Before a ship sets sail, it’s customary to christen it with a bottle of champagne and festivities for good fortune.
But sometimes naming takes a bit longer. In some cultures, they wait five days to name their babies. Some cultures even wait an entire year. The LightBox Collaborative, my latest and most exciting venture, is more like that.
Although it’s precious to me, it took me almost two years to name my consulting venture. I needed at least that much time to be certain that my moxie, ideas, and know-how would translate into a viable operation.
I needed at least that much time to consolidate my gains, and to reflect on the challenges I wanted to tackle. So I took a moment to sit back and reflect on what I knew: I am good at what I do, I am happiest working in teams, and I want to have fun while making a real difference in the world. And I find myself increasingly intrigued by new models or working, new organizational structures, and new modes of problem solving made possible by rapid changes in technology and communication.
So I decided to stop yappin’ and make it happen. (Many, many thanks to the friends and family who kept my feet to the fire on this one!) I went from a consulting practice of just me, myself, and I, and started to build a team of collaborators who bring their own talents and skills into the mix, and who push me to bring my best work to the table each day.
We are the LightBox Collaborative. We’re not a PR firm, we’re not a strategic planning shop; but, we are a consultancy group somewhere in between. We use our unique tools and talents to create tailored solutions for nonprofits, philanthropies, and other do-gooders.
We believe that our mission is too important for B.S., and life is too short to wear a suit. We offer integrity, candor, personality, and many decades of combined experience. Most importantly, we care about the issues that matter to our clients. We genuinely want to help you shape the direction of your organization by offering strategic solutions, setting goals, and crafting messages that motivate, inspire, and ultimately impact the social and political process around the issues that matter to you.
So…the champagne bottle has been uncorked and the bubbly is flowing! The LightBox Collaborative has been christened and is ready to set sail. We look forward to accompanying you on your journey to success.
(image courtesy the New York Public Library via Wikimedia, public domain)