Two weeks ago, I had the great good fortune to keynote at the annual N4A conference in San Diego. That’s the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging, btw. You can see why they abbreviate that tongue-twister to N4A, right?
But there’s nothing abbreviated about the amazing services they provide for seniors, people with disabilities, and their caregivers. As the sister, mother, and daughter of family members facing all of these challenges, I can’t tell you how personally meaningful their work is to me. But what really struck me about this amazing group of dedicated professionals is that they embody have such passion for the work they do.
In fact, one of their leaders told me that his team posted a Mother Theresa quote in their break room, “The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.” And that’s exactly what I experienced – a group of highly motivated, joyfully purposeful professionals learning and growing. Believe me, for a leadership speaker, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Tomorrow I’ll be speaking to the non-profit group Proteus, which serves the farmers, migrant works, and residents of four counties in California’s Central Valley, where much of the country’s produce is grown. Proteus runs a staggering 40 different programs for their communities from foster care to educational programs to job training. No surprise they took their name from the Greek god of the sea, a symbol of versatility and flexibility. With all the hard work they do, their overriding goal is customer service, making every interaction the best it can be. Wish every organization – non-profit or for profit – felt that way.
Hats off to everyone out there fighting the good fight!