One of the most joyful parts of my work is the opportunity to donate my resources to other organizations making a meaningful impact in the world. It’s not always possible to work one hundred percent within our area of passion, as our life is littered with catalytic events that shape and influence our hearts outside of our primary profession. However, charitable giving is one way to put our life equity to good use by investing our money, time, or experience into causes that directly connect to our life purpose.

To learn more of what I mean by life equity, read chapter nine of my book Life Starts Now to see how you can uncover your unique life story and identify the inflection points that can guide where and how you apply your purpose.

I’m thrilled to count Plywood People and the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA) as two organizations I’ve historically been able to support with a portion of my business’s revenue. When you invest in services with me- whether coaching, courses, or consuming content like my book- you are also helping to support hundreds of other organizations and people impacted by the positive work Plywood and CHOA do.

Check out below to learn more about these organizations and why I’m choosing to support them with my business.

What is Plywood People?

Plywood People is a nonprofit in Atlanta that trains and supports a global community of social impact leaders. Over the past ten years, Plywood has worked with over 1000 startup founders, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders to solve social issues that impact the thriving of communities around the globe. Plywood offers community, education, and experiences that inspire people to dream of a better place and move into action. Since 2022, I’ve been on the board for Plywood People, where I serve as an advisor and financial donor.

How can you get involved with Plywood People?

If you’re also passionate about social impact leaders doing good, there are many ways for you to partner with Plywood. We’d love for you to join the mission to train and support global leaders. Though much of Plywood's work does happen locally in the Atlanta Metro area, there are ways you can connect either as a member or advisor.

Here are a handful of the ways you can be a part of Plywood now:

Join Plywood+

For 2023, Plywood released an online community called Plywood+. The platform offers daily opportunities to connect with other social impact leaders and exclusive training modules on topics like balancing marriage and entrepreneurism, building a board, or leading a team.

Attend Plywood Presents

Each year, Plywood hosts a conference called Plywood Presents unlike any you’ve attended. I don’t know how they make a 1,000-person event feel wildly intimate. But I can say that I’ve made some of the best and most authentic connections with like-minded individuals at Presents. The speakers are always inspiring and honest. The swag is on point. The connecting experiences surrounding the event allow you to develop relationships with kindreds who can be long-term partners in your calling.

Learn through programs

If you’ve ever considered starting an organization or need a supportive community to help you launch a big idea, Plywood can help. Check out the Foundations or Layers programs that provide training and accountability. Foundations is a two-day organization accelerator that gives you a comprehensive plan to start your organization. Layers is a group coaching experience that serves as a mastermind for social impact leaders hoping to grow professionally. If you’re in the early stages of a new idea, you can also look into the online program Path to start tinkering with the problem you’d like to solve.

Stop by Plywood Place

Imagine a co-working space in Atlanta where people actually talk to each other and catalyze one another to do better, faster. That’s Plywood Place in a nutshell. The coworking space in the West End is the centerpiece of Plywood’s work, allowing social impact leaders to convene in the city while working on various projects solo or in teams. The space also offers extraordinary events and bonuses like free Portrait Coffee and Thursday night happy hours in connection with Monday Night Garage Brewing.

How can you donate to Plywood People?

I’m honored to be on the board with Plywood, where I get to donate financially and serve with my time and experience. We’re always looking for people to help out by serving as advisors for the community. If you’ve read about learning to steward your influence in my book Life Starts Now, becoming a Plywood Advisor is the perfect way to implement your plan. Whatever your life and professional experience has been, you have something to offer to the community to help support the organizations within Plywood. You can also give to Plywood’s work by becoming a monthly donor. Sign up here to give $25, $50, or even $100 a month to further the work of this organization. A gift to Plywood is like making a compound investment in multiple organizations because of the reach of the nonprofit’s work.

Thank you in advance for your support!

What’s so great about the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA)?

Aside from the obvious positive work of helping children in the Atlanta Metro area, I love CHOA, specifically for its work in sickle cell care. Sickle Cell Disease is a medical condition affecting several family members. I’ve seen firsthand the limitations of care and the hurdles that patients and their families often have to navigate to keep those affected from excruciating pain. Since moving to Atlanta, I have been overwhelmed by CHOA's ease and coordination of care. I also love that they remain at the forefront of sickle cell research and procedures to provide what amounts to a “cure” for sickle cell disease.

What is sickle cell disease?

Sickle cell disease is an inherited red blood cell disorder where red blood cells contort into a sickle or C-shape. This condition can cause cells to die off early, leaving a shortage of healthy blood cells (which causes anemia) and blocking blood flow (which causes a pain crisis). Treatment of sickle cell disease usually entails pain management, some medications, blood transfusions, and occasionally a bone marrow transplant. There is no true “cure” for sickle cell disease. Still, the costly and high-risk bone marrow transplant option or gene therapy interventions can extend the length and quality of life of those diagnosed with sickle cell disease much like a cure.

How can you give to CHOA?

I’m sure you can support the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta in many ways. They often need volunteers to serve at one of the hospital’s campuses in the Atlanta area. One of the easiest ways is to donate online. Sickle cell disease is perpetually underfunded in research primarily because of the population affected by the disease. In this respect, I love giving to this particular cause because the disease affects my family and because it’s a justice issue I can support.