Surprise and Delight for a Cause

Rob Freaking Lowe.

No, not THAT Rob Lowe. This Rob Lowe runs The Giving Back podcast. Thanks to Danny Rosin’s and BandTogether NC, Rob Lowe recently found himself shoulder to shoulder with 20 members of the promotional marketing industry, their families and one another. With nothing more than a lay-persons understanding of this crazy mixed up supply chain of an industry, Rob immersed himself in all things promo, while assisting us as we volunteered for the 2019 version of BandTogether’s Main Event, held each summer at downtown Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater.

I learned a long time ago the value of spontaneity, and I’ve become almost pavlovian in my yes response to requests for adventure, especially when live music and close friends are involved. I’ve rarely been let down by the result, and the value of the friendships with which I’ve been blessed are worth more than every dollar I’ve spent in chase of the next great moment.

What’s become the secret sauce in these annual travails to Raleigh are the surprises that always seem to come along for the ride. A living tribute to scary movies under a streetlight in the middle of the night. Hearing American Aquarium for the 1st time at The Lincoln Theater. Getting to meet and hang out with Robert Randolph.

This year, I had the immense good fortune to be invited to a non-profit roundtable discussion. With Danny’s help in assembling non-profit leaders, A Rob-led conversation, dubbed “A Wisdom Session” – found these non-profit leaders gathered for an evening of networking, discussion and ultimately a revealing look at the nuances specific to leading a non-profit, the myriad reasons people come to put their efforts into non-profit work and the common challenges found in keeping these organizations going.

The key takeaway from the session?

Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they get, and EVERYONE wishes they had more resources to continue to do the vital work needed.

The surprise, however, was not found in that event. The surprise was Rob Freaking Lowe. Energy, enthusiasm, empathy, intelligence (a healthy disdain for schedules) and that laugh! For those of you that know me well, hearing me comment on someone else’s laugh is noteworthy. It’s THAT good. The concert was amazing, the weather was perfect and the headcount of industry members attending the event was off the charts as the picture suggests.

If there are things in your life that tend to keep you tied to a routine, if you find yourself wondering what it takes to find yourself in the middle of a surprise of your own, mark your calendar for May 2020 and watch for an invite to the next BandTogether NC event. Maybe you’ll meet your own Rob Freaking Lowe! (Or maybe Rob Lowe will be back next year, and you can meet him, too!)

Roger has spent 20+ years making complex concepts more understandable for both buyers and sellers alike, and has devoted the majority of his recent career to injecting purpose via philanthropy to his sales and marketing efforts. He’s intent on making the world a better place and his nirvana exists at the intersection of Mission, Passion, Profession and Vocation. He loves the outdoors and seeks memorable experiences whenever possible. Contact Roger at roger@socialgoodpromotions.com or 810-986-5369