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AUGUST 2011  

FEATURING:  

 

Did you write "me"?

 

HandsOn Day -- Join Us

 

Creativity & Innovation Workshop

 

Current Projects  


Ripe Resources


Playground Perspectives
   

i.e.* SHOP CLASS

photos: �Ansel Olson

 

We're about halfway through a fantastic series of workshops put together as part of the new i.e.* initiative to raise awareness about and strengthen relationships within #RVA's creative community.  

 

SHOP CLASS is a collaborative venture between Fraser Design Associates, Ansel Olson Design and Floricane.

 

learn more about i.e.*  

 

attend a shop class 

 

view more photos

Dear ,

The problem with ideas? Sometimes they just keep coming...

An example: In July, my friend John Bryan from CultureWorks headed out to Powhatan County for a little tour. He met a local farmer who started talking about the importance of floricanes in the cultivation of blackberry bushes. John immediately told her about Floricane, the business, and suggested that she and I meet.

The minute John mentioned it to me, my mind took a plunge: 24 of my favorite clients on a walking tour of a Powhatan farm, getting schooled on floricanes and raricanes and the art of cultivation. Lunch on a plank table in a barn, where we connect the dots to the cultivation of people and cultures within our organizations. Everyone leaves with their own blackberry cutting, and a new perspective on leadership.

These things literally write themselves.

Ideas are a dime a dozen, of course, especially when you're an entrepreneur. When I worked for someone else, the ideas came just as easily. Sometimes more frequently. But they had to navigate bureaucracy and politics. They were often subsumed by or integrated with other people's smarter ideas. They simply took more time.

In any world, ideas should add value. And the best ideas still come from collaboration; the different perspectives of other people clarify and strengthen even the best ideas.

When the June launch event for i.e.* was finished, I found myself in conversation with brand architect Peter Fraser and designer Ansel Olson about collaborating on a follow-on event. Within two weeks, we had a six-week workshop series designed and 10 talented #RVA creatives lined up to engage 240 people in hands-on creative experiences.

The idea we're cultivating in Powhatan and the SHOP CLASS workshops that launched in early August won't add a nickel to Floricane's bottom line, but they'll change the way people connect and create, and learn and lead.

We know that when ideas strengthen our community, they also serve our small company's brand.

We also know that while ideas still have to add value, the bottom line doesn't have to drive our creativity and passion.
John Sarvay
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What's Happening?
Insights
Do you want to improve your effectiveness at work, strengthen your team or build a healthier organization? Try this:

 

Grab a pen and a sheet of paper. Take five minutes and write down all of the things

that you think need to change. Now look at your list. Did you write "me" anywhere?

 

It's easy to forget that the only thing we can control is ourselves -- our words, our attitudes, our interactions. Self-awareness can help us manage ourselves more effectively. And the higher our self-awareness, the more effective our influencing skills will be.

 

On September 29, we're bringing back our popular Insights Discovery� for Self-Effectiveness workshop. This one-day workshop is affordable and focused. As a participant, you will receive a 30-page Insights Discovery personal profile (click here for a sample PDF profile), gain an increased perspective of your interactions, and leave with a deeper appreciation of the value of self-awareness.

Don't miss this opportunity to take a closer look at yourself and your ability to influence change -- register now for our Fall workshop.


HandsOn Day 2011
On October 29, join HandsOn Greater Richmond, Floricane and fellow Richmonders for an amazing day of community engagement. Every year, four hours of active volunteer work multiplied by hundreds of volunteers make short work of major activities -- painting and landscaping local schools, construction and rebuilding initiatives for area nonprofits, and more.

This year, Floricane is inviting our clients, friends and community partners to join us in what we anticipate will be an annual event for our organization. Pencil October 29 onto your calendar now, and look for more details in our September newsletter.


TEACHING #RVA'S NONPROFIT LEADERS

The Floricane team is excited to be knee-deep in the powerful learning space created by the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence's Nonprofit Learning Point. Sarah Milston and John Sarvay are teaching three of NLP's amazing roster of classes this fall; the complete schedule will be released in mid-September.  

  • During the October 3 and 10 "Achieving Breakthrough Results through Creativity & Innovation" session, John will introduce participants to key elements of creative thinking, and to some of the creative innovators in Richmond's business, government and nonprofit communities.
  • On October 20 and 27, Sarah is back with her hugely popular "Social Media" class that delves into effective approaches to folding Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools into your nonprofit outreach strategy.
  • Sarah teams up with Katie Campbell on October 31 and November 7 for "Nonprofit Sampler".

Other great NLP classes this fall include Alan Hutson's grantwriting class, Wally Stetinius' strategic thinking session, Trina Willard's evaluation results class, Ann Deaton's leadership session and Gail Merridew's class on federal form 990.

For more details, visit the Nonprofit Learning Point fall class schedule online.

 


Current Projects

Our team is pretty excited about our current mix of clients, as well as some of the recent work we've completed.  Here's a sampling of some of the activity that has kept the Floricane team on our toes this summer: 

  • Strategic planning for Virginia Clean Cities  
  • Staff strategic retreat for the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement     
  • Board strategic retreat for the Virginia Oral Health Coalition     
  • Leadership and team development for the Library of Virginia     
  • Leadership and team development for the Richmond Association of Realtors     
  • Team development for Bon Secours Watkins Center     
  • Insights self-awareness training for Mentor Richmond     
  • Insights self-awareness training for the Software Consortium     
  • Board development for The James House


 RIPE RESOURCES
The Power of Zero
The Power of Zero
September 8 :: 8:30 a. - 12:30 p.

If you work, volunteer for, or serve on the board of a nonprofit, you won't want to miss the September 8 Nonprofit Learning Point annual conference featuring Nancy Lublin, founder of Dress for Success and author of "Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business". The half-day conference
 includes several workshops, and is the must-attend nonprofit gathering of the year.

Registration is just $50.
#DSRPT11
#DSRPT11
September 9 :: 8:30 - 11:30 a.

A new event in Richmond is hoping to make a difference in the lives of area children, and build a new model for giving and community engagement. Richmond Unite's all-day party with Sir Richard Branson includes an all-day conference --  #DSRPT11 -- as well as a private dinner, and a rockin' party to close out the inaugural event.

Check out the details. Maybe we'll see you there!
photo credit: RVANews
The Cool Kids
Summer 2011

We like people with spark -- like the organizers of Richmond's first Girls Rock! RVA Camp. RVANews covered the week-long camp held this summer, which drew a small posse of girls who spent the week writing and playing music, building relationships and strengthening their individual and collective sense of self. Organizers hope to turn this venture into a full-bore nonprofit endeavor to change the lives of young women in #RVA. (photo: RVANews)

PLAYGROUND PERSPECTIVES: Just You and Me

"I want a special Daddy and Thea day," my three-year-old said to me several weeks ago. This heart-warming request came on the heels of a heart-breaking week -- hysterical mornings complete with meltdowns, tears and plaintive pleas that I not go to work.
Thea, Just You and Me 
And so we have carved out some blocks of time during the weekend where Thea and I hit the mean streets of #RVA to run errands and explore together.
 
There's something special about being alone with her for a block of time; during exceptionally busy weeks, I might see her for an hour at each end of the day -- and we're usually very focused on getting dressed, eating or wrapping up the day.
 
We don't do anything exceptional during these Daddy and Thea jaunts. Generally we hit the coffee shop, maybe a farmers market. We'll visit her Omie (my mom) for a spell. The library, the playground, the grocery store -- these are a few of our typical excursions. This past weekend, we made fresh grape juice and tomato sauce together. She had a blast!
 
We both value this time. Certainly, she seems to enjoy herself when we're together. It eases a bit of the jealousy I sometimes feel during the week when Nikole updates her Instagram photo stream with gorgeous photos of Thea at the beach or playing in the house. It reminds me just how important it is to create individual time with people -- those we love, those we influence, those we value, those we lead.
 
We like to pretend that we're too busy to create connections and nurture relationships, that those things will take care of themselves. Wrong answer.
 
When I worked at Luck Stone Corporation, Charles Luck demonstrated the value of relationships constantly. Way back in the day, he and his dad used to hop in the car and drive to quarries in western Virginia. They'd have lunch together overlooking the quarry operation, then meander down and spend the afternoon talking to the employees who made their business run.
 
When I arrived at Luck Stone in 1996, Charles was ceding his own leadership to his son, Charlie -- and passing along the same lessons he learned with his dad: People matter. Let them know.
 
Charles would drop by my office every month or so, or stop in the parking lot to chat. He knew Nikole's name, and later Thea's, and asked after them. We'd compare notes on #RVA restaurants -- he and his wife, True, were fans of some great downtown spots. The day before I left Luck Stone, Charles spent an hour in my office just catching up, reminiscing, reminding me that I was appreciated -- during the toughest month of his business life, he was still making time to connect with others.
 
That visit meant so much to me. I hope my weekend escapes with Thea also have a lasting impact.
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