From Idea to Impact: How becauseOne is Transforming the Process of Giving

Summary

Don't Cut Your Own Bangs: Episode Summary Episode: From Idea to Impact: How becauseOne is Transforming the Process of Giving
Host: Danielle Ireland
Release Date: August 14, 2023

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Introduction

In this inspiring episode of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs, host Danielle Ireland engages in a heartfelt conversation with Stephanie and Stacia, two entrepreneurial sisters behind becauseOne—a for-profit organization dedicated to revolutionizing the way people connect with and support nonprofit organizations. Drawing from their personal experiences and professional backgrounds, Stephanie and Stacia share their journey of transforming a simple idea into a impactful platform that fosters community, positivity, and effective philanthropy.

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Understanding becauseOne

becauseOne serves as a digital hub that bridges individuals with nonprofit organizations across the United States. The platform allows users to donate, participate, and share success stories, all while promoting a space dedicated solely to positive actions and human kindness.

• Mission & Vision:
  Stephanie emphasizes, “[becauseOne] is a place to focus on solely good things that humans are doing for one another” (05:07).

• Antidote to Cynicism:
  The platform aims to counteract the pervasive negativity often encountered online by creating an environment where only positive initiatives are highlighted (05:11).

How becauseOne Works

The platform streamlines the philanthropic process through an intuitive, user-friendly interface:

• Personalized Experience:
  During signup, users complete a three-step quiz to identify their passions—be it animals, education, sports, or other categories. This personalization ensures that users are matched with nonprofits that resonate with their interests (06:29).

• Flexible Donations:
  Whether someone wishes to contribute $5 or $5,000, becauseOne allows donors to see the exact impact of their contributions, making each donation meaningful and visible (05:57).

• Community Building:
  The platform not only facilitates donations but also fosters a sense of community by enabling users to share and celebrate the good deeds they are part of (14:03).

Origins and Inspiration

Stephanie recounts a pivotal experience that ignited the creation of becauseOne. During a successful community fundraising event, she witnessed unprecedented unity and generosity, which inspired her to recreate that sense of community on a larger scale (08:08).

• From Personal to Public:
  The spark came from observing how people, both within and outside their church community, came together to support a unified cause. Stephanie reflects, “If we could just recreate that even on a small scale and then continue to build it to a large scale for the world, it will change people's hearts” (08:08).

Challenges in Development

Launching becauseOne was not without its hurdles. Transitioning from concept to a functional platform involved overcoming technical and logistical challenges.

• Initial Misconceptions:
  Stacia clarifies a common misunderstanding about becauseOne being a nonprofit. In reality, it is a for-profit entity designed to support nonprofits by providing them with a robust platform to communicate their needs effectively (05:07).

• Building the Platform:
  Working with the design company Reaser, the sisters navigated the complexities of developing a scalable and user-friendly website. Stacia notes the importance of collaboration and trusting their development partners to prioritize user experience over initial feature requests (25:26).

• Balancing Professional Obligations:
  Both Stephanie and Stacia shared experiences of juggling demanding careers while launching becauseOne. Stephanie describes the intense period of managing back-office challenges as a licensed financial advisor alongside building the platform (17:09).

Amplifying the Impact

becauseOne serves as a catalyst for sustained giving and community engagement.

• Continuous Support:
  Unlike traditional fundraising events, becauseOne maintains ongoing interactions between donors and nonprofits, ensuring that support remains consistent and impactful (12:28).

• Story Sharing:
  The platform emphasizes storytelling, allowing nonprofits to share their missions and success stories, thereby humanizing the act of giving and fostering deeper connections (14:06).

Personal Stories: "Don't Cut Your Own Bangs" Moments

Stephanie and Stacia conclude the episode by sharing their memorable and humorous family stories, aptly titled "Don't Cut Your Own Bangs" moments, which highlight their vibrant personalities and the dynamics of their close-knit family.

• European Adventure Mishaps:
  The sisters recount a chaotic but endearing trip to Switzerland with their family. From managing excessive luggage on scenic trains to navigating unfamiliar train schedules, their story is a testament to their resilience and teamwork. Stephanie humorously shares, “We are those American tourists that stop this train. Oh, we are those American tourists” (48:27).

• Relatable Travel Struggles:
  Danielle Ireland relates to their experience by sharing her own travel woes in Italy, emphasizing the universal challenges of traveling with family and navigating new environments (46:10).

Insights and Conclusions

Stephanie and Stacia offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of giving and nonprofit work:

• Redefining Giving:
  Stephanie envisions a shift from transactional donations to a cycle of giving that fosters joy and community connection. She states, “Giving is something that I do to make a difference and give back and help my fellow human” (30:17).

• Addressing Barriers:
  Stacia identifies two primary barriers to giving: lack of awareness and lack of connection. becauseOne aims to bridge these gaps by making nonprofit needs transparent and easily accessible to potential donors (29:50).

• Positive Reinforcement:
  Danielle highlights the correlation between interacting with positive content and improved mental well-being, suggesting that platforms like becauseOne can contribute to reducing feelings of depression and anxiety by fostering a sense of purpose and community connection (34:19).

Notable Quotes

• Stephanie on the Essence of becauseOne:
  “We want to facilitate an environment where only good things are being shared, where we can consistently restore that faith in humanity” (05:07).

• Stacia on Collaboration:
  “Having that collaboration with Reaser, I think is, yes, there have been times where we've dug our heels a little bit and said, you know what? No, this is how it has to be” (27:15).

• Stephanie on Balancing Yes and No:
  “We lost the purpose of what we were saying yes for, and we were saying yes to someone else's goals versus our own” (22:08).

• Stacia on Community Needs:
  “I want people who want to give back to have a place where they can go and say, okay, here are some needs just in my backyard, or maybe they're in California and I'm in Maine” (29:32).

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Conclusion

This episode of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs offers a heartfelt exploration of becauseOne—a platform dedicated to transforming the philanthropic landscape by fostering genuine connections between donors and nonprofits. Through personal anecdotes, professional insights, and a shared passion for positive change, Stephanie and Stacia illustrate the profound impact of purposeful giving. Their stories not only highlight the challenges and triumphs of building a meaningful venture but also inspire listeners to engage in acts of kindness and community support.

Listeners are encouraged to visit becauseOne.com to explore how they can contribute to making a difference in their communities and beyond.

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Related Resources

• becauseOne Website: becauseone.com
• Treasure Journal: [Link in show notes]

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Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Don't Cut Your Own Bangs to stay inspired and connected.

Transcript

[Danielle Ireland]

Hello, hello, hello, this is Danielle Ireland and you are listening to don't cut your own bangs. And today I had the honor of sitting down with Stephanie and Stacia, two sisters, part of a family unit that collectively, together together decided to start a for profit organization called because one that connects us, all of us, to resources groups and creates platforms for nonprofit organizations to connect their work with the world. It's an absolutely beautiful vision. It's a beautiful mission. And what we really talk about is not just the work that because one does, but we talk about how you can get involved, how anyone can get involved, but also why philanthropic work matters, why nonprofits need to connect to a digital age, and what inspired them to get started. So if you have this really big vision for yourself, for your life, for your business, and you want to know other examples of how people connected ideas from notes in their phone to actually making a business happen, this is a great episode for you. Or if you're someone who is looking for a little bit more positivity, inspiration and hope in your life, this is also a great episode for you. So wherever you fall on the spectrum of wanting to know how $5 can make a difference in someone's world or how you can really lift something off the ground that feels big and scary and hard, this is a really great episode for you. I also have to say that at the end of the episode, probably one of my favorite don't cut your own bang moments, they share a fabulous story about their personal life, traveling in Europe, and I'll leave that there. But you definitely want to stay tuned to the whole thing because it was a doozy. You are going to love connecting with these women. You're going to love connecting with this organization. And as always, your time, your care, your attention mean more to me than you know. I'm glad you're here. So hope you're ready to sit back, relax, enjoy and learn from Stephanie and Stacia. Do you guys have any questions for me before we start?

[Stephanie]

I don't think so.

[Stacia]

I don't think so either.

[Danielle Ireland]

Sweet. Well, then let's go. Let's just, let's do this. Yes, do it, Stephanie. Stacia, from Because1. Thank you so much for being here with us today and I'm really excited to learn from you and also just connect our listeners with the work that you do. Thank you so much.

[Stephanie]

Thank you so much. We're excited to be here. Yeah.

[Stacia]

Thanks for having us.

[Danielle Ireland]

My pleasure. So, Stephanie, just a little intro. Stephanie is a wife, mother and entrepreneur and has worked for over 10 years as a dental hygienist before making the jump with the rest of her family to launch this business. And Stacia is a woman of many hats. Wife, dog, mom. The dog is very nearby, A licensed financial advisor, assistant, and she's an executive with because one, the business that we are here and they are here to share and teach us about today. So one of the things I'm really excited to just dive into first with you guys is looking at your business. Because one, I'm going to see if I have understood what it is, and then I'm going to let you correct an ad.

[Stacia]

Good?

[Danielle Ireland]

Yeah, beautiful. Okay, great. Okay, great. It's like I'm going to tell you about you and then you can add.

[Stephanie]

The best way to learn about what we're communicating and kind of who you are.

[Danielle Ireland]

Okay, fabulous. So because one is a nonprofit organization that lives online that connects people to nonprofit organizations within the country that they can donate to, participate in, get involved in, and or share stories of success through this collaboration. Did I understand that right?

[Stephanie]

Yes. You're really, really close. There's minor details, but you have, you have like the ultimate vision.

[Stacia]

You've captured it kind of like the 30,000 foot view.

[Stephanie]

Yeah.

[Danielle Ireland]

Oh, okay. I've captured the vision. Excellent. So I want you to elaborate. I think my first question is, was the goal of BECAUSE one to simplify and or modernize the nonprofit process?

[Stephanie]

Yes. I think that the kind of why that wakes me up in the morning with BECAUSE one and the reason why I just kept coming back to this has to be created. The world needs. This is because it is a place to focus on solely good things that humans are doing for one another. And I feel like we lose that in the world in so many different ways. Especially when you're online. You're scrolling, you're kind of filling your day. Yes. With positivity here and there, but you're also seeing a lot of negativity once you're scrolling. So we said we want one place online where anyone can make a difference, but we also want to facilitate an environment where only good things are being shared, where we can consistently restore that faith in humanity and we can give visibility to humans helping one another.

[Danielle Ireland]

So because one also serves as an antidote to cynicism.

[Stephanie]

Yeah, exactly.

[Stacia]

I think one of the common misconceptions about BECAUSE one too is we are actually a for profit business, but we're here to support the nonprofits. So giving nonprofits a place where they can just clearly communicate those needs. There's lots of studies that show when one person can see the need of another, they're likely to step up and make a difference. And there's a lot of people who want to give back, but they feel like they're 5, 10, 50, 500 doll. Doesn't make a difference. But on, because one, you can just scroll and find something, whether you're giving $5 or $5,000, and you can fulfill 100% of that need, and you can really visualize the difference that you're making.

[Danielle Ireland]

So if I'm someone who I want to make an impact, but I don't see how what I can contribute adds value, this would be a place for me. If I maybe doubt the validity or the sincerity of other people that are asking for support, financially or otherwise, then this could be a place for me. Because you're vetting the groups before they sign up. Also, if I just need, like a boost of endorphins and dopamine to know that there's still good happening in the world, then this would be a place for me.

[Stephanie]

Exactly.

[Stacia]

It's all of those things all in one.

[Danielle Ireland]

Got it.

[Stephanie]

And how we do it, we actually make that connection automatic. So it's not like you sit down and you say, I want to make a difference today. Where do I go? You don't go to just the search bar, which that's there. But actually, during the three step signup quiz, if you will, we ask you, what are you passionate about? What makes your heart happy? What do you want to see more of in your backyard and in the world? And you can pick all of these different categories. Is it animals? Is it sports and recreation? Is it children and youth or education? You tell us what you're passionate about, and our system will automatically filter needs and nonprofits that already align with what you're passionate about. So that's when kind of that scroll comes in where you just sit down and you say, hmm, I wonder how I can make a difference. Today you visit your Aligned with me feed, and you can just scroll and see the $5 items, the $500 items, and give where you would like to.

[Danielle Ireland]

That's a really. That's a really useful tool. One of the. What I love about this podcast in particular is it's not just about the work you do or what you've built, but it's also what inspired the idea. How. How did you get the idea off the ground? Where are you hoping to take the idea? Everything starts as an idea, and I am personally so hungry for how an idea is made manifest. That really excites me. So we have the 30,000 foot view, the nuts and bolts of like, okay, these are the core objectives of. Because 1. But I want to take it back if we can. And I want to know more like, what was the gap that you saw that you just were like, something needs to fill this gap.

[Stephanie]

Going back to the mission and what kind of sparked this idea. It was a success for that mission and we were able to attain the goals in terms of fundraising. But for me, when I look back at that moment in time, I saw people come together in a way that I had never really seen before. And I saw families sitting down and saying, this is how we're going to make a difference. And there's people that had never given or felt like their dollars were a drop in the bucket when they're looking at this big capital campaign number. But the book now allowed me to sit down with my allowance that I would put over a little bit, you know, to tither, to give. And I was able to look at that book and say, I'm going to give this. And further from that, there were people outside in the community that hadn't stepped foot in the church that said, oh, I can fulfill that need. So I just remember this moment in time where it was fun and where people were coming together and all pulling in the same direction. And I feel like, as someone who has grown up with social media and different things, different influences that are coming at me so quickly, that when I remember that moment in time, I say, wow, if we could just recreate that even on a small scale and then continue to build it to a large scale for the world, it will change people's hearts, because it did that for us and it did that for our community. So that's kind of the piece that I look back at when I'm thinking of the mission and the spark of the idea, if you will, from that.

[Danielle Ireland]

Story, what I heard is this was like community fundraising, organizing, rallying and gathering of resources within and outside of a church community to support a unified cause. So I work as a therapist, and I was within a clinical practice. And then I went out on my own and I was doing sessions in person. And last July, I switched to completely virtual. One of the questions I get asked most often is, do you feel like there is a loss with the level of therapeutic connection that can be made when it's done virtually or digitally? Because looking around a room and seeing 40 people putting items in boxes and then delivering that on a doorstep, like those touch points that human Touch point. Yes. Social media is absolutely a resource. That's where everyone's eyeballs are already. But I'm curious, where do you see challenges potentially with trying to connect that type of really intimate donating experience? I guess I'll say, but the kind of intimate experience in a virtual or digital space.

[Stacia]

When I think about how we communicate with the nonprofits, you know, the. Because one platform is not the end all be all of your fundraising, your donating, your volunteering. It is not that. What it is is it's a value add. It's a way for these nonprofits when you're getting people together, you're getting the 40 people in the warehouse to pack out boxes, post the things that you're packing up into those boxes on the site and get those, the funds for those donations in so that it's not as big of a burden to your budget. Then you've got everything there that you need. You're still going to continue to have those, you know, personal touches with your volunteers, with the community that you're serving. This is just a tool to be able to reach outside your current loyal supporters and spread awareness as you're supported. So, yes, we still, I, you know, I can't imagine, you know, Stacia loves bingo. So the purse bingoes and the galas and those volunteer efforts are so important to support the organization and the overall mission. So we still encourage the nonprofits. You're still going to do those things because they're what everyone loves to attend and loves to support. But use this as the in between, the in between touches to, you know, people who might support you as your needs change and you're changing those needs on the site. You know, your followers are notified and it's just a gentle marketing push of, you know, hey, we need 500 boxes of crayons now, you know, and just making those needs known.

[Danielle Ireland]

It also sounds like not only can I, as someone who has a desire to connect and serve, can find a place to serve through this site, but if I'm actually organizing a fundraiser myself, I can also host that on this site and connect other people to that.

[Stacia]

If you're affiliated with the nonprofit. Yeah.

[Danielle Ireland]

Ah, I see, I see, I see. Okay, nice. So this is a bridge. It's not a replacement. Correct.

[Stephanie]

But there is the element of following and being able to capture that audience long after the event and keep that spark of support going is really where you're not just holding the event. You're working so hard to get everyone there, and then everyone's excited and Then they leave. Yeah. And you're still using your other online tools. But a lot of giving today is very transactional. I sit down, I give, or I go to the event, and then the doors close and it's over. And if I'm giving online with other tools, I click donate and it's done on because one, because there's a following base and because we're building community all in one spot. Anytime a nonprofit that I care about is being supported, I get to see that they just had a need fulfilled. So now I'm sharing in that joy of that difference being made. And I'm also being inspired and reminded if I'm in a place to give, that this is somewhere that I can give.

[Danielle Ireland]

Nice. So this is also a place where you're sharing stories.

[Stephanie]

Yeah.

[Danielle Ireland]

You're connecting the human element to what the transaction can. Can afford people.

[Stacia]

Absolutely.

[Danielle Ireland]

We heard. We just heard Stacia's inspirational launch into because one. But now I would love to hear. Stephanie, if you could share yours.

[Stacia]

You mentioned in my bio at the beginning, I have been a dental hygienist for over 10 years, and I've worn a lot of different hats kind of in the dentistry world. I've gone from hygiene to managing multimillion dollar offices, back to hygiene, kind of where I felt for myself. You know, I like to create and I like to problem solve. And what I love about hygiene is that, you know, I get to go to work and I get to talk to some really cool people and get to love on my employees, but there isn't so much in the creative world with that. So, you know, as Stacia mentioned, this idea of. Because one, it kept coming back, kept coming back, but our dad just kept saying, you know, we. We have to do this again. We have to do this again. It was. It was so great, and there was so much joy in the giving, and we have to do it again. So as we were unpacking and putting these ideas in iPhone notes and on pieces of paper here, there, and everywhere, we got in touch with a design company up in Fort Wayne called Reaser. And they're ultimately the ones who took everything from, you know, the iPhone notes to what you see today. So as we were working with them at the very beginning and sending them, you know, these are all the features, and this is what we think, you know, we've got. I wouldn't say they were skeptical at the beginning. They were certain that it had been done before.

[Stephanie]

I also feel like they thought that maybe we were just really excited Yes, I would agree. They, I feel like our excitement and our passion was very endearing where it got them excited, but they were kind of like, hmm, are we going to have to burst their bubble a little bit here?

[Stacia]

After, you know, a full blown discovery and everything, they came back and their level of excitement then was like matching ours. Like they, one of them just looked at us and was like, listen, even if you don't do this with us, like, you have to promise me that you will do this somewhere. Because there's too much of a need within the nonprofit world and I want to be able to give back to people in that way. So I think for me, getting reaser going and all of the learning that's come through development, you know, I feel like we're like little mini developers, almost like I can't do it, but I can talk some of it. And just seeing the doors that were open, you know, there's lots of things that happened over the course of three years and it just seemed like when the timing felt like everything was falling apart, something would happen and be like, actually, you know what, like this was perfect. And Stacia, about the time I went from full time hygiene to full time because one work, you guys had a huge career.

[Stephanie]

Yes. We were within three months of launching. This is a year and a half worth of developing and weekly, sometimes like twice a week calls with our development company really working around, what should this experience look like? And it's all coming to, okay, now we're talking about marketing, now we're talking about launching efforts. And I also work as a financial advisor licensed assistant for my dad. And there were just breaks in the service that we were able to provide due to the back office that we were with. So a little small insight into what a back office for a financial advisor's practice means. Back office is who's always looking at the trades and the service that you're providing to your clients. Everything has to go through back office. They're opening your accounts, they're getting people's money to them if they're doing a distribution. And we just weren't, our hands were getting tied and we weren't able to provide the service that we needed to be able to provide our clients. So we're all kind of looking at each other and we're like, we have to, we have to switch back offices. We have to get our clients back to a space where if they call and they need their money, we're confident that we can get it to them and get it to them. In a timely manner, we have to be able to open accounts. And so we moved our entire back Office. This was 950 accounts that all had to be repapered and moved.

[Danielle Ireland]

And was this happening as you were trying to launch? Because one, yes.

[Stephanie]

So I'm working, you know, full time, spending my, my second year anniversary with my husband was spent at the office until 3am Getting documents ready and saying, okay, this is, this is the answer for this area of my life where I serve people here and this is where I need to be to help them. And then I had this whole other project going on to launch because one but it was one of those things where you just kind of put your head down and you're like, yes, the answer. The answer is yes. And this is what we need to do to help people in these different ways. And this is where my skills need to go right now.

[Danielle Ireland]

So help me understand for you both when those types of challenges presented themselves, when those, oh shit, this is gonna be a lot harder because coming up with an idea is so delicious. Coming up with an idea is booking the dinner reservation. Coming up with an idea is, you know, shopping for the new outfit. It, it, you're lit up inside. And not to say that there isn't joy in the execution, but in our mind's eye, when we're creating something in our mind, there's no gravity, there's no physics, there's no clock. We have boundless, endless energy. We don't need bathroom breaks, we don't have human moments. Like it's just in this beautiful untouched space and then you have to completely move a back office for 900 clients. Like when those moments happen, what did you turn to? Was it each other? Was it the mission? How did you push through those challenges? And not just how and why, I.

[Stacia]

Think for me personally, and I think you would agree too, this is Stephanie answering. Okay, we do sound kind of similar. We'd kind of been a part of a really, really big idea on the dental side a number of years ago where we had the opportunity to open a dental office that was the first out of state dental office for this large dental group who had essentially recruited us to open up this office and kind of have this little mini empire in Indianapolis. And the people there are some of the best people that I know. They have a very, very successful business. But what that business model asked of you was when someone needs your help and it's seven o' clock and they walk in and you have dinner plans at 7:30, and because you close at 7. You know, you stay and you help that person. The boundaries were just kind of nonexistent. Nonexistent.

[Stephanie]

Yeah.

[Stacia]

But, you know, you do what you have to do to make the business work. You do what you have to do to get this business off the ground. And that means, you know, at one point, we were working 13 days straight for one day off. You know, on call, I'm on conference calls, on my drive into work, I, like, never took a lunch ever. Um, and there was a lot of joy in a lot of the things that we did with that. And like I said, the people are spectacular individuals. But I think in learning, going through that, there were a lot of tears and a lot of frustrations and a lot of not feeling like your best effort was good enough. And looking at that experience and saying, you know what? We don't have to do this. This isn't right. I mean, you. You said that first.

[Stephanie]

Yeah.

[Stacia]

You took the dive off.

[Stephanie]

I kind of. In my mind, it was getting off of the yes train. Like, I. We just kept saying yes and yes, yes, yes at all expenses. And eventually it was, okay, wait, I need to fill my cup and I need to say yes to some things for me or I can't be my best self. I think when we kind of unpacked, what just happened? Because when you're in that mode for so long, yes is the only answer. And you're just. You're making it work and you're helping people and you're doing that. And it seems like A plus B equals C, you know, and then you realize that C doesn't feel great. So what happened? And we looked back and we said, okay, we kind of lost our voice. And we also. Obviously setting no boundaries didn't help. But also looking back, I feel like we were. We lost the purpose of what we were saying yes for, and we were saying yes to someone else's goals versus our own. So when I look at what it takes to take an idea to launch and an idea then to, you know, success.

[Danielle Ireland]

Mm.

[Stephanie]

There has to be a lot of yeses, but you have to be coming back to your own purpose. And while we were building it, for me, it was, this has to exist. People need this.

[Danielle Ireland]

Did it ever change? I'm curious, like, in the process of developing it, from the original post it note and Apple iPhone notes to what you're sitting with today, did it change as a result of any of those challenges? Because when I hear you talking about boundaries and saying yes, there is this line that we each have and It's. It's like that imaginary line that. And again, I don't watch a lot of sports, but I know that, like, when we see the line of scrimmage on a football game, the players don't actually have that line. That's just for our benefit. I have to be reminded of that often. I'm like, can't they see the line? No, they can't see the line. No, they can't. But we all, we all have that emotional line. And it's interesting. Many of us don't know where our boundaries lie until they are crossed. Many of us don't know what is too much until we hit too much. What I also see happening a lot in creatives and clients and my own experience is when we have a rigid idea of what something needs to be or what we think it should be, and we sort of doggedly hold on to that, no matter what. It's a hard. It's so hard for us to define for anyone else what is holding true to the vision and what is allowing the vision to breathe and adapt and grow based on what we have capacity to handle in the moment. There's such a dance with that when it comes to creating something, when it comes to building a relationship, when it comes to starting a family, there's the idea and then there's the reality. And then when the two converge, like, what do we let go of? What do we surrender? What do we stay true to? And because it's such a personal thing, I'm curious to go back to the original question. Did any of those shifts or the recognition for a necessary no. Or a boundary, did that change the end product at all?

[Stacia]

Yes and no. You know, originally, when, when Reeser came back with our full scope, the project was hundreds of thousands of dollars. Oh, I bet, I bet, you know, we're like, okay, you know, we're going to. We're going to get this money. We're going to, you know, and that's where the doors were constantly, very kindly, not right now, not today, come back with something else. And when we finally came back to Reese and said, you know, this isn't working. How can, how can we get this done? They worked with us, and I think that through collaboration with them, there have been several times where we've dug our heels a little bit and said, you know what? No, this is how it has to be. And I think that's something. Learning from the dental management side of things, knowing when to trust the people that you're collaborating with and when you can Trust them completely. You know, you do have the voice then to say, you know what, I know that this is what you think, but, like, this is what we want and when to dig your heels. And then I can think of several times where our developer was like, you think you want it this way? And I'm telling you, absolutely, from a usership standpoint, it's not going to work. You need to do it this way. And we're like, okay, explain that to us. So having that collaboration with Reaser, I think is, yes, there have been, you know, the scale of things has changed. You know, we don't have the web apps right now on the phones. We're mobile friendly, but we don't have the apps. So things like that, you know, were scaled back, definitely, but having that collaboration and that trust to be able to kind of push and pull where we need to, you know, I'm thankful that they didn't give us everything that we wanted. I know, because there are definitely things that would be not as user friendly.

[Stephanie]

For sure.

[Danielle Ireland]

That's really interesting. So I heard trust, I heard collaboration, I heard education and conviction. And it sounds like it was a, like a hybrid of those things, I.

[Stephanie]

Think too, just being able to work with so closely with my sister and my parents as well. You all come to the table and there's no negative thought in your mind in terms of trusting that everyone around the table wants to see it succeed and wants to see you succeed. Being able to listen to all of our perspectives, listen to all of our opinions and say, okay, which, which way truly is the best way forward, and, you know, no one's coming to the table with their own agenda is really powerful.

[Danielle Ireland]

So it's really this. It's like a whole family, collaborative, unified frontier. Well, I want to shift gears just a little bit and ask you a question more specifically about, because one, you want to change the way in which the world gives. I want to know more specifically with regards to what you're trying to build, what do you wish more people knew about giving and nonprofit work that you think that they don't know?

[Stacia]

I think something that we've learned is, you know, we're from Indiana, so a lot of the connections that we have are here. And I think first and foremost is, you know, the nonprofits really know the needs of the communities. You know, they know the needs because of the communities that they serve. So going through and reaching out to nonprofits and learning, you know, oh, my goodness, like you literally were in my hometown, and it costs $25 to do XYZ. Like, I could have given you $25 in high school if I would have known that you existed. So I think making those needs known is the biggest thing, because I want people who want to give back. I want them to have a place where they can go and say, okay, you know, here are some needs just in my backyard, or maybe they're in California and I'm in, you know, Maine. Just seeing what the needs are, you know, in your backyard and across the nation and be able to become aware, I guess, of what the needs are. Like I said, in your backyard and beyond.

[Danielle Ireland]

So do you feel that there's more of a barrier of entry to get people involved in donating or participating because of lack of awareness? Or is it that they don't see where their money's going to go or their time is going to go? Is it lack of connection or is it lack of awareness that something even exists?

[Stacia]

I think that it's both. You know, when you look at the studies, people are more likely to donate when they can picture what their donation dollars are going for. But I also think that there's a lot of needs that people don't even know exist. Yeah, I think that just raising that awareness for the need and for the nonprofit not only gains the nonprofit support from people who they've never been able to get in touch with, but also enlightens the public, too.

[Stephanie]

I think the change in my mind is giving in a way that can spark a cycle versus giving in a transactional way. Giving is something that I do to make a difference and give back and help my fellow human. But on, because one, even if I'm giving anonymously, my good deed now has the ability to brighten someone else's day. And part of that giving cycle that I feel like we're missing, we do a great job of it at the events, but we're missing the joy and the good that giving can bring us if we take time to notice it and see it every day or throughout the year, not just at the events. So my change for me is changing the way that people give. To be an inspirational way to give and to give together and to give in a place where there's community and not just behind a screen or sending in a check.

[Danielle Ireland]

There's an expression that when you get nervous, focus on service. That a lot of the times, the challenges, the emotional challenges that we inhabit or that we embody are when we are focused on ourselves. So when I'm about to step onto a stage or give a presentation or do something new stretch outside of my comfort zone. Generally, the fear or the nervousness, the apprehension or anxiety is when I'm focused on what are they going to think of me, Am I sweating too much? It's very eye centric me centric thinking when I'm in my head in a way that isn't serving me. Focus on service, remembering what am I actually here to do? What is the purpose of this conversation? What is the purpose of this presentation? It's not for them to love my outfit. I feel there is some application to this in terms of like, how do you ignite that inspiration to serve and give, to remind people of the joys of giving, to celebrate it? Because it also seems like you both have this shared enthusiasm that sounds like it's been contagious. Your passion is palpable.

[Stacia]

Okay, so right now there's a need. There's a emergency shelter that's on the website and he has a need on there posted for SpaghettiOs because that's something really quick and easy. They've got a sleeping room only where basically someone can't come stay for like days on end. But if they just need like a bed to sleep in, you can come sleep there, which is such a huge need and is a wonderful service they provide. But they only have in there like a Keurig and a refrigerator and a microwave. So yeah, it has to have things that can be microwaved. So SpaghettiOs is posted on there and someone got on there this past week and was like, I loved SpaghettiOs as a kid. Like, this was my favorite thing. I can give some SpaghettiOs for $5. And we're laughing about it. We're kind of going back and forth on social media. I think that it's that, that like palpable relation that you can have, you know, with this item and you can see yourself in it. You can see who it's helping. And I think that, you know, right now, giving doesn't traditionally do that. This just brings that joy forward.

[Stephanie]

You can go focus on good and focus on things that are connected to your passions.

[Danielle Ireland]

Mm.

[Stephanie]

By taking 90 seconds to go do that, go to because1.com, click the get started button and you automatically, for free in 90 seconds will start to just see good things happening. You're going to be seeing the can of SpaghettiOs. You're going to be seeing, you know, all of these different needs that are already connected to something that you're passionate about. So for that person, they're starting with themselves and then they're instantaneously Seeing something bigger than themselves. And they're seeing good.

[Danielle Ireland]

Every idea is intrinsically motivated. There's definitely a connection, and I'll say a correlation between depression, anxiety, and purpose. What I see, often symptoms that present as depressive or anxious are a detachment from community, a detachment from something larger than ourselves. And that when. When we can make those human connections, we are a connected species. That's what we're hardwired to do. And that humanity. What I. What I like to let people know is the more that you interact with positive things, the algorithm is going to send you more positive things. And it works that way in life, too. The algorithm is an extension of us because we created the algorithm. But, like, what you're looking for is also looking for you. So interacting with one or two positive posts on. Because one, you're increasing your chances. That, and I don't know the numbers, but you're increasing the likelihood that your feed is going to start feeding you with more things like that too. So, last thought, I would love to know what your don't cut your own bang moments are.

[Stacia]

It's a joint story.

[Danielle Ireland]

I love it.

[Stephanie]

So we were thinking about this. So actually, I feel like our biggest don't cut your own bangs moment was probably what we talked about earlier in terms of just throwing yourself into the abyss, throwing yourself into an idea and saying yes at all costs. And, you know, I think that was probably our professional don't cut your own own bangs moment. But we thought that it would be fun to end on a funny family. Yes. Don't cut your own bangs moment.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yes. I love it.

[Stacia]

So our family is. I mean, we're copies of our family, obviously. Like, we're loud. We're very vibrant. And this.

[Stephanie]

Swiss.

[Stacia]

We're Swiss. We are Swiss. Way back when.

[Danielle Ireland]

Wait, so are Swiss people loud and vibrant? I don't. I don't know much about Swiss culture.

[Stephanie]

Well, I wouldn't describe.

[Stacia]

I wouldn't know.

[Stephanie]

Loud and vibe.

[Danielle Ireland]

So you're loud, you're vibrant, and you're also Swiss.

[Stacia]

Exactly.

[Stephanie]

Okay.

[Danielle Ireland]

Okay.

[Stephanie]

Because we are Swiss.

[Stacia]

This. It was my grandma's, like, lifelong goal to go to Switzerland because her, our grandpa, her husband, had tracked their ancestry way back to Switzerland, which was super cool. So we all decide we're going to Switzerland with grandma. So it's our us two, my parents, our grandma, my uncle, and then his daughter, our cousin. And like I said, we're very vibrant and loud. And we also take pride in, like, getting things done, like, very efficiently.

[Danielle Ireland]

I've got that sense about you guys over the course of this interview.

[Stephanie]

And go.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yes, and go.

[Stacia]

And we have, like, plans, and they're very well executed plans. So we get over there and of course, my dad is like the ultimate trip planner. He's the king of finding the best pass the most. Or best pass the best house, the best train passes the best venues. Like, all the things. Like, if you get to go on a vacation with my dad, you just get to, like, show up and do all the great things. So dad had done a lot of research on the train system in Europe. We've never been there before. So we're all going based on what we've read and what people have told my dad. One of the things that we had been told was that these trains are in the station and they're out. Like, you got to get. When. You better be there when the train gets there. You got to hop on and then it's going to go and take off.

[Danielle Ireland]

Oh.

[Stephanie]

So. Yeah.

[Danielle Ireland]

Did something happen to grandma?

[Stephanie]

No, everyone.

[Stacia]

Everyone's fine.

[Danielle Ireland]

I was starting to just sweat for grandma. I was like, oh, gosh, she didn't make the tree.

[Stacia]

No. Grandma was always the first one on the train.

[Stephanie]

Yes.

[Stacia]

Put grandma on first.

[Stephanie]

Which now thinking back, like, she could have just gone, there goes grandma.

[Danielle Ireland]

Oh, my God.

[Stephanie]

That didn't happen. Okay, so we. We land. We're tired, but we're like, kind of hitting the ground running. We're excited. So we get to the train and the. My uncle and my dad had booked us a scenic route where we could go and see, like, the whole top of the train was glass. It was beautiful. So we take this scenic route and we. We don't know how to pack for a European vacation yet. So we have very large suitcases and then. A lot of suitcases. Yes. I think we had eight. I think we had eight big suitcases. And then you have, like, your carry on or your purse or different things. So we had so many pairs of luggage. We get off the scenic route train, and me and my cousin had actually fallen asleep. So we're waking up to, like, okay, we gotta get off the train. And there's like, all this buzz and we're okay. And then you're trying to make sure that you have all of your stuff. And then I think we also might have even, like, changed some of the. The luggage to, like, the rack. So it's this whole production just trying to get off the scenic train.

[Stacia]

And we think we have, like, 30 seconds to get off the train.

[Stephanie]

So we. So I want you to picture cartoon conveyor Belt. Giant pieces of luggage flying off of the train. My. I can't remember. It was my dad or my uncle is on the platform, like, catching these bags as they're coming out. And, you know, I.

[Stacia]

Someone was in charge of counting them.

[Stephanie]

Yes.

[Stacia]

I mean, it was a whole.

[Stephanie]

Everyone had a job. And so we get on the platform and we're like, okay, like, we got, we got off the train, like, go. So we're excited and we're starting to, like, celebrate this win.

[Stacia]

We're literally high fiving on the platform.

[Danielle Ireland]

It's.

[Stephanie]

It's the whole thing. So then my dad looks up and.

[Stacia]

He'S like, oh, we had a connecting train that was going to take us to our final destination in Interlochen. So we were just happy to be on the platform and not on the train that's getting ready to leave. And so we just had the thought, okay, we need to get off. And then we have to figure out how to get on the train that's going to take us to Interlochen. And we had no idea where to even locate this train.

[Stephanie]

So something happens where dad realizes that the train that we need to be on is like, right there. Like, we have to go. And we look up and it's supposed to leave in like 60 seconds. So we, we click the repeat button and now we start piling on to the next train. So we're like, get grandma on. So grandma goes on, we're throwing all of this luggage, and there's kind of like this in between all of the cars, there's like a. I wouldn't call it a foyer, but, like, there's like an area where, you know, you have to pick whether I'm going to that car or that car. So we just have everything piled into this thing and there's bags on top of each other. And then we all get on and we're all kind of on top of each other. And we're in this space and we're like, yes, we're on. So then the celebration happens again. And we're so thankful that we're on this train. And then we look up and the automatic door that is supposed to like, you walk through it to get to your seat is like hitting one of our bags and is just like constantly opening and shutting. And we look into the car and just everyone is staring at us. What are these lunatics doing? So then we all get it in our head that the. Well, my uncle and my dad looked at each other and they were like, the train needs to go. Like, this is Embarrassing the train. Now that we're here, it needs to take off because we look like we just hit the fast forward button and panicked and now the train's not leaving. So then that specific train ended up being delayed by like a couple minutes. But those were the longest minutes where you're just sitting there like, oh, go us. Like, we did it. We got it in our heads that the train wasn't moving because of the automatic door.

[Stacia]

We're trying to re situate things and ultimately we realized most trains are in the station for like 15, 20, 30 minutes. You know, they drop people off. But that was our first time. Like we didn't know.

[Stephanie]

So, so we joke like haha, like the, the winter eggs have arrived in Switzerland. Like and everyone heard it, everyone saw it, it was such a production. And then we realized like, we can, we can slow down a little bit.

[Danielle Ireland]

I have a similar, I'll say similar, but it's a much less entertaining example as yours. But my, my husband and my daughter and myself, we went to Italy. She's two and a half. This was April, so she had just turned one. So let's say about a year and a half ago. And really this trip was more about my husband and I proving to ourselves that we can have a family and we can still have adventures. Life doesn't have to. Yeah, we were like, we can do this. I researched, sweated and like had like fever dreams about okay, this, this is, we need this, we need this type of room, we need this type of place. My husband made sure we ate and I made sure that anything we needed in terms of baby needs, just all of those. So like I made sure the family was comfortable, he made sure the family was fed and it felt like okay, dynamic duo, we got this. Perfect. So I have a, I'll say for the States, a very average, average size stroller. But it's the type of stroller that a new mom would have. It has all the things like I want to be able to have my cup holder, I want to be able to have like room for like my bags underneath. It's. I'll just say it's an American stroller and didn't realize how American the stroller was until all the things I thought through the travel bag and how it's going to collapse. And I even practiced in time like, okay, if we have a crazy connection, how are we going to collapse the stroller? All the, all the things we get to, we, we land in Italy. My daughter had a stomach flu on the flight. Her first one Ever. So we all smell like vomit. Were packed in this little Euro car. Even though we packed reasonably well. The stroller was just. I mean, stroller. The stroller. Oh, my God. I mean, it was baggage. We had so much baggage. And it was this damn stroller. So the stroller is in this little compact car and we're all packed in and we all smell like puke. And we pull up to this beautiful hotel and we smell sour. And we're just like. It's like a clown car of the things and the contraptions and so like, you know, European people, it's like they have a wallet and like a bread. You know, there's like. It's like they have like a baguette and a. In their wallet and they're just like. Like they're. They're so light and airy. They don't have all this baggage. And I'm just like, schlep. We're just schlepping stuff out of the car. We look sweaty, haggard, and like, you know, my daughters. What is happening? And I look at the sidewalk in front of our little adorable boutique hotel, and I just melt inside. It's like I was too tired to cry, but I wanted to. I was like, oh, my God, this stroller is not going to work anywhere in the. Because, like, it was an old timey cobblestone street and the little sidewalk, like, there were. I mean, it's old. The city is really old. And it just.

[Stephanie]

It's the cutest sidewalk. But my stroller won't fit.

[Danielle Ireland]

Charming as hell. If it's just like you and your spouse, like, being cutesy together with our little pastry and our, you know, whatever. I mean, they don't walk around with coffee. No one walks around with coffee. So the cup holder looked and felt ridiculous because they're like. We were like. When we would go to places and ask for a to go cup of what? Like, we want to walk around with an espresso. Like, they had to go digging and rummaging to find the to go cups that are only clearly for tourists because that's just not how they enjoy coffee. So anyway, we.

[Stacia]

Right, we learned.

[Danielle Ireland]

But I was panic stricken about this stroller because that was the one thing I'm like, do I buy a travel stroller just for this trip or is that a waste of money? Then we. I was, ugh, I couldn't.

[Stephanie]

Well, Danielle's like, get rid of the stroller. Just leave it.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yes. Luckily, luckily, similar to you, you all adjusting to. Oh, we actually had 30 minutes. Okay. Maybe. Maybe it's not as bad as we thought. I had an entire afternoon of panicking and I realized, oh. Where our hotel was just happened to be a really old, well preserved part of town. But there were also many parts of Rome and many parts of, like, there were many areas where there were large, well paved, I'll say, modern sidewalks. So the stroller worked. We got. We made. We made it work. But I also vowed, just like in. What is that movie? Gone with the Wind? Like, as God is my witness, I will never travel with this stroller again because it just. Oh. And you know, and gosh, bless us who try to travel and like, we're gonna fit in so well. Like, they're not even gonna know we're not from here.

[Stephanie]

I always think that it's so obvious from the moment you land.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yeah.

[Stephanie]

Like you just. Yeah.

[Stacia]

I remember we're getting all the things off one train, right. And we're high fiving and everything. And as you know, bags like 4 or 5 and 6 are coming out. There's a guy sitting on a bench there and he has this black duffel bag that's, you know, like this big standard duffel bag.

[Stephanie]

Yeah.

[Stacia]

And my dad, he either looked at my dad or my uncle and just was like, oh, wow, like, kind of giggling. And dad was like, well, how long have you been here? You know, because he's looking at his little like, we're going to be here for two weeks or whatever. And the guy was like, yeah, I've been traveling with this for two years. And like, oh.

[Danielle Ireland]

Oh, cool.

[Stephanie]

Cool.

[Danielle Ireland]

Me too. Yeah, me too.

[Stephanie]

This isn't my first rodeo.

[Danielle Ireland]

We're.

[Stephanie]

We're actually moving here.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yeah. Oh, well, guys, that was a wonderful. I love that. That was a wonderful, relatable, very entertaining story. I appreciate it. Because, yeah, high fiving. High fiving is very American. Coffee on the go. Very American.

[Stacia]

It's also who we are. We are American.

[Danielle Ireland]

Of course. Of course. But yeah, you want to be. You want to be.

[Stacia]

You do want to fit in a bit.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yeah, you do.

[Stacia]

Well.

[Stephanie]

And you want to be respectful.

[Stacia]

I think that was the thing that's my.

[Stephanie]

Yeah, yeah.

[Stacia]

Like, once we, like, once the panic set in of like, oh, no, we are the reason the train is not going like this train was supposed to be as soon as we got on.

[Danielle Ireland]

We won't be those American tourists that stop this train. Oh, we are those American tourists.

[Stephanie]

We are causing a ruckus.

[Danielle Ireland]

Yes. I love that story. I love that it worked out. I love that you, the grandma didn't get lost because that was absolutely where mine. Like, we're gonna take. We're gonna take grandma to the old country. These are.

[Stephanie]

No, we took good care of grandma. That's right.

[Stacia]

We should have prefaced that with like an asterisk. It's like no family members were harmed or left on.

[Danielle Ireland]

Well, Stacia, Stephanie, thank you so much for your time and for your story and for the resources that you are developing and creating for us all to benefit and find ways to connect with other people in need to be of service in a way that also can fit into our modern daily life. And I look forward to hearing and seeing more of what because one becomes.

[Stacia]

It was great chatting with you.

[Danielle Ireland]

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of don't cut your own bangs. All of the links that were mentioned during the episode for because one will be listed for you in the show notes. So if you happen to be listening in your car or on a run or grocery shopping, don't worry, I've got you covered. It's all saved in the show notes for you there. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast. It helps us find new listeners, helps our ratings and our rankings so that we're easier to search, easier to find. And it's just a great way to say, hey, thanks for a job well done. So I appreciate it if you can do that also. Last but not least, if your inspired idea that you're looking to lift off the ground maybe is still in the early stages of wanting to stay inspired and emotionally connected, I might recommend that you grab a copy of the Treasure Journal. There is a section on career, a section on purpose, a section on love, all different facets from an emotional place that can really help us get over the initial hurdle of am I capable? Does anybody really need this? Can I really get this done? Sometimes the emotional support we need, we may not always be lucky enough to have a sibling or a family member or someone beside us like Stephanie and Stacia were, that they can turn to and say, hey, you've got this. And sometimes that person needs to be us. And if that is the case for you, journaling is a fabulous way to connect with that deeper knowing that we all have that can help us get through hard times. So in the show notes, as well as everything else that has been linked and listed, you'll also find the link that can take you directly to the Treasure Journal. Hope you grab a copy and I look forward to connecting with you next time.