It's Not Always About YOU

I’m turning over this blog post to one of my most respected colleagues: Denise Williams. Recently Denise had the opportunity to share her marketing expertise with students who were working on a marketing strategy for a non-profit start-up in Ghana. This is her story…

--------------------

It’s one of those things that we don’t learn in school.  We don’t quite “get it” until we’ve experienced the words of a mentor; The presence of a community that welcomed us; the feel of arms around our shoulder to support and encourage us. One day it clicks that it’s the right thing to do – to give back to the business community that so graciously helped me, taught me, disciplined and directed me.

Recently, I felt honored to be invited to participate as a panelist at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Consulting Practicum.

Each year, a group of very bright students are assigned to work with a non-profit or for-profit enterprise (usually in the developing world).  The students work throughout the academic year to help that organization address a critical strategic challenge.

Last week I joined students who are consulting with a private boarding school start-up in Ghana that will cater to 7th through 12th graders. The students are helping the school's founders define their launch strategy and positioning in the marketplace so that they can attract students, faculty and funding.
 
It’s not so easy to launch a school like this in Ghana — in fact there’s not really anything like it in Western Africa.  It takes considerable funding create and develop innovation, and it takes driving momentum and global connections to attract the kind of faculty that truly make a difference in the lives of Ghanaians.

To make a difference means that students experience an exemplary learning environment that nurtures business and community leaders of the future and subsequently generates economic and social wealth for Ghana and the West African sub-region. The goal is to keep Ghanaians in Ghana, thereby enriching the lives of others while becoming leaders in their own country and not envision coming to America or staying in America, and leaving Ghana forever. 

We listened to the founders share their story, their vision of unifying their people, building leadership and bringing innovation to their economy (made up of rich resources like cocoa, gold, and oil).  We shared marketing advice, pitfalls, best practices, and answered their questions.  It was a satisfying exchange on both sides -- after all, it’s not every day that you get to spend time in a room with entrepreneurs who want to change the world they live in!

Opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community are everywhere.  Marketing contributions ever so small but so helpful to the community not only feel right, but allow us to make new friends – new connections – and you just never know where those connections will take you.

For a day it put me in a place in which I had no familiarity – no knowledge of the challenges and viewpoints from a Ghanaian perspective.  And afterwards, it made me appreciate that no matter where we live on this beautiful planet, there’s always opportunity to give back, just as the founders of this school are doing.