This great video from our friends at Muhtayzik|Hoffer captures a little of what we’re up to the last several months.

Learn Your Slavery Footprint Score.
Slavery Footprint was created by the same organization that brought to the public the acclaimed documentary “Call + Response” and it’s subsequent efforts to deepen public awareness of human trafficking and modern day slavery. At it’s core, this new project allows the consumer to visualize how their consumption habits are connected to modern-day slavery and provides them with an opportunity to have a deeper conversation with the companies that manufacture the goods they purchased.

Based in Oakland, California, the Slavery Footprint team works to engage individuals, groups, and businesses to build awareness for and create deployable action against forced labor, human trafficking, and modern day slavery. In addition to creating and developing the online tools, the organization is also engaged in off-line community education and mobilization programs.

The small solar powered, eco-friendly abode with its hardwood floors sits at the edge of rolling green fields that stretch towards the blue-gray mountains.  In the flower meadow sits a barn housing three donkeys who were rescued from a petting zoo and just beyond the crest of the hill honey bees labor.  We woke to the sounds of chickens clucking and the call of the dairy cow – berries were picked and eggs collected from the coop.

There is sometime deeply soothing about being surrounded by nature – to be in a place where green rolls towards the blue sky – uninterrupted.  Where the sound of rain on the tin roof comes from the tears of a cloud, not from the sound-app on my iphone…

We enjoyed good food, good beer, good coffee, great conversation – the kind that is amplified by campfire light.

I have been bad about writing lately – but some of the most sacred moments are impossible to capture in words, so why try.  Below are a few snapshots from the weekend.

]]> http://www.fayjohnson.com/i/blog/green-in-west-virginia/feed/ 0 http://www.fayjohnson.com/i/professionalinformation/red-balloon-ideas/ http://www.fayjohnson.com/i/professionalinformation/red-balloon-ideas/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:56:10 +0000 Fay Johnson http://www.fayjohnson.com/?p=1334

Red Balloon Ideas is a boutique consulting firm headquartered in Washington, DC. We assist clients who focus on finding solutions to poverty and social justice issues.

Red Balloon Ideas was founded to provide powerful tools to move world changers beyond the status quo to create lasting change. We do this by fusing strategic planning with the art of influence and the science of behavior change.

The Need Addressed:

Over the last 10 years an increasing number of individuals, artists, foundations, and businesses have joined the thousands of existing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-profits to bring about positive change, both in the U.S. and overseas. Unfortunately many initiatives fail to achieve the desired outcomes. We exist to guide those who are new to the field of international development and issue campaigning, and to help veterans refine their strategies and programs.

Developing an action plan that takes into consideration all the correct elements is essential to success.    One such element is communications.    Enlightening people about a problem is not enough to cause change. Introducing a product or service to a community will not ensure that people will benefit from it. Our holistic approach promotes systematic change and provides effective audience-specific solutions.

What Makes Us Different:

There are countless consulting firms; what sets us apart is our interdisciplinary approach which melds international development and social marketing. We have working relationships with key players within the NGO, foreign policy, disaster response and campaigning communities, and insider knowledge of the U.S. government’s mechanisms for foreign assistance and policy making.

Our methodology incorporates psychological and environmental factors influencing how people make decisions. This discipline is called social marketing, or behavior change. Practitioners began developing this methodology in the 70’s to create long-term changes in behavior, primarily around health and environmental issues. Think about the “reduce-reuse-recycle” and ‘This Is Your Brain on Drugs’ campaigns. Our staff uses this progressive method in conjunction with traditional strategic planning, impact analysis, coalition building, public campaigning, program design and development communications to provide holistic solutions to our clients. Our goal is to see long-term positive change.

What We Do For Our Clients: NGO’s, Businesses & Influencers

We help clients who are beginning a new venture or launching a new initiative design their strategy for creating change. Utilizing our experience in the fields of international development, government policy and programs and public campaigning, we work with our clients to design effective programs, products or campaigns that create positive social change.

We create cause-promoting campaigns for artists, help influencers conceptualize their own social impact initiative, assist businesses by designing behavior change communication tools to be used in conjunction with their life-saving products, and equip non-profits with strategies and tools for implementing their programs.

In the home in which I grew up purpose seemed to be more highly valued than happiness.  (After all, many unpleasant things in life like homework, chores, and sacrificial giving, build character.) Over the years I have spent countless hours discussing social transformation with my father over cups of tea.  My father wrote books about convergence – bringing all the areas of ones life together for greater fulfillment and impact, which he practiced on us for good measure.  Our home was the center for many discussions about the importance of aligning one’s career, creativity, community, and calling (the 4-C’s).

I was taught to think of others, to be gracious, to be hospitable, to welcome strangers and friends alike into what otherwise would have been intimate family occasions and so it is no surprise that I chose a career that is intended to have a large impact on the world.  I moved to Europe to volunteer with a group providing services to sex workers and the homeless, spent time in India working with youth, got a degree in International Development, moved to Washington, DC to seek full-time employment in the field of social justice and international development.

Yet over the last several years, life has been determined to show me how little control I have over my circumstances, particular in the area of lining up the four C’s in my life: calling, career, community and creativity.  (Now, I am not a defeatist, nor have I abdicated my responsibility to be an active driver of positive change in my life, but I have learned that some things we cannot change, no matter how hard we try).  This has been really challenging for me, particularly because I have such an ingrained belief that one’s life should have a greater purpose.

I found myself in the struggle to make ends meet, to create community, to find the right job, to build a business – subconsciously waiting for real life to begin, believing it would be different when these aspects came into alignment.  (This is particularly foolish because even my father suggests that people only “come into convergence” when they are in their 50’s).  So what does one do when efforts to create the meaningful life one seeks, seem to fail?  What do you do when your identity is tied to making a difference in the world and you don’t feel like you’re gaining traction?

About two weeks ago I read the following quote:

“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting; until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.” [A.D. Souza]

Souza lists many different things that can make us wait to do something.  Personally, I am a doer and could probably do with a bit more practice waiting.  Yet, what he captures is that happiness isn’t something to wait for, to put aside until another time. It is something to treasure in the moments.  And quite frankly, I think we only get moments of happiness.  Life is hard – it is filled with obstacles and challenges but they aren’t going away so why wait for them to leave to embrace happiness?

I have spent all of my life focused on creating a meaningful existence, having a positive impact on society as a whole, and this is not likely to change – but this goal is about finding long-term fulfillment and speaks nothing to how I live my day to day.

I believe my dream of having a meaningful career, a supportive community, a loving home of my own, and outlets for my creativity will come true – it might just take time.  So during that time, I am going to pay more attention (and give greater clout) to the happy moments.  Whether it’s the delight I take from a good cup of coffee, how tickled I am by the wit and humor of ‘Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me’ on the weekends, or the joys of a good conversation with a friend  – I will try to view these moments as the bright stepping stones on the path that is my life.

[Thoughts? Leave a comment in the mail bag.]

(This newsletter was written quite late, but I figured it was worth posting. Here are some reflections on 2010.)

At the stoke of midnight on December 31st 2009, I stood on a beach near the southern tip of Africa facing a vast expanse of dark blue ocean. After a champagne toast with some friendly strangers, I quickly ran into the freezing (and apparently shark infested) water. I was all too ready to wash 2009 away and let it find its place in the undercurrents far from me.
Just before I left for South Africa a good friend of mine had challenged me to answer the question “last year, was the year of ___ – this year is going to be the year of ___” – I decided that 2010 was going to be the year of ‘not asking for permission’.

I believe that too often we get stuck in holding patterns in our lives because we expect someone to come along and validate our ideas, or give us permission to try something new, change a behavior or simply to be happy. If you don’t get beyond these musings to any of my news – know this – life isn’t going to walk up to you and give you a gold star for doing your chores and other people seldom see the dreams that lie within your heart – you must be the primary actor in making these dreams come true. What thing in your life are you waiting to do because you feel you need permission from someone smarter/older/different from you? Stop waiting for permission – live the life you’ve imagined.

I spent much of January 2010 in South Africa, visiting with my family in George, a town about five hours east of Cape Town.    While there my grandmother, affectionately called Ma, shared an idea she had with me. She wanted all the churches across the country to open their doors to kids during the World Cup. The government had decided to extended the school holiday and she was worried about the children’s safety.    I was in South Africa conducting an assessment for a group of anti-human trafficking groups, so I was well aware of some of the safety issues brought up by large events such as the World Cup. What was birthed was a national campaign targeting churches and women’s groups called the Our Children 2010 Campaign.

I returned home to Washington, DC and began what was no doubt the busiest 5 months of my life. With the support of some awesome friends (video production by John DeVries; logo design by Holly @ Sharp7 Design), Ma and I put together a basic information campaign – videos were produced, a website was put up, partnerships were developed, and 1,400 packets were mailed across South Africa.    Note- my grandmother hand wrote the addresses on at least a third of these envelopes. When technology fails, the old-school get the work done the old school way! We were lucky that the campaign garnered some media attention –Ma was even in the local paper, “83 Year-Old Granny Works to Save Children!”

The most encouraging news came when we heard the story of a father who after his daughter didn’t come home from school, was motivated to go and find her based on what he had seen on our DVD, which his church had screened. He found her, and several other girls, being held in a tavern in a neighboring town. They were all rescued. We were blessed by the many who engaged in the campaign, by setting up day camps for kids and organizing activities. The bottom right photo is of the children at Life Community Services in George – they had over 2K children! If you’re interested, you can check out what we did at: www.ourchildren2010.com

While ramping up the for World Cup, I continued my classes and worked on a full- time contract for Oxfam America related to humanitarian response in Haiti and agricultural investments in West Africa. Through one of my courses at Georgetown, we developed a public awareness initiative (What’s In Your Kid’s Food?) in collaboration with WETA and the DC Public Schools.   We screened the movie Food Inc. as part of PBS’s national celebration of the anniversary of Earth Day, the newly appointed food czar for DCPS answered parent’s questions, we had a cooking demonstration and everyone went home with a better understanding of why it’s important to know what’s in the food you eat! Watch Food Inc – It provides great insight into food and health in America!

Just before returning to South Africa to finalize the work on Our Children 2010 – I officially incorporated my own consulting company – Red Balloon Ideas. (You know, just because I was bored.) I am really excited to see how it develops – which is good, because it’s a lot of work!

Why start a company? Well, because I feel most alive when I get to help empower people who are passionate about a cause or issue and equip them with the tools necessary to create lasting impact.

What do you do? Red Balloon Ideas    provides a range of services to clients, specific to the type of change they are working to create and where they are in their process. We use tools such as strategic planning, behavior change communication, relationship mapping and campaign design to provide an innovative approach to solve complex challenges. We specialize in international and community development issues and the application of social marketing to programs, projects or products that exist for the purpose of making our global community a better place.

Who do you work with? Individuals and organizations who are working to address a social issue – be it local or global.    I am excited about seeing innovative ideas coming from businesses, foundations, politicians, musicians and NGOs.    I truly believe that many existing efforts and future initiatives can be improved by evaluating how you get from ‘idea’ to ‘impact’ – one of the most important steps, which is often overlooked, is to engage those you hope to assist throughout the process of designing your product or program.

Totally lose you? It’s cool. If you’re interested in what social marketing is (it has nothing to do with social media) or want to learn more about behavior change communication – check out the blog on the website.  (And if you don’t like the technical stuff, check it out anyway – there is a cool map and who doesn’t like stories about people who are changing the world?!?).    If you’re still reading at this point, I can probably also recommend that you check us out on Facebook and on Twitter.

My time in South Africa in May was fruitful – the final push before the World Cup kicked off went well. My parents were also in Cape Town for work in May and I got to spend some wonderful time with them and other ‘rep’ family who were in for the Global Day of Prayer. It was great to see the South African national pride out in full-force for the World Cup.

I returned to DC in June where I continued with my course work. A South African friend came to the States to visit me for five weeks during the summer.  Since it was his first time in the States, we went on a whirlwind tour which included museums and monuments in DC, the Empire State Building and Ellis Island in New York City, coffee in Capitola, his first burrito and the Exploratorium in San Francisco, wine tasting in Napa, exploring the Spanish Mission in Sonoma and camping in northern California with my parents. Visitors are a great excuse to explore beautiful parts of ones own country!

In the fall I settled in to enjoy the changing season in our nation’s Capitol and continued with my studies.    I was also worked with some great clients – Atlas Service Corps, Oxfam America and the Hartman Group. In October I was able to visit my brother James and his wife Jessica in Texas.    (I hadn’t seen them since their wedding!) My brother is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force and is therefore living in the middle of nowhere. (Seriously- 16 hours travel time from DC?!? I could have gotten to Tokyo faster.)    That being said, visiting Texas is just as much fun as visiting a foreign country. We went to the tractor store (see cowboy hat), saw guns at Walmart and explored the old downtown.    It was great to see the planes James is flying and spend time in their cute home. After a great Thanksgiving with my family in California, and wrapping up another semester, I boarded another flight to South Africa. I spent the holidays in the Western Cape.  It was a lovely six weeks of sunshine, good wine, spending time with new friends and exploring parts of South Africa that I haven’t seen in decades.

Looking at what is captured in this document, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for all the blessings in my life. This has not been an easy year, but I am extremely aware of the rich blessings which it has brought. Thank you, my dear friends, for your support – the up-hill in life would not be possible without you.

I just stumbled upon the following e-mail that I sent to a friend after reflecting on the movie.  As I think about the potential we have to shift the tides of society, examples like this remind me that it doesn’t matter what age we are when we start – it’s just important that we do.

_________________________________________________________

3/14/2009

It’s 2:03am on Saturday morning my time and I just returned from seeing MILK.  I sat there watching and couldn’t help but wonder what the great movements of our time will be, who will lead them and what type of change we will see.  I can’t believe that people were being beat to death on the streets of the city that would become my home only ten years before I was born. This past Christmas, a mere thirty years after the gay rights movement began, I viewed the memorabilia of the LGBT movement in a museum in the Castro.  People still die in many corners of this country because of their sexual orientation, but not like they used to, and now you can go to Dupont circle and see the police station where the officers are trained to engage with the gay community in a constructive way.  The system respecting human dignity.

It was only a few people, sitting around a coffee table talking about the things that they thought were normal, or should be normal. What they believed was right or justice.  People coming together to address issues in their communities. They did one thing at a time.  They looked for the possibilities. They search for common ground.  They worked together.  They built a movement.

What will be our movements?  Who will lead us? What injustices do we see in our communities?

It doesn’t take an education to move mountains.  As the closing scene repeats Harvey Milks words from earlier on in the film, he said “I am 40 and I haven’t done anything in my life that I am proud of” and yet by the time he died at the age of 48, he had won battles and fanned the flame of hope for so many living in fear and isolation.

What will we do before we turn 50? Before we turn 40, or even 30?  What causes are in our world, in the lives of our neighbors and our communities that need someone to lead them? What are we willing to risk our lives for?

Will we lead? Will we be on the right side of history….

I, like most people, tend to use lists to remind me of all the to-do’s I’d rather forget, like paying bills and picking up dry cleaning. Yet ‘Project Renovate’ caught the beautiful elements that can make up life and inspired me to capture the things I actually do want to do.

Why not be intentional about renovating my own life?  So, as I begin this fall and my last 9 months of graduate school, here is my list of 100 Life T0-Do’s within a year (or by September 2011).

Go Somewhere New Around The World (2/7)

1. Stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon
2. See the Pyramids in Egypt
3. Explore Istanbul, Turkey
4. Camping in Joshua Tree National Park
5. Spend two unscheduled weeks in Bali
6. Go to Rwanda
7. Visit my grandmother in South Africa

Be A Good Student (3/7)

1. Meet with the Dean of my grad program
2. Have a one-on-one meeting with each of my professors (3/3)
3. Skim the reading for each class, prior to class, for the entire semester (4/14)
4. Write a blog post about the process and what I learned from each group project I do (0/4)
5. Have lunch with 10 classmates to learn more about their life and professional background (5/10)
6. Research fellowships and opportunities available through Georgetown
7. Sit in on a class in another department/school at Georgetown

Learn Something New, Expand My Horizons (4/17)

1. Read Influencer and blog about it’s relevance to my passions
2. Read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
3. Finish reading The Element
4. Read my camera manual
5. Read a historical or award winning book
6. Watch one TED talk a month (7/12)
7. Attend 5 lectures on topics I know nothing about (1/5)
8. Go to the Natural History Museum
9. Attend a lecture at one of the local art museums
10. Learn how to use excel well (with mathematical functions and all)
11. Learn how to drive stick
12. Learn something new about Word Press
13. Learn how to make a great PP, Keynote or Prezi presentation
14. Eat a food item I have never tried before
15. Learn something new about painting with acrylics
16. Learn how to play chess
17. Find 5 red wines that I love (1/5)

Manage Financial Assets (1/6)

1. Develop a personal budget, and practice using it
2. Make a plan and schedule for paying off grad school loans
3. Learn about my credit score and how to manage it
4. Develop a savings plan, to reach the goal of buying a home in 5 years
5. Open a Roth IRA
6. Consolidate my retirement funds

Food For the Soul (2/10)

1. Keep one healthy snack in the fridge each week (39/53)
2. Eat three meals a day for a week (coffee, ice cream and chocolate do not constitute a meal) (7/7)
3. Make a pie from scratch
4. Bake a birthday cake, from scratch
5. Be a vegan for a week (ok, it was almost vegan for 10 days)
6. Go one month without ice cream
7. Practice a strict vegetarian diet for one month
8. Grow a herb garden of some sort
9. Prepare a full, family style meal for a group of friends to share over a good bottle of wine
10. Learn how to prepare a roast

Peaceful Mind & Active Body (1/11)

1. Re-start my yoga practice – do yoga once a week (0/52)
2. Take a dance class for a quarter/session
3. Go to the gym 3 times a week, for three straight weeks
4. Go for a 30-minute walk once a week (49/52)
5. Stretch before bed, every night (5/365)
6. Run 5 miles without stopping
7. Read a novel that doesn’t have to do with a social issue, conflict, war or aid worker lifestyle
8. Journal at least once a week (40/52)
9. Practice Gratitude: Write a list of things I am grateful for, before bed, for a week
10. Go on a hike
11. Have one technology free day a month (2/12)

Invest in My Professional Development (4/10)

1. Publish an article
2. Finished website for new consulting business
3. Finish writing the business plan for Red Balloon Ideas
4. Attend one networking or social event a month (3/12)
5. Have a meeting with Bill Novelli
6. Interview Key Social Marketing Figures: B. Smith, A. Andreasen, and N. Lee (0/3)
7. Attend a Renaissance Weekend
8. Follow-up with new contacts within a week of introduction
9. Apply for the Presidential Management Fellowship
10. Join a networking/brainstorming/inspirational community and actively participate

Engage My Community (4/9)

1. Visit two new restaurant or store a month (11/24)
2. Have an open house once a season: fall, winter, spring & summer (2/4)
3. Attend a local art show, play or performance
4. Support/Cheer a friend on at a major event or milestone
5. Write 5 thank you note to our troops (0/5)
6. Volunteer to baby sit for friends so they can have a date night
7. Have drinks or dinner with a new friend
8. Go ‘across town’ at least once a week/Get off the Hill (33/52)
9. Volunteer to help a friend with a non-fun project

Love The People That Love Me (3/13)

1. Call my grandmother in South Africa, at least once a month (8/12)
2. Send all of my immediate family members birthday cards on time (3/7)
3. Have a meal with my brother James
4. Write my mom’s parents a card 4 times (3/4)
5. Visit Hubbie and Chelle in Tennessee
6. Visit Amy and Drew in Florida
7. Have dinner with Anne, Ana and V once a quarter (1/4)
8. Throw a fabulous birthday party for someone I love
9. Make someone’s wish come true
10. Send 5 cards to friends who live in foreign countries or far-off places (2/5)
11. Have brunch with the CA-Crew once a quarter (0/4)
12. Make it home for a major holiday
13. Write a love letter

Life’s Random Things (2/10)

1. Look at a creative blog, website or magazine once a week (25/52)
2. Fly a kite
3. Buy a piece of art (small painting in Avignon, France)
4. Attend a jazz festival
5. Organize electronics and toss all stray cords and random knick-knacks
6. Assist with a political campaign
7. Vote
8. Call my Senator about something I care about
9. Go Bowling
10. Watch one new indie film a quarter (2/4)

__________________________________________________

1) Pack Light- washing is easy to do in most places, and if you’re in a country that doesn’t have laundry service where you are staying, it’s probably the kind of place where they don’t care if you wear the same thing twice. But remember flip-flops. If there is a monsoon or an earthquake you’ll want to be able to get moving quickly (or there just might be something nasty in the shower).

2) Bring A Refillable Water Bottle: But don’t have any liquid in it until you get through check-in. For long international trips it’s easier to fill up and keep with you, and it reduces the amount of trash you will produce while on the road.

3) All-In-One Adapters: Buy at least two; they solves the ‘Oh, I didn’t plan to get diverted to Erbil International and my BB is dead’ problem.

4) Electronic Overload: It’s 2010. Unless you’re shooting for National Geography- your phone can probably serve as your GPS, computer, sound system and camera. Half the knots in my back could be attributed to carrying ½ the mac store and canon’s latest and greatest in my carry on- they make multifunctional gadgets so you don’t actually need to bring it all.

5) Back It Up: Before you hit the road, make sure you sync your computer and your phone to a device you leave at home. Traveling with your portable hard drive in the same bag as your laptop just means, when it’s stolen, the thief now has two copies of your entire life. Also- Bring a thumb drive. As shocking as it may seem, wifi does not actually form a universal umbrella and when you can’t transfer files via e-mail- thumb drive it.

6) Multi-Functional Clothing: I always travel with a good-sized wrap/scarf. This serves as a blanket on cheap airlines and makes a good pillow when you need to nap on not-so-clean surfaces. Also, a good wrap will solve many culturally divergent fashion needs- my favorite has been worn as a beach sarong and as a hijab. Dudes- I recommend taking a light sweater and a collared shirt with you – some countries you need a collar to prove you’re a man. True fact.

7) Only Pack One Book: They are heavy and if you really fly through that page turner you haven’t picked up in two years- you can buy or trade for a new one on the road. You plan on catching up on your entire summer reading list on the 32-hour flight from here to there- but you won’t. You’ll more likely end up a) working b) getting stuck next to a talker c) sleeping/pretending to sleep or d) watch trash movies and enjoy every minute of it.

8) Long Flights: If you’re going to be on a plane for more then 24 hours- I suggest having the following in your carry on: ear plugs, eye mask, chapstick, NyQuil, lotion (a mini one), gum, and if you’ve got bad circulation- good socks.

9) Be Organized: If you can’t open your bag and remove whatever TSA wants from you in under a minute- you have too much stuff in your bag – in the same vein- don’t be one of those people who slows down the security check through. Think of it as a form of martial arts- and get good at it- it shouldn’t be hard to remove your laptop, a zippy bag and your shoes.

10) Breath: They say it’s about the journey- so enjoy it!

The primary audience of LEMON Leadership are business professionals seeking to better understand leadership styles and their implication on the operations and management of a company.  I too use this model to determine how various supervisors, colleagues and staff understand information and how they see themselves.

Recently I had a conversation with a professional acquaintance who was explaining a potential opportunity to me.  This person used the word “we” a lot when detailing the situation.  After asking a few questions, I realized that the speaker was a N: Networker. For N’s all situations are view by who makes up the “we”  (even if none of these people actually have a formal established relationship with the project).   It was important for me to understand that, as far as this person saw things, the details would work themselves out if the right people were around the table.  I am not an N- so I don’t think people solve problems (although I really need N’s in my life).

This can apply to your romantic relationships, too. (Watch for LEMON for Lovers, coming soon).  What someone values and protects is usually how they want others to perceive their value.  Similar to The 5 Love Languages, knowing how your partner ticks will help you communicate more effectively.  I am relatively high on the L scale – which means I value ideas and feel loved when someone recognizes them and expresses appreciation for how I think.  I have family members who are great at the ‘When/What’ of situations- on a bad day, if you don’t complement them on what a great job they did pulling off the logistics of an event or travel plans – they can feel unappreciated.  My father says in one of the chapters, that if he had become a student of my mother much sooner, he would have understood how to love her much more effectively based on the questions she asks and what she values.

What Question Do You Ask?

L  = Why? E = What & When? M = How? O= When & What? N= Who?

Check out the video below to see my awesome father, Brett Johnson, speak about Radically Fresh Leadership at Google Headquarters.

I prefer to write in my books, but if you’re in to Kindle & ebooks, you can buy LEMON here.

1. You just had a pre-meeting to discuss your strategy planning session for the new initiative to reduce poverty by increasing access to safe water/credit/food/health care through fair and equitable distribution to those with the right to said goods or service through engagement with duty bearers in the government and other stakeholders and civil society organizations.

2. You just slammed your head into your keyboard after spending the last 20 minutes trying to get your Skype conference call between Port au Prince, West Bank/Gaza, Delhi, Nairobi and New York to work, only to fail miserably.

3. You realize that you can no longer squeeze into your cubicle past that cool hand-woven cloth from Mali, the wooden mask from Congo, the elephant figurine from Thailand and the rug from Afghanistan

4. You just completed an annual report to your donor explaining that you’re very sorry that you only managed to accomplish 2 of your 14 objectives due to sudden onset of war, drought or an invasion of futuristic nano-robots.

5. You just finished explaining to the donor that you are likely to need a two-year extension and an extra $200,000 to hire an independent consulting company to come up with a plan to fight off the nano-robots, carry out said plan, and then finish up the original activities.

6. You realize that you just used cheers, karibu, Insh’Allah or namaste in casual conversation despite the fact that you are neither English, Kenyan, Arab or Indian.

7. You realize that your favorite and most frequented cafe is located in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

8. You just finished depressing a volunteer caller from the Red Cross for the 12th time this year who reluctantly agreed that you are not eligible to donate blood because you just got back from (insert malaria-riddled region) .

9. You’re pumped with antibiotics more frequently than a cow in a concentrated feeding operation.

10. You tell yourself it’s not failure if you turn it into a “lessons-learned document”.