Latest / We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits / 238. Embracing Innovation + Becoming a Digital First Nonprofit: The Mission of Starlight Foundation - Adam Garone

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238. Embracing Innovation + Becoming a Digital First Nonprofit: The Mission of Starlight Foundation - Adam Garone · We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

• 0:01
  Becky Endicott: Hey, I'm John.
• 0:01
  Becky Endicott: And I'm Becky.
• 0:03
  Jonathan McCoy: And this is the we are for good podcast.
• 0:06
  Becky Endicott: Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.
• 0:15
  Jonathan McCoy: We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
• 0:23
  Becky Endicott: So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropist, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
• 0:34
  Jonathan McCoy: So let's get started. Becky,
• 0:37
  Becky Endicott: everybody, my voice is very calm that I'm fangirling. So hard core. Calm over there. It's so amazing when we have people on the podcast to pour their heart and soul into purpose into making life a little bit better for everybody else. But it's such a cool thing for us when our past kind of intersects with our present. And we happen to work at a hospital and a health care system. And we were very close with our pediatric team and our Child Life team. And I actually worked on a grant that the starlight Foundation funded for our pediatric program back in the day, and it is just an absolute joy for me to look the CEO in the eye and say thank you, that made a huge difference in our hospital. And I just think the joy that the starlight Foundation has brought to sick kids in the hospital is amazing.
• 1:29
  Becky Endicott: But before we go into starlight, I got it introduce Adam girone.
• 1:32
  Becky Endicott: You may know him. He's an activist, a change agent. Yes, he's the CEO of starlight foundation, but he's also as the co founder of Movember. And he's just one of the most successful social entrepreneurs of our time. And he created Movember.
• 1:47
  Becky Endicott: You remember, we had Caitlin Whitaker on a couple of seasons ago to talk about branding. And now he's leading Starlight through this transformational change applying all of this digital fundraising expertise into the program. And you know what, he's got a cool story. He worked for nine years as an officer in the Australian military. And he was co founding the Movember Foundation. And so we're just really excited to speak to Adam today. Not only does he have a true heart for passion and for purpose, but we love that he loves digital first strategy. And so we're excited to talk about all of that. But I just want to give one last little plug to Starlight because it is completely centered, and united in the belief that all children deserve to experience the magic of childhood. Because seriously, Ill kids are still kids. So thank you for just uplifting that beautiful mission. Adam, welcome to the weird for good podcast. We are so excited that you are here.
• 2:46
  Adam Garone: Wow, what an amazing introduction. Thank you.
• 2:49
  Adam Garone: I'm so happy to be here this morning and share a little bit about my journey and where we're going.
• 2:55
  Becky Endicott: Well, we're very interested in connecting the dots here. We want to go back really early on to little Adam in Australia. And tell us about how you grew up leading to these endpoints of military, Movember, Starlight and what awaken this purpose in you?
• 3:13
  Adam Garone: Yeah, that it's a really good question. And I sort of reflect on this a little bit.
• 3:16
  Adam Garone: It's like, where did this passion for service come from?
• 3:19
  Adam Garone: Because that's the one constant in my career in my career is not traditional by any stretch. But I had of family history of service in the military in Australia. And I just grew up wanting to do that. I don't I can't remember a time in my life that I didn't want to be in the military. I think there was a a costume party at Grable first grade or something like that.
• 3:43
  Adam Garone: And I went with my uncle's Greenbrae on and it was just awesome. Yeah, that was something I grew up wanting to do. I don't remember it ever been a conscious decision. went to a Catholic boys school growing up in Melbourne, Australia, and in certainly learn from the fathers and brothers in the school, the teachers, their commitment to service and our education and looking after it. So I think that was part of it as well. But yeah, then went straight into the military. That was the first sort of chapter of my career and, you know, you don't get a more structured formal career.
• 4:21
  Adam Garone: It's, you know, it's it's training, then promotion, timing, rank, promotion, timing, rank promotion, and it's a, it's a very, very traditional steps.
• 4:34
  Adam Garone: Yeah. And then I left at nine and a half years. So in my sort of late 20s, I guess, and then I did a, an MBA coming out of that I started an MBA at Melbourne Business School, and then they just created a master's a marketing program. And that intrigued me, in part because everyone was doing an MBA and I thought, well, I'll do the master marketing to differentiate myself. of not realizing that was sort of a key principle of marketing. And also there was three less subjects to, to graduate. So
• 5:09
  Becky Endicott: it was sounds like me looking for the least math credits a
• 5:14
  Adam Garone: bit cheap, a bit faster, wider track through that. And yeah, and then I transitioned out into work in the mobile phone industry back in early 2000s. The killer apps at the time were a ringtone for 99 cents. So Oh, yeah. And as screensaver in worked on some billing platforms, and then yeah, my brother sent me an email. The subject I'll never forget the subject line is, are you mad enough to be my man, his birthday is November 27. And said, we're going to have a moustache themed birthday party, we're actually going to have two parties, one at the start of the month to prove your clean shaven and then one at the end of the month for his birthday. And, and that's how Movember started it had nothing to do with charity or anything that year. It was it was just a moustache themed party, which was epic.
• 6:02
  Jonathan McCoy: Unbelievable.
• 6:02
  Jonathan McCoy: And I mean, tell us, you know, how it grew? Because I mean, the story. I mean, we had this impact on, it's millions of people that have been involved, right? And
• 6:12
  Becky Endicott: did you live in dollars raised for men's health?
• 6:16
  Becky Endicott: It's raised around
• 6:17
  Adam Garone: $1.5 billion. And each November each year raised around 120 $730 million a year.
• 6:22
  Adam Garone: It's just this phenomenon in terms of a fundraising campaign and it's all digital. The first year there were 30 of us that sort of participated in my brother's birthday. And you know, they coined the term Movember, which in Australia, Mo is slang for mustache. So as Movember November, and it was this really interesting personal journey, because at the time, were the only 30 year olds or late 20 year olds rolling around with mustaches. And it created so much conversation and so much controversy was like him, what are you doing? I mean, the look at the time was clean shaven.
• 7:01
  Adam Garone: And I was working in the mobile phone industry and business development and stuff. And my boss said, he can't see clients like that, what are you doing, and it had this beautiful start middle and end to the campaign.
• 7:11
  Adam Garone: And but the conversation sort of fell flat when I was oh, we're just doing this for my brother's birthday. So the next year, I went to Trav, and Luke, the other two guys involved and said, Hey, how about we put this toward a course and, and we fundraise off the back of it, because when you think about it, it's no different to any other, you know, event based fundraiser, like doing a half marathon or a bike ride, you make a commitment to do something and then you fundraise off your friends and family and colleagues. And your Movember has been called the laziest charity event in the world. You do less to embrace
• 7:53
  Becky Endicott: it. Yeah. Love it. Yeah.
• 7:55
  Adam Garone: And we also my brother was the, you know, the brand creator. He's a brand guy, and he loves brands. And the Movember brand is central to everything that we did. And we, at the time, there was no charities that appeal to us, they were all use more fear based marketing. And, you know, we landed on prostate cancer, because it's a male only cancer and also basically the equivalent of breast cancer in terms of number of men that are diagnosed and pass on the disease. And they've never broken out in in any way to make that disease popular or created any sort of significant fundraising around it. And so we just came at it from this completely different side. It's like the irreverence of growing a mustache for a cause. And Luke came up with a, you know, I think one of the best taglines ever, which is changing the face of men's health. And, you know, we literally changed, you know, our parents, we raised awareness off of that and phones and, you know, that first year, we cobbled together a website, you downloaded the donation forms.
• 9:00
  Adam Garone: And then the next year 2005, we integrated a credit card gateway, which was a first you know, we were one of the first sort of, to, you know, very progressive around that didn't you know, this is well before social media, so it was all email marketing and word of mouth, and then it just grew, it grew exponentially.
• 9:19
  Becky Endicott: The fact that you made an ALS Ice Bucket moment out of this particular cancer is absolutely mind bending and the way that you have done it is so interesting and whimsical, and fun and joyful, and the fact that you also influence pop culture, because I feel like you started seeing the mustaches on celebrities. You started seeing it on brands like it just started showing up. And as someone whose father has had a Sam Elliot mustache for 40 years, he feels very safe and I love this. Yeah, it's just a beautiful really experiment I just love it.
• 10:02
  Adam Garone: Well, I Dad had a mustache back in the day as well. But you know Movember right from the get go was all about men's health holistically.
• 10:07
  Adam Garone: And so we added testicular cancer as a second cause being another male only cancer. And then the third cause, we are to boost mental health and suicide prevention for men and boys and are really, you know, making great progress on prostate testicular cancer. And in terms of, you know, to cure cancer, no man should ever die from that anymore. You still need to turn up if you notice something wrong. And even the the survival rate for prostate cancer is, you know, in the 80s 90s now, and side effects are quite reduced.
• 10:44
  Adam Garone: So, but you know, mental health and suicide for men and boys is a really gnarly topic. It's very complex. And you know, we're not winning on that one. You know, society is getting more complex with social and digital media and all those influences. So that's your A, in addition to my work at Starlight, still a passion of mine.
• 11:05
  Jonathan McCoy: I just think, you know, what a formative experience to watch something that becomes a global phenomenon with sustainability, too. It's just, it is a unicorn. And you had that experience right out of the gate to write this first formative experience professionally. I just think it's had to have shifted the way your mind works. And the possibilities, you see, is that fair to say?
• 11:28
  Adam Garone: Yeah, it is. And that's been the really interesting thing. Coming to Starlight so I've third year anniversary just last week, and there's definitely an element of lightning in the bottle with Movember. There was just this year, right. There's an element of it's a unicorn works. And you know, Movember does get compared to the ice bucket challenge a fair bit. And I think it's in, in one sense, it's unfair, because the Ice Bucket Challenge was one year, one year, I mean, it was math, right? It raised about 140 million in November's peak year 2012, we raised more than that, I think was, you know, five or 6 million more than the method, but it's sustained. You know, it takes over $130 million a year in terms of fundraising, as I said, has raised $1.5 billion. But again, it's you know, we had nothing to do with the charity world, and not the guys that started the ice bucket challenge. And it was just looking at something completely different. And I always say, you can't, it's very hard to think outside the box if you live in it. You know, I did some consulting before I joined style. And in every way even it's our style, our borders are how we need a Movember. And it's like, you actually don't, the more time we spend thinking about trying to create a November is wasted. It's wasted time. I mean, my brother and his mate, were drunk on a Sunday afternoon in a bar and just came up with it. If my starting point from November was, as you know, the marketing or fundraising director at the Prostate Cancer Foundation in they said, Hey, we need to create a campaign that's going to engage young men and women in this course, and, you know, go viral, i There's no way known. If that was your starting point, you would have got to November, you know, November, we heavily invested in our tech platform and the brand but central to it. And same as Starlight central to everything is storytelling. And we, we, we told that story in a really positive, irreverent way. And I sort of always think about the motives, why people would engage in a charity or a fundraising campaign. There's extrinsic motivators. And then intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are strong at November. So that was more, I'm going to do this because I'm going to look cool, and my friends are going to see it and they're going to get engaged with far less about the cause. Whereas it starlight, the, the motivators are intrinsic. There is universal sort of empathy for a hospitalized kid and the family going through that. And so we draw far more on the cause, and, and, you know, helping the sick kids in our storytelling. So the storytelling is the motivations and how we draw people in a very different so I've been intrigued. Is that okay, I did this at November, there was absolutely an element of luck, great execution, of course, but you know, can I replicate that in a established charity that's, you know, been around for 40 years, but hardly anyone knows about,
• 14:27
  Becky Endicott: get into it, like we want to hear about Starlight Foundation. And I'll just give a little 10,000 foot view from my little feet on the ground. But I remember the day that our child life specialist came to us and said, We're going for a big grant, and she explained the case to me of what she thought it would do and how it would impact beyond the pediatric unit into the PICU into the siblings and there was such a multi layer to it. And she believes so deeply in it.
• 15:03
  Becky Endicott: And to see that that gift came to fruition to watch it come into the hospital to be able to forward an email to her, you know, a couple weeks ago and say, Hey, we're talking to Adam.
• 15:16
  Becky Endicott: And she says, look him in the eye and tell him how much this has changed our culture, then that's what it's all about. So take take us into Starlight Foundation, 40 year old organization and tell us why it appealed to you to come and lead this organization.
• 16:07
  Adam Garone: Yeah, there were a couple of things that collided a few years ago in a good in a bad way. The one of the board members I knew as a personal friend, and he was, you know, new since I sort of came over to the US in 2007. And he would often ask me for advice around starlight and it got to a point was like ham Wait, hardly anyone knows about starlight. How is that so in in Australia, Starlight is a household name, it would have the same brand recognition in Australia as make a wish or some do. And I grew up knowing about Starlight in Australia, I thankfully didn't spend any time in a children's hospital. But they've just done a brilliant job over decades of building their brand. So there was this, in my mind intriguing challenge to build a brand of a 40 year old organization. And I love challenges and I love building stuff just generally.
• 17:04
  Adam Garone: And the other thing that really bought a home for me on the not so good side was my niece who's the same age as my daughter and we're very close with them.
• 17:12
  Adam Garone: Three years ago now she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
• 17:14
  Adam Garone: And, and I always say there's only one thing worse than being told you've got cancer, it's being told that your child has cancer. You know, my brother and sister in law we were supposed to they live in San Diego was supposed to go down there for the weekend. They said, you know, Charlie's got a fever, you know, best you don't come down.
• 17:32
  Adam Garone: So within the space of 48 hours that went from having a fever, she was walking in falling over.
• 17:37
  Adam Garone: So they took her immediately in, they did an MRI, she had a tumor, the size of a small lemon on the base of her brain, within another 48 hours, she had brain surgery, it was malignant. And then they spent eight months of their life in the children's hospital in San Diego. Rady Children's Hospital going through the most intense chemotherapy a child that age can survive because it was so rare, they couldn't identify what type of cancer it was. So they just threw everything at it. They call it brain cancer, because that's where they found the tumor. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's that type of cancer. So you see, we saw firsthand, you know, the impact that has on a family in that time, you know, financially emotionally, and you know, you just going is Charlie gonna survive this. And then, you know, she's cancer free now. But every six months, she goes in for our full MRI at that age, it's, you know, it's still a full day procedure, general anaesthetic and a whole bunch of radiation to make sure the cancer hasn't come back. So they, but you know, every time Charlie has a cold or something like that they immediately go to, you know, is the cancer back. So it's a, I got to see the impact that that sort of, you know, disease can have on a kid in a family. But I also got to see firsthand the impact of styli programs. And you know, we've got a great program with Radio Flyer, and Starlight all about transforming moments like Becky you were talking about for a child in the hospital. So with our partnership with Radio Flyer, instead of going in a wheelchair from the bed to the treatment room. You know, they can go on a Radio Flyer wagon.
• 19:22
  Adam Garone: So Charlie used to sleep in the Radio Flyer wagon and, you know, we've we've reinvented hospital gowns, and we know as adults how shitty hospital gowns are, you know, and so we redesign them like double wraparound does up from the side pajama like material. But then we partner with the likes of Disney and we put Star Wars characters and princesses and Major League Baseball team logos on the minute and it just transforms that moment. You know, we always again, being digital first, even on the programming side, we've added QR codes onto the gowns now so that kids can scan the QR codes and then you know, the Milan comes to life on their phone with a special special message for them. So, you know, it's we try and think about that moment where they're taking off their own clothes, putting on a gown and they can take on the powers of a superhero or princess. But then they get this little special message because they're waiting, you know, there's some downtime between putting that gown on between going in, you're typically going for an operation at that point for kids.
• 20:23
  Becky Endicott: Oh my gosh,
• 20:24
  Jonathan McCoy: I mean, Adam, it's just like this convergence of all these things happening.
• 20:26
  Jonathan McCoy: You know, like, I think the power of tech and Becky and I were, you know, a decade in health care stuff like this is doesn't happen and oh my gosh, years, so hard to get this kind of stuff done, which I don't know if that lands if you're not in healthcare, but truly to try to do something innovative, like this, I know, is a ton of work.
• 20:48
  Jonathan McCoy: And a lot of, you know, passion has to come to the table
• 20:52
  Becky Endicott: QR code on. I mean, it's like you really gave the child and identity you really thought about what would be comforting. You thought about what would be humane? What would be whimsical? These are not words you think about when you're in the hospital. It's so smart, Adam.
• 21:10
  Adam Garone: Yeah. And it's one of the best things about COVID.
• 21:12
  Adam Garone: Right, the resurgence of the QR code. But yeah, I think you know, our most innovative program is our virtual reality programs. So we've got virtual reality headsets, and we curate content that goes on them. And yes, that's about entertainment and distraction. But because it's so immersive, AR VR headsets are being prescribed instead of sedating a kid or putting them under. So unfortunately, one of the most common injuries, serious injuries for a kid is a burn. So changing a burn. Changing addressing on a bone is highly traumatic, painful, oftentimes, they got to put a kid under or heavily sedate them. So in Bern units across the country, they're immersing kids in our VR headsets, they're exploring an underwater world getting lost and the nurse or the doctor is changing the dressing or even for Charlie, one of the highly traumatic thing was cleaning or chemo port in her chest. So again, you know, now they can immerse them in VR, they cleaned the chemo port or taking out stitches, putting them in. And so it has a the VR program has a clinical application, as well.
• 22:17
  Adam Garone: And, you know, we've got meditative, you know, apps on there as well. So pre or post surgery, and we're starting to use it for physical therapy. So imagine a kid that has a broken arm or or you know, is having trouble walking. Suddenly, through VR, you can gamify that be playing something, which otherwise would be really painful and stressful, because you're gonna feel physical therapists going Hey, try and, you know, reach above your head.
• 22:43
  Adam Garone: Now they catching butterflies, or whatever it is, and it's completely gamified.
• 22:51
  Jonathan McCoy: Hey, friends, this episode is presented by virtuous and they just happen to be one of our favorite companies. Let me tell you why.
• 22:56
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• 23:12
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• 24:11
  Jonathan McCoy: Every week, we host a new workshop giving you the playbook and tools to take immediate action, build your confidence and grow your impact. Be the Pro and get started today with a 14 day free trial head over to we're for good pro.com/free Okay, let's get back to this amazing conversation. I just I love this because you all meet the moment of you know, we're not letting these things just sit on the shelf for this the outside industries to partake in, you're saying no, we're going to harness this for good for this moment. I mean, leaning into VR at this moment, I think is so brilliant. And we just had these conversations that shouldn't be so out of reach for nonprofits, like the way that y'all think innovatively is disruptive. And I wish it wasn't that way. How have you led a team to be embracing this digital first? This always innovating kind of culture?
• 25:01
  Jonathan McCoy: Yeah, it's
• 25:03
  Adam Garone: interesting in particularly as I you know, get a bit older and, you know, you've got these kids that have grown up with social media and the internet. I mean, you know, I'm, I'm 50 so we didn't have the internet and stuff, but, you know, because we've got this amazing VR program. And I said to the team the other day, okay, this is gonna sound weird, but we're going to start doing meetings in VR. And and how can we go into the metaverse and create Starlight in the metaverse? How can we build our brand in there and fundraising there Now, I don't know the answers to that. But there's definitely apps where I mean, this is two dimensional, right?
• 25:39
  Adam Garone: And then, you know, Bill Gates and Zuckerberg have talked about this, but within a few years, we'll be doing meetings in virtual reality. And there is a, there's some great apps out there at the moment that you can do that. So it's, we have this great program, but how can we embrace virtual reality both from how can we be more efficient and effective, you know, workplace and even, you know, we're gonna remote workforce across spread across the US. So, you know, there's an app called rec room where you can go in and you can have an avatar and, and play, you know, record and games. So how about for our social gatherings instead of just being on Zoom and having a discussion about something let's let's go in and virtual reality and play in the rec room. But it's all for me about creating this culture of innovation. And just saying, Hey, did you know it's a throwaway line, there's no stupid ideas. But it's far more than that. It's creating a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation where people can try stuff, it's like, let's try stuff. Not a lot of stuff isn't going to work. There's stuff that I've tried November that didn't work, there's stuff that I've tried to start like that hasn't worked and been trying, what we're going to try and do is minimize the consequences of that, like, how do we test something with we're going to get enough data and enough insight to know whether it's going to be working or not, but one, don't be emotionally attached to the idea into look at the data and three, minimize the potential downside of that investment of that thing. And, you know, and then you iterate off off of that. And, you know, when I first joined starlight, I was like, Okay, we've got these two great programs in gaming, we've got a 30 year partnership with Nintendo and Becky, the gaming stations that went to the hospital, that's pure entertainment, and kids just being kids. But they're specially designed to work in a hospital for infection control and preloaded with games and whatnot. And then we're going to virtual reality. And I said, why aren't we in the streaming and gaming space, their fundraising over there. So we went in there, and it's worked. You know, last year, we raised close to a million dollars, from streamers.
• 27:49
  Adam Garone: And these are, yeah, they're gamers, they're chefs, they're musicians, they're crafters. And they get to game and stream or cook and stream. And then they we place, you know, gaming stations or VR headsets on their behalf in their local hospital.
• 28:07
  Adam Garone: So it's this beautiful virtual circle where they get to fundraise from their community, in place programs in their local hospital.
• 28:16
  Becky Endicott: Adam, your brain is like in 2030, it's like you can see what is ahead. I am, I'm so geeked out about this. And I just think about the freedom, your team must have to have a CEO. The values innovation is such a basis of the culture. And I am laughing that you were using our words, our same words, which is try stuff. And I mean, that is such a phrase in this community of failing forward failing up like, we know we're not going to succeed every time moving. I love that you are so authentic and transparent. Like we tried stuff with Movember and it didn't work. But it's like you have to keep pushing the envelope, you have to keep pushing. And I would I would love your counsel to all of our nonprofit friends who are listening right now who are trying to get to that innovation first culture, and they don't know how, what are some good first steps they can take to get there, even if it's moving their leader in that way?
• 29:21
  Adam Garone: Yeah. Because sometimes, you know, and even this thought board were, as I came in, was streaming was like, what, how does that even work?
• 29:27
  Adam Garone: And so it's again, it was we tried it? We did it on a small scale. But yeah, I mean, for me, the innovation in their culture has to be driven from the top down. But oftentimes, you know, you'll have pockets of you might have that in a lot of organizations, particularly in the not for profit sector. I saw this consulting, it's like he was in different organizations.
• 29:50
  Adam Garone: It was like, wow, there's no innovation he although they want to be innovative, they don't want to take those risks. And you know, it is tough, but if there's a pocket of people always say it's like you think about any movement any moment Movember, anything, one or two passionate people that truly believe in whatever it is, and their belief creates this enthusiasm and persistence that eventually pervades through the organization. So yeah, if you're in a not for profit organization, and it's stifled with innovation and be like trying to come up with a concept and then a framework or a ring fence around it, they go, hey, what if we tried this, you might need some resources to do that.
• 30:38
  Adam Garone: But what if we try this and just see if it resonates. And the other thing that I've learned is while you've got to give ideas, concepts, time to breathe, you just do great advice. And I, over and over. For me, it's a three year like that. That's the small innovations you can do for sure. With November wasn't all a third year in Australia wasn't sort of third year here. Even with starlight now three years in, in fundamentally changing the strategy and approach, you're just seems to start seeing the flywheel effect of it. And, you know, my board at stellar is like, Adam, we need to move faster. And it's like, I'm with you. 100. Sometimes it just takes time. And I said every day, we've got to be better than the day before. And that could be with the story, the content we're creating, you know, how we're maximizing our performance marketing metrics and stuff like that. But yeah, I think it's, it's trying to bite off something small. And as I said, ring fence it and then you know, get some buy in and just try it.
• 31:39
  Jonathan McCoy: Adam, I'm gonna play this episode back, I can't wait to just immerse in your leadership on this. We champion is one of our values, that it's not about just growing donors in something. It's about growing believers, because believers just act differently. And they unlock opportunity. And I think what you're saying about bringing the passion and enthusiasm, this is why you just replicating Movember at Starlight wouldn't work. It's like, what is it that brings this group of passionate believers at Starlight alive, that's what we want to do.
• 32:09
  Jonathan McCoy: That's what we want to put our money behind. And that's what we all need to do. Like, you can't just copy and paste these great ideas, figure out what is bringing your board alive, your staff alive, your donors alive and lean into that and give it the space to germinate like this is breakthrough.
• 32:26
  Adam Garone: Yeah, that's, you know, when I first joined Starlight there was, you know, took probably four or five months just to truly understand the organization because I went in there thinking, Okay, we need to create like this epic peer to peer campaign for this and create some sort of a gimmick skipping for Starlight or I don't know, something star jumps or jumping jacks for star, whatever. Then you go okay, up programs are so tangible, like a gown is $35. You know, via unit is $1,500. The impact is real, you can see it, it's immediate.
• 33:02
  Adam Garone: So that goes back to that intrinsic motivators. So lean into the tangibility of our programs, the immediacy of impact, because it's at Movember, we were funding, you know, research for the most part, and that's, that takes 10 to 15 years to translate maybe even. So, you know, I, we did so many videos of a researcher in a lab coat with a test tube with colored water, and they don't even use that they don't even use that. So you know, we have no, we don't need a gimme, get salad, we just need to play into the kids that were serving this amazing impact, tell that story.
• 33:42
  Adam Garone: But obviously give people ways to support. So we created this initiative on the program. It's called sponsor a hospital. So you can go into the website, you can put in your zip code, you see all the children's hospitals around you, you can choose that.
• 33:57
  Adam Garone: We've got a we know what programs they want from us. And then you can go alright, I want to place two VA units, okay, I'm going to raise $3,000. Like how then people went, go and raise that $3,000 could be a bake sale, it can be we weren't prescriptive about that. It's fine to have, you know, a great website, great little fundraising things. But that's easy, actually. The hardest bit is getting people to your website. So I build it and they won't come.
• 34:33
  Jonathan McCoy: I think that's great advice. Because I think we put all the stock in like doing this thing, when we're not actually realizing the journey begins when it launches. Like then you still got to go find the people and cultivate and change course maybe you know, as you learn more,
• 34:47
  Becky Endicott: and I have to just ask this question, help us understand how you tell that story and how you put it on fire on digital?
• 34:56
  Adam Garone: Yeah, and this is one of the hardest challenges, I think because yeah, you can, it's relatively easy to build a website and some you know that user experience relatively easy.
• 35:05
  Adam Garone: The toughest part is the story telling piece. And not just that because, again, we often think about telling the story, but then we have the story in the can but it's like, what is even more important. The story is the distribution plan behind that like how are you? How are you going to get that out of who you targeting? This goes back to some basic principles of marketing but even before you get to the storytelling, it's like Who Who you trying to reach but but know them really, really well. And then it's like who are you trying to reach and how you going to get to them? And obviously social and digital media is key to that. And then what do you want them to do? We asked him for a donation, and we asked him to be a monthly donor, we just want them to hit our site. And that all informs then the base of this story. And because of COVID, we can, it's very hard to get into hospitals to film your kids and families.
• 35:55
  Adam Garone: And you know, you're dealing with kids and families going through life changing life threatening moments. So it's a very delicate subject matter. So another thing we instituted with our three Ambassador families each year, that we nurture, and steward and they become the face of starlight each year. And we work with a video production team last year and came up with this concept around having the parents write a letter to the future child that's going through their illness. And I've just seen the first cuts of the PSAs. So it really has nothing to do with our programs, you actually don't see our programs in this. But what the parents will say is, there were people and organizations like Starlight there for you, this is a tough time, but know that they were there for you. And the importance of giving back. So it's a more holistic, but these I'm getting emotional now because I've seen it, but it's like, it's beautiful. You have a dad reading this letter to his six year old son that's got congenital heart disease, and we'll have that for life, about the importance of giving back no matter what you're going through. So yeah, it's it's beautiful.
• 37:07
  Jonathan McCoy: I want you to double click on that Ambassador ship. I mean, I think it's a unique way that y'all do that.
• 37:12
  Jonathan McCoy: But what dignity is in that, you know, of building these relationships and allowing them to storytelling their own way, would you kind of talk about that the way they all created that?
• 37:20
  Adam Garone: Yeah, absolutely.
• 37:20
  Adam Garone: You know, so for my brother and sister in law, they don't want to tell Charlie's story, they, they want that chapter of their life behind them. And but there are some families that want to champion the, you know, their story and the honest that their child is going through. So it's about finding those families that want to tell that story that are going to be good on camera. And, and be great spokesperson people for the for starlight and their cause. So we, you know, we have someone focus on nurturing those relationships and building them up. And we were very, we need to give them enough value in this whole experience, that they're willing to give us this intimate insight into their life. So, you know, we pack it, we give them you know, VR headsets and gaming stations and in trying to do stuff through our partners at Disney and other things to give them these really special moments. So they you know, we call them our rock stars or movie stars. And, you know, they're they're our champions, and we want to make them feel Ultra special in through this experience.
• 38:35
  Becky Endicott: Okay, that right there was a masterclass and how you give dignity to the person who's storytelling, how you thank them, for sharing that story as a part of your mission, how to co build a story that doesn't lead to more undue trauma. And I want to give you a compliment, Adam, because we have such a penchant for mental health in this podcast. And we have such compassion and empathy for nonprofit professionals who are suffering from burnout and compassion, fatigue, and they're working so hard in this pandemic. And I have heard you just gently over the last 15 minutes, talk about how to help minimize someone's trauma. And I just think that the way that you and your foundation walk through this life, how you see one person, how it almost feels like every I mean, when you talk about these kids, and I and I know most people are probably listening to this, but if you watch the video, Adam lights up, like his whole carriage on top changes when he talks about these kids and it just feels like a love letter to the Charlie's of the world out there. And we see it and we just want to thank you for it so much.
• 39:58
  Adam Garone: No, I appreciate that. It's, it's such fulfilling work. You know, I I often think about and talk about, you know, the difference between being successful and being significant. I think, you know, for a lot of adults, we spend the first half of our lives typically focused on being successful and that, you know, in academics in sports and then early parts of careers. And then, you know, you get to a certain point with a certain level of success and some sort of platform and, and realize that for me anyway. Well, a lot of us it's about being significant. Like this podcast, it's like significance to me is helping other people. And success brings moments of happiness for sure. And you know, though materializing stuff that shows that you're successful. But when you focus in on being significant and realize the power of serving other people, that brings joy and true long term fulfillment.
• 40:51
  Adam Garone: And so, yeah, I've been doing this stuff, you know, 1314 years of November and three here, it's an you know, I'm, you're deeply passionate about, you know, the work that I do, I love it, it's like, I love the team that we build for us, you know, we're particularly COVID, we can't get into hospital, so we can't see the true impact. So every all staff meeting, which we have, every other week, we have a child life specialist specialists, we have a mom, we have a streamer, come and join us, because that keeps us close to that impact edge. Because otherwise, you know, you might be working in logistics or finance or even me as CEO dealing with board stuff like you become removed from, you know, the purpose of your organization. And, you know, that, for us is the biggest motivator to hear from a family or, you know, a streamer who spent some time in a hospital as a kid now giving back that that's, you know, the biggest motivator ever,
• 41:52
  Jonathan McCoy: Adam, you're such a good person and incredible leader, I think there's so much here that that we could take into whatever organization we're leading, I think about your career, you've gotten to witness the power of philanthropy on the daily in a national and international movement, in the one on one moments of Charlie's stories, who is there a story that comes to mind of how philanthropy has really changed, you will stick with you, you know,
• 42:18
  Adam Garone: my legacy will always be my member, always be the Movember guy. And, you know, even yesterday, I went to a Super Bowl party, I was talking with someone there, and Movember had touched them and their family on the mental health side, and forever thankful. So I think in all of our work, we never know, when we don't need to how many people we impact or reach. But you know, the ripple effect of that as well. And, you know, we, we started out with November, we wanted to, you know, create a new generation of where to be. And I sort of think we did that we were one of the first people that young, younger people that started a charity, which was sort of unheard of, but now you see startups, you know, startup charities and stuff like that, which is great.
• 42:58
  Adam Garone: You know, I think it's a humility of the work we do. You know, I've got kids, I've just so fortunate that they're healthy and, and happy. We all take our health for granted. And they're saying is like, ask, ask a rich man, what he wants to do ask for 10 things, ask a sick man, what he wants to be one thing, and like, you're just focusing on health and well being. But I think I think overall, it'd be the humility and just appreciation for life and living in the moment and trying to nudge this world in a slightly better direction.
• 43:33
  Becky Endicott: Well, you've definitely done that. And I mean, it's just it's such a huge scale. And I just think about what Movember has done to accelerate prostate cancer research to accelerate what we know about testicular cancer, about mental health and men. And the fact that you did this and you continue to pour into it is just a gift that's just going to keep giving this world over and over again, and I'd love a good mustache. And I hate to ask you this question, because it means we're wrapping up, but we want to know, what's your one good thing, Adam, we ask all of our guests like, what's a mantra, something you could leave with somebody today? Maybe a piece of advice, a life hack with chairs?
• 44:16
  Adam Garone: I think, you know, one of the mentors I go by, in you know, back in the Australian military and special forces, one of the mottos was Who Who Dares Wins, and it's being bold enough and brave enough to dare to try something and stick with and I even think about that now, as you know, 50 years old, and it's like, don't stop innovating. It doesn't matter what age I live by, Who Dares Wins, try stuff.
• 44:39
  Adam Garone: And dare Dare to be different and dare to win.
• 44:46
  Jonathan McCoy: New coffee mug.
• 44:46
  Jonathan McCoy: I'm loving these, Adam. So good.
• 44:52
  Jonathan McCoy: Okay, tell us you know, how can folks connect with you and Starlight? How can we support your work and find your online?
• 44:58
  Adam Garone: Yeah, absolutely.
• 44:58
  Adam Garone: So stylets website is starlight.org. And I'm Adam already on Twitter and LinkedIn.
• 45:07
  Becky Endicott: Awesome. I just wish you all of the hope and joy and love and success and a life of significance. And we also just wish Charlie, many, many decades of health and happiness and love as she continues to go on and all the Charlie's out there.
• 45:24
  Adam Garone: Yeah. Thank you so much. I love love the chat, John and Becky. Thank you.
• 45:28
  Jonathan McCoy: Thanks for joining us. Today's episode was brought to you by our good friends at ot zero without zero your nonprofit can do more with a login box. Greet prospects and rabid fans of your mission with authenticity simply make it easier for your team to manage data. There's so much about zero login experience can do. Is it auth zero.org For more info
• 45:47
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• 46:00
  Becky Endicott: Sign up today at we are for good.com backslash hello
• 46:03
  Jonathan McCoy: thanks friends