A year to travel

2011 was an exciting year. I traveled to Cambodia, made a documentary, met Blake Mycoskie of TOMS, traveled to Las Vegas 3 times, worked as a freelance photographer, held two internships: Amarillo Bulls and Nobox Creative, met the author of “Where Am I Wearing,” Kelsey Timmerman, became General Manager of KWTS The One 91.1 FM, and started a blog about my life and experiences. Yeah it was busy, but oh so fun. 

Looking back on this year, I’ve had some key takeaways and here they are to name a few: 

  1. Do not be afraid to travel. I’d say this was a valuable lesson learned. I was afraid of moving other places and changing where I was and what I knew about the world and myself. I’ve spent about 61 hours total flying, and that’s not including layovers and driving to different places. Seeing other people, seeing other cultures it’s all a part of defining who you are as a person. You can’t be completely comfortable in your own skin and be certain of who you are without seeing how other people live. Plus I can guarantee you will pick up some knowledge or skill when traveling - I know I did. 
  2. You will mess up, but don’t panic. I’ve messed up a lot this past year. Whether it’s something to do with a school assignment or it’s something relational wise - you will make a mistake. I have learned though, that being honest about those mistakes and learning from them is the best thing. Don’t panic and fret about the mess. 
  3. Never stop thirsting for knowledge. At one point in the year, I had felt burnt out - done with it all. I didn’t really care about what I was learning about in school or what I was doing outside of school. I was bored. Then I found advertising. I became hungry to learn something new, to be creative in a new avenue. It has led to my two internships and I have found that this hunger and yearning for knowledge has propelled me to be a better person. 

I’m not too sure what 2012 will hold for me - well I guess everyone can say that. I do know that I want to land a dream job of mine. I want to be more open with others. I want to continue to develop my skills and improve. I want to find ways that I can come alive. 

It comes with being a senior

No I’m not talking about taking my teeth out or eating at Luby’s before a night of Bingo. I’m talking about a question I’ve been asked a lot this Summer. What do you want to do when you graduate? 

Huh! Good question. After three years of college schooling, I’m still not 100% sure. I mean I have my ideas, but I’m not exactly sure of what path I’m going to take. 

I came to school with dreams of being a news anchor. Making it big and landing the gig of Good Morning America anchor. I would tell the nation the world’s latest and all the while be successful and praised. This has changed to say the least. 

I’ve done news stories, and been around that and I’ve decided “ehh, not for me.” I also know that I’m not too interested in doing radio either. 

I do know that Cambodia changed me. That since the trip, I want to change the way media is used in a better way. I’ve often thought about working for TOMS shoe company as a part of their social media team or giving team. This would be an awesome experience. 

I could see myself shooting documentaries or working in Cambodia with PEPY (the tour company that took us around on our trip).

I’ve also thought that I chose the wrong major and that AD/PR should be my major. Event planning, coming up with slogans, are somewhat right up my alley. So what if I worked for an Ad Agency or something along those lines.

The fact remains, that I still am not sure. I know I want to do something media related. I know I want to use my skills to better the way that media is shown to the world and not just on the negative. Time will tell and job offers will help me decide. I still have time. I just am glad that for now I know what field I am highly interested in.  

An Eye for an Eye

Well at least in the One for One Movement sense. In case you missed it the TOMS company began marketing for their new movement recently using these things (click here) and placing them in key locations across the U.S. and then announcing that they would be opened on June 7, 2011 (this created quite the buzz as expected) to reveal the next One for One movement piece. 

Short story short, the reveal announced that TOMS is no longer just a shoe company, but they now sell eyewear (or sunglasses). This One for One movement means that for every pair of sunglasses purchased TOMS will help give someone sight. They accomplish this in three different ways: medical treatment, prescription glasses, or sight-saving surgery. 

This is a VERY neat concept. In my previous blog, I had several issues with TOMS but in the end decided that it was a good COMPANY. I am further standing by this after researching the eyewear movement. TOMS is not bringing in a product anymore - no longer taking away from the local economy by bringing in shoes, but instead are bringing in eye glasses and doctors to help those firsthand. 

TOMS is also partnering with Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) again but have listed the Seva Foundation as their first one to work with. This is good. I’m able to look at the NGO now. I dug a little bit further and found out that the Seva Foundation works with LOCAL doctors, and trains LOCALS - creating sustainability and educating local people (not bringing in foreigners!). 

On the eyecare One for One movement page, TOMS mentions that giving eyesight to locals allows them to go to school and helps locally. However, the problem arises once again of if the school itself is good or not…

Also, will TOMS be bringing in people on eyewear drops now? If so that’s another thing that isn’t necesarily good about this movement - poverty tourism. 

Then as the eyewear movement grows will the NGO’s that they partner with be as good as Seva…or is Seva really all it is meant out to be. Getting your hands in the dirt and doing the research firsthand is something that I’m not able to do as I once did.

It will be interesting to see how the eyewear movement continues to grow and change. What if someone has a faulty surgery? How will that impact the company? Where else will TOMS go? 

Once again though, TOMS is a COMPANY not an NGO directly. It’s not necessarily something you can compare. I do feel like they are making strides in giving responsibly. I do feel much more secure in the eyewear move and in the company that I hope someday to be a part of. 

What’s next

Ok so if you have been following my blogs, I’ve been posting about my journal entries while in Cambodia and a little bit after (throw in some TOMS shoes stuff in there as well). Well, it’s official that I have now transcribed all of my journals onto this blog. So, now what? 

Well as I encounter people and life lessons I will post those stories here. It won’t become the daily blog that it has been, but it will continue. I have an internship at Nobox Creative (an ad agency) in Amarillo, TX that I’m sure will come up. I also work as a Peer Leader this summer for orientations at West Texas A&M University, so I’m sure that will make an appearance as well. I’m the general manager of KWTS The One 91.1 so that will pop up. Most importantly the lessons I took from Cambodia, my life goals, and just random stories should be prominent. 

I’m still working on the Cambodia documentary. I’m getting behind, but I will be working on a lot of editing this summer. I plan on finishing that up before the Fall Semester. 

I’ve learned a lot about myself with my travel experiences. I know I’m a strong caring person. I know that I can overcome a lot of obstacles in my life. Things are going well for me, the ups and downs are what makes me who I am. These I will share as well. 

This will be the place I document where I grow and share. I am a firm believer in constantly improving yourself no matter what ground you are standing on. So to be continued…

Organizations

April 5, 2011: 

It’s been awhile since I journaled. So far the Cambodians have presented at the social justice conference, adjusted to coming back, and set the date for our town hall: 4/26/11. A lot has happened. We’ve talked about what it has been like coming back and how we all feel family. At the social justice conference, Garlic and Parsley presented and it was good! This presentation was strictly related to media dna how you should research what is put out there. 

Pepper and Dill brought in a painting for us to express how we feel. It’s been a collaborative effort so far, but looks cool with a tree, an elephant, a river and more. I added part of the “Don’t ask what the world needs” quote in there. 

I think the group is a littler nervous to present, because of how to address the Somaly Mam shelter issue, but I feel like we can pull through. It was brought up when we had our ambassador lunch-in (with past ambassadors and we handled it well!) We plan on telling the truth about it, but making sure we don’t portray her sotry badly and point out Somaly’s purpose is to raise awareness. 

Our group has also talked about what organizations are good ones and what ones aren’t. TOMS got brought up a lot. I told them I found out that they aren’t the best but they aren’t the worst either. (see other blog) They take away from the local economy by bringing in shoes and allow people to come on shoe drops - increasing poverty tourism. 

Ginger made the point that not every group is going to be perfect and at what point do you say “that I’m ok with that.” This trip has made us question every charity - which isn’t really a bad thing. 

I think I’m going to continue to support TOMS and their efforts. I found out I’m going to be Blake Mycoskie’s (CEO of TOMS) personal assistant the day that he gets here! Super pumped! 

So far only one tape has been captured for the documentary. There have been several issues with faulty equipment, but I think I have the ball rolling now. I know the story I want to tell is that of how the trip manifested itself into something completely different than what I thought. I scheduled interviews with the ambassadors for 4/14. This should be good. Anyway, it’s late. Time for bed. 

Today’s impact, Tomorrow’s shoes

To break the Cambodia blog once again, here is my reaction and thoughts on last Thursday’s event: 

Words cannot describe the past 6 hours I’ve had. Those 360 minutes of my life are something that I will never forget.

 I have been a fan of TOMS for awhile now. I had purchased a pair about a year and a half ago and thought “Man, what a great concept. I just helped a child in need.” I loved the ease. I loved the way they shoes looked. I loved what I had done. Then I went to Cambodia.

 In Cambodia out of the several life changing lessons learned one was to always research where your money goes and to make sure that if you invest in a non-profit or something of the like that it is a socially responsible organization and that they in the end do more good than harm. RIGHT, when I got back I had to make an effort to plan the 21 Days of change (21 days of events that created a social change on our school’s campus) which included a partnership with TOMS shoes and the CEO Blake Mycoskie speaking on April 21st. I knew I had to do research.

After reading up on TOMS (see other blog), I had both seen the good and bad of the company but decided in the end I was going to be supportive because they were a company that meant well.

 It was decided that myself and another student, Halei, would be Blake’s personal assistant the day he was here. I mean not a big deal. I was worried, shocked, and excited all at the same time. I knew there was still more to learn about TOMS and also knew that working for a company like that is one of my dream jobs.

 During Blake’s speech he hit on a few key points that I completely agree with:

1.      TOMS is a company who is incredibly successful because of the One for One movement. Without that concept their raising awareness ability and marketability would not be as NEAR as successful as it is. He also spoke about how this is the new business model (this resonates so much with our generation)

2.      TOMS shoes have improved the lives of others. Blake gave an example of a family that had one pair of shoes to share between three boys. Each day a different boy would wear the shoes and would be allowed to go to school.

After his speech Halei and I were allowed to drive him from the venue to his hotel. This is a moment I will never forget. To spend one on one time with the creator of the one for one movement is priceless. Blake is so down to earth, so himself in every moment, that it amazes me. His success has not gone to his head. His ideas are him.

 Our conversation fluctuated from what he does in his down time, his favorite pair of TOMS, to more of a serious tone. Prompted by another Cambodian ambassador, I asked about the example of education he mentioned saying “What about the countries in need that don’t have a school uniform or in countries where the education system is bad…does TOMS help out with that aspect of things?” Blake’s reply was that TOMS is a shoe company, so no they don’t really do that. That giving responsibly is something that they do look into and TOMS can and is looking into things like that for the future of the company. “Good. Great. Even better,” I thought. Halei asked what kind of follow-up does TOMS do specifically. Blake answered with this: We really only give shoes if two things happen: A. There is a high disease risk in the area. Things like hookworm, or other diseases that can occur without the use of shoes. (TOMS does the research there). B. if there is an organization that they can partner with that can monitor what happens. In other words TOMS staff gives the shoes to the organizations who then in turn gives them to the whole area and those in need (TOMS makes sure this actually occurs). The organization, which is local, can then monitor when shoes need repairs, if kids outgrow them, educate them about sanitation, etc. None of that was on their website. None of that was in the research I had done. There was no way I could have found that out if I hadn’t spoken to someone at TOMS specifically.

 Learning all of this and spending 6 hours with the Chief Shoe Giver has just further increased my belief in a company that is doing well in the world. Blake Mycoskie is a modern day social mover. It is his vision of the combination of business and philanthropy that will shape my generation into doing something better. Having that One for One model was an ingenuous idea launched on a vacation in Argentina. I’m ready to reach out and change. I’m ready to learn and prosper. I’m ready to grow and share. Are you? 

TOMS Talk

I’m going to break my blog about my Cambodia journey today to discuss something that I feel should be discussed since tomorrow The BIG event is here. 

I’ve been a part of the TOMS 21 Days of Change committee for awhile now, and was at first super pumped to have Blake Mycoskie, the CEO of TOMS shoes, come to our campus to speak. And don’t get me wrong I am still super excited for this event. I have seen a lot of negative blogs or articles lately about the company of TOMS itself and how they have “good intentions but give bad aid.” 

After reading a great blog I decided it was my turn to speak up. In Cambodia, we learned to always measure one’s impacts rather than their inputs. So when you donate to something don’t just leave your money there and be happy with what happens - research. Find out what is being done with your inputs and see what the impacts are. I’ve looked at TOMS website and I see that they attempt to explain their impacts. 

They discuss how they work with local NGO’s (Non governmental organizations) and businesses when donating their shoes. They also specifically make shoes for the region that they are bringing the shoes too. They do not however, list the specific NGO’s and businesses that they work with. Now, granted there is only so much research I can do on a company from the safety of my home. 

The “hate” blogs on TOMS discuss that they bring in shoes to a foreign country, which in turn hurts the local shoe economy. Everywhere shoes are sold - this is fact. You could potentially just buy the shoes locally and then give them to those in need. Which brings me to my next point. 

TOMS is not a NGO, non-profit, or any other organization of the like. They are a for profit footwear company. You cannot compare this company to a non-profit organization. Apples and Oranges. However, the philanthropy side of this organization is something that you can compare it to - and that my friends is what we should focus on. 

So the “hate” blogs also state that TOMS allows people to pay a certain fee and you can venture out with them to the shoe drops, thus helping poverty tourism (where people go and say “hey this is a poor person” or look at those less fortunate then they are and “help” them). I myself do not support this at all. I see how this is tourism poverty and I see how this is not beneficial to those in need of a pair of shoes. 

Another thing, no NGO or non-profit is going to be perfect by any means. That’s another thing that Cambodia taught me. You can try your hardest, but just like in the real world there will ALWAYS be something you can improve upon. Giving away medical supplies or giving away mosquito nets, doesn’t really benefit those in need in the long run. It’s exactly what you are calling it - giving it away. Think about it. If you bought a pen and then lost it, you would care about that pen. You would think…hmm where is that pen. Ok, now think if you had gotten that pen at a trade show or some other place for free. You would probably think, hmm oh well I can find another one somewhere. Giving away things works the same way. In Cambodia a successful NGO is RDIC Cambodia (feel free to look them up). RDIC sells water filters for $10 (which to a Cambodian is a lot). This investment is an investment for the Cambodian in not only water, but in a healthier life. If they cannot pay the $10 they pay it in installments. These installments then become education opportunities for RDIC to teach them proper sanitation and maintenance of their water filter. 

In the end it is YOUR choice what to support. Blake Mycoskie has a great opportunity to raise awareness about a cause his company is passionate about. He could change some of the ways that it is ran. Yet, we can all change for the better - all the time. In my Cambodia class when we discussed how we should invest our time and money when we got back it was said “at what point do you just say ‘I’m O.K. with that’.” At what point do you research and look into an organization and say they are trying and they are doing what they can. It is all a personal judgement and it is all your choice.

As for me, I’m saying I’m O.K. with what TOMS does. There are worse organizations for me to invest my time and money into, trust me.  

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