BACKGROUND
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The First Thirty by Jillip Naysinthe Paxson (and expanded version, The Silhouette Man) tell the story of a person's efforts to make a difference and the lessons learned along the way. Greg is the real-life person upon whom the books are based. In October 2009, he traveled to Kentucky for 3 days. This part of the site has photos, details and links regarding his trip (and some links to past trips along the way). Italicized notes are personal notes from Greg.
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TUESDAY MORNING
Greg was brought to a (beautiful!) high school and given a tour of the campus, before speaking at an assembly about the potential 'ripple effect' of community service.
(The school had recently organized and implemented a Day of Caring which involved their students spending time performing community service at various sites around their city).
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As a surprise, in conjunction with the visit, Louisville Slugger provided a stack of complimentary passes to its Museum & Factory. Students and staff at the school will now come up with a plan to put the passes to use in a way that is consistent with the message shared during the assembly.
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It was the second time Louisville Slugger played a role in one of Greg's events. The other event was in New York. (Earlier in the year, on a previous trip to Louisville, he also had a chance to visit their headquarters)
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TUESDAY - AFTERNOON
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Worked out at the gym, went for a long run by the river, sat outside, had some lunch, prepared for the speeches for the next day and read another few chapters of a book.
(The book was recommended to him by an attendee at a speech in Canada)
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TUESDAY - NIGHT
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Hosted a group dinner at a locally-owned restaurant called Lynn's Paradise Cafe.
As eccentric and fun as it is popular, Lynn's Paradise Cafe also has a lot of fun hats.
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For Greg, hosting brunches and dinners for complete strangers-turned-new friends is a fun tradition that has occurred hundreds of times in cities around the world.
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WEDNESDAY - 7:30 am
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Greg attended the 9th Annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference and Awards Luncheon: Big Picture and Bold Ideas.
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The event took place at the (highly-recommended) Galt House Hotel & Suites. The presenting sponsor for the event was Altman Insurance Services.
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In the morning -- and throughout the Conference, attendees had a chance to check out the many interesting exhibitors' booths.
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WEDNESDAY - 10 am
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After the morning plenary session, full-day attendees had four different 'Tracks' to choose from. They focused on things like Diversity, Marketing/Public Relations, and Innovation. Each 'Track' had a 90 minute morning session before lunch. Greg spoke with one of the Track groups.
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WEDNESDAY - Noon
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The awards luncheon was attended by the full-day conference attendees plus lots of additional people from the local business and nonprofit sector -- hundreds in all. Greg served as the luncheon's keynote speaker. He was asked to speak about the nonprofit sector and what those who are part of it can do to 'reshape their future'.
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During the luncheon, a number of inspiring individuals and organizations were honored for making a difference - with the awards emphasizing different important things like diversity and collaboration, or in one case (left), lifetime achievement.
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Took part in the first of two book signings at the Conference. Lots of nice people...
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Following the signing, there was the second of two sessions for the Track. During the second session, Greg and the group spent an hour discussing the way we find ideas that lead to the stories like the ones he told during the first session.
Then, for the final 45 minutes of the Track, an expert facilitator took over to help complete the process -- working with attendees to connect the ideas discussed throughout the day to their efforts in the local community.
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She also had them split up into groups and answer a series of questions. Then, each group took turns presenting their answers to the rest of those in attendance in the Track.
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WEDNESDAY - 3:30 PM
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Following the Track session...took part in the second of the two book signings at the event.
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Wednesday - 4:40 pm
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Changed into some jeans and gym shoes...got some tea for my throat...took a short ride to the campus of University of Louisville... a chance to meet with, and learn more about, a longtime school official with a really cool background...then guest lectured one hour of a course at the University.
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WEDNESDAY - 7:30 pm
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Greg hosted an impromptu group dinner - attended by some of the people who were at the Conference (and their friends).
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The dinner took place at a very popular place in town - Wick's Pizza.
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Some of the honorees from the luncheon (i.e. far left) were among those who came to the impromptu group dinner - giving the rest of us a neat chance to learn from them (while also having some great pizza).
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THURSDAY - MORNING
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Greg and a guest were given a tour of the American Printing House for the Blind. In addition to the tour, they also had the chance to write words in braille.
(I wrote the phrase 'I Connect Dots').
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APH was founded in 1858 and, according to its literature, is the 'world's largest creator of educational products for the blind'. APH -- its Museum and the accompanying Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends in the Field of Blindness (left) -- also provide an extraordinary on-site educational experience.
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Its guided tours are a powerful way to educate all people -- especially kids -- about the incredible talents possessed by those who are blind, the extensive number of products created by APH for them, and the historical significance of it all.
If you are anywhere near Louisville, American Printing House for the Blind should be way up at the top of your list of places to visit. It's just incredible.
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THURSDAY AFTERNOON
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In the afternoon, Greg and a guest were given a chance to tour another popular location in the area -- The Muhammad Ali Center. The mission of the Center is: "To preserve and share the legacy and ideals of Muhammad Ali, to promote respect, hope and understanding, and to inspire children and adults everywhere to be as great as they can be."
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From the initial goosebump-creating introductory film to multiple levels of interactive exhibits, MAC visitors have a chance to experience different sides of the Louisville native and his legacy -- shadow box with the Champ, check out some incredible photography and art, and view his life through the lens of his six 'core values'.
Another definite must-visit if you are anywhere near Louisville!
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Met with a friend for lunch at a popular local restaurant (Ramsi's Cafe on the World) right next door to the bookstore. Ramsi stopped by to introduce himself, and share a little bit of the story of his incredible personal journey from Israel to Iowa to Kentucky.
After lunch, Greg picked up his stuff and headed to the airport -- a packed 72 hours now complete
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SIGNS
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During each trip, Greg likes to find a fun, meaningful, and/or memorable sign or two. Here are a couple he saw on this trip...
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CONNECTING DOTS
One of Greg's favorite things to do is 'connect dots' -- between people, places and/or things. Here are a couple examples from this trip: He connected a young woman in the community to a local program for young professionals...connected a person who is helping to launch a program with a person in another city who has already launched one - so the former could get some ideas from the latter. He connected the head of a nonprofit organization that needed some pro bono assistance with a representative of a program whose members have that specific skill set (and all agree to do a given number of pro bono hours each year).
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SAMPLE OF OTHER RIPPLE EFFECTS
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During his luncheon speech, Greg encouraged the heads of two specific nonprofit organizations in attendance to meet and brainstorm on ideas together. They sent in word that they met a week later - for a nearly 3 hour lunch - and have come up with all kinds of possibilities for collaboration.
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SAMPLE OF FEEDBACK
Holly, Leadership Louisville Center: "I enjoyed the event, and his keynote at lunch was actually my favorite part. I especially appreciated his spotlight on
very important people in the room -- like the chef..."
Lisa, AmeriCorps VISTA - YMCA Safe Place Services: "...I thoroughly enjoyed both his speech at lunch and...presentation during the Track sessions....his enthusiasm for social change, the importance of interaction between individuals and groups, and taking hold of the opportunities each person represents reminds me of why I have chosen to live in service to others..."
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Ramona Johnson (one of the Awards Luncheon honorees), on the impromptu group dinner afterward: "...The dinner was cool for me -- to see the young adults there with a passion for social profit. For years, I have looked behind me and not seen anyone there to pick up the “cause”. There has been an absence of footsteps. Now I can hear the footsteps and I have more hope for the future. Thanks for that gift..."
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THE FIRST THIRTY ELEVATOR PROJECT
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During the trip, another chapter of The First Thirty Elevator Project was implemented -- the chosen recipient was a member of the staff at The Galt House.
To learn about this Project, how it started, what it has turned into, and how you could be part of it, go to www.TheFirstThirty.com and click Elevator Project.
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CROSSING PATHS
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Greg's trip to Kentucky provided him a chance to meet lots of other interesting people - planned and unplanned. Here are pictures of some of the many additional memorable people and places who crossed his path during the trip...
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The people who worked at the Best Western where I stayed my first night were really nice -- and their complimentary breakfast in the morning includes Cheerios :)
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The men and women who work at the Galt House were truly first class -- and had some really neat personal stories -- and they help put on a great event with some great food) :)
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Important to remember where you started...the very first person I met at the Conference
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BOOK/POSTER ORDER INFORMATION
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To purchase copies of The First Thirty or The Silhouette Man (or companion workbook A Place To Sit) online, visit www.TheSilhouetteMan.com and click Cart
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SPECIAL THANKS
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It was a busy 72 hours! Thanks to everyone who made the different parts of the trip possible, and everyone who was part of it along the way. I love Kentucky!
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