← RKD Group: Thinkers
RKD Group: Thinkers
Living on purpose: How Floyd Jones builds community and raised $2M for Black-led nonprofits
00:37:05
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- [00:05]
A
Welcome to the. Wait, are we gonna like. Should I acknowledge this or should I just do this?
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B
I. I think you can acknowledge it. I. I think it's worth it. Yeah, go for it.
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A
You get. You. You got a haircut.
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B
You could call it that. Little, little trim as well.
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A
Happy Halloween. Welcome to the Arcady Group Thinkers Podcast. We're recording on Halloween. It'll publish shortly thereafter. And we are just about to. We're about to plug your ears into an incredible source of energy from the nonprofit sector. I'm your host, Justin McCord. With me is Ronnie Richard. Ronnie, you can speak to our aliases if you would like to and but most importantly, tell us a little bit about our guest.
- [01:02]
B
Sure, I can do that. Master Yoda. Our. Our guest today is Floyd Jones. He's a speaker, he's a coach, he's a community builder. He helps nonprofits with all kinds of different projects. He's the founder of Back Black. They're an initiative that's raised over $2 million for Black LED nonprofits. And like you mentioned, just energizing bundle of energy and like inspirational as well. And we, you know, as we're talking to him, you can just see this intentionality that he has in his career and this, this focus on building community that, that really comes out in the conversation.
- [01:48]
A
It's so interesting. You know, we talk to a lot of people about what, where their focus is and, and how they got into the space working in non profit marketing and fundraising. And so a lot of times people say things like called and, and talk about things like purpose. And I 100% believe every single one of those instances that there is a calling and that there people either run to the purpose of the space or when they get here and they find it that they kind of sink into the purpose of the space. Floyd truly amazes me in that his life is a representation of intentional purpose and, and as he will share. This is not a new thing. This isn't a chapter. This is a through line. And so that's something that, that I found this conversation to, to reveal and I think it's super powerful. So without any further characters or gimmicks. Well, actually there's a.
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B
There's one coming. Let's be real.
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A
There's one coming. Here's Floyd Jones on the Arcady Group Thinkers podcast. All right, we. I don't know how this is going to translate to the audio, but certainly for those that watch on YouTube, we have intentionally started our conversation today off camera because we're recording on Halloween and so we each have shown up in costume, and we're about to turn on our cameras and. And get to see each other in whatever format that looks like guys. Okay, so. So you. You. You gentlemen ready?
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C
Ready.
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A
Let's turn them on.
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C
Oh, my. What is that actual painting on your face?
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A
Okay, so listen, Floyd, the. Like, here's the thing. First of all, I love costumes. I think costumes are so fun.
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C
The best.
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A
And. And so, yeah, I've reapplied, actually, since I first put it on for you. I wanted to have the best queen possible.
- [04:21]
C
Are you. Are you Shrek?
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B
See, that's.
- [04:24]
A
This is. The problem is, like, earlier today, someone asked me if I was Dobby the house elf.
- [04:30]
C
I could see that.
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A
And not. I'm not that. I'm not Shrek. I'm actually Yoda.
- [04:35]
B
So star adult or baby Yoda.
- [04:37]
A
I'm. I am full. I don't know if you can see the wrinkles, but, like, I thought Yoda.
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C
Had a deeper shade of green. This is like.
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A
I know I was. He's kind of a grayish green because he is. You know, he's.
- [04:50]
C
He's a senior. He's senior. Yeah.
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B
You're like an adolescent Yoda, maybe.
- [04:54]
C
No, this is, like, color's losing. He's like, losing the color. But it's also winter months. So that.
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A
This is winter months.
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B
Yoda needs a tan.
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A
Fall, fall, winter Yoda.
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C
Fall winter Yoda so much. Hello. Floyd in the house. Or Floyd Izzle. Should I say?
- [05:12]
A
Floyd Izzle is in the house. You're gonna drop some. Very nice.
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B
Very nice.
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C
I guess so. That's what they say.
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A
Oh, man. Okay, so.
- [05:23]
B
Yes, we can actually.
- [05:24]
A
Can I. Can I get that like, in a. More like a. I don't know, like in a tenor. Too early.
- [05:33]
C
Can you. Can you hear me today? Okay, we're gonna give you a little.
- [05:37]
A
Perfect. Here's where I want to start.
- [05:42]
C
Let's do it.
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A
Floyd Jones is a combustible ball of energy. Everyone that encounters Floyd knows that, like, Floyd leaves Floyd's energy and sunshine. Mark. Where does that come from?
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C
Like, where what.
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A
What fills you up such that you end up being sunshine on. On everybody else?
- [06:17]
C
Wow. I feel like we're going right in. I love that. Okay, so I feel like for.
- [06:22]
A
Yoda doesn't have time for warmups, man.
- [06:24]
C
Yoda doesn't have any time. Right. I feel like for me and something that I share a lot to people is that this feels very. Everything that I do is very purpose driven, and I feel like I'm living on purpose for A purpose. And I feel like, especially the people who I'm communicating to and talking to, we're all purpose driven leaders, right? And so it's like, especially at a time like right now, like, I love that we can be on this call and have fun and get all the, you know, all the things, but at the same time, like, there are very real people outside who are going to be losing their SNAP benefits.
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B
Yeah.
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C
Like, there are very real people outside who are like wondering how they're going to get another job or how they're going to pay their bills. And I'm like, the work that we're doing is way too important for us to like, it's not a flipping thing, in my opinion. You know what I mean? But I also know that the people who are doing this work, we are tired. Like, we need inspiration, we need light. And I feel like a part of my call is to be that light, to be that surge of energy. When you plug your phone into the wall, you wake up at night and your battery full. I'm the plug. Okay, Plug your charger in. I'm gonna do what I gotta do. I'm gonna get that battery full so we can keep going back out there and doing the work. Okay. And so that inspires me when I see the impact, but also knowing that like, I am living on assignment, like, what greater feeling is that, you know what I'm saying? So I would say I say those things.
- [07:46]
A
God, that's powerful. And, and to your point, just the, the time and the moment that we get to be in this and, and drawing from purpose to be that renewable source, I, I don't know if it gets any better than that. Honestly, I really don't.
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C
It doesn't. It doesn't. We get where we have a great opportunity, a great privilege, and like, when we get to see impact up close and personal, it's like, what better, what better feeling than that?
- [08:17]
B
So, yeah, Floyd, you mentioned you, you do everything with purpose. And I, I was looking back through your career path a little bit and you can see that purpose in it. Even starting with going all the way back to college and your, your major as international relations and affairs, like, even that thinking about these systems and how they're interacting was, was, was that purpose something you found early on in life?
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C
Definitely. So I thought I was going to be a diplomat. Fun fact. Like, at one point I was like, I'm gonna be the diplomat or the president, like, who knows? We're going to figure this out. And then I worked in government, I was like, hold on now. I don't know. We don't see. I'm not loving all this, but also, that speaks to my. I'm, like a builder, too. Like, I'm someone who likes to build something, start something, get something off the ground. And, like, when I see a hole, I'm like, let me go and build the thing to make that better, you know? But I also, fun fact, double majored with music. I was an international affairs and music major. I'm a singer. As Justin mentioned, I had a voice scholarship when I went to college. So I've toured the world. I've, like, been all over the place. And I, like, music is a thing that brings people together in so many different ways. And I'm like, okay, if music can do this, this work, like, how much more can we actually build systems that operate in harmony? Come on, somebody, right? And I feel like that has been, like, a call for me throughout is like. And it's so funny, because I was, like, tracing back my life, and I was like, even in high school, I created something called a unity day, and I brought all the students to the gymnasium, and we were like. I, like, taught people. They were singing songs. We were doing sketches. We got the students to go back to their classrooms to, like, talk about deeper things. I was like, this has been me. I've always wanted to see the world be a better place and operate as a better place. And so I would say that it's been in my bones. But then also my family, my parents are immigrants, and my parents, my two eldest brothers, they're all from Sierra Leone, West Africa. So I grew up going to Sierra Leone all the time. And my dad's an entrepreneur, so I would wake up early in the morning as a kid and see a line of people outside of our house because my parents would provide jobs and opportunities to them. And I always, from an early age, just realized that this is what we do. We give back, we make the world a better place, and you can grow as well. And so that has just been a part of my fabric and my DNA.
- [10:45]
A
I. I'm not surprised by anything that you just said. I am also. I just want to sit in what you just said for a second, because seeing you and then hearing you say that, it just tracks and it connects, and. And so where. Where my mind goes is where I wanted to go was okay. So how did then you end up with your first role out of school as a development director? And I think you kind of just answered it, but talk us through. Like, talk us through, because that's a big. That is a big step for someone fresh out of school. Did you know what you were getting into? How soon did you realize it?
- [11:29]
C
Yeah, I was like, what is this? But I also feel like fundraising has always kind of been in my bones. Like, I realized even when I was a kid. I remember my first time getting called the principal's office because somebody. We going, we have reformed. Floyd, though I was selling lollipops out of my locker to raise money for. I don't even know what I was raising money for, but I was like, I've always been selling a couple of things. In college, I was. I did. I led a alternative spring break trip to the Gullah Geechee Nation. If you haven't checked that out or know what that is, look it up. But I did a trip to the Gullah Geechee Nation multiple years. So I was always raising money that way.
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B
And.
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C
And then what changed everything for me and made me realize that this was, like, a career path that I really think I could go on was I actually worked with this organization called Bokamoso. They are a youth organization in a township called Winterfeld, South Africa. And the youth there are just so incredibly powerful and so incredibly amazing. Every morning we were, like, singing songs and dancing, and I was like, these people are like. Changed my life, like. And I've been to South Africa many times now. I always say there's one other place in the world that I could live aside from America. It would be Cape Town or somewhere in South Africa. But when I was leaving the center, I did my senior research project there. When I was leaving the center, they were organizing a tour to the United States to raise money for the center. And I was able to get involved a little bit more, be a host, help organize specific pieces. And they ended up raising over $300,000 to. To sustain the center and provide scholarships to youth and have them go to college and get more training. And I was like, this is the first time it really clicked for me that, like, you can use funds to fuel good. And so I was like, I think I could. I think I could try this. I think I could get involved. And that kind of started my path as a frontline fundraiser and getting into space.
- [13:23]
B
So then from there, you kind of. You shifted your career a little bit. But throughout it, you're building connections, you're building communities. You've worked at grassroots organizations, tech platforms like Give Butter. You had some time there. And then you mentioned starting in politics. I mean, these are some very different areas. What Would you say you've learned in those, in those different parts about like how change happens and how, how you can bring people together, like what did. And music, the music career as well.
- [13:58]
C
Community is your catalyst. That's my main flow at this point. I've realized that that is really how you change things as with people, right? And it's not just using community as a buzzword, it's saying, okay, how do we actually build community to make long term and sustained change? And when you look back in history and in life, that has always been the thread. It has always been community, right? But especially when you look at it in the development sector and in the impact sector, it's always like, okay, hey, what we're doing this thing and we're going to impact the community. And I'm like, no, how you build and you grow is that you do it with the community, right? And so I have been able to apply that framework all across the board. Whether it's at a tech company, I was a director of community and oversaw community led growth, whether it's at a nonprofit and I'm building donors to help co lead an organization and saying, hey, no, we're going to do this together and when we're fundraising, we're going to fundraise together. Because fundraising as a team sport, come on, somebody, right? Whether I'm working in a political campaign, whether I'm working organizing a concert, right? Like no matter what context you are in, you have to do it with your people, right? You have to see who you want to serve is what I say. You have to be able to see who you want to serve and understanding that it's not an us versus them, it's a we. We are all doing this together, right? Even with the campaign. I run a campaign now called Back Black where we help fund black led nonprofits. We work with all people, we bring all people together, right? We've raised million, we've helped direct millions of dollars over the last two and a half years and see impact in action because we're bringing everyone with us, right? I'm a speaker, I help train people on this. I'm seeing in action, right? When I'm coaching organizations or coaching businesses and telling them, hey, you got to bring your people at the core, right? So I have seen it all across the board. I'm not new to this, I'm true to this is what I tried to say, okay? Because I believe that that is what's going to change the world. When you can see more people and you can do it with them. That is what's going to change the world. Because guess what? Right now, people are looking to belong to something, and we have the power to be that something.
- [15:53]
A
Completely agree, man. And, you know, the. I. I don't hold back. I love every bit of it. Don't hold back. I know that you're not. I know that you. I don't even. I don't actually think that you can. There's two parts that I want to pick at there. What prevents people from enabling that? Like, what holds people back from not just agreeing with the perspective you just shared, but actually living that out? What holds people back from that? And. And how does somebody start?
- [16:36]
C
Correct, correct. Okay, so I love this question. I'm going to start with how does someone start. Okay, I created. Oh, my God, you have a cup to get out. Get out. Okay.
- [16:52]
A
I find the right moment to take a sip because, you know, I didn't want to just, you know, go ahead.
- [16:57]
C
I love it. Okay, so I have something called the four C's that I have built. The four C's of community building. Because so many people ask exactly what you said. How do we build this out? How do we live this out? Okay, we're going to break it down. Okay. Captivate, communicate, convert, catapult, captivate. How do you share the story with your people? So many different times when you're. I always say, if you're trying to build a movement, is it a movement if nobody's going with you?
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A
Fair point. It's very.
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C
How many people are saying that they're burning out? And I'm like, yes, we are burned out, but how many times are we the ones holding our own candles to the fire? We just come with our match. We just. We just walking with our match because we're doing it all, right? How many times are we trying to shoulder the burden on our shoulders? And so the first question I want to ask is, how are you sharing the spark? How are you capturing people's attention? And I'm not just talking about a goosebump. I'm not just talking about a good video. Those could be a method, right? Those could be a method. But the real question here is, do you want other people to come involved? Because every single level of this, there's another internal question that you have to ask to ask, why is it not happening? Why are we not in the flow? Right? You can't go unless you're in the flow. Come on, somebody. So the first question is, do you want other people to go along with you if you're not asking what role does you trying to do everything serves. You got to ask these questions, right? What do you tell yourself when you're always on what is always on tell you, Come on somebody. So you have to share the spark. Because the spark is getting people to say who, who this, who, what's going on here?
- [18:42]
A
Which takes time for, for you to be reflective. Like you have to a hundred percent like to your point about burning out and walking up with the candle and the match at the same time. I just have to interject that if you don't create space to think about that for yourself, if you don't create space for that sort of thought process, then you're, you're going to just continue to do whatever that iterative is.
- [19:10]
C
100%. I always say you have to create space for transformation to take place. And this is not just for your people. This is for your own person. Come on somebody. Okay, so share the spark then you have to share the story. Okay. Once people, you pick their interest, then you have to capture their attention. You have to keep their attention. Right? What do they say? People have to pay attention because why? It's expensive. It's expensive. Okay? You have to capture their attention. So now you're capturing it through storytelling, you're doing it through your email, you're doing it through actually engaging with them on a long term basis. Right. You have to continue capturing and I do a whole training on this. If you're not on my website, go to my website. FloydJonesCo. Okay. Come to one of my talks. We're gonna talk about it, right? But you gotta capture their attention. You gotta keep their attention. Okay? Then after you share the spark, then you share the story. And I always say your story is gonna lead you to another level of your glory. Come on. Somebo. Because people need to be able to see themselves in your story. That's the only thing they're going to keep walking along the path with you. People can get. People get excited all the time. But why do you think social media exists? Okay. How many times do you scroll? Your finger gets tired of scrolling because every five seconds another video, another good thing that catches your attention. But how many people go viral once and then never see that, that, that, that victory again? Followers. Many people have followers, but not many people have follow through. Come on somebody.
- [20:34]
A
Yeah. Or you find yourself living in pursuit of that, that high. Like all of a sudden your, your motive changes. Right. Your purpose, your intent changes. Right.
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C
Period. You lose the story.
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B
Yeah.
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A
You lose the story. Yeah. Yeah.
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C
Period. So Share the spark, share the story. And then third, and this is the most important convert, share the opportunity. How many times do you meet somebody and they're like, okay, the first email is, can you donate? And I'm like, you don't even know. You don't know my name. Like, huh? Or maybe you'll get a donation, but it won't be a long term sustainable gift. I just made a significant gift to an organization. Almost four figures. Come on, somebody. But I had been interacting with this organization for months. Months. I have been interacting with this organization for months. I was like, you know what? They're doing real impactful work. Now's the time. Now's the time. You think you're going to get a transformational gift from one social media post and you might, but the chances of that happening are not high. Right? And remember, you're not just building for another donation. Anybody can get a donation. You are building for believers. Because believers are going to lead to your breakthrough. So you have to give them opportunities to get involved. Right? Maybe level one is Share this post. Maybe level two is come to this event. Maybe level three is volunteer for this thing. Maybe level four is, okay, now make a donation. Maybe level five is become a peer to peer donor. Join our local board. Like, give them levels to this. Give them levels. Because people also want to continue growing. So you have to convert. And the final opportunity is catapult. The fourth C is catapult. So you got to share the spark, you got to share the story, you got to share the opportunity. And then you got to share the baton. Come on, somebody. Because now it's not about you. It's not about me. It's about we. It's about we. This is where your people become ambassadors for your cause. This is where they join your board. This is where they open up corporate doors. This is where they open up funding doors. This is where you share the baton and you empower people. And guess what? Because when people feel that they have the baton, guess what? Now the mantle is in their hand and they are now taking co ownership of that mission. It's about co ownership. We're in this together. I always say, if you want to go fast, go by yourself. But if you want to go far, come on, somebody. You go together. And that's how you do.
- [23:05]
A
Ronnie. That's how you do it. I don't know if you caught that or not.
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C
Like Ronnie said, hey, check, it checks out.
- [23:12]
A
No, it does. It does.
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B
I mean, it really does.
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A
We get so lost and trapped in ourselves and so caught in cycles that having that idea of reframing, like even why you're, why you're doing this work, why you're in fundraising and whether or not that, or you know, a donor population of 50 or 50,000, what you just mentioned, like that is creating experiences for people. And, and you know, I mean we are so blessed to get to work with hundreds and hundreds of, of non profits and oftentimes we even have to think about, okay, are we talking at people on behalf of the non profits that, that have us as their, their partner? Are we talking at people or are we creating experiences that help fuel that cycle of co productivity right in being a part of the mission? And it's, that is, it is hard work to be doing it and thinking about it at the same time.
- [24:23]
B
And it goes back to that idea of burnout and needing to create space because if your head's down and you're just on to the next thing, onto the next thing. It's hard to find that space to give thought, some thoughts to that 100%.
- [24:36]
C
I also want to challenge. But why are we always on to the next thing? On to the next thing? Why? Like we don't have to. We create these false ideas that I have to always be doing XYZ thing. And I'm like, you don't. If you're not doing one thing well, is it really making that like that impact? Like I have a controversial rule that I have in my life, but I, and it applies to every organization I work with, everything that I do my business, I have something called the six figure rule. I don't jump to the next thing. Unless this stream is bringing in at least six figures. I am not going to start track because what for what? I don't want $10 here, $3 there, a thousand dollars. You're not stewarding any of those things. Well, you're not taking them to the four Cs. You're not doing that.
- [25:29]
A
I was in a.
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C
So I'm like, let's go deep here and then we can expand.
- [25:33]
A
You know, I was in a conversation with a colleague recently and they said something that connects to this very well. And they said, they said, I feel like we're trying to jump to dessert, but we haven't eaten our dinner.
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B
See.
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C
And don't even talk about an appetizer. Don't even ask for a bed roll. Don't even ask for a bread roll because. Huh.
- [26:00]
A
No.
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B
Right.
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A
Like that's. Yeah. How. Okay, so this is what I mean, man. Like, this is where I Love, I love your passion and, and how effusive it is and how it seems to be a self propellant because we're living in such an interesting time to be coming of leadership in this time and space. We really, really are the generations before us, when they came into leadership in this space, their, their world looked very, very different than what they were trying to. What many of us see now, what helps you steward your space, your mind so that you can stay informed and, and also innovative in how you're leading both your company and with the nonprofits that you engage with.
- [27:08]
C
Prayer is first I have to look. You have to be insightful. First, I need to. I'm always in a state of constant reflection. I'm. I wake up every morning and I journal. That's the first thing that I do. I'm journaling, I'm praying, I'm working out. I have my consistent things that keep me constant because I can't always be on. You're not going to get your. What inspiration is inspiration and how many times we wake up in. The first thing that we do is look at this phone. The first thing that we do is look at the news. The first thing we do is look at our email. You are just setting yourself up for stress. I'm not. That's not me. Because I realize, I realize the impact that I have. I don't think in days, I think in decades. I don't think in days, I think in decades. I'm like when I'm sitting in my rocking chair, I remember my grandpa, okay. He was 85, just hustling, doing his, doing his thing. He was. I said okay, that's what I'm working towards. Okay. And I want to say what am I going to be reflecting on, on my 85th walk? What am I going to be reflecting on when I'm walking on that beach when I'm just sitting down, what do I want to reflect on? And that's what I'm working towards. I'm not working to the next. Like I'm working for longevity. So that's first. Okay. Second is I stay, I stay in understanding what's happening. I stay in the trends. But you have to be in without being inundated. You have to be in. So I'll get my quick briefs. I can get a. And also pay attention to what sources you're allowing inside of you. Right. I don't just go to any news outlets. Right. I'm going to new. I'm filtering the news. Right. I even taken. I have a strong Breaks with social media too. I'm like, it's so funny because I post a lot, but I'm like, I'd be pre posting, I'd be pre planning, I'd be doing whatever I need to do because I'm like, I can't get myself stressed out because the mission is too important. Right. I know the role that I get to play in this, in this. You know what I'm saying? And so I would say those, it's all about self protecting yourself. You know, I mean what they say, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Come on, somebody.
- [29:08]
A
Way to tie to the. Way to tie it like into the framework of the character. That was, that was well done. Oh yeah.
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B
Okay.
- [29:14]
C
All right.
- [29:15]
A
Now I'm gonna have to find a way to levitate before we're done today. So I appreciate you like, you know, raising that bar for me.
- [29:22]
B
Okay.
- [29:23]
C
Yes.
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B
I have a question. Okay. So I'm put piecing that together a little bit here. Okay. Your big focus on community, bringing people together as you look to the next decade. As you're thinking about it, the we're in the moment of AI right now, which is very much not people. Automation, machines. How do you see the next decade? It might even be the next three years right now. As fast as things are moving, how do we get people together in this current state of AI driven, data driven automation that we're facing?
- [30:04]
C
You know, I always say I ain't I. I say I ain't I meaning that nothing can replicate me, okay? It's only going to amplify what I'm doing. I led and was the host of fundraising AI this year and the, the theme was amplify impact. And I was like, that's so true. We are here to ample. It's going to amplify your impact, right? And I feel like platforms like our good sis Mallory Erickson, who's doing practivated and how we're infusing it, right? I just love one of their webinars, but I'm like, okay, yeah, here's the tool and here's how we're gonna use it together. You know what I'm saying? We're learning best practices from each other, right? So I would say the main thing is figure out and write down. I actually. Okay. So one thing that I do, I love data. Okay. I actually track every single hour of my day. Shout out to harvest. Okay. I love the platform Harvest. I track every hour of my day and I write out all the tasks that I'm doing in every hour of My day. And when I'm done, at the end of the day, I put little emojis by each task. So I'm like, this one. I put, like, a lightning bolt. If I was like, this was it, right? I put a smiley face. I put a neutral face. I put a drooling, drooping. You know, that little drooping, melting person. When I'm like, this ain't it. I don't do that again. And every quarter, I sit down and I'm like, okay, what were all the tasks that had the droop and how do we automate those out? I sit down with my OBM and I'm like, how do we get this away from me? Okay, so it's all about, like, that's the power of what it can do so I can focus on the lightning bolt. Because the lightning bolt, that's moving things forward. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's the thing that's driving the needle forward, right? And so that's what I really try to focus my energy and my time on.
- [31:53]
B
That's awesome.
- [31:54]
A
That's fantastic. No, that's great.
- [31:56]
C
But, like, that's.
- [31:57]
A
That is. That is what it should be. That is how technology should be amplifying the work that we're doing. And. And good on you for the intentionality of putting that into practice. Because not only does it benefit you in terms of efficiency and all of the really, you know, nice, important business words, but it also just benefits you in terms of your own morale.
- [32:23]
C
100, 100.
- [32:25]
A
Preserving, protecting energy against certain things and leaning into the other things. Right?
- [32:30]
C
100%. When we're talking, we look so much at, like, external things for our benchmarks of success, like dollar amount, likes, shares, people. Like, all of these things are external. I'm like, how often are we ranking our joy? Like, why is joy not factored into your KPIs? Like, I get so. And I'm like, if this thing is not bringing you joy, it's not worth it. There is this scale. Oh, my God, it was so good. I forget what, like, the actual title. It's not. The Eisenhower matrix is another thing. But it's like in the top right quadrant, it's like, this thing is bringing me money and energy. Keep this thing right. Then it's like, this thing is bringing me money, but it's draining my energy. Delegate that thing. Then it's like, this thing is bringing me energy, but not. But not money. Protect that thing. And then this thing is not bringing me money and not bringing me energy. Get it Out. Cut it out. We don't need it. You know what I'm saying? So it's like just being really meticulous. You have to protect your time. That's the thing that we don't get back. You have to protect your time. We only have one life, right? I want to spend my time. I just got back from Cartagena, Colombia. Amen. Okay. And I was enjoying my time with my wife. I was enjoying time on the beach. And I was like, a few years ago when I was in frontline fundraising, this would have not been a thing. Like, October, November came around and I was like, the way that my heart would just skip a beat and I'd be stressed. And I sent out an email talking about this. Last week we got almost a 60% open rate of like, here's exactly what I started to do to change that. And I was like, people are hungry for this change. I'm gonna be the change. But I can't be the change if nothing changes. Come on, somebody.
- [34:10]
A
What's one thing, whenever you look at, like, right now or the next six months, what's one thing that Floyd is excited about that's bringing Floyd joy?
- [34:22]
C
I just found out that I'm going to be the keynote at a conference in Toronto. Shout out to the Canadian fundraising crew. I just found that out, like, this last week. I don't even know if this is public information, but whatever. I'm just putting that. I'm putting the speeds out there. Okay. So I just found out that I'm doing that. So I'm excited. Congratulations. That's huge. Thank you. Yes, I'm excited. What else? Yeah, that I would say that that'd be one thing.
- [34:48]
A
I'm gonna. I'm gonna put a lightning bolt by that for you.
- [34:51]
C
Okay. Exactly. Exactly.
- [34:55]
B
I want to ask you if you could leave one lesson of leadership for people working in the non profit space. Well, I mean, we've thrown out. You've thrown out quite a few nuggets, but if you could leave them one, what would it be?
- [35:11]
C
I think the theme of this call is being intentional with your time. Like, we have one beautiful, honorable, exciting life to live. And you deserve to be happy about the life that you're living. Like, you deserve to be happy and joy filled with the life that you get to live. Right? So be intentional. Anything that's like taking away your peace, anything that's taking you away from your core mission, your core values, get rid of it, child. Because not. Not in the year of our Lord 2025, and we going into 2020. So we not. We don't have time for. For things to waste our time. Okay. So be intentional with your time. Operate in and on purpose, and watch how life opens up for you. That's what I say.
- [35:55]
A
It's well said, Floyd. You're maybe one of my favorite humans that I've ever met. Right back at. Yeah, I, you know, thank you for. For setting aside the time to chat with us, tell us a little bit about your life, your background, and to bless us with your intentionality. And I know that it'll do the same for our listeners. And so. And just thank you.
- [36:19]
C
Thank you. I appreciate you. Justin. I'm so happy. When I finally got to see you in March, it was. I was like, I feel like I've seen you all my life. And so I'm happy that we're finally here.
- [36:31]
A
True. We are finally here. Finally here. So can't wait to see Ronnie.
- [36:37]
C
Absolutely. You guys have a good one, okay?
- [36:40]
A
All right, man. Happy Halloween. We'll see you soon.
- [36:41]
C
Happy Halloween.
- [36:44]
A
Group Thinkers is a production of RKD Group. For more information, including how you can partner with RKD to accelerate growth for your fundraising and nonprofit marketing needs, visit rkdgroup.com.