged. Volunteering has served me by broadening my horizons and exposing me to situations, people, and needs that I would not necessarily be exposed to in my career.

At the end of the day, even the most engaged person is living within a bubble. There is no way to touch everything, but civic and community engagement bring me back to the needs of my entire community. I believe that volunteer service has made me a better person and professional because it has left me with a broad and well-rounded understanding of my community, a byproduct that makes me a better consultant and advisor in my career.

*****

In the next piece of this volunteer spotlight, you’ll hear Danny’s advice for all of the future volunteer leaders out there. Stay tuned.

Meet Our Spring 2012 Interns!

We Searched. We Sifted. We Selected.

Without further adieu, we are proud to introduce you to the two newest members of Team PUI. You will definitely see these two wandering (not aimlessly) the halls of the Innovation Depot, and it is very likely they will join us for a few client events, meetings, and luncheons in the coming weeks. Make sure to say “hi!” and introduce yourself – we are pretty sure they don’t bite.

Casey Lovoy

Casey received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Auburn University and received her master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Alabama.  During her graduate years, she interned with Wider Opportunities for Women, in Washington, D.C.,  and worked on projects to establish economic security for older adults. Casey has a keen eye for assisting others as they work to develop personally and professionally and seeks to work for an organization with a “people first” mission.

Casey has a variety of experiences, both professionally and personally. She has worked for the Walt Disney Company as a seasonal cast member since 2007 (but she cannot tell you what she does – they are sworn to secrecy!) and she is a certified Zumba instructor at a local YMCA.

Welcome Casey to the team and e-mail her today!

Aya Al-Najjar

Aya is marketing major for the University of Montevallo working to earn her B.S. degree within the next two years. Aya joined PUI with hopes of obtaining relevant work experience within her course of study. She is eager to learn as much as possible about fundraising, event planning, project management, marketing and sales.

Aya plans to travel back to her hometown of Baghdad, Iraq, to help rebuild her community. Aya hopes to join or organize a project to help Iraqi women and children. She is driven by creativity and inspired by the people who dedicate their time and efforts to helping those who are in need.

Welcome Aya to the team and e-mail her today!

Welcome to Team PUI, ladies!

Defining Culture & Leadership

Volunteer Spotlight: David Gray

David serves as president and CEO of Daxko. He is responsible for leading the company’s strategic direction, growth, culture, and overall operations. Under his watch, Daxko was  named as one of Fortune Small Business magazine’s “7 Great Places to Work.”

Earlier in David’s career, he had the opportunity to conduct substantial consulting engagements for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, leading tech firms, and large governmental entities. Each experience allowed him to observe various corporate cultures and leadership approaches. He brought the lessons learned back to Daxko, using them to shape and build the unique culture that the company is now so well known for.

In addition to his position at Daxko, David is on the board of directors and currently serves as TechBirmingham‘s chairman. He and his wife, Susan, along with their three children, live in Birmingham. They are active members of the Birmingham YMCA and their local church. Follow Dave anywhere from Birmingham to Hong Kong on Twitter @DaxkoDave.

*****

Projects Unlimited, Inc (PUI): What has been the most fulfilling part of your volunteer service?
David Gray (DG): The most fulfilling aspect of volunteer service is the ability to make a difference for the organizations and community that I believe in.  Further, as Daxko has experienced success, it is our responsibility to ensure we are active participants and leaders in our community.

PUI: How essential has volunteer leadership been for your own professional development?
DG: I’ve found the boards I serve on to be a great source of professional networking and have benefited from establishing relationships with innovative people from a variety of industries and backgrounds.  It also allows you to hone your skills in strategy, leadership and execution often times with limited resources.

PUI: What advice would you give to someone that will be serving on their first board of directors in the next few months?
DG: Patience and participation! Many of us who are leaders in our companies are used to being able to make faster decisions with the expectation that those directives will be executed accordingly. However, with a nonprofit board made up of other volunteers, it requires patience to gain consensus and to wait on responses from busy people with other priorities.

Secondly, in order for it to be a rewarding experience, you must be an active participant. Go to meetings, engage in discussions and brainstorms, and volunteer to lead initiatives. You were asked to be on the board because someone believed you could make a positive impact, so go do it.

PUI: How do you see the technology sector having an impact on the work that volunteer leaders do?
DG: As I mentioned above, many nonprofit organizations are operating with limited resources and are dependent on part-time volunteers.  Effective use of the right technology provides efficiencies and communication capabilities that would make our work extremely difficult to accomplish otherwise.

PUI: In a few sentences, please touch on the importance of your industry to the broader economy.
DG: As the US economy moves away from traditional manufacturing and Birmingham’s economy suffers from the departure of banking and other industries, the technology sector can fill many of those gaps. Obviously, it is one of the fastest growing portions of our economy and allows us to remain at the forefront of the world stage.

Additionally, it is where some of the most significant innovations are occurring, and the approaches and techniques used within the technology sector can also benefit the thinking of those in other industries.  Finally, the introduction of new technologies often times greatly enhances and improves our lifestyle both at work and at home.

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PUI spotlights volunteer leaders of our client groups only. If you are interested in nominating someone for our spotlight, contact Julie today.

Our Year In Review

Projects Unlimited 2011 Annual Report Snapshot

Since 2007, PUI has served dozens of nonprofit associations through our core services of full service association management, administrative and financial management, membership and campaign planning, and event and meeting execution. 2011 was an exciting year for our firm. The year was packed with productivity for PUI staff and interns, and the chart below provides a snapshot of the impact we had this year.

PUI Events

In this portion of our annual report, we see that in addition to the associations who opt for the full-service menu of PUI services, we also managed major events and meetings for local, state, regional and national organizations.

To the left, you will see a snapshot of the time that we spent per month making arrangements for a variety of events – luncheons, expositions, awards galas, and benefits. This is not the full list of events that PUI had a hand in, but you can get the picture.

In the graph above, you see the average time we spent each month on a variety of events. What were we doing, though? For our clients that we work with on a “special project” basis, we are typically assisting them with items such as:

• Coordinating Vendors
• Planning Registration
• Messaging
• Designing event materials (programs, signage, logo design, etc.)
• PR, Marketing, Social Media, Mass Communications
• Committee Meeting and Milestone Management
• Volunteer Recruitment and Management
• On-Site Execution
• Developing Timelines, Budgets, and Run of Show Documents
• And a whole lot more!

We complete these projects in conjunction with fulfilling our responsibilities to our full-service clients. As you saw in this earlier post, the PUI team approach has proven successful. We employ a few hours and the talents of multiple team members to complete tasks in the most efficient way that we can. Working this way guarantees that every day will be different, which is something that we see as a benefit.

By taking on the tasks from our full service and special project clients, we save volunteer leaders time – time you need to build relationships with donors and sponsors, recruit top talent, or secure a dynamic speakers for educational, revenue-raising meetings and events.

Turning to PUI means staving off volunteer burnout and ensuring year-in, year-out business continuity as volunteers come and go. Read more about how we support the volunteer leaders of our full service clients and contact us today – let’s talk about how we may be able to help you relax.

Interested in reading our full annual report? No problem. Just contact Ed Fields to secure your own copy.

Calling for Spring 2012 Interns!

Applications for our Spring 2012 Internship Opportunities are now open!

Interested students should submit your resume, cover letter, writing sample (just something you are proud of from one of your classes – no need to create something new) and at least 2 references to kellie@relaxitshandled.com no later than February 10, 2012. Read the full position description now.

Who are we looking for?

• A marketing, communications, nonprofit management or business major.
• Someone who really wants to get some relevant work experience THIS semester.
• Attitude: Flexible, Fun, Focused, Forgiving
• Critical Skills: Confident writer/editor, organized, intense attention to detail and the ability to work with minimal supervision and take ownership of tasks.
• Education: No less than five full-time semesters completed. Traditional students preferred. Juniors and Seniors only.

What to expect?

At PUI, we have our hands in multiple projects on any given day. As a PUI intern, you can expect to hear a lot about:

Nonprofit Fundraising       Customer Service       Office Administration
Event Planning       Marketing and Sales       Project Management

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Initiate or respond to e-mails and phone calls from volunteers leaders. Take meeting notes.
• Data entry into important databases, including Excel Spreadsheets and online databases.
• Make phone calls to venues, caterers, photographers and others for special events. Sometimes our work pace feels like a competitive reality TV show, but without the cursing and fighting.
• Write and edit copy for electronic newsletters, website copy and social media updates.
• On-site support (based on availability) for meetings and events. Our important dates must be confirmed on your schedule before your internship begins.
• Other projects as assigned.

Schedule and Compensation

March 1, 2012 – April 30, 2012
Our intern should expect to be with us from March 1, 2012 – April 30, 2012. You should be able to dedicate at least 20 daytime hours per week between 8:30 am – 5:00 pm to Projects Unlimited and our clients. The actual days and times you work are completely negotiable as long as the other criteria are met.

$750 + Bonus Opportunities
Our interns will be compensated with a $750 stipend paid upon successful completion of your internship. BONUS POTENTIAL: A performance bonus of $500 is available for those that exceed our expectations, and high performing interns will have preference for paid summer internships.

Applicant To Do’s:

1. Read the full position description.
2. Only apply if you are Junior or Senior in one of the listed majors with at least 5 full semesters of school completed.
3. Make sure to submit all the items listed: resume, cover letter, writing sample,and  at least 2 references.
4. Submit your application materials by February 10, 2012 to kellie@relaxitshandled.com
5. Please make sure you meet the criteria listed before applying.

We look forward to having you as part of our team!

Tebow: The Metaphor

Tim Tebow is more than a star and hero for many – we would say that he is a metaphor for what many people have gone through in 2011.

We certainly can relate. Though our small firm is on the verge of its best year ever – our fourth in business – it has been hard fought and, like Tebow’s style of play, sometimes gritty and not so pretty.

Still, we got it done. We have helped our clients win everyday. We won’t be out worked, out innovated or out prayed. Tebow is not the best quarterback in the National Football League – quite the contrary, actually. But, despite the odds, he is winning.

There is something to be said for all of us that survived and thrived in the year of life-altering tornadoes, cash deprivation, intense poverty, middle-class occupations and lockouts.

Here we are, victorious despite the odds. You, me and Tebow. Join us and take a (Te)bow.

Here is Ed’s best shot:
Now, e-mail Julie, tweet us or post your best attempt at the Tebow bow. We’ll reward the best pose with a gift certificate – a little something to start your holiday off with a bang.

We Want to See YOU (Te)bow!