Prior to launching the crowdfunding campaign for the Mom Gets A Business Conference, I interviewed as many people as possible who had launched successful crowdfunding campaigns. I asked them for advice, tips and tricks to increase the success of a campaign.
One of the things I heard over and over again was “The people you expect to support you probably won’t and that is ok. Just move on.”
It is really good advice and I’m grateful I had it going into the campaign. They were right. Some people I thought would show up in a big way just haven’t. Probably because of the advice, I wasn’t surprised.
What has been amazingly, wonderfully surprising is the number of people that have shown up in HUGE way to support this campaign. Women I considered acquaintances have posted and reposted the event to social media, donated and most importantly started talking about the event.
One of the nicest surprises was a check I received from my dad. We have always had a good relationship but my mom was always the middle man in these transactions. She spoke with me about work and then told my dad, or bought birthday cards or gifts for the kids and signed his name.
It was just how we rolled.
I always knew my dad was behind me 100% but my mom usually sourced the tangible expressions. So when my mom passed in June I guess I unconsciously expected that part of my relationship with my parents passed as well.
But my dad has surprised me. He has picked up the conversation that my mom left off. He asks about work all the time. When I told him about the campaign he told me he’d like to support me but wasn’t sure how that worked without a computer (my mom was the tech-savvy lady).
I never told him how to make it work. I’m not sure why but it just felt weird saying, “Give me a check.” Then three days later a check arrived. I’m not sure what part of it was most surprising:
- The fact that he just made it happen when it seemed for my parents entire marriage “making it happen” was my mom’s job
- That I wasn’t ready to lean on him more fully or
- That my mom’s name was still on the check and seeing it there made me understand her ability to work within our family without being physically here.
Through this campaign my dad’s check has been the biggest and best surprise of many. A day has not gone by in this campaign where I have not welled up over the support that someone(s) has shown.
It is tempting to pay attention to the people that don’t show up for us — the ones we expect to be there for us and just can’t or won’t do it. Life is a far more enjoyable ride when we pay attention to the people that ARE showing up for us.
There are only two ways to live – waiting for someone to let you down or waiting for someone to surprise you. Which way do you choose to live?
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