As many of you know, I recently had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak at the White House alongside Vice President Joe Biden at his Cancer Moonshot address. What many of you don’t know is the driving force that got us there.
Earlier this year, I packed up my bags and headed to San Francisco for a meeting with the representatives of a high profile individual. Fingers crossed, I was hoping he would consider a major gift to Family Reach. We knew this man truly cared about children and had his finger on the pulse of important issues plaguing the wellbeing of families in our country. Together, my team outlined the dire need we see day in and day out – families fighting cancer are struggling to stay afloat – and lined up a compelling ask.
The magic moment
Finally, the big day arrived and I headed off to give a voice to the thousands of families we serve. I spotted the high-rise from a distance, marched into the glamorous lobby, took the elevator to the top floor and, with all the guts and conviction I could muster, walked into the meeting where I made the ask. The response was surprising to say the least.
“Why are you thinking so small?”
With those six words, the founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff, posed a question that haunted me until the day I took the White House podium. Like crystal hitting concrete, he shattered my status quo. All of a sudden, I was looking at a world without limitations. Marc Benioff may not have literally opened the door to the White House, but he changed our way of thinking. It was this new perspective that allowed us to capitalize on countless connections and opportunities that, in a very short amount of time, led us there.
A new perspective
If you know Marc Benioff or follow him on social media, you’re aware that he has had this powerful affect on many people. He makes a difference and encourages everyone around the globe to do the same. No problem is too big. That’s why he isn’t afraid to support and encourage Family Reach as we take the gloves off and tackle the financial crisis of cancer.
Now that you know the whole story, I encourage you to ask yourself, on a daily basis, “Why are you thinking so small?” Like me, I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you remove limitations that, frankly, aren’t even there.
