Generosity Capers

Ca-per (noun): an activity or escapade, typically one that is illicit or ridiculous.

One of the breakout sessions in the Celebration of Generosity Conference yesterday was titled, Generosity Capers. In it, they talked about the importance and impact of creating unique giving opportunities. Capers come in all shapes and sizes. Some capers are expensive, while others are cheap. Some capers are planned, while others are spontaneous. Some capers benefit friends, while others benefit strangers. Some capers are complex, while others are simple. Some capers are serious, while others are silly. Some capers involve cash, while others involve goods or services.

A large tip for the waitress. An anonymous utility bill payment for a struggling colleague. Inviting a friend on a trip, then paying for them. Unexpectedly mowing your neighbor’s lawn while they are gone for the weekend. Surprising a loved one when a service member returns early from a deployment……those always get me! All examples of generosity capers. The possibilities are endless, and we’re only limited by our creativity.

I frequently talk about this topic on the podcast (including our recent episode 220), but I never had a name for it. Now I do! They are called generosity capers! This is one of my favorite forms of giving. Yesterday’s session convicted me of a few things when it comes to generosity capers:

1) They matter more than I realized, and there’s a whole army of people perpetrating them.

2) I need to get even more ridiculous in my execution.

3) I need to do a better job bringing others into my capers.

As part of the session, they created their own caper. In the printed materials handed out to us, one person had a little sticker hidden in it. That person was surprised to receive a Chic-fil-A delivery, scheduled to arrive in just a few minutes (yes, during the session). That wasn’t the caper, though. Earlier in the day, the session leader reached out to Chic-fil-A’s manager and specifically asked them to hand-select who would make this delivery. The manager chose a single mom who had recently experienced a lot of life. This is where it gets good. The session leader communicated to us that the plan was to surprise the delivery person with an unexpected cash gift (we’ll call it a handsome tip). The gift was going to be “in the four figures.” Then, the session attendees were invited to participate if they desired. People all around me were ripping out their wallets and frantically scanning Venmo QR codes to submit their gifts.

About 10 minutes later, in comes the delivery. It was a somewhat awkward situation to hand-deliver a sack of yummy chicken in front of a crowded hotel ballroom, but she came rolling up with a smile on her face. A woman in our group shared some encouraging words with the woman, then prayed for her. Then, a man handed her a check…….$5,000!!!! She looked stunned. “That’s a big tip,” she exclaimed with a shaky voice. She couldn’t quite find the words, but her eyes spoke humility and gratitude. The energy in the room was amazing and I’m so grateful to be part of such a gesture.

Generosity capers, man! New name, same great taste. Generosity always wins!

* stay tuned for some absolutely ridiculous capers, coming soon.

Coming Full Circle in Omaha

I had an awesome time speaking at the Omaha YP Summit, the country’s largest young professionals conference. Nearly 1,600 people gathered from Omaha (and beyond) to connect, grow, learn, and have fun. I felt really good about my talk and was tremendously encouraged by the feedback.

The day opened with a talk by Ben Nemtin. Ben is widely considered one of the best public speakers in the world. I’ve been familiar with Ben since way back in the early days of my career, and some of you may as well. Ben and his buddies became a news sensation when they set off across America in an RV, checking items off their bucket list. Their agreement with each other was every time they crossed something off, they needed to help a stranger cross something off their list. Needless to say, this became a huge story. They went on to have their own show on MTV called The Buried Life.

I was young in my career when all this was happening. The next part is where I feel a bit sheepish. I have vivid memories of looking down on them, thinking what they were doing was silly. In my head was some version of, “grow up, get a job, and make some money.” After all, that’s what culture says to do……and that’s exactly what I was doing.

Fast forward nearly 20 years, and I’m sitting just off stage, watching Ben share his story with this huge audience. I absolutely loved Ben’s talk. He was funny, moving, and inspirational. Here’s the full-circle moment. The guy who looked down on Ben all those years ago (me!) was the same guy who was about to deliver a somewhat parallel talk in just a few hours. My talk had so many overlaps that I weaved pieces of Ben’s story into it. I was even able to work in a ridiculously stupid joke about me speaking after Ben. “I’m not sure in what world Taylor Swift would open for a high school garage band, but here we are.” That one got some good laughs, but they may have been pity laughs. Nevertheless, I loved being able to expand on some of Ben’s ideas in my talk.

As I reflect on the full-circle moment, I can’t help but think how badly I missed the mark earlier in my career. Ben knew something I didn’t. I’m not wishing away my prior career or saying having a normal job/career is bad. Far from it. I’m referring to the attitude I had toward the mere idea of living for meaning. That regret I feel is the exact reason I want to share this Meaning Over Money message with the world. I want people to hear a different perspective, know it’s an option, and decide for themselves. Wherever you are on your journey, it’s never too early or too late to pursue the meaning.

**Speaking of bucket lists, I’m just going to name one of mine. I deeply desire to become a world-class professional speaker. I’m certainly not there, but I’m better than I used to be. With more than 100 attempts under my belt, I’d certainly hope so! Today was a big step for me. I’ve never felt more prepared or more comfortable on a stage. I went to bed last night satisfied, grateful, and content. Thanks, Omaha, for a great day!