This week is busy with finals for both colleges and our big gig May 10th, with BLT and the Volunteer Center of Southwestern Fairfield Country, a non profit. They honor someone each year with The Heart of Gold Award Dinner, http://heartofgold2012.com/ and this year it's Building and Land Technology's (BLT) President , Paul Kuehner. I have never met him, but he is known as a very philanthropic and spiritual man.
The way we got involved was that I have been having good meetings with BLT's marketing director and brainstorming ideas that will combine BLT and their need to provide high quality entertainment for their events, PR etc with our professional theatre and high powered entertainers. While I was there a month or so ago, I saw the flyer for the award dinner and asked if they wanted a Broadway star to entertain. Got a big "Yes" on that and also a "How much is Kristin Chenoweth?" Jamibeth helped me investigate that and she was a bit on the costly side for this.
But I called my friend, Kimmilee Bryant (currently playing Carolotta in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway) and asked if she could grace us with her singing. Bit of trivia: she also competed with me in the Miss American Pageant as Miss South Carolina. Beautiful and talented with a bunch of amazing credits. http://www.kimileebryant.com/
We have several board members who are attending with the other 450 guests (some of whom are banks and big corporate friends of the honoree). And just like the Bruce event, we are building our relationships one group at a time.
Our system seems backwards to some folks who are stuck in an old way of operating, but it's like this:
1. Invent the possibility first. In that space is the "aliveness, full self expression" that most ideas need to grow. We spend a lot of time on this. Many business and npos get here last....sometimes not at all. This is the "why".
2. Commitment. In that space is the power to invent a way of being that enrolls others and declares how our ideas will be thought of and that will get us to the goals. A direction. In that is power. This is the "how".
3. THEN we came up with our Mutually aligned goals. These are specific and measurable. This is a space of practicality and action-oriented ways of being. This is the "what". Most organizations start here. This is not really an "enrolling" state to be in. It's just telling folks what you are doing. It's spouting off. It's blah blah blahing. There is no chance that others feel they are contributing, owning, growing with you. It seems like a natural place to start, because that is how others have done it for so long. Can you see how it does not invite others to become a part? To contribute? To own you? IF it does not do those things, then you are only as good as your advertising. The things you tell them you are. There is no depth or emotional committement.
Even though our system might seem to grown over a longer period of time. I do want to point out that since September we have Incorporated and after turning in our NPO paperwork to get our 501C status, in just two short months we are almost there. Can't elaborate, but ...that seems pretty darn good to me. We have also performed for and made friends with The Bruce Museum, The Leukemia Foundation and The United Way. We are creating partnerships with corporations and other important and progressive folks. We have three amazing videos with wonderful Broadway performers and casting talent.
Best of all, starting in this new way is defining not only The New Paradigm Theatre, but it's also leading the way in developing a successful model for others to follow. That is the possibility we are inventing for ourselves and enrolling others to get there.
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